Latest from Mark Huber
Rotorcraft
Eurocopter Teams with Mercedes for EC145 interior
Eurocopter last month unveiled the EC145 Mercedes- Benz Style, a version of the light twin helicopter that features aesthetic and practical innovations.
Rotorcraft
Rega’s Helo Missions Steady in 2009
Swiss rescue organization Rega’s 13 helicopters flew a steady (+0.2 percent) number of missions last year, the tally being 10,443.
Accidents
Newscopter and 737 in Near-collision
The NTSB is investigating the April 28 incident at Houston Hobby in which a Bell 407 operated by Helicopters, Inc.
Rotorcraft
AgustaWestland Will Bid on New Marine One
A spokesman for AgustaWestland (AW) told AIN that the company is still in the hunt for the U.S.
Safety
Second Near-midair in Two Weeks
The NTSB is investigating the second airport environment near-midair collision involving general aviation aircraft and Southwest Airlines 737s in as many w
Rotorcraft
Robinson: R66 dealers must be Part 145 OK’d
Robinson Helicopter is expected to announce factory-authorized dealers for the new turbine R66 this month.
Rotorcraft
Chinese helo makers build alliances with Western OEMs
China is expected to modify its low-altitude airspace restrictions over the next few years, a move that could trigger demand for more than 1,000 new
Avionics
Glass cockpit coming for MD500 series
MD Helicopters is expected to begin offering a glass cockpit for new MD500 series beginning next month.
Maintenance and Modifications
Phoenix Heliparts serves market for MD500 support
A self-described “brotherhood” of three small but interrelated companies has moved in to shore up maintenance, modification, support, overhaul and parts av
Charter & Fractional
Embraer addresses Phenom 300 ‘glitches’
Early operators of Embraer’s $8.14 million Phenom 300 light jet are praising the aircraft’s speed, fuel efficiency, range and short landing distances, but
Rotorcraft
Lockheed Switches Teams on New Marine One Proposal
Lockheed Martin announced yesterday that it is partnering with Sikorsky to promote the latter’s H-92 medium-lift helicopter for the new VXX presidential tr
Forest Service Reviewing Night Ban
In the wake of a stinging critique issued by the Los Angeles County Fire Department after last year’s Station Fire, the U.S.
Safety
Helicopter EMS improves stroke survival odds
Prompt access to air ambulances can significantly improve the survival odds of stroke patients, according to a recently released University of Pennsylvania
Rotorcraft
Unmanned Kaman K-Max makes autonomous flight
Kaman and Lockheed Martin (Team K-Max) have demonstrated the ability of an unmanned Kaman K-Max to fly troop cargo re-supply missions autonomously and remo
Rotorcraft
China Flies New Heavy-lift Helicopter
Last week China flew a new home-grown heavy-lift helicopter for the first time.
Groups Urge Calm in Wake of Austin Crash
It remains to be seen exactly what impact Thursday’s intentional crash of a single-engine Piper Dakota into an Austin, Texas IRS building will have on any
AW retools tail boom for retrofit on 139
In the wake of a tail-boom failure on a Gulf Airways AW139 in August last year, AgustaWestland (Booth No.
Eurocopter unveils EC175 SAR mockup
Eurocopter (Booth No.
Kaman develops blade coating
Kaman Helicopters (Booth No.
Iran counterfeiting Bell’s helicopters
Iran appears determined to not only maintain its enormous fleet of hundreds of Bell helicopters in the wake of the ongoing U.S.
Aftermath of S-61 crash in legal dispute
In a strongly worded statement issued here yesterday, two senior executives from Columbia Helicopters (Booth No.
Scott’s acquires TC, supports Bell 47
Scott’s Helicopter Services of Le Sueur, Minn., has acquired the type certificate and assumed all aspects of commercial spares support, technical support a
Used helicopter prices at bottom, meaning now is time to buy
HeliValues (Booth No.
Maintenance and Modifications
Manufacturer promises new booms for AW139
In the wake of the highly publicized tail-boom failure on a Gulf Airways AW139 last August 25, AgustaWestland has been quietly assuring customers with AW13
Rotorcraft
Bell shuffles executive staff, chases new orders for 429
Bell Helicopter has announced senior staff changes and the integration of its XworX research and development center into its engineering department, at a t
Rotorcraft
Erickson Goes for the Gold–in Snow
Erickson Air Crane was called in to drop snow on the Vancouver winter games after a week of rain and unusually warm weather melted the white stuff at some
Regulations and Government
CHC named finalist for $10B UK SAR contract
The British Government has selected a consortium that includes CHC as the preferred bidder for a 25-year, search-and-rescue helicopter (SAR-H) contract tha
