FlightSafety International has developed technology that integrates its Mixed Reality and VITAL 1100 Visual Systems into Cockpit Procedures Trainers. FlightSafety is demonstrating this highly effective and cost efficient approach at the 2019 Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit (AAAA) in Nashville, Tennessee. “Integrating FlightSafety’s immersive Mixed Reality capability and VITAL 1100 Visual System will significantly increase… Read more »
Airbus Helicopters has expanded its industrial footprint and partnership with China with the opening of the H135 final assembly line in Qingdao. The factory is the first helicopter FAL built by a foreign manufacturer in China, as well as the first H135 FAL outside of Europe. The opening of this FAL follows a cooperation agreement… Read more »
Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), has appointed Citic Offshore Helicopter Co., Ltd. (COHC) in Shenzhen, China as a Designated Maintenance Facility to maintain PT6C-67C engines for Leonardo AW139 helicopter customers in China. COHC will offer line maintenance and Mobile Repair Team (MRT) services. “Listening to the needs of our… Read more »
The AVX Aircraft Company and L3 Technologies (NYSE:LLL) announced their innovative compound coaxial helicopter (CCH) design, which is competing for Phase 1 of the U.S. Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA)-Competitive Prototype (CP) program competition. “We are collaborating to deliver a prototype that provides powerful leap-ahead capability for our warfighters at an affordable life-cycle cost.”… Read more »
Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) Pilotage Distributed Aperture Sensor (PDAS) system took flight for the first time aboard the V-280 Valor, Bell Helicopter’s next-generation tiltrotor aircraft in a series of flights over Fort Worth, Texas, in March. PDAS is a multi-functional sensor system that generates high-resolution, 360-degree imagery around the aircraft to enhance situational awareness for… Read more »
MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) will feature an enhanced combat aircraft – its MD 969 Twin Attack Helicopter – at the 2019 Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit (formerly AAAA), April 14 – 16, 2019, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Casino in Nashville, TN. First introduced just last month at the annual HAI Heli-Expo in Atlanta,… Read more »
Nassau County is currently experiencing a police helicopter pilot shortage. Currently there are only four pilots available for the whole aviation unit. Due to this shortage, Suffolk and the NYPD have had to fill in by sending their helicopter, as the Nassau’s helicopter had no available pilot. Currently there are two pilots in training, one… Read more »
Fire departments in eastern Alabama are raising concerns after the announcement that Air Methods will no longer be in service at their Rainbow City base. The nearest helicopter is Sylacauga, but fire officials are worried that the chances of a single helicopter being in use already will be high. Air Methods decided to close their… Read more »
Honeywell’s (NYSE: HON) legendary T55 turboshaft engine has a new home on one of the most advanced rotorcraft flying today. A pair of T55 engines successfully powered a new Future Vertical Lift demonstrator intended to modernize the U.S. Army Aviation branch. The engines lifted the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 DEFIANT medium-lift demonstrator on its first flight in… Read more »
[electronic translation] 100 days at the station Bautzen – the DRF Luftrettung takes stock. In the first quarter of 2019, the “Christoph 62”, a state-of-the-art H 145 aircraft, had already been alerted 268 times, with around 20 percent of deployments flying at night. Thanks to the great experience of the DRF Luftrettung and the good… Read more »
Universal Avionics (UA) has received FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the company’s new touchscreen EFIS Control Display Unit (ECDU) for the InSight Display System. Designed for efficiency, the Touch ECDU provides fast, easy access for InSight user control and input. This latest offering further improves the InSight Display System, providing the ultimate in operator… Read more »
The US State Department has begun selling their fleet of S61T helicopters. Originally bought for the transportation of diplomats and other VIP individuals in high-risk areas, the fleet now sits idle in a storage hangar in Southern Florida. The first 5 helicopters have been auctioned off, each with a starting price of $500,000, reports The… Read more »
[electronic translation] The Northern HeliCopter GmbH (NHC), Emden, has a new strong partner at their side: The DRF Foundation Luftrettung gemeinnützige AG (DRF Luftrettung) has taken retroactive to January 1, 2019, the shares of the air rescue company to 100 percent. The independence of the NHC and its service portfolio for the people in the region… Read more »
Approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the STC is specifically designed to maximize situational awareness for all mission flights, day or night. RUAG integrated the customized avionics package, NVIS and cockpit upgrade STC on two new Airbus Helicopters H125 (formerly AS350), belonging to FOCA and STSB. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Airbus Helicopters,… Read more »
Members of Teamsters Local 1150 won a competition at the Ergo Cup in New Orleans. The workers are responsible for manufacturing helicopters for Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. The Ergo Cup takes place at the Applied Ergonomics Conference, a national convention geared towards showcasing the latest developments in the field of… Read more »
The Australian Government has announced an extension to Airbus Australia Pacific’s through-life support (TLS) contract for the Australian Army’s Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH). The ARH Tiger, first introduced into service in 2004, has matured into a critical asset for the Australian Defence Force. Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP said the extension… Read more »
The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) presented Era Group Inc. (NYSE:ERA) (“Era”) with the 2019 NOIA Safety in Seas (SIS) Culture of Safety Award during the association’s annual meeting in Washington, DC. Era is recognized for instituting a robust safety culture that resulted in a drop in the company’s Total Recordable Incident Rate from 1.78… Read more »
In January 2008, the French Ministry of Defence launched its first private-public partnership (PPP) under a contract signed with Hélidax. This company has been equally owned by Babcock MCS France and DCI (Défense Conseil International). Babcock acquired their half through the purchase of Avincis, a group of companies which included INAER Helicopter France – which… Read more »
EASA focuses on a new vision while maintaining its commitment for General Aviation with the GA Roadmap 2.0! This year’s highlights include the launch of the EASA GA Safety Award and a revolutionary new approach to Part-21 In the past years, EASA and the European GA community have relentlessly worked at making General Aviation regulation… Read more »
The Vertical Flight Society is pleased to announce its 2019 Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) scholarship recipients. Scholarships totaling $100,000 are being awarded this year to 28 of the world’s most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight. “As part of our 75th anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to provide a record number of scholarships this… Read more »
The US Government has issued a statement proposing new import duties, on the basis of what they believe to be subsidies from the EU to Airbus (as a Group) valued at $11 Billion per year. This figure is subject to an arbitration at the World Trade Organization (WTO), the result of which is expected to… Read more »
Luxaviation Helicopters, part of the Luxaviation Group, is announcing Philippines-based helicopter charter operator PhilJets as the latest member of the Luxaviation Helicopters Charter Alliance. The integration of PhilJets into the Alliance will provide members with VIP helicopter charter access in the Asia-Pacific region. This compliments the Alliance’s existing global capabilities in the US, Europe and… Read more »
The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) continues its support of the wider use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) within the business aviation sector by participating in the first ICAO Stocktaking Seminar toward the 2050 Vision for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFS2019). This seminar will take place 30 April – 1 May in Montreal and will provide… Read more »
The design bureau VR-Technologies, subsidiary of Rostec’s Russian Helicopters holding company, presented a mockup of the light multi-purpose helicopter VRT500 at the Fuorisalone exhibition (part of the Milan Design Week, held April 8–14). The helicopter model is presented at the exhibition of ItalDesign, which was one of the developer companies of VRT500. Currently specialists of… Read more »
Maverick Helicopters, an award-winning division of Maverick Aviation Group, recently received the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 2018 Award of Excellence “Diamond Award.” The prestigious honor is a result of the ongoing dedication to maintenance training and aircraft safety. The award is Maverick Helicopters’ eighth consecutive for its Las Vegas and Grand Canyon South Rim locations… Read more »
Precision Aviation Group (PAG), a leading provider of products and value-added services to the worldwide aerospace and defense industry, has received the Excellence Award presented by MD Helicopters, Inc. The award signifies PAG’s commitment and approach to serving its global “mission-critical” customer base. The award was presented at the 2019 HAI Heli-Expo in Atlanta, Georgia…. Read more »
The Vertical Flight Society announced the individual recipients of its prestigious awards program for 2019. Since its establishment in 1944, the Society’s awards program has paid tribute to the outstanding leaders of vertical flight and served as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Banquet on… Read more »
MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) announces that all military aircraft manufactured as part of the Company’s $1.4 Billion IDIQ Contract are now produced under the U.S. Army-mandated Ground and Flight Risk Clause (GFRC). Implemented pursuant to a February 5, 2019, Contract Modification, the DFAR 25.228-370 GFRC regulations went in to effect at MDHI’s Mesa, Arizona facility… Read more »
Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and Volocopter have signed an agreement to jointly test and develop new navigation and automatic landing systems for Volocopter’s vertical takeoff and landing aircraft as the emerging era of urban air mobility moves closer to delivering a new breed of cleaner, safer and smarter air vehicles. This agreement launches Honeywell’s extensive autonomous… Read more »
Offshore union RMT repeats call for public inquiry into helicopter safety on 10th anniversary of Super Puma disaster Offshore union RMT today repeated the call for a full public inquiry into helicopter safety in the North Sea as workers from across the industry mark the anniversary of the Super Puma tragedy that alerted the nation… Read more »
A generous $50,000 gift from The Boeing Company, in addition to several donations from individual WAI members, during the recent 30th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference in Long Beach, California, has helped the organization to reach its goal of $1 million in its Endowment Fund. The fund enables WAI to expand the 2020 scholarship… Read more »
The Full Flight Simulator (FFS) of Airbus Helicopters in Helisim (France) has been upgraded with the latest step 3 Helionix version delivered on new H175 aircraft. In addition to the improved similarity with the aircraft real life situations, this update includes new mission capabilities: • AFCS SAR (Search And Rescue) modes allowing to perform SAR… Read more »
Helibras and the Fire Department of the State of Rio de Janeiro today signed a letter of intent to purchase four H125 helicopters. The aircraft will be operated by the Air Operations Group (GOA) for civil defense missions, rescue and aeromedical transportation. Jean-Luc Alfonsi, Helibras Vice President of Business and Services, says that the aircraft… Read more »
Air Methods, the leading air medical service provider, will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of its StarCare base on April 13 at 1:30 p.m. CT at Silverhawk Aviation in Lincoln. A special reception will be held there to honor the clinicians, crew and other staff who have been a part of the base’s history. StarCare is… Read more »
The Vertical Flight Society announced the winners of its prestigious Robert L. Lichten technical award. The overall winner will be recognized at the Grand Awards Banquet on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, during the Society’s 75th Annual Forum & Technology Display in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Mr. Benjamin León of Georgia Institute of Technology was selected as… Read more »
The Civil Aviation Administration of China issued a national type certificate for the Mi-171 helicopter with VK-2500-03 engines. The decision of the Chinese authorities gives Russian Helicopters holding company (part of Rostec State Corporation) an opportunity to supply machines of this type to China. “China has about 20 civilian Mi-8/17 helicopters, and we had previously… Read more »
The Japanese Ministry of Defence has recently donated UH-1H Huey spare parts to the Philippine Air Force. The parts as well as maintenance are worth around P2.5 billion. The ceremonial turnover service was held in Clark Air Base in Pampanga, reports GMA Network.
Ascent Urban Air Mobility, a tech start-up, has begun offering ride-sharing via helicopters in Metro Manila. Seats can be booked via their website and can fly anywhere from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, to the central business districts of Makati. INAEC Aviation Corporation will be providing the helicopter services, reports ABS-CBN News.
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to India of twenty-four (24) MH-60R Multi-Mission helicopters for an estimated cost of $2.6 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of India has requested to buy twenty-four (24) MH-60R… Read more »
Bell have carried out a demonstration of their 505 JetRanger X to the Minister of Defense for Montenegro, Mr. Predrag Bošković. Also present at the event held at Golubovci Air Base, a few miles south of the capital Podgorica, were U.S. Ambassador Judy Rising Reinke and Canadian Ambassador Kati Csaba. Bell already has a relationship with the… Read more »
A private helicopter operator, Altitude Air has received its brand new H125 (AS350 B3e) series Airbus Helicopter. The helicopter arrived on 3rd April at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for commercial operation. The chopper manufactured by Airbus Helicopter Company with call sign ‘9N-AMX’ landed day-before yesterday at TIA at around 4 PM. The chopper under command… Read more »
Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) announced that it has closed its purchase of StandardAero from Veritas Capital. StandardAero is a global provider of repair and maintenance services to the aviation industry. “StandardAero has established itself as one of the true leaders in the MRO industry,” said Adam J. Palmer, Managing Director and… Read more »
Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT and TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems”) announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America, LLC (“Elbit Systems of America”), has signed a definitive agreement with Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) (“Harris”) for the acquisition of Harris’ Night Vision business (“Harris Night Vision”) for a purchase price of $350 million. The transaction is… Read more »
Leonardo, the owner of PZL-Świdnik, the Group’s main industrial pillar in Poland, announced that its UK subsidiary Leonardo MW Ltd has signed an Offset Agreement, valued at approx. 400 mln PLN (90 mln EUR), with the Polish Ministry of National Defence. The signing of the Offset Agreement precedes a contract for the supply of AW101… Read more »
SHOTOVER, a developer of high-performance aerial stabilization platforms, announced today the unveiling of the SHOTOVER B1 camera system at NAB Show in Las Vegas. The system will be showcased on the two-seat, lightweight Guimbal Cabri G2 helicopter that is owned by Carbonflight, and managed and operated by Anthelion Helicopters. Designed to meet the needs of… Read more »
Turkish Aerospace Industries will participate in the LAAD / Brazil Defense and Security Exhibition, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro between April 2-5, 2019, as the largest defense industry fair in South America T129 will demonstrate the performance and characteristics of ATAK helicopter. The T129 ATAK helicopter produced by TAI and made its… Read more »
Air Medical Group Holdings (AMGH), a leading air medical transport company, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Seven Bar Aviation, LLC, a privately-held air medical operator offering fixed and rotor wing services to a broad array of leading healthcare organizations throughout the nation. SevenBar Aviation will closely align with Med-Trans Corporation and the transaction… Read more »
DRF Luftrettung opened the doors of its headquarters in Filderstadt to guests of local companies and associations from the fields of business, medicine and politics. The event provided an opportunity for those present to take a deeper look at the organization’s charitable work. The partner companies Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA and Autohaus Feuerbacher GmbH… Read more »
Hensoldt, the leading independent sensor house, is launching a new flight data recorder, which combines the latest sensor technologies in an extremely compact design so that flight, video and audio data can be recorded. Thanks to its extremely reduced weight, dimensions and energy consumption, it is for the first time possible to equip light aircraft… Read more »
HQ Aviation, the very successful British helicopter training school and maintenance centre has expanded its list of approvals through its appointment as a Rolls-Royce RR300 Authorized Service Center. Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce today at Heli-Expo 2019 officially confirmed HQ Aviation has joined the RR300 Service Center network, which offers global, approved maintenance support to RR300 powered Robinson R66… Read more »
Sundance Helicopters, Inc., the highest-rated experiential tour company in Las Vegas, has promoted Ricardo Dowdy II as the new Director of Maintenance. In his new role, Dowdy will directly supervise employees in the maintenance, compliance and logistics departments. “Ricardo’s work ethic, maintenance knowledge and leadership skills made this decision to promote him an easy one,”… Read more »
AeroBase Group, Inc. an aircraft and defense part distributor located in the Melbourne area has recently received a prestigious certification, the AS9120 Rev B. This certification is based on a standard developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and is better known as, “Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Aviation, Space, and Defense Distributors”…. Read more »
The NHV Group announced a new long-term contract with Premier Oil to provide helicopter services to their North Sea assets. Daily flights with the H175 will depart from NHV’s base in Aberdeen for a period of 5 years. To further optimize its service, NHV will add another brand new H175 to its fleet in Aberdeen…. Read more »
The Vertical Flight Society is pleased to announce its 2019 Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) scholarship recipients. Scholarships totaling $100,000 are being awarded this year to 28 of the world’s most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight. “As part of our 75th anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to provide a record number of scholarships this… Read more »
The NHV Group today announced that it has taken delivery of its 12th H175 super-medium twin helicopter. The aircraft with registration OY-HVR was added to NHV’s base in Esbjerg, where the company now operates 6 helicopters of the same model in support of its clients’ offshore North Sea Operations. The event underlines the Group’s strategy… Read more »
The Vertical Flight Society today announced the group recipients of its prestigious awards program for 2019. Since its establishment in 1944, the Society’s awards program has paid tribute to the outstanding leaders of vertical flight and served as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Banquet… Read more »
Leonardo submitted to the US Navy its proposal to manufacture and support up to 130 training helicopters under the relevant Request for Proposal (RFP). Reliable, fully compliant and easy to maintain, the TH-119 IFR helicopter is the best and most capable solution to train the next generation of Navy helicopter pilots. Leonardo is committed… Read more »
Kaman Composites Wichita (KCW) a division of Kaman Aerosystems (Kaman), announced that it has been awarded the manufacture, and supply of composite skin to core assembly structural components for the Bell AH-1Z’s helicopter blades. “This award further exemplifies Bell’s confidence in Kaman Composites Wichita as a leading aerospace composite structures supplier. We are proud that… Read more »
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today that the Australian Defence Force has completed all evaluation testing of Kratos’ CH-47F Chinook Avionics Trainer (CAT). The CAT is part of a $9.4 million contract by Boeing Defence Australia Limited in support of the Australian Defence Force (ADF)… Read more »
Airbus Helicopters is supporting the Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG) with the entry into service of two Airbus H225 heavy search and rescue (SAR) helicopters as the first step in a renewal of the agency’s helicopter fleet. The aircraft are replacing two of the ICG’s three existing Airbus AS332L1 Super Pumas, the first of which entered… Read more »
Helicopter Association International (HAI) has been going strong for 70 years, representing the international helicopter community and its efforts to build a safe, sustainable industry. HAI remains focused on its primary mission: to support our members so they can “keep the rotors turning.” We do this by advocating against overburdensome regulations and legislation, and by… Read more »
Between 2-5 April, at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Airbus will display key products and technologies from Airbus Defence and Space and Airbus Helicopters in one of Latin America’s most important trade shows – LAAD Defence & Security. Spanning civil and defense transport aircraft, security and surveillance solutions, as well as space satellite systems, Airbus… Read more »
The Vertical Flight Society today announced the individual recipients of its prestigious awards program for 2019. Since its establishment in 1944, the Society’s awards program has paid tribute to the outstanding leaders of vertical flight and served as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Banquet… Read more »
Moog Inc., Elma, New York, is awarded an $84,801,681 firm-fixed-price, long-term contract for repair of three items used on the V-22 aircraft. The contract will include a three-year base period with no option periods. Work will be performed in Elma, New York (85 percent); and Cherry Point, North Carolina (15 percent). Work is expected to… Read more »
Korean Airlines Co. Ltd., Seoul, Republic of Korea, was awarded a $9,446,385 modification (P00003) to contract W91QVN-17-D-0003 for depot level helicopter maintenance. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2020. 411th Combat Support Brigade, Seoul, South Korea, is the contracting activity.
Airbus Helicopters becomes the first helicopter manufacturer on the market to transform paper-based logcards into easy-to-use digital data. The new Digital LogCard service was announced during HAI Heli-Expo 2019, with the CHC Helicopter’s newest H175 to become the first Airbus helicopter to benefit fully from this new service. The advantages of Digital LogCard are numerous:… Read more »
Early bird registration is now open for the annual CHC Safety and Quality Summit, one of the premier aviation safety conferences in the industry. From April 1 through May 31, interested delegates will have the opportunity to register at a discounted early bird rate of $1085 (USD). After May 31, the regular price for registration… Read more »
Weststar Aviation Services, a leading regional offshore helicopter transportation services provider, and Leonardo signed a contract – valued at around 50 million euros – for three new-generation AW169 and two AW139 helicopters for offshore operations in West Africa and the Middle East. The contract signing ceremony was held today at the Langkawi International Maritime and… Read more »
Volunteers at the Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare have started work on a new major restoration project, a Piasecki H-21 “Flying Banana” tandem-rotor helicopter originally built in Philadelphia in 1956 and recovered in 2016 from a college in France after a long career with the French Army Air Force. The world’s first tandem rotor helicopter to… Read more »
JETNET LLC, the leading provider of aviation market information, has launched a new application program interface, or API, dubbed JETNET API, to allow their users to build their own custom data solutions and applications. Subscribers can also contract with JETNET to provide custom applications to their specifications. JETNET API is a flexible interface allowing users… Read more »
Airbus Helicopters Japan Co., Ltd. has handed over the H135 equipped with the Heliconics to Mainichi Shimbun. To commemorate this, a new coverage helicopter safety prayer festival and a naming ceremony were held on the 28th in the daily newspaper company Haneda Hangar. The aircraft will be added to three EC135 (now H135) aircraft owned… Read more »
Blue Sky Network (BSN) announced its participation in the 16th edition of the Aerial Firefighting (AFF) Europe exhibition and continued its commitment to the industry with new offerings. This marks the satellite tracking innovator’s first time exhibiting at AFF Europe. For more than a decade, BSN has provided tracking, communications, and fleet management solutions for… Read more »
Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, is being awarded a $19,963,187 modification (P00038) to a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable, labor hour indefinite delivery, requirements contract (N00019-13-D-0007). This modification increases the ceiling and extends the period of performance of the contract to provide additional TH-57 logistics support services and materials for organizational and depot level maintenance… Read more »
The new Jetcopter urban VTOL air taxi will be shown for the first time at the AERO 2019 general aviation trade exhibition, from April 10 until 13 in Friedrichshafen in Germany. The five-seat VTOL Jetcopter currently is the most powerful urban VTOL air taxi under development. EASA The new Jetcopter will meet all EASA requirements… Read more »
The Leonardo AW159 helicopter — dubbed the Wildcat by the Royal Navy — has helped HMS Dragon and 815 Naval Air Squadron net eight drug busts since last September, and U.K. authorities say the stashes of heroin, hashish, and crystal methamphetamine recovered mark a record for the Royal Navy. On March 17, HMS Dragon, a… Read more »
