Rotorcraft

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Rotorcraft

Black Widow Donating Black Hawks to Maui Rebuilding

Black Widow providing UH-60Ls in wake of fires
Black Hawks
Rotorcraft

Blade's Revenues and Losses Jump

Gains led by organ transport business
Blade Air Mobility Europe Helicopter
Rotorcraft

Helicopters Mobilize To Fight Hawaii Fires

Army, Navy, Coast Guard helicopters see action on Hawaii fires.
Hawaii Army National Guard CH47 Chinook helicopter fighting fires in Hawaii.
Safety

FAA Moves To Improve Hawaii Air Tour Safety

Agency adds flexibility for weather avoidance
Hawaii air tour with helicopter
Accidents

Three Dead In California Firefighting Helicopter Midair

Air Crane, Bell 407 collide while fighting Broadway Fire
Air Crane S-64
Maintenance and Modifications

Leonardo Breaks Ground On $65M Florida MX Base

Leonardo's new FL helo facility will support military and commercial customers
Leonardo Florida support center rendering
Regulations and Government

HAI Urges Opposition to Proposed New Mexico Air Tour Ban

NPS and FAA want to ban air tour flights over the Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument, new mexico
Aircraft

XTI Aircraft To Merge and Go Public

XTI Aircraft will merge with location system provider Inpixon. The deal is already under scrutiny.
XTI's TriFan VTOL aircraft is pictured on the tarmac
Rotorcraft

Airbus Helicopters Orders Fall, but Revenues Rise

Airbus Helicopters posts increased revenues on its growing services business as new orders stall.
Airbus Helicopters has boosted revenues in the first half of 2023.
Rotorcraft

Airbus H160 challenges Leonardo AW139

FAA certification in hand, Airbus H160 takes on the competition.
Airbus Helicopters H160
Rotorcraft

Enstrom Celebrates 30 Years at Oshkosh

Under new ownership for more than a year, Enstrom Helicopter is growing again and showing off its helicopters at EAA AirVenture.
Enstrom Helicopter
Aircraft

Paris 2024 Olympics Could See First eVTOL Passenger Flights with Volcopter VoloCity

Passengers may have the chance to fly between a few sites in the Paris metro area
Rendering of Volocopter eVTOL aircraft flying above Paris with Eifel tower in background
Rotorcraft

Outerlink To Offer Air IP Connectivity for Bell 407

Outerlink and partners are working toward FAA STC approval for installation of its low-cost wi-fi system in the Bell 407 helicopter.
Florida's Marion County Sheriff’s Office Bell 407 helicopter in flight a few feet above the ground with patient on hoist outside helicopter doorFlorida's Marion County Sheriff’s Office Bell 407 helicopter in flight a few feet above the ground with patient on hoist outside helicopter door
Rotorcraft

Metro Delivers Kitted H125s to Baltimore Police

Metro Aviation is customizing a trio of new Airbus H125 helicopters for the Baltimore Police.
Baltimore Police Department’s Airbus H125 in flight near cellular tower
Rotorcraft

Coulson Helos Tapped for SoCal Quick Reaction Force

Coulson will provide a trio of CH-47 firefighting helicopters to Southern California's Quick Reaction Force.
Coulson Aviation Boeing CH-47 Chinook firefighting helicopters one on ground and one coming in for landing
Rotorcraft

Consortium Advances New Approach to Rotor Ice Protection

The European Clean Aviation program's No Ice Rotor consortium has been testing a protection system for Leonardo's new tilt rotor aircraft.
Rotor blade ice protection system test bed with parts of rotor blades wired with heating
Rotorcraft

Used Helo Sales Down but Prices Still Rise

Aero Asset reports fewer single-engine helicopter transactions in 1H 2023.
Airbus AS350B3
Rotorcraft

Dart Offering Cargo Basket for Bell 505

Dart Aerospace is developing an external cargo basket for the Bell 505 helicopter.
Dart Aerospace external cargo Heli-Utility-Basket.
Training and Workforce

FAA Evaluating Loft Dynamics VR Helo Sims

Loft Dynamics' VR sims for R22 and H125 helos will be installed at the FAA's Hughes Center for Evaluation Loft Dynamics' VR sims for R22 and H125 helos will be installed at the FAA's Hughes Center for Evaluation
Loft Dynamics Robinson R22 and Airbus H125 training device
Rotorcraft

Airbus Helicopters H175 Certified in China

Chinese certification of the Airbus H175 super-medium twin-engine helicopter clears the way for deliveries in the country later this year.
 Airbus H175
Rotorcraft

Vita Inclinata Acquires Air Rescue Systems

Vita and Air Rescue Systems combine to offer helicopter hoist training and technology solutions.
Air Rescue Systems training
Rotorcraft

MD Helicopters To Offer Engine Upgrade for 520N

MD Helicopters engine retrofit for the MD 520N will upgrade high-hot performance.
MD Helicopters MD520N inflight over snowy mountains
Regulations and Government

Helicopter Pilot Cited for Grand Teton Park Landing

A helicopter pilot faces federal charges after allegedly illegally landing in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park.
Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 in Grand Teton National Park
Engines

Safran and HAL Form Engine Joint Venture

Safran-HAL JV will produce helicopter engines for India's new multirole helicopter.
IMRH (Indian Multi-Role Helicopter)
Accidents

Loose iPad Linked to Helicopter Crash

A fatal firefighting Chinook crash was tied to a loose iPad that jammed the flight controls.
iPad that jammed flight control pedals of a Chinook helicopter
Accidents

Night Winching Near-collision Prompts Reforms

A helicopter nearly hit cliff while winching paramedic during night-time search and rescue mission prompting regulations and additional NVG training.
Graphic depicting flight path of incident helicopter
Rotorcraft

Aussie Police AW139s Lead Hourly Use by Law Enforcement

A trio of Leonardo AW139s operated by the Victoria police have flown 10,000 hours in the last three years.
Australian Police AW139 helicopter in flight over bridge
Accidents

Nepal Helicopter Crash Claims Six Lives Near Mt Everest

An Airbus H125 rotorcraft operated by Manang Air crashed on a sightseeing flight near Mount Everest.
Manang Air Airbus H125 helicopter
Regulations and Government

Australia’s CASA Issues Guidelines for Vertiport Design

Australia’s CASA has released guidelines for vertiport design following a public consultation process that closed at the end of March.
Skyportz vertiport concept
Rotorcraft

Airbus Racer Moves to Final Assembly

The Airbus Racer compound helicopter demonstrator is being readied for first flight later this year.
Airbus Racer in hangar