Rotorcraft
News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.
Maintenance and Modifications
Wysong Enterprises Keeps First Responders Airborne
The helicopter MRO has worked on more than 20 aircraft during the Covid-19 pandemic in the last 12 weeks.
Regulations and Government
EASA Grafts Cybersecurity Onto Certification Standards
New EASA cybersecurity standards include helicopters.
Avionics
Leonardo AW139 Gets Honeywell Primus Epic Upgrade
The new Honeywell Primus Epic Phase 8 software will be available in the Leonardo AW139 intermediate twin.
Maintenance and Modifications
Honeywell Opens New T55 Engine MRO Facility
Honeywell Aerospace's T55 Repair and Overhaul Center of Excellence is located near its Phoenix headquarters.
Rotorcraft
NHV's Airbus H175 Fleet Tops 40,000 Hours
NHV’s fleet accounts for more than 60 percent of the Airbus Helicopters H175’s 66,000 flight hours to date.
Maintenance and Modifications
Mecaer Gets EASA Mx Approval for Philadelphia Base
Italian MRO provider Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG) has received EASA certification for its Philadelphia Part 145 rotorcraft repair station.
Maintenance and Modifications
Bell Buys Chinese MRO Zhenjiang Aerochine Aviation
Bell is acquiring Zhenjiang Aerochine Aviation Limited to increase its MRO capacity in China.
ATC
FAA's New Urban Air Mobility ConOps Raises Questions
Morphing existing helicopter VFR corridors into dedicated urban air mobility routes is among the challenges identified by critics of ConOps 1.0.
Maintenance and Modifications
Piedmont Expands Helo Rotor Blade Capability
Piedmont Propulsion Systems has received FAA certification for repair and overhaul of the Van Horn Aviation 206/OH-58 tail rotor blade.
Rotorcraft
Airbus Helicopters Marks 60 Years in Japan
Airbus Helicopters marks 60 years in Japan with new maintenance facility, orders.
Accidents
Helo Accidents Fall During Pandemic
Reduced helicopter flight activity translated into fewer accidents during the first six months of 2020
Maintenance and Modifications
StandardAero Completes Helo MRO Consolidation Early
The consolidation integrated three StandardAero helicopter maintenance facilities into one.
Rotorcraft
Bell Delivers First ENG Helo to China
Bell has delivered the first dedicted ENG helicopter for service in China.
Rotorcraft
Helicopter Laserer Gets Federal Prison
A California man who lasered a sheriff’s helicopter in 2017 has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.
Accidents
NTSB: Los Angeles Newscopter Hit Drone
A-Star sustained minor damage after "an inflight collision with a hard object of polycarbonate construction."
Aircraft
U.S. Approves Hawkeyes for France and Ospreys for Indonesia
The latest round of U.S. State Department approvals of Foreign Military Sales includes a prospective deal to supply MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors to Indonesia.
Aircraft
Leonardo Lands First Commercial IFR AW119Kx Order
Leonardo announced the first commercial and EMS order for its IFR-certified AW119Kx single-engine helicopter.
Rotorcraft
Congressmen Continue Push for Safer Helo Fuel Tanks
Two Colorado congressman are continuing push for mandatory crash resistant fuel systems (CRFS) in all helicopter air ambulances.
Regulations and Government
Counterfeit Kamov Helicopter Ring Busted
Moldovan police raided a factory in Cruileni allegedly making unauthorized copies of Russian Kamov-26 coaxial rotor utility helicopters.
Rotorcraft
Airbus H160 Gets EASA Nod
Airbus Helicopters’ medium twin H160 received EASA type certification approval on July 1.
Rotorcraft
Horizon Academy's Bell 505 Fleet Tops 1,000 Hours
UAE's Horizon International Flight Academy achieved the milestone with the 12 Bell 505 light singles it's received since January.
Rotorcraft
CH-53K King Stallion Goes to Sea
The next-generation heavy-lifter for the Marine Corps has successfully undertaken its first sea trials.
Rotorcraft
Aaron Brings Helicopter Upset Training to Southern Utah
Chuck Aaron's helicopter upset and instrument training coming to Southern Utah University.
Rotorcraft
Morocco Signs Up For Latest Apache Attack Helicopters
The addition of AH-64 gunships to the Moroccan inventory is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen and modernize the kingdom’s military forces.
Maintenance and Modifications
UK Man Pleads Guilty To Aircraft Parts Fraud
Richard Paul Harper admitted in a plea agreement to switching the fuselages and data plate of a damaged helo and trying to resell it.
Rotorcraft
Kopter Resumes Flight Testing of SH09 Helicopter
Leonardo subsidiary Kopter said flight testing of the third SH09 light helicopter prototype restarted in Pozzallo, Italy, after a Covid-incuded pause.
Rotorcraft
Bell Expanding Virtual Training Offerings
Bell is expanding its virtual training offerings during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rotorcraft
HAI Members Pledge 'Covid Clean'
The Helicopter Association International's "Covid Clean" program seeks to reassure rotorcraft customers.
Maintenance and Modifications
EASA Approves Five-blade Airbus H145
Customer deliveries of the new Airbus Helicopters H145 D3 will begin later this summer.
