Brazilian executive aviation company TAM (Táxi Aéreo Marília) has selected Helipark as its authorized maintenance provider for Bells. Bell currently has about 30 percent of the non-military helicopter market in Brazil, with 216 of the nation’s 786 helicopters.
Rotorcraft
News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tiltrotors and unmanned air vehicles.
October 23, 2006 - 12:22pm
Airlift Northwest, based in Seattle, has taken delivery of two A109 Power EMS helicopters, with four Agusta Grands to follow.
Airlift Northwest provides medical transport to one of the largest and most geographically varied service areas in the world, from coastal and island communities in western Washington to high desert communities in the east.
October 23, 2006 - 12:18pm
Helicopteros del Sureste (HSE) has ordered a cueSim Bell 412 flight training device (FTD). The contract with UK manufacturer cueSim includes a comprehensive spares and support package.
The HSE FTD, which is to be qualified to JAR-STD 2H Level 3, the highest standard of type-specific training device, will be housed in a purpose-built installation at HSE’s headquarters in Alicante.
October 23, 2006 - 12:14pm
A new landing-aid sensor under development in Australia may enable helicopters to land in conditions that cannot currently be attempted.
October 23, 2006 - 12:12pm
Bell Helicopter has selected Chelton Flight Systems to provide a synthetic-vision EFIS cockpit for the 407 program. The contract has a potential value of more than $100 million.
Bell claims to be the first OEM to offer synthetic vision for all its light and medium single-engine models. Plans call for Chelton equipment to become the “preferred” system offered for the 206B JetRanger, 206L LongRanger and the new 210.
October 23, 2006 - 12:07pm
Although the desperate situation in New Orleans has garnered most of the media attention, Hurricane Katrina cut a swath of destruction far to the north of the Gulf Coast.
October 23, 2006 - 12:04pm
The Helicopter Association International (HAI) has appealed to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey to further collaborate with the industry to improve communications and weather information for flight operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
October 23, 2006 - 11:49am
The TV news might have focused on the contributions of military rotary-wing aircraft– notably hoist-fitted UH-60 Black Hawks from the National Guard and Jayhawks from the U.S. Coast Guard–in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, but commercial helicopters also played an influential and in many cases heroic role in the unfolding drama.
October 19, 2006 - 10:12am
Outsiders have been brought in to lead a recovery at MD Helicopters. The appointments follow the recent acquisition of the Mesa, Ariz., company by New York financial firm Patriarch Partners. Robert Rene, previously CEO of Hilton Hotels division InnMedia, was named MD Helicopters’ CEO. Randy Kesterson, formerly executive v-p and COO of Curtiss-Wright Controls, was appointed COO.
October 18, 2006 - 11:51am
Perhaps because it takes place only every two years, Helitech is always keenly anticipated by Europeans and they are rarely disappointed. During the huge international airshows–Farnborough, Paris and Singapore, for example–rotary folk are constantly reminded that the world revolves around airlines and jet fighters, while they operate in a niche market.
