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b e l l h e l i c o p t e r. c o m
Q3 • 2008
Huey II
The Legend
Lives On
The Bell Huey II
By David Sale, BellAero
are even more dramatic, such as the main transmission – 1,100
hours to 6,000 hours – and the main rotor mast, which has a life
expanded from 1,500 hours to 15,000 hours.
In all, the Huey II has 35 percent lower direct operating costs
(DOC) than the UH-1H. “That’s a benefit to the customers,”
Shiminski said. “It turns their old H-1 Huey into a renewed and even
more productive aircraft.”
The Huey II has proven popular among international customers,
including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Peru, Dominican
Republic, Argentina, Philippine Air Force, Iraqi Air Force and the
Columbian Air Force, National Police and Army.
Rio de Janeiro Civil Police will take delivery of a Huey II this year.
In fact, Brazil enacted a law for the public use category before the
department could purchase the helicopter. Rio Civil Police visited
with New York State Police and Colombian National Police in 2007
to get a first-hand look at the helicopter’s operational capabilities
and maintenance issues. They came away convinced that the
Huey II would meet their requirements. However, the “public use”
category did not exist in Brazil. The government agreed to establish
a new category of operation in Brazil, which was necessary before
the Huey II could operate in any Brazilian police force. The State of
Rio de Janeiro argued that the Huey II had such unique qualities for
its cost that no other product could compete on the same level.
This led to a fast-track procurement that allowed the Rio state
government to take advantage of available funds at year-end
2007 to carry out the acquisition. Delivery is expected in August.
“This can open up an avenue for even more sales in the future,”
Shiminski said. “The Huey II is a workhorse that is affordable for most
international customers, which is why it’s becoming so popular.”
There’s a domestic market as well. Kern County in California
has one on order for delivery in Summer 2008, and New York State
Police has two.
In keeping with Bell’s unparalleled customer support,
customers have training available, including pilot transition and
maintenance.
U.S. Helicopter offers special mission configurations, including
VIP, medical evacuation, fire fighting, training and command
and control. Accessories include a cargo hook, rescue hoist, night
vision capabilities, bambi bucket for firefighting, water tank, armor
decking and a broad range of avionics.
“We’re continuing to invest in developing enhancements to the
Huey II,” Shiminski said. “The sky is the limit for this product and we
are ready to capture those opportunities throughout the World.”
Bell Helicopter made its mark with the Huey, and the old
workhorse has found a second life in its reincarnation as the Huey II.
“It’s taking a UH-1H and remanufacturing it into a UH-1H II,
what we refer to as a Huey II,” said Kyle Shiminski, Huey II program
director. “It takes an old Huey, which there are many out there
in the field – and increases its performance while upgrading
the aircraft with commercial rotors. We’re basically putting a
commercial 212 rotor system on the Huey.”
It’s hardly a new program - Bell has delivered more than 200 kits
in the last decade or so. More than 150 Huey IIs have flown more
than 195,000 hours around the world.
The helicopter has started receiving more attention lately as an
option for foreign and domestic customers. The Huey II is a certified
public use aircraft rather than a commercial helicopter, which
means it can’t be used to haul passengers for hire. However, it
finds plenty of use in other ways, including law enforcement, drug
interdiction, foreign military and emergency services.
“The opportunities right now are pretty strong,” Shiminski said.
“It’s one of the few products we have right now that we can
deliver within 12 months.” The production and delivery of a Huey II
takes nine to 12 months.
Customers have various options for upgrading, but Bell typically
handles the operation. The conversion kit involves more than 9,000
parts, including a more efficient 212 main rotor system; a new antitorque system tractor tail rotor; 212 drivetrain; a new, baggageless
tailboom; more engine power; a higher rated transmission; and a
Kaflex drive shaft.
The process starts with a UH-1H – usually the customer’s aircraft,
but Bell can supply one if necessary.
McTurbine takes the Honeywell engine and upgrades it to what
is essentially an AH-1S Cobra engine that provides 28 percent more
takeoff power for nearly identical fuel consumption.
U.S. Helicopter performs the integration at its Ozark, Ala.,
facility. The floor and wiring is removed and the frame torn down to
its bare bones. In addition to repairing any damage, the program
upgrades the airframe to handle the increased capacity.
There’s a good-sized bump in performance with the upgrade,
including hover capability, a top speed of 130 knots, max gross
weight of 11,200 pounds externally and increased payload.
A Huey II also represents a significant maintenance cost savings
thanks to a significant increase in time between overhaul (TBO) for
major components. Some double, such as the engine, which goes
from 2,400 hours to 5,000 hours before an overhaul. Some increases
24
Fixed vs. Variable Costs
By Warren Moseley, Business Development Manager
In last quarter’s article “DMC‘s vs.
DOC’s” I touched on a portion of Direct
Operating Cost (DOC) referred to as
fixed costs. Two of the components that
make up DOC and Direct Maintenance
Cost (DMC) are fixed and variable
costs. While DMC is comprised mainly
of variable costs, it is important to know
and understand what is contained
in each of these categories. If your
operation anticipates flying 30% more or
30% fewer flight hours next year, how will
this affect overall costs? We all should
understand that an increase in flight
hours would not constitute an equal
increase in total operational costs. One
of the ways to estimate the cost effects
on flight hour variations is to understand
fixed vs. variable costs associated with
your particular helicopter operation.
A quick way to show how fixed vs.
variable costs would affect overall costs
it to provide a simple example. If the
aircraft operations had a total variable
cost per flight hour of $1,150 and an
overall operational fixed cost per year
of $200,000, the following could be
derived from two different flight hour
variables.
If the aircraft variable costs totaled
$1,150 per flight hour and fixed cost was
$200,000 for flight operations per year,
the following calculation for 300 Flt/
Hrs/Year and 600 Flt/Hrs/Year could be
presented:
300 Flt/Hrs X $1,150 + $200,000 =
$545,000 for one year
divided by 300 Flt/Hrs =
$1,816.67 per hour average
600 Flt/Hrs X $1,150 + $200,000 =
$890,000 for one year
divided by 600 Flt/Hrs =
$1,483.33 per hour average
As you can see, the additional flight
hours significantly lowered the overall
cost per flight hour. Depending on
the amount of fixed cost applied to
your aircraft operations this number
can vary by significant margins.
Now let’s attempt to define
fixed costs. Fixed costs are generally
associated with expenditures that
do not vary with the number of flight
hours flown per year or per month. A
good example of fixed costs could
be represented by rental charges for
aircraft facilities. This cost (in most
cases) remains constant whether the
aircraft flies or not, so it remains fixed
to the overall aircraft operations. While
most costs associated with DMC are
variable, there are a few calendar
based and retirement life items that
are time dependant and therefore
would be considered fixed. A calendar
based inspection would represent a
fixed cost due to the fact the aircraft
is accumulating (reducing the time till
due) calendar time and the cost for
accomplishing the task is applied to
the aircraft even though it is not flying
or generating revenue. By the same
measure, there are some operators
who may see a cost associated with
labor as a fixed cost where other
operators may see it as a variable.
For an operator who has a full time
salaried pilot or mechanic, the cost
for salaries and benefits represent
a constant expenditure. In contrast
to this, some operators may elect to
hire out the labor required to perform
piloting or maintenance and may
incur this cost as a variable as it is
charged only as the aircraft is flown.
As for variable costs, these are
usually associated with expenditures
that change as flight hours increase or
decrease. Consumption items provide
a good example of this type of cost. In
most cases fuel would be considered
a variable cost. The more the aircraft
is flown, the more fuel is consumed
and therefore has to be purchased.
Most variable costs remain constant
on a per flight hour basis within a
reasonable range. As you can see
there would be many examples of
where a cost may be a variable for one
operator and a fixed cost for another.
To accurately determine overall
operational costs, an operator needs
to have traceability of expenditures
down to the individual aircraft. Variable
cost per aircraft may be much easier
to determine than fixed costs across a
fleet of aircraft. Do you apply the same
burden for the rental of facilities against
your Model 206B3 as you do your Model
412EP? The more accurately you can
assign these fixed costs to a particular
aircraft the better understanding
you will have in determining the
actual costs of aircraft operations.
RotorBreeze is a quarterly publication of
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., a subsidiary
of Textron Inc., P.O. Box 482, Fort Worth, TX 76101.
Telephone: (817) 280-2679
E-mail: laferry@bellhelicopter.textron.com
This newsletter is distributed free of charge to
persons associated with the helicopter industry.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Ross Johnson, Publisher
Leslie Ferry, Editor
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Bryan Warren, Manager, Advertising
Michael Dewey, Product Support Engineering
Mark Medinger, Customer Support Representative
Pat Crippen, Bell Training Academy
Mark Kocurek, Business Development
© 2008 Bell ® Helicopter Textron Inc., all rights reserved.
3
Bell Training Academy Certifies
206 Jet Ranger
Flight Training Device
By Scott Westbrook, Sr. Simulation Training Specialist, Bell Helicopter Customer Training Academy
On December 19th, 2007, Bell
Helicopter Training Academy (BTA) began
evaluation of the 206B3 Flight Training
Device (FTD) with the National Simulator
Program (NSP) division of the FAA. The
evaluation effort was coordinated with
the assistance of Frasca International. The
Bell 206B3 JetRanger FTD was found to be
satisfactory, and was issued the Statement
of Qualification by the NSP on December
20th, 2007. On June 12th, 2008, the FTD
was evaluated for the 6 month follow up
and the Statement of Qualification was
reissued and extended for a period of
twelve months.
Qualification of the 206B3 FTD had
been quite the challenge in the past.
The BTA has tried many times in the past
to certify the device. The challenges
arose due to aircraft flight test data.
The data requirements for simulation
differ significantly from those required
for certification of an aircraft. With the
assistance of Frasca, the data was
obtained from the National Research
Council (NRC) of Canada in January
of 2007.
Once the data was obtained, Frasca
sorted and populated a flight model for
loading into the FTD onsite. The FTD required
significant computer upgrades for the
certification process. Previous computers
were dated back to 1999 and were
incapable of fulfilling the requirements.
After upgrades to the device were
completed, tuning was done to the FTD
to match up the flight test data, as well
as extensive subjective tuning by Bell
Helicopter Pilots and Instructors. Subjective
tuning was required as some data was
found to deviate from Bell Helicopter
published maintenance standards.
Deviation in data such as “Autorotational
RPM” was found to be outside of those
standards. Subjective tuning placed the
RPM at 100% in the 60 knot established
attitude. Deviations from the data are
acceptable to the NSP as long as the
reasons for such deviations are found
necessary by the manufacturer of the
helicopter being simulated. As the
manufacturer, this gave Bell Helicopter
an advantage during the qualification
process. Having many subject matter
experts on hand and available almost at
notice streamlined the process significantly.
Qualification was done by two
representatives of the NSP, one engineer
and the other a pilot. Extensive review of
the data was performed, as well as review
of our deviations by the engineer and
representatives of Frasca International.
Meanwhile, our Chief Instructor Pilot, flew
the FTD with the NSP pilot, performing
miscellaneous maneuvers in differing
weather conditions, along with an actual
flight in the 206B3 helicopter. Having the
aircraft on the ramp for our use assisted
the qualification process significantly;
flight time provides excellent comparison
between this FTD and the actual aircraft.
Qualification provides our customer
endorsable flight training time in the FTD.
Before qualification, our customer was
allowed 7.5 hours towards instrument
training. With the certification under our
Part 141 Training School Certificate, the
customer is now allowed a maximum
of 20 hrs for the same training towards
an Instrument Rating. The value to the
customer has increased significantly.
The BTA looks forward to certifying the
407 and 412 within the next two years, and
our 429 FTD currently under construction, is
slated for certification within four months of
arrival to the BTA.
For a listing of courses offered by the Bell Training
Academy, or to register for training, please go to
www.bellhelicopter.com/en/training/.
ATTENTION:
FIRST RESPONDERS
The Bell Helicopter Training Academy
(BTA) has developed a 1st Responder
Helicopter Safety training program that is
targeted for the first responder community
involved in helicopter operations. This
ground safety helicopter course is DVD/CDbased. The cost for the DVD/CD set is $50.00.
For more information regarding this
program, please contact: Joe Schmaltz,
jeschmaltz@bellhelicopter.textron.com
817.280.8433.
4
Canadian Supply Center GRAND OPENING
General Manager of the Canadian Supply Center. “We have
38,000 square feet of space in this building and our new
location is ideal for improving our logistical capabilities. The
layout of the new facility, combined with the incorporation
of Textron Six Sigma tools into our processes, has greatly
improved our efficiency, and reduced the amount of floor
space within which we function.”
“Our location next door to all the major freight carriers
opens up some interesting potentials. Our ability to get
shipments directly across the ramp at a much later time than
the conventional pickup deadlines is one of them. The ability
to access international logistics from this location is absolutely
limitless.” stated Bartole.
Bell Helicopter Canada opened its new 38,000 square
foot Canadian Supply Center on July 5th at the Calgary
International Airport’s YYC Global Logistics Park. The Grand
Opening was held in conjunction with the Calgary Stampede
and the annual Supply Center BBQ. The BBQ has been
held for the last 24 years as a way to thank Bell’s Canadian
customers for their business and support of the Bell product.
“There are approximately 1,500 Bell helicopters operating
in Canada.”
This new location will continue to be the primary Canadian
distribution facility for the company as well as an important
addition to the Airport’s growing trade community. “The new
facility is 53% larger than our old facility.” said Colin Bartole,
Bell employees at the Grand Opening of the new Canadian Supply Center.
Need help with a technical question?
Here’s how to contact Product Support Engineering:
Model 47, 206
Phone:
FAX:
E-Mail:
Model 204, 205, 212 or 412
Phone:
FAX:
E-Mail:
450.437.2862 or 800.363.8023
450.433.0272
pselight@bellhelicopter.textron.com
Model 214 or Surplus Military
Model 407
Phone:
FAX:
E-Mail:
Phone:
FAX:
E-Mail:
450.971.6407 or 800.243.6407
450.433.0272
pselight@bellhelicopter.textron.com
Model 222/230, 427 or 430
Phone:
FAX:
E-Mail:
450.437.6201 or 800.363.8028
450.433.0272
psemedium@bellhelicopter.textron.com
450.437.2077 or 800.463.3036
450.433.0272
pseinter@bellhelicopter.textron.com
5
817.280.2481 (Model 214)
817.280.8779 (Model OH-58A/C)
817.280.4074 (Model UH-1 series military surplus)
817.280.4074 (Huey II)
817.280.2635
psemil214@bellhelicopter.textron.com
General Composites: An Overview Part 2 —
By Michael Dewey, Senior Project Engineer - Military Technical Support Light
The following is Part 2 of an
article covering generic
composite materials, application,
inspection techniques, repairs
and procedures. (Part 1 ran in
the Q2 2008 issue of RotorBreeze.
You can access this article at
www.bellhelicopter.com/en/
support/. Click on “Market Data”
and “RotorBreeze 2008 Q2.”)
Composite Inspection Techniques
Visual Inspection
Ultrasonic Inspection
Visual type inspections are the quick
and inexpensive method of detecting
various types of surface flaws, cracks,
and internal flaws that may produce
defects before they progress to failure.
The quality of the visual inspection
depends on the abilities and experience
of the technician. Some defects may
need additional investigation. This is
where a 10x magnifying glass and a
bright light will aid in this type inspection.
Internal damage may be detected
with an ultrasonic tester. This method
is accomplished by beaming a
high frequency wave through the
part and viewing the response
pattern on an oscilloscope. When
examined, the variations of a given
response pattern would determine
the amount of delamination, flaws
or other conditions being detected.
Ultrasonic inspection is effective in
detecting internal flaws in a variety
of materials. Disadvantages of
this type of inspection are that
the flaws detected need to be
perpendicular to the ultrasonic beam
and NDI qualification of personnel
and equipment is costly and time
consuming.
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
0.160
INCH
Tap Test
When damage is detected visually on a
composite panel the coin tap method
may be used to determine the extent
of the damage area. This method
is also used to inspect honeycomb
structures for serviceability. This method
of inspection is carried out by tapping
on structure and listening for a change
in pitch from a sharp solid sound, which
would indicate a good bond. A dull
thud of a sound would indicate bond
separation. Changes in the thickness of
the structure, reinforcements, inserts, or
previous repairs will give false readings.
The majority of the time when there is
visual damage to a composite part
there will be some delamination.
Delay/Line
Part Surface
Interface Response
Back Surface
Response From
Composite
Laminate
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0.160
INCH
CRT DISPLAY
A. Composite Laminate/No Defects
TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
0.060
INCH
0.160
INCH
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Response From
0.060 Depth
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0.060
INCH
CRT DISPLAY
Delamination
At 0.060 Inch
B. Composite Laminate/Delamination
at 0.060 inch
TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
0.160
INCH
Multi-Level Delamination
At 0.020, 0.040, And 0.060 Inch
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Response From
0.020 Inch
Depth
Response From
0.040 Inch
Depth
Response From
0.080 Inch
Depth
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CRT DISPLAY
C. Composite Laminate/Multi-Level Delamination
6
Inspection Techniques
Pulse-Echo Ultrasonics
TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
0.060
INCH
0.160
INCH
Delamination
at 0.060 inch
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Response From
0.060 Inch
Depth
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Delaminations masked
by delamination at 0.060 inch
D. Composite Laminate/Masked Delaminations
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
Patch
Adhesive 20
10
Laminate 0
TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
Patch/
Patch Adhesive
Surface Response
Response
Laminate
Black
Surface
Response
This method uses a single transducer to
send and receive sound energy. The
sound energy is reflected back to the
transducer by the initial surface of the
part, by backside surface of the part, by
interfaces between different materials
(such as composite and adhesive
interfaces) and by locations of internal
defects. It can be used to determine
defect area, and defect depth. Test
results are displayed using A-scan
presentation on the cathode ray tube
(CRT) of the ultrasonic flaw detector.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CRT DISPLAY
E. Repair Patch to Laminate Bond/No Defects
TRANSMITTER
TRANSDUCER
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
Patch
Adhesive 20
10
Laminate 0
TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
Patch to laminate bondline
void or disbone
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Patch/
Patch
Adhesive
Surface Response
Response
Absence Of
Laminate
Back
Surface
Response
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CRT DISPLAY
F. Repair Patch to Laminate Bond/
Bondline Void or Disbond
RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
Part Surface
Response
Opposite
Side Surface
Response
Through-Transmission
Ultrasonics
This method uses two transducers, one
to transmit sound and one to receive.
Sound energy is sent from one side of
a part through the part to the second
transducer on the opposite side. A
defect found in the part will reduce
the intensity of the sound energy. The
reduction of the sound level intensity is
used to detect the presence of defects.
Through-transmission ultrasonics is
usually more sensitive for flaw detection
in bonded assemblies. But it cannot
determine defect depth or type. This
method requires access to both sides
of the part and alignment of the two
transducers during inspection to ensure
the receiving transducer picks up the
sound energy sent by the transmitting
transducer. Test results are displayed
using a scan presentation.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CRT DISPLAY
Skin to Core Unbond
A. Composite Laminate Honeycomb Sandwich
Assembly with No Defects
delamination
TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
Skin To Core
Bond Adhesive
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Composite
Skin Back
Sirface
Response
Adhesive/
Air Interface
Response
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Adhesive/Air
Interface
CRT DISPLAY
Search Unit
Alignment
Fixture Used
To Maintain
Transducer
Alignment
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Absence Of
Opposite
Side Surface
Response
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CRT DISPLAY
CTR RESPONSE FOR BOTH SKINTO CORE
DISBOND AND SKIN DELAMINATION
Through-Transmission Ultrasonics is Unable
To Determine Depth of Defect or DefecT TYPE
Composite Laminate Honeycomb Sandwich
Assembly/Skin to Core Disbond and
Skin Delamination
Transducer Misalignment can cause an
erroneous defect indication
B. Transducer Alignment
G. Composite Laminate Honeycomb Sandwich
Assembly/No Defects
TRANSMITTER/RECEIVER
TRANSDUCER
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Visual verses Ultrasonic
damage indication
Visual Indication
Of Damage
Over Skin Area
Where Adhesive
Is Disbonded
From Back
Surface Of Skin,
Amplitude May
Increase &
Adhesive/
Air Interface
Response Will Be
Absent
A. Layout of NDI Grid
Ultrasonic
Indication Of
Damage
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Skin To Core
Disbond
CRT DISPLAY
H. Composite Laminate Honeycomb Sandwich
Assembly/Skin to Core Disbond
B. Damage Extent from Ultrasonic Inspection
7
SkyBOOKS is the
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maintenance management
compliance, and
aircraft value protection.
SkyBOOKS will ensure
your crew and aircraft
remain mission ready and
compliant at all times.
SkyBOOKS is an internet served
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analysts, a quality department and an
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master template for each individual
aircraft directly from maintenance
manuals or AAIP, FAA Airworthiness
Directives, manufacturer’s SB/ASB or
communiqués, and Instruction for
Continued Airworthiness (ICAS) from
field modifications or STC installations.
Whenever a revision occurs or a new
directive is released, the SkyBOOKS
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SkyBOOKS recognizes that not all
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8
systems to add individual operational
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Current SkyBOOKS’ mixed fleet
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“SkyBOOKS will provide visibility to our
widely geographically dispersed fleet
and provide us real time condition
insight, allowing us better planning and
management of our fleet. SkyBOOKS
will help mitigate risk for remotely
operated aircraft, and the warranty
tracking capability will allow cost
recovery that previously did not exist.”
SkyBOOKS customers indicate that
they find the system to be very intuitive
and the analyst support personal,
accommodating, and very responsive.
For example, customers can simply
send a copy of the Return to Service
documents via fax or email to their
aircraft analyst, who will immediately
update the system maintenance event
schedule and load all supporting
documents into the on-line vault.
Trained users may perform most of the
updates to their account personally,
relying on their SkyBOOKS’ analyst to
provide quality control and confirm
the accuracy and actions initiated by
system updates.
Beginning this fall, new Bell
helicopters will be delivered with all
historic information, modification center
STC, and ICAS data already loaded into
SkyBOOKS. All new models 407, 412, and
429 will include a SkyBOOKS subscription
funded by Bell for the primary warranty
period. Additionally, legacy incentives
will be offered with new machines
entering legacy fleets.
Visit www.skybooks.com or contact
sales@skybooks.com for an introductory
overview of the SkyBOOKS’ technology,
or, if you prefer, call SkyBOOKS at
(866) 929-8700 or your Bell Ship Sales
representative to arrange an individual
demonstration today.
Aircraft List Screen (Fleet View)
Aircraft and Crew Status View
Maintenance Due List
Upcoming M&O Conferences
DATE
LOCATION
October 16-17
CITY/STATE
Edwards & Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kingsport, Tennessee
October 20-21 Carnegie Hotel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johnson City, Tennessee
November 10-11 Hilton Lac-Leamy. . . . . Gatineau-Ottawa, Quebec, Canada
For more information or to register, please contact:
Bierck Saxton at (817) 280-4863 or BCSaxton@bellhelicopter.textron.com
9
Bell Helicopter – Going Green
By James Tripp, Business Development Manager
As we enter the era of global warming, we hear all the buzz
words such as “going green”, “carbon foot print”, “greenhouse
gas”, “environmentally friendly”, etc. We realize that we have
an environmental responsibility as a company to conserve
natural resources for future generations. We at Bell Helicopter
have welcomed this challenge and have taken the initiative
in several different ways to meet these current expectations.
In fact, many of our “green initiatives” have been in place for
many years. However, as we move forward, we would like to
inform you on what Bell Helicopter has been doing in regards
green manufacturing. The following is a snap shot of our current
accomplishments and future initiatives.
• Changed all office and factory lighting except anything over
40 ft. high.
• Old T-12 lights have been replaced with new T-8 lights –
Which uses half the electricity
Total Savings:
Our Energy Conservation Converts to:
• 3,348 Acres of trees planted
• 1,637 Cars removed
• 1,050,583 Gallons of gasoline saved
Environmental Awards and Achievements:
Water Conservation/Waste Reduction:
• Selected as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) &
North Texas Clean Air Coalition (NTCAC), Best Workplace
for Commuters.
• Five Star Clean Company – City of Grand Prairie, Texas
• Recognized by City of Arlington for outstanding
achievements in Pretreatment Excellence.
• Recognized by City of Grand Prairie for Bell’s Pollution
Prevention project (Treated wastewater reuse/recycle)
• Chemical inventory control (AVChem)
• Member of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
• Installed a new $200,000 industrial wastewater
recycling system
• Minimizing hazardous waste, recycling wastewater, and
separating water from cutting oils
• Treated wastewater is reused in the manufacturing process.
• Reduced chemical usage
• Recycled almost 3 million gallons of industrial wastewater
per year
Types of Recycled Waste:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Old System KWh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,183,306
New System KWh Saved. . . . . . . . . . 10,108,859
Future Enterprise Strategy:
214 cartons of ink cartridges
42,940 lbs of cardboard
19,264 gallons of used oil
144,330 lbs of aluminum oxide
1,178 wood pallets
2,909,023 lbs of scrap metal
Textron is developing the following metrics to track in 2009:
• Energy Use
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Direct & Indirect)
• Water Use
• Waste Disposal (Solid, Hazardous Waste)
• Recycling
Energy Conservation:
Stay tuned for any new updates or new programs. We are
committed to making a contribution in protecting this fragile
environment. There is a lot more work to be done, not only
as individuals but as organizations across the world.
• Lights have been replaced with new energy efficient lights.
• All HDI Lights have been replaced with fluorescents.
• All outside lighting has been changed from 250 W bulbs to
2-57 W compact fluorescent lights.
Bell Recognition for Lifelong Accomplishments
in Helicopter Industry
Bell Helicopter Customer Support Representative Pat McMahon (center)
recently presented plaques to George Milan (left) and Jim Lewis (right) of Alpine
Helicopters in Kelowna, BC in a ceremony recognizing their many years of service
to the helicopter industry.
George Milan retired as the Director of Maintenance after 43 years of service
with Alpine Helicopters. Over the years Milan has worked in some of the most
remote areas of Canada.
Jim Lewis retired with over 19,000 hours with both civil and military operators.
Lewis and McMahon worked together 39 years ago in the arctic.
Congratulations George Milan and Jim Lewis on your accomplishments!
We appreciate your dedication and loyalty to Bell Helicopter!
10
Human Factors
Maintenance Error
Management
By Danny Saucier, Customer Support Area Manager
When it comes to errors and
accidents, we look at human factors to
understand why they occur. Research
by the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration into aviation
accidents has found that 70% involve
human error. Many companies are
designing their own Error Management
programs to understand why errors
occur and develop a plan to
prevent reoccurrence. Good data
management of error reporting; along
with thorough investigative practices, causative factor
data analysis, and error reporting are the basics for an
error management process.
Training is essential for effective management of
human error. With company objectives in mind, training
programs should to be implemented that will help
in developing knowledge and skills among essential
personnel and procedures that are compatible with
human capabilities and limitations. Human factors training
should include the understanding of human performance,
teamwork and type of errors.
The quality control process should be planned and
frequent. A number of error investigation processes are
incident driven; implicating that some sort of defined
operational or maintenance incident must occur to start
an investigation. The quality control process should include
an investigation that will go beyond finding out who made
the error and finding out why the error was made. Identify
contributing factors that cause the error. Keep in mind, the
data has to be trusted.
Once a structured system is in place for error reporting
and investigating, it will start producing data for analyzing.
You may choose to analyze manually or electronically.
Systems are available on the market for tracking aviation
safety information. Some companies have developed
their own with great success.
As the data is analyzed, identify the contributing
factors and implement preventive measures immediately
to prevent reoccurrence. An example of an intervention
based on one event would be a revision to a particular
process, work order procedures, or an inspection program.
Bottom line . . . human error is manageable.
For more information on Safety and Human Factors,
please go to to subscribe to Heliprops/Human AD
newsletter. This newsletter, published by the Bell Training
Academy, stresses professionalism, safety and good
aeronautical decision making to help reduce human error
related accidents.
The Bell ROC is a Rollin’
By Stan Messinger
The Bell Helicopter Textron Repair and Overhaul Center (ROC) is
the home to over 100 Bell Helicopter employees who are dedicated
to supporting the War Fighter - 82,000 square feet of men, women
and machines whose only goal is to keep aircraft flying. The facility
has been operational for three years and continues to grow by
adding the capabilities necessary for the new platforms such as the
ARH and the H-1 upgrade that will be fielded in the next few years,
as well as the V-22, Cobra, and Kiowa Warrior.
The ROC has the capability to repair everything that Bell builds for
the U.S. Armed Forces, specializing in rotor blades, transmissions, rotor
hubs and airframe components. With the number of Bell aircraft
being used in the global war on terror, one can only imagine what
passes through our doors, and it grows every day. We continuously
see lots of sand and battle damage.
The ROC services a broad range of products that require a broad
range of skills. This is essential not only to our external customers, but
also to our own production lines. By establishing a dedicated repair
facility with all the necessary tools, equipment and manpower, we
can perform repairs on our customers’ products much faster than
our production facilities. It is inefficient and a strain to stop a
production line to tear down and rebuild a repairable item,
therefore this facility allows the production lines to focus on what
they do best, build production parts. The ROC also manages the
administration of vendor repairs performed by our suppliers on the
items that they build for us and our customers.
Due to the mix of our business one might ask, “What types of
capabilities are required?” The short answer is everything that
production has. To duplicate everything would be very expensive, so
we have had to find a balance that would satisfy our customers’
needs and not unduly burden our production facilities. Today we
have the capability to bond, machine, assemble, paint, media blast,
balance blades and provide non-destructive testing. We continue to
improve with each year as we continue to invest capital in this
ever-growing segment of our business.
With growth comes challenges, and we certainly have our share.
While we continue to add resources and grow at a reasonable
pace, sharing resources and materials with production will always be
a challenge. We have to deal with long lead times and the
insatiable hunger of our own growing production lines. Growth is
good for Bell Helicopter, but it needs to be managed and that is
what the ROC and our production facilities are doing. We all have
the same goal, satisfying our customers and aiding their success.
11
Upcoming Tradeshows
Bell Helicopter will be participating in the following
tradeshows. Please plan to come by and see us.
AUSA
Washington D.C. . . . . . . . . October 6-8, 2008
NBAA
Orlando, FL. . . . . . . . . . . . October 6-8, 2008
AMTC
Minneapolis, MN. . . . . . October 20-22, 2008
Airlift Tanker Anaheim, CA. . . . . . . . . .November 6-9, 2008
IACP
San Diego, CA. . . . . . . .November 8-12, 2008
RotorBreeze
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Fort Worth, TX 76101
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