WELCOME PDK
Melbourne Heli is proud to welcome VH-PDK to the fleet, bringing our complement of Cabri G2s to three. Melbourne Heli instructor Gray and his student Rory ably took on the task of ferrying the aircraft from Tasmania across the Bass Strait to its new home in Melbourne.
Students and applicable license holders who fly PDK will notice some differences from PDV and DGL. Namely, the absence of a frequency swap shift button on the cyclic, necessitating landing while hovering in order to safely change frequencies. This is particularly pertinent during taxi and take off transitions at the Essendon Tower Pad, and all pilots are reminded that there is no safe time to remove your hand from the collective in these flight regimes. Pilots should also be aware that there is no friction coatings on the pedals.
Student News
Two of our students hit important training milestones in July.
In early July Luke Cusack went solo after completing his ab-initio training with Alex. Completing your first solo is momentous for any new pilot, but undertaking it in a turbine helicopter is additionally special. Congratulations to Luke on passing this milestone!
Last but certainly not least in July was Tommy Little, who after much hard work and perseverance took PDV solo out at Moorabbin with Alex watching on. Congratulations to Tommy on passing this important milestone!
Top: Alex with our newest solo flyer Tommy.
Above: PDV hovering with Tommy at the controls.
Staff and Graduate News
This month, two of our senior flight instructors had an exciting milestone and event to celebrate. Gray reached an impressive 1,500 flight hours in the Cabri G2, marking a significant achievement in his career. Meanwhile, Alex and his wife joyfully welcomed their third bub to the family. Congratulations to Gray and Alex.
Keep an eye out for the revamped Melbourne website in the coming weeks. Between his heavy instructor workload, Harry has led the charge on breathing new life into our various online offerings, and we hope this will enable both scenic and charter passengers an improved experience in navigating and booking flights with Melbourne Heli.
Melbourne Heli also wish to say a big thank you to Leo, accomplished aviation photographer (https://www.instagram.com/naoki_star_aviation/) and recent work experience participant. Leo’s enthusiasm for all things aviation was infectious and a welcomed reminder that most of us are drawn towards aviation because of a deeply held passion. Leo not only came along for a flight to the Yarra Valley, but also professionally executed an aerial photograph shoot with Harry and Rick above Melbourne, capturing a range of photos that will now be used by Melbourne Heli for marketing and website purposes. To Leo, from all of us here at Melbourne Heli, thank you for your hard work!
What’s in a word? Heli-Copter or Helico-Pter…
It’s actually Helico-Pter.
While the word ‘helicopter’ might seem like a modern invention, we can trace its etymological roots back to ancient Greek. It’s a combination of ‘helix,’ meaning spiral, and ‘pteron,’ meaning wing – similar to how the now extinct Pterosaurs received their unique silent ‘P’ classification name. With the combination of Helico and Pter, these words describe the core function of a helicopter: an aircraft that achieves lift through spinning, or spiral-shaped, blades. The term was first coined in the 19th century by French inventor Gustave de Ponton d’Amécourt as he experimented with early concepts of vertical flight. While his designs were far from the helicopters we know today, the name he created has endured, capturing the essence of these machines that rely on “spiral wings” to take to the skies.
