The award, sponsored by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, honors the person or persons who best demonstrate the value of rotorcraft to the communities in which they operate by providing aid to those in need.

The award will be presented on February 26 at HAI Heli-Expo 2024 in Anaheim, California.

The Fire, the Response

The week of August 7 much of Hawaii was under a red flag warning for fire risk because of dangerous high-wind conditions caused by Hurricane Dora, a Category 4 storm that was moving across the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles south of the Hawaiian Islands. Power lines downed by strong winds were blamed for starting several fires, including the roaring inferno that moved so fast that people were trapped in their cars when flames overtook them on the road, and others ran from their homes with nothing. At least 100 people were killed. Some are still missing and presumed dead. The town was destroyed.

When the employees of Oahu, Hawaii-based Rainbow Helicopters learned of the situation, they stepped up to help the residents of Lahaina, particularly the mothers and babies who didn’t have formula or diapers.

Nicole Battjes, Rainbow Helicopters’ owner and director of operations, had a 6-week-old child at home and knew other mothers and babies needed help. She sent her father-in-law and a Rainbow team member on a Costco run to buy as much formula, diapers, baby wipes, and other supplies that could fit in an AS350.

The Rainbow team volunteered its time to create an airlift that took $4,000 of supplies to Kapalua Airport (PHJH), as close to Lahaina as the helicopter could safely land.

• READ MORE: Flying a Rainbow in Hawaii

Ground-tour company volunteers met the helicopter with vans to unload and transport the supplies to families in need.

In addition to delivering much-needed supplies, Rainbow Helicopters established a GoFundMe account with the intention of raising $1,000 to purchase supplies for the Lahaina-area residents. The account raised more than $76,000, which was used to purchase supplies that Rainbow transported to the fire-ravaged area. Many of Rainbow’s employees volunteered their time, coming in off shift to help with the relief mission.

“It took on a life of its own, and I was overwhelmed with pride in our team, our community, and those making donations,” Battjes said. “At one point, through our partnerships, we were receiving photographs of specific supplies individual families needed, and our team members were volunteering their time to run to stores to get them and put them on the next flight. It took extra effort to drive around Oahu to find everything. It was really incredible to see people making this effort, and it was a feeling of hope during such a tragic time.”

• WATCH: We Fly: Rainbow Helicopters Airbus AS350 AStar

Relief by the Numbers

Rainbow Helicopters flew 13 missions to Maui, carrying more than 5,500 pounds of supplies, including 275 containers of formula, 175 boxes of diapers and baby wipes, and more than 19 gallons of breast milk.

Castle & Cooke Aviation donated all the jet fuel, and Rainbow covered the avgas and aircraft for all the flights flown in both R44s and AS350s.

To help with distribution, Rainbow partnered with multiple organizations, including Northwest Mothers Milk Bank in Tigard, Oregon, and local nonprofits Keiki O Ka ‘Aina and Na ‘Aikane o Maui, which provided Rainbow with specific requests from families.

Rainbow continued its efforts into the holiday season, working with Keiki O Ka ‘Aina to provide food, gifts, and other necessities to families and arranging for an aircraft to fly Santa Claus to Maui to spread Christmas cheer and deliver food and gifts to children.

More information on HAI Heli-Expo 2024 can be found here.

The post Rainbow Helicopters Receives Humanitarian Award appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Public benefit flying includes medical transport, search and rescue, emergency response, pet transport, and environmental and conservation support. The NAA said the award recipients “combine their love of flying with the capabilities of general aviation to create a rewarding and valuable part of the aviation story.”

• READ MORE: NAA Names McDonald Award Honorees

The following are the award categories and this year’s winners.

Distinguished Volunteer Pilot: Dennis Phelan, a volunteer pilot with Angel Flight West and Earth Angel who has flown more than 880 missions transporting patients in need of lifesaving care.

Distinguished Volunteer: David Brubaker, founder of STEM Flights, an mentoring organization that encourages young people to pursue STEM careers. A former Air Force fighter pilot, Brubaker is known for his dedication to youth aviation education.

Teamwork Award: This award goes to all general aviation pilots who were involved in relief efforts on the island of Maui in Hawaii after this year’s deadly wildfires. Rainbow Helicopters represented the group and was recognized for its work transporting essential supplies to families displaced by the fires.

• READ MORE: NAA and ACA To Honor Pilots and Aviation Volunteers for Helping Those in Need

Outstanding Achievement in Advancement of Public Benefit Flying: Jim Hesseman received this award in recognition of his work as a volunteer pilot and president of the Air Care Alliance, an organization that builds awareness of public benefit flying.

Champion of Public Benefit Flying: Lightspeed Aviation received this award for its support of volunteer pilots and charitable aviation. The company has raised awareness of public benefit flying through a variety of media and published materials including its book, Flying for Compassion.

“The selfless dedication of these people is remarkable, and their impact is staggering,” said Amy Spowart, NAA president and CEO. “From a child with a terminal illness to an organ that needs to get across the country for transplant to the movement of people escaping natural disasters, these pilots represent the best in aviation. It’s our honor to recognize them and share their impact for the recognition and inspiration of others.”

Members of the 2023 Public Benefit Flying Awards selection committee include Ed Bolen of the National Business Aviation Association; Linda Daschle, LHD & Associates Inc; Jenna Gerdes, Angel Flight Central; John Lunseth, a 2022 Public Benefit Flying Award recipient; Rol Morrow, Air Care Alliance; Greg Pecoraro, National Association of State Aviation Officials; and

Patty Wagstaff, Patty Wagstaff Aviation Safety LLC.

NAA said the awards presentation will take place in Washington, D.C., on a date to be determined.

The post National Aeronautic Association Names Recipients of Public Benefit Flying Awards appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Battjes not only called the company Rainbow Helicopters, but she’s had her fleet of touring and training R44s and Airbus AS350 AStars painted in schemes to match. We caught up with Battjes to take a tour of the islands and gain insight about what it’s like to fly one of the most popular working rotorcraft in the world, in one of the world’s most beautiful places.

• We Fly: Airbus AS350 B2

The post We Fly: Rainbow Helicopters Airbus AS350 AStar appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

We’ll be flying with the doors off for a photo mission around Oahu—that’s photographers Jim Barrett and Stephen Yeates and I—and we’re entrusted with keeping our camera equipment safely inside the helicopter and out of the tail rotor of the pretty beast. I get to sit up front with Battjes in the left seat with a panoramic view ahead. After a week and a half of flying around the islands in Barrett’s Cessna 210 for an upcoming feature on flying Hawaii for the print edition, I’m still excited to see the island from this new perspective.

A Rainbow Fleet

Battjes moved to Honolulu about 11 years ago, and launched Rainbow Helicopters with a single Robinson R44 and the “spirit of aloha” so vital to life in Hawaii. “We seek diversity in our team and celebrate it in our customers,” says the company’s website—and we felt it throughout our visit, from the moment we were welcomed with beautiful, fragrant leis to the care with which we said goodbye after sunset photos on the ramp. 

After 11 years in business, the fleet has grown to encompass six R44s—used both for scenic tours and a little bit of flight instruction—and two AStars also flying tours, private charters, and custom trips like ours.

“I chose the AStar due to its high useful load, powerful Arriel 1D1 Safran engine, and floor to ceiling views for guests to enjoy extraordinary tours of our beautiful island home,” says Battjes. “I decided to buy a second one in order to ensure we could offer the 6-seat platform at all times, even when one is in maintenance. And of course, to meet the post-covid demand of tourism in Hawaii!”

Typical flights include the “Royal Crown of Oahu” tour, which takes a circular route around the island of Oahu, starting with a low pass offshore past Honolulu’s famed Waikiki Beach and turning past Diamond Head, Koko Head, Waimanalo Beach, and Kaneohe Bay. From there, tours circle around Sacred Falls, and Kahuku, then turn south to check out the waves pounding the North Shore. Before reaching Dillingham Field (PHDH), the flight turns south-southeast to cross the base at Wheeler Army Airfield (PHHI) and Wahiawa and returns to PHNL with a view of Pearl Harbor and Ford Island, where the USS Arizona still rests in memoriam.

Safety Focus

The helicopter tourism industry in Hawaii has fallen under scrutiny over the years, including an accident on the Na Pali Coast on December 26, 2019. Among the “most wanted” cited by the NTSB for Part 135 operators in recent years has been the adoption of safety management systems (SMSs).

Battjes is a board member for Helicopter Association International, and she takes safety seriously. In fact, we delayed our photo mission until the last day of our trip, as the team was busy in the prior days with SMS training—a step up in maintaining a conscientious operation that Battjes and the team take to heart. “We are an ‘active participant’ in the FAA’s SMSVP (SMS Voluntary Program),” says Battjes, “which means we voluntarily comply with Part 5 of the FAA’s regulations.”

In addition to the thorough preflight briefing we had in the office—conducted both by video and in person with a member of the Rainbow Helicopters team—we went through reinforcement as we approached the AStar and climbed on board. 

The cockpit of the AStar is optimized for the mission—for obvious reasons, the tours are flown VFR. With grumpy weather haunting the islands over the previous weekend, we had our collective fingers crossed that we’d be able to get in our flight. It turns out, we made it around for the full circle tour of Oahu I described before. We tooled around a waterfall up in the heights north of Punaluu, and chased rainbows—literally—as we came across the Dole pineapple fields on our way back into PHNL.

The AStar performs the mission almost perfectly, according to Battjes—its capabilities make the tour optimal as far as its overall speed and maneuverability. Operating costs are reasonable—and many tour operators use the mount, so finding pilots, recurrent training, and service isn’t too big of a challenge, even on the remote Hawaiian Islands. 

Rainbow Helicopters also provides lift for photography and videography, and has a gimbal-mounted system for providing a unique vantage point for capturing the islands’ beauty for business or recreational pursuits.

A Royal Crown of Oahu tour takes about an hour, and costs $375 per person, while private charters—including a Proposal Flight—cost from $2,100 and up. Discounts are available on the website.

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