Push to Talk with Bruce Webb: A Helicopter Podcast

Ashlyn Carter is a systems safety and mission assurance expert at Boeing. With a masters in industrial organizational psychology, and prior experience with Airbus and CAMI, she’s is a sterling example of the rising generation of human factors experts who are poised to take on the challenges of our rapidly-changing world.

Adam Bernhardt is the Head of Safety and Well-Being for Airbus in the Asia-Pacific region, an area that covers more twelve countries including Australia, Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia. Adam understands the subtle touch needed to advocate for safety across such a diverse region. In this conversation, I’ll speak with Adam about the ways he works across nations and cultures that may have differing — and even contrasting — views of safety, and how the lessons he’s learned from doing so migh...

Dr. Roni Avissar is an atmospheric scientist, helicopter pilot, and professor at the University of Miami. His research is crucial to the modern field of weather analysis. In a unique twist on the role weather plays in aviation, Roni conducts his field research using a specially-equipped helicopter, often flying extremely low to the surface to collect data. His work has been funded by NASA, NOAA, and the US Departments of Energy and Agriculture, among others. In this conversation, I’ll speak w...

Wendell Dunaway is a former training manager at Safran, where he oversaw the education of hundreds of technicians each year. Wendell knows firsthand how community can nurture skills and build understanding. In this conversation, Wendell will explain how the guidance of five life coaches — five mentors designated to five different areas of his life — has kept him from stagnating, and how we can relate that practice to our own lives and careers.

Since 1998, Maurice Sabourin has been a part of an elite team specializing in the repair of aircraft blades at Airbus. Their work falls somewhere between the skill of a mechanic and the finesse of an artist. In this episode, Maurice will give us an inside look at the work of a blade tech. We’ll follow the process of blade repair, from it’s initial damage to it’s return to service. We’ll learn technical insight, like the difference between working on a metal blade vs a composite blade. And fin...

Dwight Robinson is the deputy chief pilot of flight testing at Airbus. Last year, his flying career was almost cut short when he was hospitalized with Atrial Fibrillation. But despite losing his medical, and battling the effects of his condition, Dwight made a decision. One way or another, he told himself, he was going to fly again. Against all odds, he did just that. In roughly a year, Dwight was back to flying, with no further heart complications. His story exemplifies a spirit of of ...

Dr. Ivan Pupulidy is an expert on safety in complex systems and high risk environments. He’s been a featured speaker for TEDx, and his new book “Human Organization And Potential” has been called “a roadmap toward a new era in workplace safety.” In this conversation, I’ll speak with Dr. Pupulidy about aviation safety reform; how we can can discard the ideas that have been holding us back, and empower pilots with the skills to think on their feet.

Nick Sinopoli is the creator ICARUS, a smart view limiting device that is revolutionizing IFR training. With a screen visor mounted to a hat or helmet, ICARUS allows its user to seamlessly move between levels of visibility, with a peripheral range not possible with earlier training tools. I spoke with Nick about ICARUS, and why it’s making such an impact in the industry…but I was just as interested in his story — how a pilot at his lowest point channeled frustration into innovation.

This is the fourth and final episode of our mini-series on Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow. In it, we focus on his insights into human behavior and how we can apply them to aviation. We'll discuss anchoring and "the possibility effect" — how we undervalue likely outcomes while overvaluing unlikely ones.

This is the second part of our series exploring the work of psychologist Daniel Kahneman, and how it relates to aviation. In Episode 1, we laid the groundwork by introducing our two modes of thought: System 1 — the fast, instinctive system — and System 2 — the slow, logical one. Today, we’re looking at heuristics; the mental shortcuts our minds use to make quick decisions.

Larry Chappell knows more about classic Airbus helicopters than perhaps anyone alive today. Having started with the company in 1983 — before MBB merged with Areospatiale to create Eurocopter — Larry has a remarkable amount of insight about helicopters, and how they work. In this episode, Larry will give us an overview of his extraordinary career, from flying in the the deserts of Iran to the Amazon rainforest. We’ll take a look at the early history and development of the BK1...

Seth Buttner has investigated over 400 accidents in a career spanning 30 years. Formerly with Cessna, Seth works today as the senior investigator for Airbus Helicopters. In this conversation, Seth will trace his career back to the start. How did a boy piecing together a model airplane in his father’s office go on to work accident cases in Chile, Russia, and beyond? Also, we'll talk about the surreal nature of accident sites, what it takes to be a successful investigator, and much more.

Perhaps you’ve been here before — flying, not long after takeoff, when you encounter low ceilings. Before departure, your weather app indicated everything was clear...You may have just become a a victim of Green Dot Syndrome, according to our guest today. Matt Johnson flies for Metro Aviation, at an air ambulance program based in Southwestern Ohio. An accomplished pilot and pilot examiner, Matt is one of the industry’s most forward-thinkers when it comes to our working relationship with...