Rotorcraft
News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.
Rotorcraft
TOP FLIGHT AWARDS NOMINEES: Rotorcraft
The Rotorcraft category saw two new helicopters introduced during the Top Flight Awards time period.
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
U.S., European Schools To Offer Joint Helo Training
Rotorcraft students complete FAA and EASA training on parallel tracks under the program offered by Hillsboro Aero Academy in partnership with RotorSky.
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.
Rotorcraft
CalGuard Pilots Recount Rescuing Hundreds from Inferno
California Air National Guard Chinook pilots were "deep into luck bag" during perilous evacuation.
Aircraft
Abu Dhabi Aviation Inducts Two New AW169s into Fleet
Abu Dhabi Aviation will utilize one of the two Leonardo AW169s for oil and gas operations.
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
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
Airbus Helicopters Takes New Look at Urban Air Noise
Airbus research into helicopter noise is being used to evaluate potential eVTOL designs.
Rotorcraft
Military Programs Drive Bell's Third Quarter Higher
Bell's commercial helicopter business was challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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
Sikorsky to Supply Military Helicopters to Greece and U.S. Marines
Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky have landed $730 million of new work in one day through Navair contracts for 10 new “Romeo” and King Stallion helicopters.
Rotorcraft
CAAM Debuts with Bell as Launch Member
This week saw the official launch of the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM) Coalition, with Bell Textron as a founding member of the group.
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.
Rotorcraft
First Airbus H145s for Ecuador
Following an unhappy experience with the Dhruv, the FAE is receiving H145s equipped for military, search and rescue, and disaster relief operations.
Rotorcraft
Vanderbilt LifeFlight Is Air Medical Program of Year
Tennessee’s Vanderbilt LifeFlight has been named the air medical program of the year by the Association of Air Medical Services.
Rotorcraft
Bell Delivers Three 407GXis To Polish National Police
The delivery marks the fifth Bell sent to Poland this year.
Rotorcraft
Air Methods Settles California Overtime Claims for $78M
Air Methods settled a seven-year class action suit brought by its California flight crews.
Maintenance and Modifications
Alabama MRO Adds Paint, Media Blast Facility
A new facility builds upon Ace Aeronautics' capabilities for the maintenance and modification of military and general aviation aircraft.
Accidents
Inquiry Clears Crew in Fatal 2013 Super Puma Crash
Accident triggered by "perfect storm of circumstances."
Rotorcraft
Ron Bower, Who Circumnavigated the Globe in Helos, Dies
Ron Bower, who died on October 12, set speed records circumnavigation the earth both eastbound and westbound in helicopters.
Rotorcraft
Leonardo Affirms Support for Convicted CEO
Leonardo said it would stand behind CEO Alessandro Profumo while he appeals fraud conviction.
Avionics
Max-Viz EVS STC'd for Airbus AS350 Helicopters
Astronics’s Max-Viz 1200 and 1400 enhanced vision systems have received FAA and Transport Canada approval for installation in the Airbus AS350.
Rotorcraft
AW139 Enlisted To Support Giant Red Sea Project
The Helicopter Company will provide a Leonardo AW139 helicopter and crew to support construction of the Kingdom's massive Red Sea project.
Aircraft
General Atomics Buying Ruag's German MRO
Ruag International's sale of operations at Oberpfaffenhofen to General Atomics Europe includes its military helicopter MRO and Dornier 228 production.
Maintenance and Modifications
Airbus Helicopters Signs Air Methods to HCare Support
Air ambulance provider Air Methods has signed a $24 million, five-year HCare Smart support contract with Airbus Helicopters, Inc.
