8-Sep-2010Source: Vector Aerospace
Vector Aerospace Corporation (Vector – www.vectoraerospace.com), one of the world’s leading independent providers of aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services is pleased to announce the 2010 International Sea King Maintenance Symposium being hosted in Portsmouth, United Kingdom (Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services-UK ) from September 28th-30th has filled all event sponsorship positions and delegate registrations... Read more
7-Sep-2010Source: US DoD
Raytheon Technical Services Co., LLC, Indianapolis, Ind., is being awarded a $14,831,456 firm-fixed-price contract for the Phase II production of 188 AN/ALE-47 forward firing dual dispenser pods for rapid installation on CH-53D/E helicopters. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Ind. (88 percent), and Melbourne, Fla. (12 percent), and is expected to be completed in October... Read more
7-Sep-2010Source: Royal Navy
A Royal Navy Helicopter Squadron is deploying to the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden to carry out specialist anti-piracy operations over the coming months. Personnel from 820 Naval Air Squadron including Aircrew and Engineers and their Merlin helicopter, will be embarked on a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship (RFA Fort Victoria) and will... Read more
6-Sep-2010Source: Ya Libnan
France is aware that Israel has “protested” about the French decision [to deliver such weapons to Lebanon] and that Washington raised “serious questions” about the arms deal.... Read more
6-Sep-2010Source: HeliHub.com
In the last week, the 6,000th news story has been filed on HeliHub.com – no mean feat from starting in mid February 2009 in the week of the annual HAI Heli-Expo. This equates to an average of 74 stories per week, a good deal more than any other helicopter industry news source. The HeliHub.com team... Read more
6-Sep-2010Source: The Helicopter Museum
The Helicopter Museum site on the airfield at Weston-super-Mare has been recognised by The Transport Trust as a Transport Heritage site, in recognition of its connection with the manufacturing of helicopters in the town between 1955 and 2002. The occasion will be marked with the unveiling of a special Red Wheel Plaque at The Helicopter... Read more
5-Sep-2010Source: GovExec.com
The Pentagon is about to deploy an experimental system intended to help helicopters evade deadly small-arms fire, said the military’s top science and technology official... Read more
4-Sep-2010Source: University of Michigan
Protecting helicopters in combat from heat-seeking missiles is the goal of new laser technology created at the University of Michigan and Omni Sciences, Inc., which is a U-M spin-off company. “Battlefield terrain in places like Afghanistan and Iraq can be so rough that our troops have often had to rely on helicopters, and they can... Read more
3-Sep-2010Source: Connect Amarillo
US Senator John Cornyn made a stop in Amarillo Tuesday to tour Bell Helicopter and to tout the importance of the work being done there for our military personnel... Read more
2-Sep-2010Source: HNA
German Tigers will not be ready before end of 2012... Read more
2-Sep-2010Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com has recently been trialling a second Twitter feed for the accident and incident data provided on the website and is today formally launching this to the industry. This is the next development in what we already provide by way of accident/incident data, and we believe we have the most comprehensive record available online. We... Read more
2-Sep-2010Source: RIA Novosti
Russia has signed a “historic” contract on Mi-17 helicopter deliveries to Argentina, a member of a Russian delegation said on Wednesday.... Read more
2-Sep-2010Source: BBC
The Chinook Project Team (IPT) and two other helicopter project teams will move to the MoD procurement site.... Read more
2-Sep-2010Source: Sydney Morning Herald
The Danish ship Esbern Snare launched a helicopter on Saturday in response to a call for help from a merchant vessel, the Danish navy’s duty officer said... Read more
2-Sep-2010Source: NATO Training Mission
Afghan Air Force helicopter pilots and crews in Kandahar began learning how to plan, handle and execute Mi-17 helicopter live weapons fire by firing more than 100 air-to-ground rockets. The ground and flight training was first given to NATO advisors in Kandahar by the Combined Air Power Transition Force serving shoulder-to-shoulder with the Afghan Air Force in Kabul. The basic air-to-ground missile skills and... Read more
2-Sep-2010Source: NATO Training Mission
The Mi-35 Hind E attack helicopter is the Afghan Air Force’s main gunship with Afghan aircrews trained by NATO forces from various countries including Hungary and the Czech Republic. The adage: crawl, walk, run often describes military training and the Afghan Mi-35 crews are in the walking phase, building confidence to take control of the... Read more
1-Sep-2010Source: Air Comm
Air Comm Corp. next delivered its 1,000th BLACK HAWK helicopter cabin heating system to Sikorsky Aircraft in August. Weighing in at just 16.5 pounds, the BLACK HAWK heating systems are warming the cabins of helicopters flown by active U.S. Army and National Guard units worldwide. Members of the elite 101st Airborne, who had operated the... Read more
1-Sep-2010
The source says Eurocopter believes that moving a 300 million pound contract back to the UK would may be accomplished without an impact on price.... Read more
1-Sep-2010Source: KTTV Fox 11
For the second time this week, someone pointed a laser beam at a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, causing the crew to make a precautionary landing.... Read more
1-Sep-2010Source: TSNTU Dynamic
Company TSNTU “Dynamics” is declared the winner of an auction of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation for the supply of two complex simulators crew of the Mi-8 (MTV-5). Information about the auction results posted on the official website of the Russian Federation Under the terms of the auction, both the simulator to... Read more
1-Sep-2010Source: AVE
eneral Director of OAO AAC “Progress” Yuri Denisenko, said that the order for production of “Alligator” acted only at the end of last year... Read more
1-Sep-2010Source: KSDK
GKN Aerospace was awarded the contract in 2007, granting full design authority and manufacturing for the helicopter’s aft transition fuselage section, cargo ramp and overhead door structural assemblies... Read more
31-Aug-2010Source: Reuters
Three Russian helicopter crew members have been freed a day after they were abducted in Sudan’s war-torn western region of Darfur, a Sudanese army spokesman says... Read more
31-Aug-2010Source: LA Times
Two Coast Guard helicopters were forced to land at Los Angeles International Airport in the last week after being flashed with laser beams... Read more
31-Aug-2010Source: Financial Express
The offer includes servicing and spares for six obsolete Sikorsky UH-3H Sea King helicopters that came onboard the USS Trenton – now renamed as INS Jalashva... Read more
31-Aug-2010Source: US Marine Corps
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — The Navy’s first and only forward-deployed Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, based at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, has resided in Iwakuni during the past few months to take part in training and maintenance of its aircraft as the squadron before heading out to... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: EADS North America
The UH-72A Lakota has performed its initial MEDEVAC (medical evacuation) mission in Germany, marking an operational first for the U.S. Army’s Light Utility Helicopter in service at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC). Members of the District of Columbia National Guard’s 121st Medical Company prepare for a mission in Hohenfels, Germany. (Photo: District of Columbia... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: SkyTrac Systems
SkyTrac is pleased to announce that they have entered into a Long Term Agreement with AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company,  for the sale and service of SkyTrac’s products for all AgustaWestland aircraft types. Customers will be able to specify SkyTrac hardware from AgustaWestland at the time of aircraft acquisition and, in addition, AgustaWestland will be able... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: UK MoD
Helicopters are crucial to the success of operations in Helmand, and, from medical evacuation and troop movement to resupply and ground attack, the men and women of the Joint Helicopter Force do it all. Report by Sharon Kean. There is no average day for Camp Bastion’s Joint Helicopter Force (JHF). It is responsible for around... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: Royal Navy
Royal Navy warship HMS Ocean has arrived in the Caribbean where she will provide contingency support to British dependent territories during the hurricane season, as well as contribute towards ongoing anti-drug smuggling operations. Having already deployed to the Caribbean in 2007, when the amphibious assault ship made a major impact on drug smuggling by seizing... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: Enstrom
Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has completed the first day of flying for the first 480B helicopter destined for the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) Pilot Training Programme. “The first day could not have gone betterâ€, said Jerry Mullins, President and CEO of Enstrom Helicopter Corporation. “All necessary flight performance requirements were met and Production Flight... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: UK MoD
Crews in the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) have got their hands on a new and improved door gun ahead of 16 Air Assault Brigade’s deployment to Afghanistan in October. 846 Naval Air Squadron began training aircrew on their new FN Herstal M3M .50-inch-calibre (12.7mm) door-mounted weapon system while supporting 16 Air Assault Brigade during their... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: US Marine Corps
COVENAS, Colombia — Colombian Marines search the sky as they hear a loud commotion overhead. Within minutes, three CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters creep from the trees and land at the flight line as part of a joint subject matter expert exchange on Colombian Marine Corps Base Covenas in Colombia, Aug. 13. Colombian Marines geared up... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: ARINC
Drug smugglers and illegal aliens face a more difficult future, as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air and Marine has just expanded and increased the capabilities of its helicopter fleet. ARINC Engineering Services, LLC, recently completed the delivery of three upgraded Huey II helicopters to the Office of Air and Marine... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: NATO Training Mission
The Afghan Air Force aircrew flew for the first time using Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) within Afghanistan and completed the first operational tasking at the end of the flight on Aug. 22, 2010 Afghan Airmen went to an austere unlit landing zone, with a blacked-out Mi-17 transport helicopter. The Afghan crew performed basic maneuvers to... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: United Rotorcraft Solutions
On August 1, 2010 United Rotorcraft Solutions (URS) delivered two Bell 430’s to the Ecuadorian Navy. The first 430 received a Garmin GNS400 GPS coupled to the autopilot, the Honeywell Mark XXII EGPWS, right hand sliding door, hoist provisions and some maintenance items. The second helicopter also received the Honeywell Mark XXII EGPWS, right hand... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: Sikorsky
The CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter Program has achieved “Ready to Load†(RTL) condition with the successful light-off of its first Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) engine. The achievement signals that the program is ready to begin formal integration testing in early 2011. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). The APU provides... Read more
30-Aug-2010Source: LaBarge
LaBarge, Inc. has been awarded a contract from Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. valued at approximately $5 million to produce wiring harnesses for the HH-60M Medevac helicopter, which is part of the BLACK HAWK helicopter family. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (UTX 68.51, -1.42, -2.03%) . The new contract expands LaBarge’s manufacturing role to... Read more
27-Aug-2010Source: Honeywell
Honeywell announced it has delivered the first 28 Honeywell T55-L-714A engines and fielding kits for the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) Chinook helicopters, as part of the $185 million contract awarded last year to upgrade the existing Honeywell engines. The upgraded engines increase power by 17 percent and reduce fuel consumption by nearly 5... Read more
26-Aug-2010Source: Castleberry Instruments
Austin, TX based Castleberry Instruments & Avionics is proud to introduce the new 900-23 EH series front mounted Gyro. In cooperation with CCE Inc. Castleberry Instruments & Avionics has completed agreement to update fleet of 56 Colombian National Police (Anti Narcotics unit) UH-1H Helicopters. This latest addition gyro further compliments Castleberry’s group of Fixed Wing... Read more
23-Aug-2010Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com maintains what we believe to be the most comprehensive record of helicopter accidents and incidents on the internet. From this month onwards, we will produce montly summary reports, and we will also continue to produce our very comprehensive annual report. Useful Links * Civil Accidents * Military Accidents * Fatal Accidents – both civil... Read more
20-Aug-2010Source: RIA Novosti
The Indian Air Force will soon order an additional 59 Russian Mil Mi-17 helicopters on top of the 80 ordered earlier, the IAF chief said on Thursday.... Read more
18-Aug-2010Source: Lockheed Martin
The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $260 million follow-on production contract for the combat-proven Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS), also known as Arrowhead®, for the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter. The Lot 7 contract includes M-TADS/PNVS systems as well as Arrowhead kits, plus spares, for delivery to U.S.... Read more
18-Aug-2010
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to congratulate the Canadian Forces on achieving the benchmark of 40,000 operating hours with its fleet of AW101 search and rescue mid/heavy helicopters. The Canadian Forces has 14 of the helicopters designated the CH-149 “Cormorant†which entered service between 2000 and 2002. The Canadian Forces have a higher flying... Read more
17-Aug-2010Source: L-3 Link Simulation & Training
L-3 Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) announced today that it has been awarded a contract modification from Computer Sciences Corporation to provide three UH-60M Operational Flight Trainers (OFTs) in support of training services for the U.S. Army’s Flight School XXI program. These systems will be the first full-motion, high-fidelity simulators to support UH-60M aircrew... Read more
17-Aug-2010Source: US Emabssy in Pakistan
Two U.S. Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters arrived in Pakistan today as part of the continued U.S. humanitarian assistance to Pakistan in support of flood relief from the monsoon floods. The two aircraft are part of the contingent of 19 helicopters urgently ordered to Pakistan on Wednesday by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The... Read more
17-Aug-2010Source: Economic Times
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp plans to pursue multiple opportunities in the Indian defence market, a strategy that could see the company, actively targeting the country’s internal security set-up.... Read more
16-Aug-2010Source: American Eurocopter
A U.S. Army UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter operated at Fort Eustis, Va., is the first Lakota to log 1,000 flight hours, underscoring the growing operational tempo of the rotary-wing aircraft in service with Army and National Guard units. Built at the company’s American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss., the milestone Lakota is used for... Read more
16-Aug-2010Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com is having great success with its “Gallery†feature, recording over 3,000 images added in just a few months. The Flickr gallery provides users of HeliHub.com the opportunity to upload their own photos, and the early success is demonstrating just how valuable this will become over time. HeliHub.com plans to utilise this gallery to provide... Read more
16-Aug-2010Source: Express Buzz
The Indian Air Force has started placing two commandos on its helicopters operating in the Naxal affected areas with instructions to shoot in self-defence.... Read more
16-Aug-2010Source: UPI
Questions are being asked in Parliament as to why 12 Denel AH-2 Rooivalks in the South African’s Air Force 16 squadron have been put in storage rather than remaining operational... Read more
16-Aug-2010Source: AVE
The Ka-226T has a maximum takeoff weight of 4 tons with a payload of 1.45 tons Maximum altitude – 7,5 thousand meters Maximum speed helicopter is 230 km / h.... Read more
16-Aug-2010Source: AVE
Ka-52 helicopters will be based on the ship of “Mistral,” said Chief of the Air Force (Air Force), Colonel General Alexander Zelin.... Read more
16-Aug-2010Source: Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] recently delivered the TOPSCENE® Tactical Terrain Visualization System, a mission planning and rehearsal software package, to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) in support of operations in Afghanistan. U.K. helicopter forces based at RAF Odiham will use TOPSCENE® to perform mission rehearsal with greater realism than is possible with their... Read more
16-Aug-2010Source: CAA
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced changes to the regulation of permit to fly ex-military aircraft. Following a number of incidents and accidents involving ex-military aircraft over recent years, the CAA is taking steps to clarify the purposes for which ex-military aircraft can be operated. The CAA is therefore acting to remind the... Read more
13-Aug-2010Source: Aviation News
HAL is coming to the defense of its flagship rotary-wing aircraft, the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter, following a critical report from India’s Comptroller and Auditor General.... Read more
13-Aug-2010Source: Aviation Week
Boeing is studying the possible deployment of unmanned air vehicles, such as ScanEagle Compressed Carriage, from the back of the V-22 Osprey... Read more
13-Aug-2010Source: Missoulian
Accident on 8th August 2010 was recorded in HeliHub.com safety pages here... Read more
12-Aug-2010Source: US Navy
Two Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit launched from the flight deck of the Navy amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu today as part of the continued U.S. humanitarian assistance to Pakistan in support of flood relief from a recent monsoo The helicopters are the first two aircraft of 19... Read more
12-Aug-2010Source: Zephyr International
Zephyr International LLC offers a Non Destructive Inspection (NDT) system for rescue hoist wire ropes. The MagSens TM system provides the capability to measure and record defects in the rescue hoist cable and to provide a permanent record of the cable’s structural integrity. Rescue hoist cable is technically wire rope, but we use the terms... Read more
12-Aug-2010Source: American Eurocopter
The first flight of the UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter equipped with the Security and Support Battalion (S&S Battalion) Mission Equipment Package occurred in June at American Eurocopter’s facility in Columbus, Mississippi. The S&S Battalion Mission Equipment Package will greatly expand the Lakota’s use for reconnaissance, command and control and air movement operations in support... Read more
12-Aug-2010Source: US DoD
Ewing Construction Co. Inc.*, Corpus Christi, Texas, is being awarded a $10,325,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of rotor blade processing facility at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. The work performed provides for labor, materials and equipment for design and construction of an addition to existing Building 49. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, and... Read more
12-Aug-2010Source: US DoD
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded an undefinitized contract action with an estimated value of $77,655,380 for the procurement of 121 AN/AAQ-24(V) 25 Guardian laser transmitter assemblies for installation on CH-53D, CH-53E, and CH-46E helicopters, including associated technical data. The guardian laser transmitter assembly, a component of the large aircraft infrared... Read more
12-Aug-2010
[HeliHub.com editor note – this is the AgustaWestland press release, issued a day after we ran this story from a press release issued by parent company Finmeccanica] AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the signing of a contract by the Government of Panama for six AW139 medium twin engine helicopters. The contract also... Read more
11-Aug-2010Source: NJ.com
Modifications are run in 24 day cycles, in which helicopters are delivered, the parts are removed, modifications are made, parts are re-installed and the aircraft are shipped back to the customer.... Read more
11-Aug-2010Source: US Marine Corps
The Department of the Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the basing and operation of MV-22 tiltrotor Osprey aircraft and H-1 Cobra and Huey attack helicopters in support of III Marine Expeditionary Force elements stationed in Hawai’i. Because the squadrons would train on land owned or controlled by the... Read more
11-Aug-2010Source: Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica has been awarded contracts worth approximately EUR 180 million through its companies SELEX Sistemi Integrati, AgustaWestland and Telespazio. Under the agreement, Finmeccanica companies will develop a national security and surveillance system involving the implementation of a coastal monitoring and control system by SELEX Sistemi Integrati and the supply of six AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters in... Read more
11-Aug-2010Source: Daily Express
As part of the UK Government’s drastic cost cutting, the proposed 25-year S92 contract was set aside. AgustaWestland are proposing a life-extension to the current fleet as a cheaper option.... Read more
11-Aug-2010Source: MI Live
If convicted, the Detroit resident who made the prank call could face up to six-years in prison, a $250,000 fine and liability for the full cost of the Coast Guard operation.... Read more
11-Aug-2010Source: HeliHub.com
The Royal Danish Air Force has announced that it is ready to dispose of its Sea King fleet, more recently superceded by AgustaWestland AW101s after the Sikorsky-built fleet completed an impressive 45 years in service. The last operational flight was on 16th June this year, as reported on HeliHub.com here. Two Danish Sea Kings were... Read more
11-Aug-2010Source: Royal Navy
Members of 829 Naval Air Squadron based at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose took part in exercises and training with the French Navy in Toulon recently. Also known as the “Kingfishersâ€, 829 Squadron usually provides Merlin helicopters for operations from Type 23 Frigates, such as HMS Sutherland, HMS Westminster, HMS Richmond and for ships of... Read more
10-Aug-2010Source: The Age
THE battle for a billion-dollar contract to supply navy helicopters has turned nasty, with one of the two bidders accusing Defence of giving the rival company preferential treatment.... Read more
10-Aug-2010Source: Indian-Military.org
A new report by India’s national audit watchdog has thrown fresh and damning light on how HAL dealt with a flight control phenomenon that has given its chopper division real nightmares over the last few years — cyclic saturation.... Read more
10-Aug-2010Source: Wired
The Boeing A160T Hummingbird was photographed in Belize, where it was test flying a tree-penetrating Darpa radar called FORESTER. Locals were given a heads-up thanks to a press release from the U.S. Embassy.... Read more
10-Aug-2010Source: The Olympian
Boeing has notified its unions in its Pennsylvania helicopter plant that it is seeking proposals from outside suppliers to build the aft pylon on the twin-engine helicopter.... Read more
