Rotorcraft
News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.
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.
Maintenance and Modifications
EASA Approves Five-blade Airbus H145
Customer deliveries of the new Airbus Helicopters H145 D3 will begin later this summer.
Rotorcraft
HAI Members Pledge 'Covid Clean'
The Helicopter Association International's "Covid Clean" program seeks to reassure rotorcraft customers.
Rotorcraft
Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant Busts 200 Knots
The compound Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant helicopter broke the 200-knot speed barrier earlier this month.
Regulations and Government
Hawaii Pols Seek End to Part 135 Exemptions
Sens Schatz, Hirono introduce legislation to mandate 135 for air tour, skydiving ops.
Maintenance and Modifications
Precise Flight Expands Bird Strike System STC
Precise Flight's Pulselite bird strike prevention system STC has been expanded to include Bell 429 and 505 helicopters.
Rotorcraft
Leonardo Trekker Sales Top 70
Leonardo has sold over 70 of its AW109 Trekker skid gear light twins, including to a helicopter EMS services in Normandy, France.
Rotorcraft
Bristow and Era Complete Helicopter Operations Merger
New Bristow CEO Chris Bradshaw says industry consolidation "long overdue."
Rotorcraft
Hill Dems Call For Helos To Have TAWS, Flight Recorders
A bill to mandate HTAWS and flight recorders for large helicopters was introduced by House and Senate Democrats.
Engines
Leonardo AW189K Gets EASA Nod
Leonardo has received EASA certification for the super-medium twin AW189K, a variant developed with a pair of Safran Aneto 1K engines.
Rotorcraft
Unmanned Civil K-Max Helicopter To Deliver in 2021
Kaman Aerospace has already received commitments for its first five unmanned K-1200 K-Max helicopter kits for civil operators.
Charter & Fractional
Charter App Ascent Expands Helo Service to Thailand
Ascent has partnered with Thai helicopter operators SRS Aviation and Advance Aviation to offer on demand helicopter charter in several locations.
Maintenance and Modifications
ESG Earns STC for 3G/4G Helicopter Cabin Wi-Fi
EASA has approved ESG’s STC for 3G/4G mobile communications and cabin wi-fi for the Airbus EC135 and EC635 helicopters.
Rotorcraft
France Funding Hybrid Airbus H125 Helicopter
Airbus Helicopters is poised to receive French government financial support to develop a hybrid powerplant for its H125 single.
Rotorcraft
Aircraft Lasered During George Floyd Protests
Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were lasered in at least three American cities during the recent George Floyd protests.
Rotorcraft
Coptersafety Qualifies AW139 Sim To Level-D
Helsinki-based Coptersafety has received FAA Level-D qualification from the FAA for its CAE AW139 full flight simulator.
Rotorcraft
HAI Calls For FDM in Piston Helicopters
The Helicopter Association International calls for installing flight recorders in all new helicopters, not just those with turbine engines.
Rotorcraft
Bell V-280 Flies With GKN's Plastic Airframe Parts
The Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor recently began test flights with thermoplastic parts from GKN Aerospace.
Avionics
NTSB Calls On Helo OEMs To Install Recording Systems
The NTSB wants helicopter manufacturers to equip turbine-powered helicopters with crash-resistant systems to record data, audio, and images.
Rotorcraft
Airbus E-Delivers New Helicopters to Helitrans
Norway’s Helitrans is the first customer to take delivery of new Airbus helicopters using the OEM’s e-Delivery process.
Rotorcraft
New Bell Buyers Get Garmin OnePak
Bell is offering buyers of new civil aircraft a free one-year subscription to Garmin OnePak database bundles and the Garmin Pilot app.
Rotorcraft
Canada's Universal Helicopters Shuts Down
Citing debt, Covid-19, Universal Helicopters ceases operations
Rotorcraft
Airbus, Bell Continue Rotor Research
Covid-19 has not stopped new rotor blade research and patents at Airbus and Bell.
