Rotorcraft
News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.
Finance, Taxes, Insurance
Helo Lessor LCI Partners With Sumitomo Mitsui Finance
LCI and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing have agreed to establish a joint-venture helicopter leasing business.
Rotorcraft
Five-bladed Airbus H145 Enters Offshore Wind Market
HTM-Helicopters will be the first operator to use the new five-bladed Airbus H145 D3 in the offshore wind market.
Maintenance and Modifications
NASA Selects Airbus HCare for H135s
NASA has signed a $15 million HCare Infinite maintenance agreement with Airbus Helicopters.
Maintenance and Modifications
Bell Expands European Mx Foothold
Bell Flight named Aero Club in Poland and Air Service International in Denmark as its two new authorized maintenance centers in Europe.
Rotorcraft
Wind Could Rescue Offshore Helicopter Industry
Study predicts $166 billion investment in U.S. offshore wind by 2035.
Rotorcraft
HAI Looks To Reboot Safety Accreditation Program
The Helicopter Association International (HAI) is looking to reboot its Accreditation Program of Safety (APS) later this year.
Rotorcraft
Airbus H160 Pioneers Flight Control Safety Features
The Airbus H160's full-time automatic flight control system makes the pilot's job much easier.
Rotorcraft
Japan Looks At AW609 Tiltrotor to Provide a Link to Remote Islands
Japan Looks At AW609 Tiltrotor to Provide a Link to Remote Islands
Maintenance and Modifications
Foresight MX HUMS Approved for AStars
GPMS has received FAA Supplemental Type Certification approval for its Foresight MX health monitoring system on the Airbus AS350.
Rotorcraft
FlightSafety To Support U.S. Navy's TH-73A Training
FlightSafety International has been awarded a contract to support of the U.S. Navy’s advanced helicopter training system.
Maintenance and Modifications
Erickson Acquires Type Certificate for Bell 214
Bell has begun type certificate (TC) transfer for the model 214ST and B/B1 helicopters to Erickson.
Rotorcraft
First Block II Chinook for Special Operations Command
The latest special forces version of the Chinook is lighter and better-performing than its predecessor.
Rotorcraft
Airbus To Begin UH-72B Army Deliveries in 2021
The updated helicopter replaces the tailrotor on the UH-72A Lakota with a Fenestron.
Rotorcraft
Tokyo Government Evaluating Leonardo AW609 Tiltrotor
Tokyo’s Metropolitan Government is evaluating the Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor to deliver service to Ogasawara island.
Rotorcraft
Bristow Rebrands Helicopter Operation in Brazil
Bristow Group is rebranding its wholly-owned Brazilian subsidiary Aeroleo and is writing off its investment in another Brazilian operator Lider.
Rotorcraft
Lufthansa Aviation Training Adds First Helo Sim
Lufthansa Aviation Training marked an expansion in HEMS training with German approval of its Airbus H145/135 Level D full-flight simulator.
Rotorcraft
MD530F Helicopter Gets Gross Weight Increase
MD Helicopters has received FAA approval to increase the MD530F’s max gross take-off weight from 3,100 to 3,350 pounds.
Rotorcraft
Russian Helicopters Unveils New Mi-171Sh-VN ‘Hip’ Troop Carrier
Russian Helicopters is displaying an impressive range of its military products at the Army 2020 International Military-Technical Forum.
Maintenance and Modifications
MDHI Center Completes 5,000-hour Overhaul on MD 902
MDHI's factor service center's work on the CoxHealth MD 902 Explorer including a 5,000-hour airframe overhaul, inspections, repairs and modifications.
Accidents
Kobe Crash Copter Company Blaming ATC
Island Express Helicopters is blaming the fatal crash of its S-76 on air traffic controllers.
Maintenance and Modifications
Van Horn Receives STC/PMA for Upgraded Bell 206B Blades
Van Horn Aviation's newly approved Bell 206B main rotor blades have different carbon fiber ply counts and orientations, providing for a smoother ride.
Accidents
NTSB Illuminates Pilot Performance in AW139 Fatal
The Leonardo AW139 crashed on July 4, 2019 shortly after lifting off from a private helipad in the Bahamas.
Rotorcraft
K-Max Leaps From Unmanned to Autonomous Operations
Near Earth Autonomy and Kaman Aerospace have developed an intelligent autonomy system for the K-Max helicopter.
Rotorcraft
Hill Helicopters Developing Turbine Light Single
UK-based Hill Helicopters has unveiled a new light turbine single helicopter design, the HX50.
Rotorcraft
More Singapore Chinooks Go to Australia as Training Expands
The Singaporean training detachment at Oakey in Queensland is scheduled to receive the bulk of the new CH-47F helicopters that are to be delivered shortly.
Charter & Fractional
Sundance Helicopters Goes Bust in Las Vegas
Las Vegas-based Sundance Helicopters announced the permanent closure of its air tour operations after the Covid pandemic caused a steep drop in demand.
Rotorcraft
HAI Commits To Heli-Expo 2021 Show in New Orleans
In the face of continuing Covid safety concerns, HAI has reaffirmed its intention to hold its annual Heli-Expo trade show next March 22-25 in New Orleans.
Rotorcraft
Apollo Air Services Opens Cambridge Location
UK helicopter operator Apollo Air Services has established its first base in southern England at Cambridge CIty Airport
Rotorcraft
Leonardo Prepping Skid Kit for AW169
Leonardo is progressing with a skid kit for its AW169 medium twin helicopter.
