Rotary Wing Show - Interviews from the Helicopter Industry

Max talks with New Zealand helicopter pilot Billy Watson about flying in some of the most dramatic terrain in the world, from Queenstown and Milford Sound to Papua New Guinea and the Western Pacific. Billy flies for Over The Top, a Queenstown-based helicopter company that specializes in bespoke scenic helicopter experiences. In this conversation, recorded aboard the Milford Explorer cruise boat in Milford Sound, Billy explains why weather plays such a major role in New Zealand helicopter oper

Max flies the Loft Dynamics H125 VR simulator and he talks about why he believes highly realistic virtual reality may become an important part of helicopter training. A Helicopter Simulator That Feels Surprisingly Real This episode begins with a simple question: what does it actually feel like to fly a helicopter in a virtual reality simulator? Max had experienced VR before, but not in a way that convinced him it was ready for serious aviation use. That changed when he visited Loft Dynamics and

Max talks with Fabi Riesen, CEO of Loft Dynamics, about virtual reality helicopter simulator training and how VR may improve safety, standardization, and training efficiency for rotorcraft pilots. The premise is simple: helicopter flying happens close to the ground, often in demanding environments, and a meaningful share of risk shows up during training and checking—when pilots are practicing new maneuvers, refining emergency procedures, or being evaluated. The safety opportunity is to shift mor

See Helicopter News headlines and link to listener survey below. In this episode, Max talks with helicopter instructor Jay Bunning to explore the maneuvers that most frequently injure or kill helicopter instructors—auto-rotations, simulated engine failures, and off-airport operations. Based on real accident cases, the newest Airman Certification Standards, and decades of training experience, this episode provides a deep masterclass in keeping both CFIs and students alive during the most unforgi