Upon his retirement as a non-routine flight operations captain from a fractional operator in 2015, Dr. Veillette had accumulated more than 20,000 hours of flight experience in 240 types of aircraft—including balloons, rotorcraft, sea plans, glides, war birds, supersonic jets and large commercial transports. He is an adjunct professor at Utah Valley University. In June 2023, he won the prestigious Bill Gunston Technology Writer of the Year Award.
The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements reports that among those U.S. workers exposed to radiation while on the job, flight crews get the largest annual effective dose.
I was excited when an emergency medical service (EMS) helicopter operator asked if I would help the company's safety officer get a flight data monitoring (FDM) program implemented well in advance of the April 23, 2018, deadline.
According to FAR 135.607 "Flight Data Monitoring System," as of April 23, 2018, no person may operate a helicopter in air ambulance operations unless it is equipped with an approved flight data monitoring (FDM) system capable of recording flight performance data.
