32 WAAS LPV Instrument Flight Procedures approved by FAA

32 WAAS LPV Instrument Flight Procedures approved by FAA

17-Oct-2011 Source: Hickok & Associates

The FAA has approved thirty two (32) helicopter WAAS LPV instrument flight procedures developed by Hickok & Associates, Inc. The company has another thirty three (33) helicopter WAAS LPV procedures in various stages of development and approval.

The lowest Decision Altitude (DA) to a hospital heliport has been 207 feet height above landing (HAL). Helicopter WAAS LPV procedures typically provide DA’s between 250 to 300 feet, as opposed to Minimum Descent Altitudes (MDA) of 460 to 500 feet for LNAV procedures.

Since earning FAA approval of its company’s criteria [February 2008: Heli-Expo 2008 news release] Hickok & Associates is still the only approved developer of helicopter WAAS LPV procedures and owns the only approved criteria and development software.

To implement its helicopter WAAS LPV program, Hickok & Associates developed the procedures used by the manufactures for WAAS LPV supplemental type certifications of the S76, EC135/145, Augusta 109, and Bell 429 helicopters.

During the past year Hickok & Associates has also continued its development of thirty three (33) LNAV procedures, has expanded its special helicopter low-level IFR enroute network covering New Hampshire and portions of Vermont, and implemented new enroute networks in Tennessee and Iowa. The company maintains all of its own procedures, and has also taken over maintenance of twenty eight (28) existing procedures previously maintained by FAA.

Hickok & Associates has grown to keep up with its aggressive helicopter WAAS LPV program, its expanding LNAV developments, and its increasing procedure maintenance activities. Craig Lunaas, a HEMS industry veteran pilot, joined the company and has been approved by FAA to perform flight validations, and Aaron Hickok, who joined the company in 2009 as a procedure developer, completed his helicopter ratings and has the increased responsibilities as an FAA approved procedure evaluation pilot.

About Hickok & Associates, Inc.
Stephen M. Hickok, President, Hickok & Associates, Inc., was FAA’s project manager and originated the first helicopter GPS criteria and first GPS procedure commissioned by FAA. He has worked as project manager, chief investigator, or advisor on every helicopter GPS/GNSS criterion and policy since the early 1990’s. He founded Satellite Technology Implementation, LLC (STI), which he dissolved in 2003 when founding his current company.

He became the first non-fed developer of instrument approaches; the first airman designated by FAA as a Procedure Evaluation Pilot (PEP), the first pilot authorized to conduct Flight Validations (FV), and has been developing helicopter GPS/GNSS instrument approaches longer than any other developer in the world. His company, Hickok & Associates, develops and maintains helicopter procedures throughout the United States, and does work in Europe and Asia using PANSOPS criteria.

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