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(Bonner County Daily Bee) – The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office dispatched a helicopter crew Sep. 3 to help locate a hiker and a dog that had not returned from a walk near the Fourth of July mountain pass in northern Idaho.

Graeme Gale, Helicopters Otago CEO and chief pilot, is warning the public that a laser strike could temporarily or permanently blind a rescue pilot and lead to catastrophic consequences following a recent spate of incidents around Kakanui, South Island, New Zealand.

The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) sent out a Fly Safe Campaign newsletter Sep. 9 that is “almost identical” to the one the organization published two weeks ago to highlight the fact that, in the interim, another fatal agricultural aviation accident has occurred. At this point, NAAA says, almost one-third of agricultural accidents this year have been fatal. The association reminds pilots to be vigilant and avoid complacency.

The FAA is seeking comments through Oct. 9 for this information collection, which involves the requirement for helicopter air ambulance operators to report certain information to the agency.

Vertical Aviation International (VAI), formerly Helicopter Association International (HAI), has appointed Theresa Marr as its new director of government affairs.

Coptersafety’s short documentary film From the Ground Up has amassed more than 23,000 views since being released Aug. 18 on World Helicopter Day.

(RNZ) – The Eastland Rescue Helicopter team has replaced its BK 117 helicopter with one featuring 100 extra horsepower and a more powerful winch to help the crew respond to emergencies more efficiently.

The United States Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) has presented a designated pilot examiner (DPE) welcome letter to Jason Spears, a new helicopter pilot. The new program is designed to help increase awareness about the resources that USHST offers for new pilots.

VAI and partner VLinc Corp. are praising six early adopters for enrolling in the Operational Risk and Resilience Accreditation (ORRA) program: Brim Aviation; Dakota Rotors; Helicopter Horizons; HELIUS; Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company; and the Two Bear Air Rescue Foundation.