Latest from Mark Huber
Rotorcraft
Airbus VSR700 Makes ATOLs from Moving Deck
Airbus's optionally piloted vehicle recently made fully autonomous takeoff and landing approaches to and from a moving deck simulator.
Avionics
Thales, StandardAero Fly AStar with 4-Axis Autopilot
Thales and StandardAero anticipate FAA STC approval of the four-axis AStar autopilot by mid-2021.
Regulations and Government
Air Methods Settles Suit Over Crumbling Pitot Tubes
Air ambulance provider Air Methods will pay $825,000 to settle Justice Department suit alleging it flew a helicopter with crumbling pitot tubes.
Rotorcraft
Five-bladed Airbus H145 Gets FAA TC
Airbus’s new five-bladed H145 helicopter has received FAA type certification (TC) with the first U.S. delivery slated to occur early next year.
Rotorcraft
Brazil's Federal Police Orders Six Leonardo AW119Kxs
Brazil’s Polícia Rodoviária Federal (PRF) has ordered six AW119Kx turbine single-engine helicopters.
Rotorcraft
HAI Commits To In-person Heli-Expo 2021
The Helicopter Association International said it will hold its annual Heli-Expo trade show next March in New Orleans.
Rotorcraft
Blade India Launches Mumbai-Pune Service
Blade India using Bell 407 and Airbus H130 aircraft to slash travel times.
Accidents
NTSB: Spatial Disorientation Triggered Aeromed Fatal
Helicopter spun near the runway and impacted terrain at night, in fog.
Rotorcraft
Russian Helicopters Delivers First Ansat to Europe
Russian Helicopters has made its first European delivery of an Ansat light twin.
Rotorcraft
Bell Teams with Germany's RAS for 505 Sales
Bell has appointed Rheinland Air Service (RAS) as the first authorized German dealer for the Bell 505 turbine light single.
Accidents
Los Angeles Drone Pilot Faces Year in Prison
The pilot of drone that hit an LAPD helicopter is facing federal charges for the unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft.
Safety
TOP FLIGHT AWARDS NOMINEES: Safety
The safety nominees for the Top Flight Awards highlight many interesting new technologies.
Rotorcraft
TOP FLIGHT AWARDS NOMINEES: Rotorcraft
The Rotorcraft category saw two new helicopters introduced during the Top Flight Awards time period.
Aircraft
TOP FLIGHTS AWARDS NOMINEES: New Turboprops
There were a number of candidates for new turboprops in this year's Top Flight Awards.
Aircraft
TOP FLIGHT AWARDS NOMINEES: New Jets
Technology continues to advance in the business jet market as seen in these Top Flight Awards nominees.
Rotorcraft
Lemmo To Succeed Retiring Sikorsky Prez Schultz
Sikorsky Aircraft president Dan Schultz will retire in early 2021, be replaced by Lockheed Martin executive Paul Lemmo.
Rotorcraft
Navy Orders Second Block of Leonardo TH-73A Trainers
Leonardo will deliver another 36 TH-73A turbine single helicopters under a new $171 million award.
Aircraft
Reno Races In Jeopardy
The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) needs $500,000 in donations to continue operations.
Rotorcraft
CalGuard Pilots Recount Rescuing Hundreds from Inferno
California Air National Guard Chinook pilots were "deep into luck bag" during perilous evacuation.
Accidents
Two Dead after Pair of Guimbal G2s Collide in Malaysia
Two dead, two survive after a pair of Guimbal Cabri G2 light helicopters collided in mid-air on Sunday in Malaysia.
Rotorcraft
Airbus Delivers 1,400th H135 Light Twin Helicopter
Airbus Helicopters has delivered its 1,400th H135 light twin. The ship was sold to French HEMS operator Mont Blanc.
Rotorcraft
First Leonardo Trekker Ordered for U.S. EMS Market
U.S. EMS operator Life Link III has ordered the first Leonardo AW109 Trekker light twin for the U.S. air ambulance market.
Rotorcraft
LA Sheriff Uses Helicopters To Deliver Ballots
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department began using its helicopter fleet to securely deliver ballot boxes
Rotorcraft
Airbus Helicopters Takes New Look at Urban Air Noise
Airbus research into helicopter noise is being used to evaluate potential eVTOL designs.
Avionics
Maverick Is Launch Customer for Spidertracks FDM
Maverick Helicopters will be the launch customer for Spidertracks’ Insights virtual flight data recorder technology on its Spider X.
Engines
Hill Developing Own Helicopter Engine for HX50
Hill Helicopters revealed its 400-shp Hill GT50 light turbine engine designed specifically for the new Hill HX50 single.
Rotorcraft
Trump's S-76B For Sale
N76DT, s/n 760351 is listed by Aero Asset with a price of “make offer,” but is believed to have a market value near $800,000.
Rotorcraft
Russian Helicopters Launches Indonesian Test Program
Russian Helicopters has launched an operations pilot test program for its Mi-8/171 twin in Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Regulations and Government
FAA FSDOs Move into Virtual Plane
The FAA is conducting more business virtually in Covid-19 era: 5,000 Zoom meetings a day.
Regulations and Government
FAA Developing Broader SMS Mandate for Part 135 and 145
FAA hopes to have a proposed rule mandating broader safety management systems (SMS) ready by 2022.
