Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

The pilot of a Papillon Airways air-tour Airbus AS350B3 was killed May 18 at a helistop at the bottom of the Grand Canyon after exiting the helicopter for a fluid check while leaving the engine running and the blades turning, according to an <a href="http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20140518X03315&amp;key=1">NTSB preliminary report</a> issued on Tuesday. Witnesses said the empty helicopter then became airborne, hit the ground and rolled over. Its rotor blades struck and killed the pilot.


The accident occurred at the Ramada landing site at the bottom of the Grand Canyon near Grand Canyon West Airport (1G4) in Peach Springs, Ariz., near the west shore of the Colorado River. The helicopter was on a Part 91 repositioning flight.


The accident helicopter was equipped with an Appareo Vision 1000 cockpit imaging and flight data monitoring device. It was undamaged and shipped to the NTSB in Washington, D.C., for data extraction. The pilot held commercial and CFI ratings. The helicopter was examined on site by the investigation team, which found no abnormalities with the helicopter airframe or engine systems.

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

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News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Hoper operates a fleet of five Robinson R66 and R44 rotorcraft

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Light rotorcraft are helpful for moving officials around

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Manufacturers are looking at all sorts of technologies while serving existing markets

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News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

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