Have been busy.

It's been busy here at Helicopter Links. Missed posting on this blog for November. However, October was fun being in Beijing, China, on vacation. Now December is here.

I was able to update the site while in China, that was good. Facebook was still blocked in China, as well as Wikipedia and YouTube. However, Yahoo email was working and I was able to email my Facebook posts to a friend in San Diego and he helped me update the Helicopter Links Facebook Fan page from San Diego.

I recently sent a press release to the helicopter industry concerning our web statistics but after it came out, I realized the press release did not have enough information. So, early next week (if all goes as planned), I'll be sending out a more detailed press release with more information about our incoming and outgoing web statistics.

I've been continuing to update the site in November and will be updating things over the weekend. I will also be adding a page concerning our incoming and outgoing web statistics. We are glad about this because we are seeing that we send a lot of traffic to the entire helicopter industry.

We use Google Analytics for our web statistics. This is considered the Gold Standard of web statistics. We also use another web tracking company to track the outbound traffic from our site. So, we have detailed information concerning how many people are clicking on any company listed on our site.

We welcome all companies to call +1 (858) 413-7074 (San Diego, California, USA: PST) or email us staff@helicopterlinks.com for quote. Helicopter Links will help your company achieve it's marketing and sales goals.

Fixing Coding Error Which Is Only Seen When Using Google Translate

We found a coding error on our site which can only be seen when using Google Translate (it might also occur on any translation website, not sure). If you are using the site in English, you'll never see the error. We are fixing it now.

To check out what we are doing. Go to the home page or any commercial helicopter operator section and use the translate tool (in the upper-right hand section of our site) and the website content should stay stable.

Pages which have not been upgraded yet, when using Google Translate, you'll see the content section will become one large paragraph. If you go back to English, once there, refresh your browser to reset the content of the site, so it looks normally.

Our goal is to make our site as easy to use as possible by anyone in any country. This was the main focus for our site layout and will continue to be our major reason for any upgrades to our site. Usability and readability.

One of our next upgrades will be to have the background white with gray text. Not sure when we will do this, either by year end or next year.

Just Updated Our Site Map

I just uploaded our latest site map revision. I think you'll like our upgrade.

A new section for Helicopter Accessories was just created yesterday and just re-reformatted (probably not a word) tonight. Helicopter accessories can be found on our site map, in two different ways.

One, you can simply go under A and look for the list of helicopter accessories we highlight. Or two, our Helicopter Links web site allows you to browse the A-Z sections of the site map to help you find your current (or new) helicopter accessories supplier.

We've cross referenced many words in our site map hoping to make it easy to find information. For instance, if you are looking for uniforms, someone might look under clothing. However, another person might look under uniforms.

So, we have a clothing listing in the "C" section of the site map which links you to the uniform web page. If someone looks in the "U" section of our site, they'll find a uniform listing linking to the uniform web page.

Let us know if our site map makes it easy for you to find information or feel welcome to provide us with other comments. Thanks.

Heli-Expo 2012. February 11-14, Dallas, Texas, USA

It's never too early to start planning for the world's largest helicopter trade show in the world, HeliExpo 2012. HeliExpo 2012 is February 11-14, 2012 held at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, United States of America.

(Reminder: The exhibit hall is open February 12-14, 2012. Sunday - Tuesday. For those who are only interested in attending the trade show floor area.)

Regulars Know The Routine
If you are planning to attend, it's about that time to start booking flights and hotel rooms for HeliExpo 2012. The regulars know what to do.

Are You New To HeliExpo?
For those who love helicopters and are new to HeliExpo, you'll have an experience you'll soon not forget. The exhibit hall is open February 12-14, 2012, Sunday through Tuesday.

Not only does the showroom floor have typical trade show booths but many of the booths include real helicopters, in the flesh. There are also static displays around the perimeters of the show room floor. During HeliExpo 2011, they also had free helicopter rides. Hopefully this will happen again at HeliExpo 2012. Talk about anticipation.

Freebies!
Many freebies are given away at the show including full color helicopter posters, pens, helicopter calendars and magazines. Make sure to bring an extra suitcase and if you have a poster tube you can get your posters back home in good condition. Here's the Blick website detailing their well made PVC poster tubes with shoulder strap. See: http://www.dickblick.com/products/alvin-ice-tubes

They also have about every helicopter magazine available at no cost! You can grab one or two or a stack full of your favorite helicopter magazines. Look for the long magazine rack against the wall when you first enter the showroom floor. You probably have to make 2-3 trips from the show floor back to your car or hotel room, there are that many freebies.

Some More Tips For Newbies
For those newbies on a budget and driving to Dallas, you can buy a one day pass. Be sure to get there a good 1 or 2 hours prior to opening to get your pass. The lines will be long. And if you have a have a valid student ID, you can get in for a big discount. If you are a helicopter fanatic the HeliExpo is worth the time and money spent.

See Helicopter Association Internationals's website for more details.

More pages updated on HelicopterLinks

Here are some more updated pages on HelicopterLinks.com:

Uniforms, Clothing, Helmets, Headsets
Components Spare Parts Manf/Dist
Components Spare Parts Repair/Overhaul
Avionics Manf/Distrib
Avionics Repair and Overhaul

Attorneys
Consulting, Planning, Management Services
Electrical Battery Manf/Dist
Electrical Battery Repair/Overhaul

Heliport Equipment
Ground Power/Ground Equipment
Instruments Gauges Manuf/Dist
Instruments Gauges Repair/Overhaul
Hardware

Engines Manf/Dist
Engines Repair/Overhaul
Testing Equipment/Centers for Excellence
Electrical Battery Manf/Dist
Electrical Battery Repair & Overhaul

STC, Engineering Firms, Composites
Airframe and Aerostructure Manf/Dist
Safety Audits/Inspections
Tools and Maintenance Stands
Electrical Battery Manf/Dist

Financing and Leasing
Fuel, Oil, Lubricants and related equipment
Survival Equipment
Transmissions
Hydraulics Manf/Dist
Navigation and GPS

Spell checked the entire site.

A needed spell checked was made for the entire site today. We also cleaned up the words at the top of each category, making HelicopterLinks less wordy, more to the point and easier to use. We still have a couple of categories on the site we hope to finish this week.

Just Improved the Site Map

We just revised the Site Map today (September 19, 2011). Previously, if a category had several related services, the entire name of the topic was linked. It was difficult to read a linked category with too many words.

To fix this problem we linked only the first word (or words) of the category and listed the other related services as text only. We hope it is easier for you to use.

We are planning at least one additional site map update this week and another for October of 2011. We will be adding more categories to reflect the helicopter companies and helicopter support companies in the helicopter industry.

We will always be willing to change our Site Map to reflect needed categories or due to technological changes which occur in the industry. You are more than welcome to send a suggestion if you so choose. staff@helicopterlinks.com

Site Update

Here are more recent page updates on HelicopterLinks.com:

Helicopter Windows
Heliport Consulting and Planning
Helicopter Sales, Distributors, Leasing, Financing
Helicopter Tour Operators

Helicopter Air Charter
Helicopter Air Conditioning Manufacturers and Distributors
Helicopter Air Conditioning Repair and Overhaul

Helicopter Repair Stations
Helicopter Service Centers
Helicopter Maintenance Stations
Helicopter Line Maintenance

Helicopter Filming, Photography and Electronic News Gathering
Helicopter Painting, Detailing, Paints and Supplies
Helicopter Airframe Repair
Helicopter Completions and Modifications

From August 2011 to the present, we have added 1,152 additional helicopter company and helicopter supplier links to our site.

Just revised the site to render correctly using Internet Explorer

Spent almost the entire day revising the site to render correctly in Internet Explorer. However, browsers are so finicky, who can guarantee their sites will render as they are intended to? Updating our site should have happened awhile back but better late than never. Don't you agree?

I shouldn't be too hard on myself, when I'm reviewing sites—before I list them on HelicopterLinks—I am seeing many sites which have not been updated for years. Many times, I'm seeing sites with copyrights on their home page from 2005 and earlier. Go figure.

S-92® “Legacy of Heroes” Demo Tour Begins

The S-92® “Legacy of Heroes” Demo Tour has officially commenced. See Sikorsky's official Press Release for details.

According to their press release, the Tour Stops include 10 cities in the United States of America, 10 countries in Asia, 6 cities in India and then continuing to South America! How incredible is that?

Sikorsky made a microsite to follow the progress of the tour. See www.sikorskylegacy.com

A reminder...

We are working on changing the alphabetical horizontal listing of companies (reading from left to right, going from top to bottom) to a vertical listing of companies. We had some suggestions this would be a more natural and easy way to read our site. We agree.

Working on updating the site.

Just a note, all helicopter companies, companies who supply the helicopter industry and helicopter organizations receive one free listing on HelicopterLinks.com.

We expanded our site this year and are continuing to update our pages and appreciate your patience while this is accomplished. Here are several of our recently updated pages:

Helicopter Insurance
Helicopter Pilot Flight Training Schools
Helicopter Mechanic Schools
Helicopter Simulators which includes software and consultants

If you are currently listed on HelicopterLinks
If your company is currently listed on HelicopterLinks.com and you would like to change your company listing to another section, please send us an email staff@helicopterlinks.com or call us  + 1 (858) 413-7074.

If you are *not* currently listed on HelicopterLinks
If your company is not listed on our site, please send us an email staff@helicopterlinks.com or call us  + 1 (858) 413-7074 and let us know.

HelicopterLinks' Categories
To determine which section you'd prefer to be in, please visit HelicopterLinks Site Map to choose the appropriate section or sections. (In your email, please include your city, state/province and country where your main headquarters resides. Thanks.)

Advertising with HelicopterLinks
If your company would like to advertise in one or more sections, on HelicopterLinks, please send us an email staff@helicopterlinks.com or call us + 1 (858) 413-7074 and allow us to provide you with a quote.

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Michael Hampson
Owner
+1 (858) 413-7074
staff@helicopterlinks.com

HelicopterLinks.com Offering Free Listings to Helicopter Industry

SAN DIEGO—Aug. 4, 2011 – HelicopterLinks.com, a worldwide directory for the helicopter industry, is accepting free listings from helicopter operators, maintenance facilities, suppliers, schools, trade shows, air shows, manufactures, professional organizations, publications and other related businesses.

Although the San Diego-based website also accepts paid advertising, its owner, Michael Hampson, said offering free listings will help to achieve his goal of providing visitors with the most comprehensive, easy-to-use, online directory in the industry.

"With the vast amount of content on the Web, it's often difficult to find quality information quickly and easily," said Hampson. "My site is easy to find and people who use it don't have to click more than once or twice to find what they need."

Helicopter companies and organizations interested in having a free listing must send an email to staff@helicopterlinks.com and include their company name, city, state or province, country, website and listing category (chosen from the sitemap at http://www.helicopterlinks.com/sitemap). Hampson personally approves each listing before it goes live and updates the site regularly to minimize outdated information and broken links.

Hampson, who became fascinated with helicopters as a teenager, launched HelicopterLinks in 2002. Today, the site draws an average of 23,000 hits worldwide per month.

       # # #

About HelicopterLinks.com
Based in San Diego, California, USA, HelicopterLinks.com is a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate worldwide directory of helicopter manufactures, operators, suppliers, maintenance facilities, trade shows, air shows, publications, professional organizations, pilot schools, museums and more. For additional information, please visit http://www.helicopterlinks.com.

Helicopter manufacturers' Youtube channels.

AgustaWestland
AugustaWestland Youtube Channel

Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter Youtube Channel

Eurocopter
Eurocopter Youtube Channel

Sikorsky
Sikorsky Youtube Channel

We have searched the internet and have found a total of four helicopter manufacture Youtube Channels. If you know of any other helicopter manufacture with a Youtube Channel, please let us know (staff@helicopterlinks.com) or post it on our Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/helicopterlinks

Book early for Heli-Expo 2012

HELI-EXPO® is the world's largest helicopter trade show. Heli-Expo® 2012 is being held in Dallas, Texas, United States of America, February 11-14, 2012. The exhibit hall is open February 12-14.

Other Heli-Expo® tidbits
There are also meetings, presentations and special events during the trade show. Remember to lightly pack one suitcase (or bring two suitcases) for the many freebies and giveaways at the show. If you go to your local art store before the trade show, you can pick up a heavy duty storage tube to protect your free posters and large calendars.

Annual Fly-in and Fly-out
If you get to Dallas a day or two early, you can watch the helicopters arriving for the trade show. Also, if you stay a day after, you can watch the helicopters fly away.

Per Rotor Magazine's Spring 2011 issue (page 25), during Heli-Expo® 2011, forty-nine helicopters flew in, the rest were trucked in. Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter flew 90 demo flights from the convention center's own private heliport. It was the first time Helicopter Association International offered a working heliport during the trade show. Helicopter mania! Can it get any better? I don't think so.

Student discount
If you have a valid student ID, did you know you will receive a substantial discounted rate to attend the exhibit hall?

Protecting your free helicopter posters
I like the 25 inch long Alvin Ice Tube. It's a see-through PVC tube with shoulder strap and permanent (anchored) cap on the one end and a removable cap on the other end. This 25 inch long tube fits nicely into your standard suitcase. I usually bring two tubes since there are a lot of free helicopter posters. Here's a link to an art store, with picture and description of the artwork tubes. http://www.dickblick.com/products/alvin-ice-tubes/

Professionally mount your helicopter posters
Now that you have non-tattered and wrinkle free helicopter posters when you get home, you can have your favorite posters laminated and mounted. Go to a local print shop to have this done.

I specify a luster lamination because I like the look (non-glare but not a true matte laminate), it's a cross between the gloss and matte laminate. I specify gatorboard (versus foam core) to mount posters on because it's stronger, has a longer service life and is less susceptible to bending than foam core.

Remember to specify a hanger from the print shop (usually $2 or $3?) and it's well worth the cost, making it easier to attach the poster to the wall. These look nice in the office, hangar or home and also make nice (and inexpensive) gifts.

HELI-EXPO® 2012 website
To make plans to attend the HELI-EXPO® 2012 and for more information see: http://www.rotor.com/events/HELIEXPO2012.

Bell Helicopter has a new site!

Did you see that Bell Helicopter just upgraded their web site? Their site has a fresh new look, it's wider and super easy to use and navigate. Impressive. See: www.bellhelicopter.com

Videos of some helicopters arriving at HeliExo on March 2, 2011 in Orlando, Florida

Hint. Click on each link to view the YouTube view of that particular helicopter making a landing.

The famous original Bell Jet Ranger making a perfect landing at Heli-Expo 2011 in Orlando, Florida.

Agusta 119 Koala arriving at Heli-Expo 2011.

Reach Air Medical EMS arriving at Heli-Expo 2011.

Erickson Air-Crane landing at Orlando Convention Center Heli-Expo 2011.

Flat Web Design

If you notice, I have made my helicopter site using flat web design. This means you don't have to drill down and down and down into the site to find information.

All that's needed is to navigate to the site map and click on the helicopter topic you are looking for. Two clicks. One click to find the site map and one click to find the page you want to view. The you can click the back button on your browser (or click on the Site Map link) to get back to the site map.

OR

You might have noticed, if you scroll down to the bottom of each page, the site map is there. The site map is on the bottom of all the HelicopterLinks.com web pages. Actually, depending upon the user, a user might only have to make one click on the site, to find what they are looking for.

Actually, a scroll down first, and then a click.

Just added the Google Translate Tool Bar to the site.

Reality. Web statistics. There are visitors from all over the world visiting my helicopter site. Visitors from almost every country. We had visitors from about 172 countries in 2010. According to Answers.com, there are 196 official countries in the world.

(Reminder: Web statistics are not always accurate. Web statistics are more useful to track trends, not exact numbers.)

In the past, I used to list translation sites at the bottom of every page of the site. Talk about making it difficult for the user! The user had to go to the translation site and copy and paste the URL address of my site, into a translation site and then hoped it worked.

I finally added the Google Translation Tool Bar tonight, to the top right-hand corner of the site. This has been something which has been long overdue. My apologies to anyone who needed translation help and was out of luck.

I hope we can regain past visitors and new visitors by trying to make our site as user friendly as possible.

Going over visitor data from 2010.

When looking at the data from 2010, it looks like just over half of the people visiting my helicopter site are from the Americas, then another great majority visit the site from Europe.

Moving to Asia we see a smaller percentage of visitors. India has to top amount of visitors from Asia (if you want to consider India an official Asian country) followed by Thailand which is followed by China.

This is certainly very interesting information. It's nice to know that people worldwide are using the site.

Updated the header of the site.

Excited about having a good friend of mine, who is an accomplished graphic designer, help me with redesigning the header of the my helicopter site. Also, this weekend, I plan on updating the Site Map and make the categories more relevant to the helicopter industry.

New site uploaded this morning.

I just uploaded my new and expanded helicopter site this morning. Need to advertise? My site has always been search engine optimized and the new pages will be recognized by the search engines in a short while.

Working on the helicopter site.

I am doing the last finishing touches on my helicopter site today. I hope to upload the newest version of HelicopterLinks.com today. Very excited about my goal of having one of the most complete sites about the helicopter industry online.

And once the new site is completed, all helicopter company companies and their vendors are welcome to advertise on HelicopterLinks.com.

Working on the site today.

Working this morning on expanding my helicopter site with the ultimate goal of making it a complete (as complete as humanly possible) directory for the helicopter industry.

Updated main site template this morning.

I revised the main template on my helicopter site this morning. I think my site is more intuitive when navigating it and will be less difficult to get lost on the site.

If I say so myself, I believe my helicopter site is the only helicopter site in the world with a complete list of turbine, factory ready, helicopter manufacturers in the world, listed on one page.

I hope this is a true statement. I personally have never found a site with a list of helicopter manufactures as complete as mine, on my helicopter site.

IE and Firefox.

Browsers. Ugh. Too bad they work differently. The people who are mostly stressed about how browsers render websites are the webmasters. Internet Explorer (IE) has caused problems for my helicopter site. I typically use Firefox and design for Firefox. However, I recently worked out the bugs that Internet Explorer was causing.

I'm pleased that the main page, the helicopter manufacturer page, now looks as intended in Internet Explorer. I apologize to all of you who use IE and have seen some text which should not have been centered and the sentences had bad vertical spacing.

I hope you enjoy the helicopter site and please let me know of any helicopter trade shows or air shows which I have not listed. Thanks.

Boeing Website Error Page

I was checking all the links in January on my helicopter site and was sad to find that Boeing's website link to their rotorcraft systems section is broken. On the home page of my helicopter site I feature helicopter manufacturers from around the world. It's surprising to me that a major helicopter manufacturer like Boeing would allow their rotorcraft systems link to be broken for such a long time.

I first discovered their link being broken in January of 2011. Who knows how long the link has been broken? I sent Boeing an email concerning this issue in January with no response back to me. Not sure why.