27-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
British International have recently sold a third Sikorsky S61 this year to Vector Aerospace, this being serial 61721 and registered G-BCEA, Managing Director Tony Jones has confirmed to HeliHub.com. Previously operating on a military contract in the Falkland Islands, ‘EA had reached time for a major inspection and has thus been swapped with another example. ... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: JSfirm
Jeff Richards, JSfirm.com Sales Manager, has announced that their aviation jobs board has created the industry’s largest Job Distribution Network (JDN). “This is great news for hiring companies,†said Richards. “We have partnered with select aviation websites, social and professional media, aviation organizations and aviation schools/alumni groups to attract active and passive job seekers.†PAMA.org... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee has this week announced the completion of the certification process for Bell’s light twin model 429. This will open the way for sales Jet Transfer, Bell’s distributor for in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Shortly after this achievement, and the handover of certificate number PT325 to the manufacturer, Jet Transfer announced the... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
The second of three Eurocopter EC225s being leased by Bristow to MHS in Malaysia left the UK on delivery. After landing mid-morning today at Redhill Aerdrome from Aberdeen, the helicopter departed lunchtime on a long leg to Dijon in France. All three aircraft involved have been delivered from the Eurocopter factory at Marignane to Bristow’s... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
The Philippine National Police “PNP” have a total of three Robinson R44 helicopters, acquired in 2009. These consist of two Raven Is and one Raven II, and the PNP believed at the time that they were all being acquired factory-new. A big national controversy has been raised in recent weeks after it turned out that... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: Night Flight Concepts
Night Flight Concepts, a leading provider of night vision solutions, announces that it has been selected to provide Night Vision Goggles (NVG) and training to the Pasco County, Florida Sheriff’s Aviation Unit. “Pasco County has a lot of difficult terrain to protect 24/7 and has been looking to acquire NVGs for some time now,†explained... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: HAI
Hundreds of attendees at EAA AirVenture, in Oshkosh Wis. visited the HAI HELI-CENTERâ„¢ on opening day AirVenture Monday. HAI President Matt Zuccaro welcomed the crowd and shared the vision for an expanded helicopter presence through the HELI-CENTERâ„¢ here at AirVenture as well as at other major shows in the U.S. and internationally. Along with more... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: Aspen Avionics
Aspen Avionics announced today its patent-pending line of Connected Panel™ products that seamlessly integrate aviation application data from personal handheld devices with certified avionics installed in an aircraft’s panel. These revolutionary new products are being demonstrated at AirVenture 2011, in the Aspen Avionics booth #2145, Hangar B. Connected Panel™ includes hardware, software, and application components... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: Northwest MedStar
Northwest MedStar, the region’s critical emergency care transport service, has expanded its Moses Lake day-base operations to a full-time helicopter base, providing additional coverage for critically-ill and injured patients in the north central Washington region. “The North Central region has been a long-time, loyal supporter of Northwest MedStar,†said Eveline Bisson, program director of Northwest... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: Mid-Continent Instruments
Mid-Continent Instruments announced today the appointment of Dr. John W. Gallman to the position of Division Director for the company’s True Blue Power® division. A veteran of more than 20 Âyears in business aviation, Gallman began his career at the NASA Ames Research Center after earning his undergraduate and masters degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: ATP
Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP®) has obtained a license agreement with Sikorsky Aerospace Service (SAS) to provide single-source, digital, technical publications services for operators of the Sikorsky S-92® helicopter. Sikorsky Aerospace Services is the worldwide aftermarket division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. This license will allow S-92 helicopter operators to benefit from... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration issued additional “stop work orders†over the last twenty-four hours to construction and technology contractors for critical modernization projects around the country after Congress failed to pass an FAA bill. The FAA halted dozens of major projects ranging from long-term runway safety initiatives to NextGen air traffic control research and testing.... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: Mahindra
Mahindra Aerospace and Mahindra Satyam – representing the aerospace manufacturing and engineering capabilities of leading Indian industrial house, the Mahindra Group – today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a trade partnership with the Eurocopter Group and its Indian subsidiary, Eurocopter India. The partnership will be focused on manufacturing of sub assemblies, engineering and customization of... Read more
27-Jul-2011
48-year-old Jill Jenyns was believed to be returning from mustering cattle when she crashed fatally into a sand hill on a trip from Big Rock Dam to her homestead at Brooking Springs Station near Fitzroy Crossing.... Read more
27-Jul-2011
Near miss with C17 military transport plane. Helicopter pilot took evasive action... Read more
27-Jul-2011
Tail rotor drive shaft cover separated from the aircraft during post-maintenance positioning flight... Read more
27-Jul-2011
Precautionary landing revealed missing drive shaft cover... Read more
27-Jul-2011
The pilot was landing the helicopter on a helicopter cart. He said that the helicopter’s skid got caught on the cart and the helicopter subsequently rolled over. There were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter during the flight. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its tailboom when it rolled.... Read more
26-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com has expanded its coverage of helicopter industry News with an index by helicopter type. The link to this page follows, and can be found in the News menu option. https://www.helihub.com/news-by-helicopter-type/ This allows quick access of all News items for a given make/model for the website user. HeliHub.com files more News stories than any other... Read more
26-Jul-2011Source: CAA
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has set out its key safety objectives for the next two years at an industry launch event at its Gatwick headquarters. The CAA’s Safety Plan 2011 to 2013, which has been published in draft form, invites comment from all industry groups. A final version will be published in August.... Read more
26-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
A 21-year old electrician working at Goodwood Airfield has opened a legal process seeking damages after being struck by flying debris from a crashing Robinson R44. As a result, Sebastian Ward had his leg amputated below the knee. Mr ward was installing wiring on a new hangar at Goodwood aerodrome when R44 Clipper G-CLPR crashed... Read more
26-Jul-2011
The Gold Coast City Council voted unanimously to commit $500,000 to a six-month police helicopter trial. The State Government and Queensland Police Service also announced 50 uniformed officers would be brought in from other police regions for a one-month blitz on criminal and anti-social behaviour.... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: FAA
The FAA announced it has levied civil penalties against ERA Helicopters of Lake Charles, LA, for violations of the FAA’s drug and alcohol testing program regulations. In proposing a $194,249 civil penalty, the FAA alleges ERA failed to conduct required pre-employment drug tests and receive verified negative test results in 2010 before hiring eight employees... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
At the Air Medical Transport Conference in Ft. Lauderdale last October, Bell announced that Air Evac Lifeteam had placed an order for sixteen Bell LongRanger IV helicopters. HeliHub.com has heard that one of these has been allocated to their base at Woodward in Oklahoma, whch opened in May 2007, and went live on 1st July. ... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: Aeronautical Accessories
Bell Helicopter has announced that it has formed a distributor partnership to sell products from TrueView Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS), LLC under its Aeronautical Accessories brand. TrueView EVS’ infrared thermal imaging system improves flight safety in compromised flight conditions such as darkness or low light/low visibility conditionsand virtually eliminates the chance of controlled flight into terrain... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: Katz, Marshall & Banks
On June 28, 2011, David Simmons, a former Quality Assurance Supervisor for Sikorsky Global Helicopters (“SGHâ€), filed a whistleblower-retaliation charge against SGH, alleging that the company terminated him for complaining about extensive flight-safety issues and noncompliance with Federal Aviation Regulations at SGH’s Keystone Engine Services (“KESâ€) facility in Coatesville, PA. Simmons filed his complaint with... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Specialist Aviation Services “SAS”, the British operator better known for its subsidiaries Police Aviation Services and Medical Aviation Services, has two new directors. Following our report on 7th July of a change in ownership (see here), we can now advise that they have added two directors as well. Previously we noted that we had an... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: ATSB
You can now get the latest ATSB news and updates via our Twitter account:Â @ATSBinfo. We will use Twitter to tell you about a range of activities and initiatives, including: new and updated investigations investigation and research report releases new safety awareness products. Some things to keep in mind The ATSB will not guarantee responding to... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: ATSB
Robinson R22 helicopter pilots are being cautioned of a drive belt risk following a fatal accident in north-west Queensland. On 9 May 2011, a Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter crashed after its drive belts failed during mustering operations near Julia Creek (the drive belts transmit engine power to the helicopter’s main and tail rotor blades).... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: FAA
Contractors have been told to stop work on critical airport modernization projects around the country after Congress failed to pass legislation on Friday giving the FAA the authority necessary for work to continue. Dozens of “stop work orders†have been issued for major projects designed to build and modernize control towers and other aviation infrastructure... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: Air Evac Lifeteam
Air Evac Lifeteam announced they will be opening an air ambulance base in McAllen, Texas, this fall. The base, scheduled to begin operations in October, will be located on the campus of McAllen Medical Center, but will serve all hospitals and communities within a 70-mile radius. Air Evac Lifeteam, the largest independently owned air medical... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
At EAA AirVenture 2011 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin this year, CHR International Inc., the producer of the Safari helicopter, will introduce the first ever new model Safari helicopter, the Safari 400. A more robust rotor head design results in smoother operation, reduced maintenance, and increased useful load. Additional standard features include electric cyclic trim and rotor... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: US DoD
Columbia Helicopters, Inc. ofAurora, Ore., is being awarded a $17,065,000.00 task order for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and will start July 1, 2011 to be completed by Oct. 31, 2011. This contract was a... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: London's Air Ambulance
London’s Air Ambulance pilot, Captain Neil Jeffers, and doctor, Dr. Tom Konig, are soon to complete the ultimate endurance test, seeing them run 8 marathons in 6 days through the deserts of Jordan, in a bid to raise money for the charity. On 3rd September 2011 the London’s Air Ambulance duo will be running 200... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: KUSI
State budget cuts have forced San Diego Police to reduce from 10 to 6 hours a day (full story)... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: Night Flight Concepts
Night Flight Concepts, a leading provider of night vision solutions, has been selected to provide its NVIOâ„¢ NVG (Night Vision Goggle) Computer-Based Training to the Swedish National Police, National Bureau of Investigation. The National Bureau of Investigation includes the Police Helicopter Service which is tasked with providing search and reconnaissance aircraft and personnel in support... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: Shields Gazette
Ford Aerospace has signed a three-year deal with AgustaWestland which boosts the company’s plans for global growth and development. Ford will supply an innovative metallic product, the concept of which reduces the part count and the need to re-grind, and vicariously reducing assembly costs at the same time. (Full story)... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: Aersolution
Aersolution GmbH, founded 2006 as an aircraft engineering service supplier, has extended its product range to entire EMS interiors for rotary and fixed wing aircraft. For several years, Aersolution has designed high end modifications for medium and large body VIP fixed wing aircrafts. In parallel, Aersolution developed complex interior components for Emergency Medical Service operators... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: CAA
Further development of the airspace security restrictions covering the London Olympic and Paralympic Games for 2012 were announced today by the UK Government, as part of its paramount objective to deliver of a safe and secure Games for all. A number of changes to the Government’s original proposals, announced on 7 March, have been made... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: FB Heliservices
FB Heliservices is pleased to confirm that it plans to attend Helitech in 2011 with four of its aircraft on show Bell 412 Griffin HARII, a Search and Rescue helicopter based on the Bell 412EP, operated by 84 Squadron RAF since 2003 at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. READ MORE about 84 Squadron… Eurocopter AS 350, a... Read more
25-Jul-2011Source: Brisbane Times
The Gold Coast needs a police helicopter to fight crime and the council might help fund it, Mayor Ron Clarke says. Mr Clarke will today ask councillors to vote on a plan to partially fund a six-month trial. (Full story)... Read more
25-Jul-2011
Light helicopter crashed after striking wires during low level agricultural operations... Read more
25-Jul-2011
Had just flown over a block of cherry trees and was turning to fly back when it hit power lines 40-50 feet above the ground. Crashed and burned, killing pilot. Stephen W. Nelson reportedly died of asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation... Read more
25-Jul-2011
Agricultural ops, crashed into field, killing 54-year-old Hubert Dane Harris Jr., of Little Rock, AK.... Read more
25-Jul-2011
The video report on the link given states that the same operator had two helicopter accidents today, one fatal at Chelan (see HeliHub.com report) and one on the ground at Brewster... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: Eurocopter
Eurocopter, the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer, and Asia’s leading company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), have reiterated their commitment to take their five decade long relationship to the next level. The long-time partners are in the process of signing agreements to further strengthen their industrial cooperation and links. This association will focus on increasing existing collaboration... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: Night Flight Concepts
At this year’s Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) 41st Annual Conference & Exposition, Night Flight Concepts, a premier provider of comprehensive night vision solutions, and Delta P, a consulting company specializing in aerospace physiology, are pleased to unveil a new educational website, LaserStrikeProtection.com. The site is dedicated to helping aviation organizations understand and mitigate the... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: Norwich Bulletin
Hartford Hospital officials have renewed their commitment to keeping the Life Star program at The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, CT (Full story)... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: Brisbane Times
The Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia, which represents the aviation companies involved in firefighting, crop spraying and oil-spill clean-ups, warned the carbon tax was a “direct attack” on the industry for “absolutely no benefit”. Adding six cents a litre to aviation fuel, chief execctive Philip Hurst said that companies will struggle with the price hike... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: Blue Sky Network
Blue Sky Network (BSN), a leading, global provider of satellite tracking solutions, announced today that its sister company, BSN Brazil Comunicacao Por Satelite LTDA, has obtained an SMGS license (Non Geostationary Satellite Global Mobile Service) in Brazil, enabling the company to provision Iridium-based satellite services in Brazil. Iridium delivers connectivity to 100 percent of the... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: Spirit AeroSystems
Spirit AeroSystems announced today a series of organizational changes to better align leadership with the needs of the business. David Coleal will join the company as senior vice president/general manager of the Fuselage Segment. In that role, Mr. Coleal will be responsible for the company’s fuselage structures and components, comprising more than $2 billion dollars... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: FDC/aerofilter
FDC/aerofilter is pleased to announce that the service life for the Eurocopter AS350 series and EC130 B4 inlet barrier filter elements has been increased to 4500 hours, with no limitation on the number of cleanings. In addition, the recommended service interval has been increased to 300 hours. The FAA recently approved a revision to FDC/aerofilter’s... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: Tanis Aircraft Products
Tanis Aircraft Products announce that they will be exhibiting in a new location at AirVenture Oshkosh 2011—in outdoor exhibit number 286, next to hangar B. Tanis will display an array of aircraft engines complete with Tanis Preheat Systems. In the Tanis exhibit, showgoers can get a hands-on look at the popular ROTAX 912 engine, courtesy... Read more
24-Jul-2011Source: NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board is offering two investigative courses and one transportation disaster response course over the next two months at its training center just outside Washington, D.C. The five-day ROTORCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION course (Aug. 22-26) provides participants with a comprehensive overview of the procedures and methods used and the skills required with all... Read more
24-Jul-2011
1 fatal – owner Chris Watts aged 45. A fixed wing pilot flying in the area reported this online “There was a lot of horrible, low drifting clag about with drizzle and the situation was rapidly changing.” Caught fire on crash landing.... Read more
23-Jul-2011
Struck powerlines and force landed. It is believed that this helicopter operates for the ABC channel 8 KTUL under the name “Ranger 8”... Read more
23-Jul-2011
Take off phase, ended up on its side... Read more
23-Jul-2011
Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter entered a nose-high attitude with low power setting and lost altitude while in instrument meteorological conditions. The flight crew arrested the descent and continued on to St. John’s. There were two pilots and 5 passengers on board the helicopter and no one was injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the... Read more
23-Jul-2011
Unmanned helicopter crashed during a demonstration flight... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the launch of UK involvement in the AW169 commercial helicopter programme with the support of a £22 million loan by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The announcement was made today by the Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a study of accidents involving E-AB (sometimes called homebuilt) aircraft in order to evaluate the safety of this growing and innovative segment of general aviation. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will support the project by hosting a web-based survey for E-AB owners of the aircraft; their survey findings... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) has signed a preliminary sale contract for two AW169 helicopters. The contract was signed today by Andy Williamson, CEO, WNAA and Bruno Spagnolini, CEO, AgustaWestland, during a ceremony at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility in the presence of the Rt Hon... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: American Eurocopter
Grand Prairie, Texas – American Eurocopter announced today that the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office has selected an AS350 B2 helicopter to replace its aging military surplus helicopter. The new rotorcraft will augment the mission capabilities of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit and will increase the availability of aerial support to the citizens of... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: AgustaWestland
It was announced that the Government has awarded AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, a total of £10 million in research and development grants that will be delivered through the Technology Strategy Board. The funding will go towards a new programme consisting of three R&D projects. The programme will ensure that the UK maintains its leading position... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: Nordic Rotors
In a recently published incident report the Swedish Accident Investigation Board (Statens Haverikommission, SHK) aims criticism at the Swedish helicopter search and rescue (SAR) organization. The report itself deals with a ship incident that occurred on 2 December 2008. The RORO cargo/passenger vessel M/S Sea Wind was en-route from Turku (Finlad) to Stockholm (Sweden) when... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: American Eurocopter
Grand Prairie, Texas – Today, at the 2011 Airborne Law Enforcement Association convention in New Orleans, American Eurocopter is introducing a new safety innovation for helicopter operators: an Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC) Training Course in the AS350 Level B Flight & Mission Training Simulator. The course is applicable to all mission environments and American... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: Bristow Group
Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS), the leading provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry, announced today it will release financial results for its fiscal year 2012 first quarter ended June 30, 2011, after the market closes on Monday, August 8. In conjunction with the release, Bristow has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast... Read more
22-Jul-2011Source: SkyBooks
SkyBOOKS, Inc., a Textron, Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, and affiliate of Bell Helicopter, has issued Release 4.5 of its Electronic Record Keeping Program, expanding customer browser options. With SkyBOOKS V4.5 release, users now have compatibility with Internet Explorer® 7, 8, and 8 – Compatibility Mode, Fire Fox, Chrome, and Safari, while iPad® users can now... Read more
22-Jul-2011
Crashed and burned in bushland. Rescuers had to abseil 10m cliff to reach crash site. Pilot named as Colin Greenwood, age 35, and passenger was the helicopter’s owner Bruce Campbell, aged 65... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: Barry Cordage
To: All helicopter longline owners and users Barry was made aware of a recent incident involving a longline, which we believe should be communicated to the industry. This incident was reported to us by one of our test pilots who was flying with a synthetic longline protected by a hook-and-loop (Velcro) jacket made by another... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. Federal government agency charged by the U.S. Congress with investigating transportation accidents, determining their probable cause, and making recommendations to prevent similar accidents from occurring. We are providing the following information to urge your organization to take action on the safety recommendations in this letter.... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: Avidyne
Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated flight deck and safety systems for general aviation aircraft, today introduced their new AXP340 Mode S Transponder with ADS-B Out capability to meet the mandate for the NextGen airspace initiative. The AXP340 transmits ADS-B Out information via Extended Squitter (ES) to appropriately-equipped ground stations and other ADS-B In-equipped... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: Wysong Enterprises
Wysong Enterprises, Inc., (Wysong) announced today that they delivered the second of four Bell 407 EMS Helicopters to Med-Trans Corporation. The completion work included a custom paint scheme, complete avionics system, airframe kits, and numerous safety systems as well as a complete emergency medical interior. “We have completed numerous aircraft for Med-Trans Corporation and the... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: Sikorsky
Sikorsky have been assigned patent #7,984,146 – developed by James N. Rozak, Cheshire,CT and James P. Cycon, Media,PA. The topic is listed as “aircraft health and usage monitoring system with comparative fleet statistics.” The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) utilizes... Read more
21-Jul-2011Source: Data Link Solutions
Data Link Solutions (DLS), a joint venture of Rockwell Collins and BAE Systems, was recently awarded a direct commercial contract from NATO Air Command and Control System Management Agency (NACMA) to provide Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low-Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT) for Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania. The MIDS-LVT terminals are scheduled for delivery in early 2012. “This contract broadens... Read more
