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.