CominLarry 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 BK117, and why that specific airframe has stood the test of time.

Then, later in the episode, Larry will recount a harrowing experience of his that occurred while flying in Peru…a story that — when I first heard it — shaped my outlook on safety…and may have saved my life.