Recipients To Be Recognized At Heli-Expo In February

HAI on Tuesday unveiled the winners of its 2010 "Pilot of the Year" and "Rolls-Royce Excellence in Helicopter Maintenance" awards.

Earl S Palmer, Chief Pilot, Hillcrest Aircraft Company, of Lewiston, Idaho, is the Pilot of the Year. HAI cites Earl's versatility and quest for professional excellence, evident in a career spanning nearly 50 years. In 1962 Palmer enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Caribou mechanic, and after flight training was assigned to the 118th Assault Helicopter Company in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for participation in a night re-supply of a besieged outpost under heavy enemy fire. Following active service, Palmer taught pilots to fly the venerable Bell "Huey."

After leaving the military, Palmer worked in Colorado in a variety of helicopter operations, including building microwave repeaters at 13,000 feet, and the early development of helicopter seismic work in the Western United States. He was also involved in rescuing a group of teenage girls stranded in a blizzard.

In 1975 Palmer joined the Bureau of Land Management at the Idaho Interagency Fire Center, and in 1977 moved to the USDA Forest Service as a helicopter specialist, working to re-introduce large helicopters to fire operations. Palmer was instrumental in developing equipment and procedures for night heli-torch operations. From 1989 to 1992, Palmer served as Regional Aviation Officer in Portland, Oregon. In 1998 he joined Hillcrest Aircraft Company in Lewiston, Idaho, becoming Chief Pilot in 2001.

Palmer holds an Airline Transport Pilot license with SD-3 rating, Airplane Single and Multi-Engine Land, Airplane Single Engine Sea, and Airplane and Helicopter Flight Instructor certifications. He also holds an A&P license with Inspection Authorization. Palmer has logged 13,000 hours of helicopter, and 3,000 hours of airplane flight time.

Robert Peterson, Consultant, Columbia Helicopters, Inc., of Aurora, Oregon, has been selected to receive The "Rolls-Royce Excellence in Helicopter Maintenance" award.

Over a span of 46 years, Peterson has become a renowned authority on aircraft hydraulic systems. As such, he is routinely sought after as an instructor and speaker at conferences around the world. Drafted into the U.S. Air Force in 1963, Peterson spent five years working on hydraulics. During that time, he worked on numerous aircraft that included the F-4, B-52, KC-135, C-130, and the C-47 to name but a few. He became known as "Chief Trouble Shooter" - if there was a problem, he was the one called.

On leaving the military, Peterson studied for A&P certification, and joined Columbia Helicopters in 1972. At the time, the company was having hydraulic problems with their Vertol B107-11 fleet. Peterson was able to reduce fluid contamination by reworking the filter and flush system. As a result, flight hours soared. Eighteen months later, Peterson was named Hydraulic Shop Chief, a position he held for over 30 years. Peterson continued to work on purifying hydraulic fluid, achieving purification levels 1 & 2 where level 5 is acceptable, enabling Columbia to maintain a 97 percent mission availability rate, despite operating in some of the most remote and rugged parts of the world. These results were so impressive that the U.S. Army sent several crews to Columbia's headquarters to learn how to achieve the same results. Peterson also developed new seals for upper boost actuators and lag dampers. As a result, Columbia&rsquo ;s Model 234 helicopter field crews are able to predict when hydraulic manifolds and pumps are going to fail.

In addition to his Air Force service, Peterson spent 31 years in the Air National Guard, always working on aircraft hydraulic systems. Peterson is a member of the Standards of American Engineering (SAE).

Peterson says he can recall nearly everything he has ever learned about the hydraulics on any aircraft he has worked on, thanks to an exceptional memory. Still referred to as "Chief Trouble Shooter," his interest in making a hydraulic system work to optimum efficiency, and willingness to share his knowledge, is why he embodies the spirit of the Rolls-Royce Excellence in Helicopter Maintenance Award.

All winners will be recognized at HELI-EXPO 2010's annual "Salute to Excellence" Awards Banquet on February 22, 2010 in Houston, Texas.

FMI: www.rotor.com.