17-Feb-2011Source: American Eurocopter
Grand Prairie, TX – February 17, 2011 – American Eurocopter, the number one commercial helicopter manufacturer in the United States, announced today that Treg Manning has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. Manning brings more than 20 years of experience in the aviation community to American Eurocopter. He started his management career in... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Two Bell AB206 JetRangers were delivered by road to Airwork’s facility at Caboolture Airfield in Australia today. Coded 3C-JF and 3C-JM, these were previously operated by the Austrian Air Force and retired from service in 2009. Austria bought a total of 25 AB206/OH-58s, a first batch of 13 AB206A models, followed later by 12 OH-58Bs. ... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: Eurocopter
Eurocopter pays its respects to its long-time test pilot Jean Boulet. His legendary piloting skills and passion for flying established the Group’s place in the history of rotorcraft. First hired in 1947 by the SNCASE, which would later become Sud Aviation and then the Helicopter division of the Aerospatiale Group, Jean Boulet was one of... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: Corporate Jet Investor
In London almost 200 delegates hear speakers on various topics at the International Corporate Jet and Helicopter Finance Conference. The first day of the conference had a keynote speech by Luis Pinto CFO of NetJets Europe followed by Eddy Pieniazek, global head of consultancy at Ascend who talked about where we are in the business... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Ontario based EMS operatior Ornge will launch their next AW139 at the organisations base at London in south western Ontario. Guest of honour at the invitation-only event will be Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, while various key figures in Ornge will also attend, including Randy L’Heureux (Associate VP of Operations), Rick... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
On last January 16, 2011, EMA (Empresa de Aerial Media, Ltd) marked 5,000 hours with their Ka32 fleet – Kamov 32A11BC, registration CS-HMM, was the actual helicopter which flew the milestone , under the command of pilot José Mendes, co-pilot Joana Santos and winch operator Bruno Martins. This achievement comes after only three years of... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: Systems Interface
East Midlands Police Force Air Support Unit required a solution to provide exceptional lighting and control capabilities for pilots during rescue, security and patrol operations. Systems Interface delivered the industry leading renewable power and lighting solution – the Avlite Systems AV425-RF radio-controlled solar LED helipad lighting system. The Air Support Unit’s chief pilot, Captain Graham... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: Monsters & Critics
A Swedish appeals court Wednesday handed down tougher sentences for three men jailed for a dramatic helicopter robbery at a cash depot in Stockholm.... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
The BBC is tonight reporting that Norfolk Police will stop using their leased Eurocopter AS355F2 Twin Squirrel at the end of the current fiscal year – 31st March 2011 – and that it is trying to buy a block of 220 hours a year from neighbouring force Suffolk Police. The vicarious benefit in doing this... Read more
17-Feb-2011Source: Long Beach Post
A 34-year old Long Beach woman has been arrested for pointing lasers at Police and Sheriff helicopters while they conducted a search for suspects in an unrelated incident in January. Kelly Ann Smith has been charged with two felony counts of discharging a laser at an aircraft.... Read more
17-Feb-2011
Heliski operation. All six occupants airlifted to hospital in Sion.... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
UK opposition leader Ed Miliband visited AgustaWestland’s Yeovil factory last Friday and reportedly used the visit to try rubbishing the country’s third party – the Liberal Democrats – who have historically had significantly strong support in the area. He used the visit to mount a campaign to “win back the trust” of voters in the... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Late Tuesday evening, the Costa Mesa city council voted 4 to 1 in favour of cutting its “Eagle One” police helicopter program and eliminating two jobs which paid a total of almost $275,000. Costa Mesa has been one of the two major partners with Newport Beach in the ABLE “AirBorne Law Enforcement” program, which operated... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: HAI
The Ninth Annual HELI-EXPO® Job Fair, to be held on March 6 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., is the ideal venue for aviation companies seeking talented candidates to meet qualified aviation students and professionals! Pre-registration for job-seekers is not required. A preliminary list of participating companies and their available job opportunities can... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
The Karlsruhe DRF base has hosted the visit of a high profile political figure on Monday 14th February. The Baden-Wuerttemberg Interior Minister, Heribert Rech was briefed on the duties and responsibilities of the Karlsruhe rescue helicopter. Among others, he was accompanied by another Member of Parliament, Katrin Schütz. At helicopter’s base, Heribert Rech met board... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: DART Helicopter Services
Oceanside, CA, February 16, 2011 — DART Helicopter Services will improve operational safety and maintenance efficiency for one of the nation’s leading law enforcement aviation units. DART will provide 14 AKV advanced rotary wing cycle counters with Vehicle and Engine Management Display (VEMD) capabilities to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s (LASD) Aero Bureau. The... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody has announced that it will close its UK subsidiary Rotortech Aero in April 2011, after it completes its last orders for its contracted partners. All production, except that involving UK military restricted work, is being transferred to the Czech Republic. While citing high wage costs in the UK, president Ladislav Šimek... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: CHC
The CHC Safety & Quality Summit General Sessions are now available for registration. To Click here to view the Agenda and Course descriptions. Course descriptions will be updated as more information becomes available. Some sessions are offered in multiple time slots to make scheduling as flexible as possible. You can modify your choices at any... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: United Rotorcraft Solutions
DECATUR, TX, FEBRUARY 15, 2011:Â United Rotorcraft Solutions (URS) delivered a second customized Eurocopter AS350B2 to Veracity Aviation of New Braunfels, TX on February 11, 2011. URS completed the avionics and communications integration with the Honeywell KY196A Comm, the Garmin GNS430W Comm/NAV/GPS, GMX200 MFD, GTS800 TAS, GMA340 GTX327 Transponder and a GMA340 Audio control and... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: The Nation
The $2 million facility saves for the company about $1.5 million that would have been spent in overseas maintenance... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: CHC
CHC Helicopter has announced a number of Executive management changes, including two appointments and two retirements. After 29 years with CHC Helicopter, Christine Baird, CHC’s president of Global Operations, has announced her retirement from the organization. In 1997, when Baird became president of what was then Canadian Helicopters International, the company had annual revenues of... Read more
16-Feb-2011Source: FLYIT Simulators
After eleven years of production and constant refinement of the FLYIT Professional Helicopter and Airplane Simulators, FLYIT Simulators has produced one of the most accurate and flight realistic simulators available today. FLYIT Professional Simulators have proven their extraordinary reliability and dependability over the last eleven years. The FLYIT four year warranty has proven so successful... Read more
15-Feb-2011Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Estonian Police and Border Guard has taken delivery of its third AW139 medium twin helicopter. This aircraft will perform search and rescue, border patrol, medical missions and utility duties to support the community. The handover was performed during an official ceremony held at Tallinn Airport... Read more
15-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Russian dealer Aviamarket has announced that they have three sales to date of the Robinson R66 to owners in Russia. They are planning for at least one of these to be flown from the factory in August 2011 mostly following the northern coastline of the Pacific Ocean via British Columbia, Alaska and Siberia all the... Read more
15-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Following the company’s success at winning the Woodside Energy contract from Bristows, AUstralia’s largest commercial operator is moving its local office from Adelaide to Perth. CHC will be flying four Eurocopter EC225 and two AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters on the contract, based out of Karratha in Western Australia – nearly 1,000 miles north of Perth. The... Read more
15-Feb-2011
The EC 135 replaces one of the two aircrafts currently in Mercy’s fleet, with traffic collision warning systems common on commercial airlines, advanced weather indicators and night vision goggles.... Read more
15-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Helipark has been awarded the Platinum Seal, awarded by Bell to companies that achieve the highest standard of quality, the first time a South American company has achieved that accolade. Founded in 2002, Helipark has this year gone one better, after receiving a Gold Seal in last year’s assessment of Bell’s maintenance organisations. The Platinum... Read more
15-Feb-2011Source: The Telegram
Going from Canada’s East Coast to the West Coast might induce culture shock in many people, but St. John’s native Jeff Smith focuses on the similarities between his hometown and current home base, Vancouver.... Read more
15-Feb-2011Source: Helijet
Rick Hill, vice president Operations and Commercial Programs of Richmond-based Helijet International Inc. is pleased to announce Troy MacDonald as the new Director of Sales, effective February 1, 2011. In his new role, MacDonald is responsible for revenue generation for Helijet’s scheduled and charter services, with the support of a highly qualified management team. MacDonald... Read more
15-Feb-2011Source: HAI
HAI is pleased to announce a Gulf of Mexico ADS-B avionics forum will be held at HELI-EXPO 2011 in Orlando, Fla. on Tuesday, March 8, from 1:00pm-3:00pm in Room S230 A & B of the Orange County Convention Center. The forum will include helicopter operators, avionics and airframe manufacturers and the FAA, with discussion focused on... Read more
15-Feb-2011
Precautionary landing after bird strike... Read more
14-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
UK Robinson dealer Heliair has taken delivery of its first R66. Still on the FAA register as N66NN pending EASA certification, serial number 0016 was noted ground running today at the company’s base at Wycombe Air Park. Britain’s second R66 for Sloane Helicopters is due very soon. HeliHub.com will report further on this aircraft soon... Read more
14-Feb-2011Source: Air Technology Group
The Air Technology Group (Naples based aviation companies Air Technology Inc. and Air Technology Engines Inc.) will be exhibiting at the HELI-Expo 2011 from March 5th through 8th in Orlando, Florida. HELI-Expo is the world’s largest trade show dedicated to the international helicopter community, with four days of networking with over 17,000 participants. Visitors to... Read more
14-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
On Thursday 27th January, the Air Support Unit at Melsbroek Airport was raided by up to 30 investigations after allegations of corruption. Investigators took computers, office records, accounts and flight log books. Allegations include private use of police helicopters, failure to comply with official procurement procedures and irregularities when entering into contacts with private companies. ... Read more
14-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
On Monday 7th February, the Military Police of Santa Catarina added an AW119Ke Koala to their fleet – registered PR-PMM and AW serial 14740. This follows the intorduction in December of their first example, Fitted equipment includes a Spectrolab SX16 searchlight, dual litters for medical evacuation work, external hook and an hoist. Future plans call... Read more
14-Feb-2011Source: AvCodes
This news item is part of the HeliHub.com “Register Updates†series, listing helicopters which have been added to a particular national register, removed from it or the listed owner has changed. Our coverage represents the majority of registration and owner changes within the global civilian helicopter fleet. Most updates are weekly or monthly, although some... Read more
14-Feb-2011Source: Galveston Daily News
Corporate officers with PHI have grounded whirling rumors that they planned to move longtime operations from the island to the mainland.  PHI has about nine helicopters at Scholes International Airport to shuttle crews to and from offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.... Read more
14-Feb-2011Source: Third Sector
The commission opened an investigation into the charity in June 2010 after receiving what it described as “a significant number of complaints over a number of months from members of the public”. [Click on “Third Sector” link for full story]... Read more
14-Feb-2011Source: CAE
GONDIA, INDIA–(Marketwire – Feb. 14, 2011) -Â Yesterday, in the presence of The Honourable Minister Praful Patel and Mr. Marc Parent, President and Chief Executive Officer of CAE, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and CAE agreed that a helicopter ab initio pilot training program will be launched later this year at the CAE Global... Read more
13-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
West Coast Helicopters pick up the Business Excellence award for Forestry Company of the Year for Vancouver Island from the Business Examiner.  West Coast provides a wide range of forest services that include cone collection, log slinging, fire protection, crew movements, and seeding and fertilizing. “We were also one of five finalists in the Green... Read more
13-Feb-2011Source: Maverick Helicopters
Race fans attending the 2011 NASCAR Weekend, March 4-6, can travel to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in VIP style with Maverick Helicopters. Maverick Helicopters is the only helicopter company to provide air travel to and from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the 2011 NASCAR Weekend. Because more than 400 race fans flew with... Read more
13-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Germany’s Wiking Helicopter Service has started AW139 operations recently after buying its first example of the type from Atlantic Airways. Atlantic had taken delivery of it in Apri 2008 and the sale transaction was agreed in October 2010 with delivery to Germany before the year end. Some initial training was required by Wiking before they... Read more
13-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
DRF has announced that it’s Dortmund base has recently changed callsign to “Christoph Dortmund” with agreement of the local police and fire/rescue services. All public safety radio communciations will now use this new tag. The Dortmund EMS base flies a Eurocopter BK117, operated by HSD for the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The BK117 is... Read more
13-Feb-2011Source: AAIB
The monthly bulletin from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been released. This month’s issue covers the accidents of:- AS355F1 Ecureuil II, G-BPRI atAbridge, Essex on 23 October 2010 Sikorsky S-92A, G-SARC at Isle of Harris on 9 July 2010 Robinson R22 Beta, G-HRBS at Goodwood on 28 September 2010... Read more
13-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Dutch aviation magazine Scramble has alerted HeliHub.com to the news that two air ambulance helicopters in their country will start true 24×7 operations from today, 14th February 2011. THe bases at Amsterdam and Groningen will bring the night operations under ANWB up to four, adding to bases at Rotterdam and Nijmegen which already have this... Read more
13-Feb-2011
Bird strike... Read more
13-Feb-2011
Australian pilot reported missing feared dead after helicopter crash in PNG.  It is understood the man is an experienced pilot who has been working in the mining industry for a number of years. Oil slick and floating debris reported. Update – Search for pilot Lloyd Lester has been abandoned... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Russian subsidiary Eurocopter Vostok has handed over a new EC135 to airline ChelAvia. Sherbank Leasing provided the finance. ChelAvia is “one of the leading private aviation companies on the GA market. The main activities – training civil aviation pilots, performing aerial work, as well as promotion of aircraft Tecnam Italian concern in the Russian market.... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: Bureau of Land Management
An internal review by the Bureau of Land Management has found that Sun J Livestock, one of the BLM’s wild horse gather contractors, did not violate existing BLM policy or procedures in connection with a Jan. 27, 2011, incident involving a mare that fell, got up, and was subsequently pursued by the contractor’s helicopter during... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: JetNet
UTICA, NY – JETNET LLC, the leading provider of corporate aviation information, has released December 2010 results for the pre-owned business jet, business turboprop, and helicopter markets. New aircraft orders are based on the successful sale of existing aircraft in the pre-owned market, a good first predictor. 2010 brought welcome good news—Pre-owned Full Sale Business... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: Bankstown Airport
Sydney Metro Airport Bankstown today announced the implementation of changes to circuit training times for fixed wing aircraft. “Our noise abatement procedures will change from 7 March 2011, bringing forward the finishing time for circuits from 11pm to 10pm Monday to Friday. During the daylight saving period the finishing time has been reduced from 11pm to... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: Vancouver Sun
Offshore oil companies are grounding helicopter flights over rough seas off Newfoundland as recommended by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Indian manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is planning an IPO, although no date has yet been set. The state owned company follows a number of others which the Indian Government have floated in recent years. The move is being promoted as necessary from a corporate governance position, but it is also seen as a way... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
From 9th February, Downtown Manhattan Heliport changed its UNICOM frequency from 123.075 to 123.05. Heliport operator Saker Aviation Services is monitoring both frequencies through the weekend, and then from Monday 14th will just monitor 123.05 http://www.DowntownManhattanHeliport.com... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: HAI
Two workshops related to heliport design are planned for HELI-EXPO 2011 in Orlando, Fla. These will focus on the design of private use (PPR) and hospital heliports in the U.S. and general aviation heliports designed to meet the requirements of the international ICAO Annex 14 Volume II – Heliport Design. The first workshop, scheduled for... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: Van Horn Aviation
Composite rotor blade manufacturer Van Horn Aviation (VHA) recently signed an offer to purchase on a 23,000+ sq. ft. facility in Tempe, Ariz., significantly expanding the company’s available manufacturing space compared to its current location. According to VHA president James R. Van Horn, the expansion is required to accommodate current and future rotor blade programs.... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: Whistler Question
The heliskiing company filed a suit against the parties last year, saying the security regulations put in place for the Games made it impossible to run the business.... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: Scott’s – Bell 47 Inc
Scott’s – Bell 47 Inc. (SB47) has provided an update to the marketplace on their progress as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of the Model 47 helicopter and also announced their plans for HELI-EXPO 2011, March 5-8, in Orlando, Fla. “Ensuring good supply of quality, affordable spare parts to the existing Model 47 fleet has to... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: People’s United Bank
BRIDGEPORT, CT – People’s Capital and Leasing Corp (PCLC), a subsidiary of People’s United Bank (NASDAQ: PBCT), announced today the appointment of Jim Pulie as Vice President, Sales for PCLC’s Aviation Finance segment. Pulie will be responsible for the origination of loan and lease finance solutions for the U.S. commercial helicopter industry. Pulie has more... Read more
12-Feb-2011Source: HeliFor
Because the Adriatic Sea area is a vital common factor and having in mind the future shared political association of the European Union, parties have concluded that the lack of helicopter related services and necessary infrastructure over the Adriatic cannot provide a safe and integrated environment of future mutual social and economical development and prosperity... Read more
12-Feb-2011
Tail rotor strike... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: HAI
Helicopter Association International is proud to announce the winners of its “Salute to Excellence” awards, who will be honored at an awards dinner in Orlando, Fla. on March 7, 2011 during HELI-EXPO 2011, the world’s largest trade show dedicated to the international helicopter community. This year’s presentations will mark HAI’s 50th anniversary of saluting excellence... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: Record Searchlight
Kevin Wayne Foster was ordered to stand trial on two felony and two misdemeanor counts stemming from the potentially dangerous Dec. 6 helicopter incident. If convicted, Foster faces about 4 years 8 months in prison, said Shasta County Deputy District Attorney Craig Omura.... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: CHC
With the 2011 CHC Safety & Quality Summit only two months away, organizers are pleased to recognize the sponsors supporting the aviation safety conference aimed at improving safety in aviation globally. A non-profit aviation safety conference held March 28 – 30, 2011 at the Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, the CHC... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: Magpas
Cambridgeshire-based emergency medical charity Magpas has agreed an historic partnership with Careflight – an air ambulance and international retrieval charity based in New South Wales, Australia. Although only 25 years old, Careflight is now a 50 million dollar-a-year service which operates 3 helicopters, 4 fixed wing King Air turbo prop aircraft and 4 medical jets... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: Vertical-T
Air Company VERTICAL-T has taken part in negotiations between Russian and Afghanistan business communities’ representatives of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry, involving the Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. During negotiations, the main point was the cooperation development in trade and economy between Russia and Afghanistan. The following branches of the Afghanistan economy were... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: Eurocopter
The acquisition of five AS350 B3 helicopters by three Indian customers was announced by Eurocopter and its Eurocopter India subsidiary at the Aero India 2011 exhibition in Bangalore. Three of the rotary-wing aircraft were ordered by Global Vectra, whose fleet will grow to seven AS350 B3s; while Summit Aviation and SS Aviation each purchased one.... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board has established a Twitter account and a YouTube channel as the Safety Board broadens its communication efforts by moving into social media. The handle for the Twitter account is “ntsb” (www.twitter.com/ntsb). The YouTube channel is “ntsbgov” (http://www.youtube.com/ntsbgov). “Transparency and open government are key components of NTSB’s agenda to improve transportation... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: HeliHub.com
BBC News is today reporting that the Irish division of Bank of Scotland had repossessed an A109A Mk.II belonging to Jermon Ltd – registered G-JMON. The company, run by Dungannon resident Peter Dolan, was placed into administration on 27 January. Jermon was formed in 1997, and purchased the 109 in 2006. Both the UK province... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: Express Buzz
We will design, develop and manufacture more than 100 Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH), 300 Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) and 400 Indian MultiRole Helicopters (IMRH),” said Soundara Rajan, Director, Corporate Planning and Marketing of HAL... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: Becker Avionics
Becker Avionics’ DVCS6100 Digital Audio System was recently selected by Mercy Flight Inc. of Buffalo, NY, for integration into their newly purchased Bell 429 light-twin helicopter and one of their existing BK117 EMS helicopters. The new aircraft will be delivered by Bell Helicopter Tennessee (formally Edwards and Associates) to Edwards and Associates during the first... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: South Bend Tribune
The business originated in Fort Wayne, was based most recently in Warsaw and now has landed in Plymouth under the ownership of Kenny Keller Jr., of Bourbon. See also http://www.fortwaynehelicopters.com/... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: HAI
The HAI Finance and Leasing Committee will be presenting its first full-day interactive workshop for HELI-EXPO 2011 attendees on Saturday, March 5 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The workshop is limited to 50 participants and is free for HAI members. Led by Dick Minot, program... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: StarNews Online
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are ceasing operating their R44 and will instead join the SABLE program – a partnership between the Wilmington and Leland police departments as well as the Pender County Sheriff’s Office.... Read more
11-Feb-2011Source: DART Helicopter Services
Oceanside, CA, February 10, 2011 — DART Helicopter Services and its subsidiary Geneva Aviation are helping to expand aerial news gathering opportunities for TV stations around the nation. DART has initiated deliveries of Geneva Aviation’s P174 Power Converters to Robinson Helicopter Company for installation in all newly manufactured R44 Raven II Newscopters, fully integrated Electronic... Read more
