Latest Helicopters News (page 1)

Helicopters are the most versatile flying machines in existence today! These aircraft which are lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers), are classified as rotary-wing aircraft. This section of your international aviation news magazine presents news from designers and builders of the world's most advanced helicopters for commercial, industrial and military use.

10/05/08: Motorbike World Champion Mick Doohan Takes Delivery of a Grand Helicopter

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that Motorbike World Champion Mick Doohan has taken delivery of a Grand light twin turbine engine helicopter during an official handover ceremony held at AgustaWestland’s Vergiate plant in Italy today. Mick Doohan is one of the most famous Australian sportsmen having been crowned MotoGP world champion five times and winning 54 Grand Prix races between 1989 and 1999. He also has set a number of motorcycling world records and has been awarded numerous honours in recognition of his outstanding motorcycle racing career.

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06/05/08: Enstrom Delivers Cutting Edge Helicopter

Menominee, MI, April 30, 2008 – Enstrom Helicopter Corporation is excited to announce delivery of a brand new 480B to Mr. Fredric R. (Rick) Boswell, of New Hampshire. The stunning blue and yellow turbine powered helicopter is equipped with the most advanced avionics suite ever put into an Enstrom. For starters, this aircraft will be only the second OEM helicopter delivered with a Chelton Flight Systems’ 3D Synthetic Vision EFIS 6.0B glass cockpit. Additionally, the aircraft has a full Garmin avionics package, including a GMX 200 MFD with traffic and ChartView, WxWorx satellite weather and radio via a GDL 69A, a GTX 330 mode S transponder, a SL 40 backup Com, and a SL 30 Nav/Com to drive the EFIS. The latest offering from PS Engineering, a PMA 8000B audio panel ties it all together.

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05/05/08: Boeing Team Receives Howard Hughes Award for Network-Centric Rotorcraft Demonstrations

ST. LOUIS, May 05, 2008 — A team comprised of The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], the U.S. Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, AMRDEC Aviation Systems Integration Facility, Harris Corp. and Rockwell Collins received the American Helicopter Society’s (AHS) 2008 Howard Hughes Award during the AHS International Annual Forum in Montreal on April 30. The Network Centric Operations (NCO) Technology Development Team won the award for successfully demonstrating how the integration of network-enabling capabilities on rotorcraft platforms leads to improved battlefield situational awareness and mission effectiveness.

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01/05/08: AgustaWestland Opens New Regional Business Headquarters In Turkey

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce the opening of its new regional business headquarters in Turkey. The opening ceremony has also been attended by SSM Undersecretary Murad Bayar, AgustaWestland Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Orsi, Italian Ambassador Carlo Marsili, British Ambassador Nick Baird. Giuseppe Orsi, CEO, AgustaWestland commented “It is a great privilege to celebrate the opening of our new business headquarters in Ankara. AgustaWestland has progressively increased its presence and share on the Turkish helicopter market in recent years and this latest step will enable us to even better support our expanding and already relevant presence in Turkey where we see significant future business opportunities. We are happy and proud to be part of the present and future of the Turkish industrial base through our products, technology and relationships”.

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01/05/08: Kaan Havacilik Takes Delivery Of Its First Two AW109 Powers

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that Kaan Havacilik of Turkey has taken delivery of its first two AW109 Power light twin turbine engine helicopters. The aircraft handover has been performed during an official ceremony held at AgustaWestland Vergiate plant today. These two helicopters are provided with a 6 seat and an exclusive 5 seat Elite VIP/corporate transport configuration respectively. The 6 seat-configured helicopter will be operated by leading Turkish company Halikarnas. AgustaWestland has experienced a significant growth in the Turkish commercial helicopter market in recent years and has a longstanding presence in the country through both its products and commercial as well as industrial relationships with Turkish companies. Several AgustaWestland commercial helicopters of different types have been ordered in Turkey by various customers so far. Major results in the commercial helicopter market have been achieved for VIP/corporate transport and EMS applications.

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30/04/08: SkyTrac to Provide Satellite Communication (SatCom) and Flight Following to Sloan Helicopters

Kelowna, BC, Canada, April 29, 2008 – SkyTrac is pleased to announce it has been selected to provide satellite communication (SatCom) and flight following systems to Sloan Helicopters, a provider of helicopter charter services for the oil and gas and forest management. Based in Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta, Sloan Helicopters will install SkyTrac on its fleet of Eurocopter EC120B and Robinson RH44 Raven II aircraft to enhance operational safety while operating in remote locations. “Our need for satellite-based communication and flight following is driven by safety,” said Kim Rossi, Operations Manager and Chief Pilot at Sloan Helicopters. “Serving the oil and gas and forestry sectors, we operate in remote locations where communication is difficult and emergency services are not close at hand. With SkyTrac’s system, we are always in contact with our helicopters and crew and are aware of their locations.”

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30/04/08: Boeing and Australian College of Kuwait Complete Vocational Training Project

KUWAIT CITY, April 30, 2008 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the Australian College of Kuwait have completed a joint vocational training project, satisfying an offset requirement of Kuwait’s purchase of 16 AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters in 2002. The National Offset Company (NOC) and the Kuwait Ministry of Finance announced the milestone Tuesday in Kuwait. “The Australian College of Kuwait Board of Trustees is delighted to see the project with Boeing completed on time and within budget,” said Chairman Abdullah Al Sharhan. “The specialized aviation and avionics equipment, and the transfer of aerospace technology, will ensure that students at the college are exposed to practical, hands-on vocational training of world-class standards. Our students are benefiting enormously from this significant development and will continue to benefit for many years to come.” Through the offset commitment, Boeing provided technical management and aerospace expertise, including the provisioning, installation and commissioning of specialized aviation and engineering equipment, training, and advanced technology transfer to the school.

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28/04/08: Japan Coast Guard’s first two Eurocopter EC225 helicopters in operation The EC225 is the new reference for offshore SAR missions

Following the delivery of their first two EC225s in Search and Rescue (SAR) configuration a month ago, these helicopters will be launched into operation by the Japan Coast Guard today at the Kansai International Airport. They will perform public service and coastal surveillance missions as well as patrol Japan’s territorial waters. Since 1989, the Japan Coast Guard has been using four AS332L1 Super Pumas to carry out these missions. In 2007, one of these Super Pumas rescued 44 people from a cargo ship in distress, under extremely difficult weather conditions.

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25/04/08: Enstrom Delivers 3 Helicopters to Mexico

Menominee, MI, April 14, 2008 – Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has just delivered three brand new 480B turbine helicopters to Mexico. Enstrom’s newest international dealer, Aerolineas Ejecutivas S.A. de C.V (ALE), took delivery of the first aircraft for use in commercial operations and as a demonstrator. The other two aircraft went to ALE’s first Enstrom customer, the State of Guerrero. In Guerrero, the state of the art, turbine powered aircraft will be used for law enforcement purposes. Both helicopters are equipped with Sprectrolab SX-16 searchlights, NAT public address systems, Garmin GNS 530 GPS/COM’s, and Bose headsets. “The Enstrom line has been a good option for us to offer,” comments Jorge Garagarza of ALE. “Many of our customers are looking to get into helicopters for the first time, or are looking for a lower cost helicopter. Enstrom fits the market perfectly. We see a lot of potential here.” Indeed, ALE has already sold a fourth 480B for an aerial filming application, and a number of new opportunities are on the table.

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23/04/08: AgustaWestland And Alitalica S.r.l. Sign Agreement To Establish The First Helicopter Hub In Italy At Rome’s Urbe Airport

AgustaWestland and Alitalica of Italy are pleased to announce the signing of a collaboration agreement to establish the first helicopter hub in Italy at Rome’s Urbe Airport, according to their respective competencies. Through this agreement AgustaWestland will set up a helicopter maintenance centre for its helicopters while Alitalica will offer passenger hospitality services, passenger transport provision and corporate helicopter management services. The helicopter hub is expected to achieve operational readiness in 2009. Representatives from AgustaWestland and Alitalica together with aviation sector dignitaries attended the signing ceremony held at ‘Circolo Canottieri Aniene’ in Rome last week.

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21/04/08: New membership service: HAI Conference Room is Now Available to HAI Members

Alexandria, VA. April 21, 2008 — Are you planning a meeting in the Washington, D.C. area? Are you having trouble finding a place to convene? Helicopter Association International (HAI) is now extending the use of its headquarters conference room free of charge for HAI Members — on a first-come, first-serve basis. HAI, located at 1635 Prince Street in Alexandria, Virginia is directly off the King Street Metro stop — two stops from the Ronald Reagan National Airport — making location easily accessible for visiting members and their guests. HAI’s conference room can hold between 20-25 people comfortably and boasts a 100-inch screen with a ceiling-mounted projector. Seventeen chairs surround the large oak table, with power access available at each seat. Additional chairs are located along the wall. The room is WiFi enabled and has a conference phone — making conducting business easy and efficient.

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17/04/08: Aero Vodochody finalizes 200th Sikorsky S-76C Helicopter

AERO Vodochody a.s. finalizes already the 200. S-76C helicopter for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (SAC). “The S-76C production is the largest program of AERO Vodochody in the field of aerostructures, which represent a key part of the current strategy of our company. The aim of AERO is to reach orders with high value added on the position of a first-tier supplier,” said Peter Ondro, President of AERO. “AERO launched production for SAC in the year 2000. The first 100 helicopters were produced in five years (100th unit was expedited in March 2006), the second hundred in two. The pace of the S-76C helicopter production rises every year,” said Monika Vajnerova, Vice-president for Aerostructures in AERO. “This year, we will deliver again more than 50 units,” she added.

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15/04/08: Atlantic Airways Takes Delivery Of An AW139

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that Atlantic Airways Ltd of the Faroe Islands has taken delivery of an AW139 medium twin turbine engine helicopter during an official ceremony held at AgustaWestland’s Vergiate plant yesterday. The helicopter is configured for 12 or 15 seat layouts for both public passenger transport and offshore passenger transport operations. The delivery to Atlantic Airways continues the rapidly growing AW139 customer base in Europe with aircraft now in operation in Ireland, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Estonia, Finland and Turkey.

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15/04/08: Keystone Helicopter Corp. Wins Approval to Grant Certifications on Behalf of the FAA

COATSVILLE, Pa., April 15, 2008 – Keystone Helicopter Corp., a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., announced today it has won approval to act on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in certifying modifications performed on certain fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). Keystone received the Organization Designation Approval (ODA) after demonstrating to the FAA that the company has the expertise, facilities, experience, and qualified employees to issue Supplemental Type Certificates for work performed on aircraft certified under part 23, 27 & 29. The authorization will allow Keystone to better serve customers by reducing delivery times, while helping to alleviate demands on the overburdened FAA.

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12/04/08: Bell Helicopter Featured at Newseum

When the Newseum opens April 11, a Bell helicopter will be there to greet patrons. In fact, Bell Helicopter has a long history with electronic news gathering and has donated a 206B, painted in the style of the NBC 5 chopper, to the Newseum, a 250,000-square-foot museum of news located in Washington D.C. It’s the only newsgathering helicopter on display there.

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09/04/08: UTC elects Chênevert Chief Executive Officer; David to continue as Board Chairman

LONGUEUIL, Quebec, Canada, April 9, 2008 — United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) Board of Directors today elected Louis R. Chênevert the corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, succeeding George David, 66, who will continue as Chairman. Chênevert, 50, will retain the title of UTC President and continue as a director. “This transition has been a deliberate and successful process during which Louis has demonstrated his ability successfully to lead this large and complex organization. We all have the highest confidence in him,” said David. Chênevert was elected UTC’s President and Chief Operating Officer in March 2006. He joined Pratt & Whitney Canada, a UTC subsidiary, in 1993 after 14 years at General Motors and was elected Pratt & Whitney’s President in 1999.

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09/04/08: Successful participation of Eurocopter at Fidae 2008

Eurocopter demonstrated a significant presence at Fidae in Chile from March 31st to April 6th, having most of its product range being presented on static or flying display. With the signature of eight new contracts during the exhibition, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the leading helicopter manufacturer in the region. During the exhibition, Eurocopter also signed major agreements with two renowned Chilean universities. It also held the first symposium in Latin America on Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS).

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08/04/08: AgustaWestland Opens New Regional Business Headquarters In Japan

AgustaWestland, in support of its increasing business activities in Japan, is pleased to announce the opening of its new regional business headquarters in Tokyo. The opening ceremony was attended by Finmeccanica Chief Operating Officer Giorgio Zappa, AgustaWestland Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Orsi, Italian Ambassador Mario Bova and British Ambassador Sir Graham Fry. Giuseppe Orsi, CEO, AgustaWestland commented “We are proud to announce the opening of our new business headquarters in Tokyo to support our expanding and already significant presence in Japan. AgustaWestland has seen its position and share of the Japanese helicopter market steadily increased in recent years to become a major supplier of helicopters to both the commercial and government markets. The new headquarters will play an important role to further expand our business in Japan where we see significant future business opportunities.” AgustaWestland has a longstanding and successful presence in Japan. Several partnerships involving primary players including Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsui Bussan Aerospace, Marubeni, Kaigai Aviotech and Kanematsu have further reinforced AgustaWestland’s role in the country.

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08/04/08: DRS Technologies Receives $10.8 Million Contract to Develop Cargo Handling System for U.S. Marine Corps’ CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter

PARSIPPANY, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 8, 2008–DRS Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: DRS) announced today that it received a $10.8 million contract from Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), for the design, development and testing of the Internal Cargo Handling System for the CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps. The award funds the CH-53K System Development & Demonstration Phase, which includes engineering development and delivery of demonstration systems. Subsequent phases of production are expected to begin in 2012 and extend through the year 2022 with a potential program value of $116 million for a full fleet of 156 helicopters.

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08/04/08: American Eurocopter Joins RCR Family of Sponsors: Nation’s Leading Helicopter Provider to sponsor No. 29 Nationwide Series Team

WELCOME, N.C. (April 8, 2008) – American Eurocopter, a subsidiary of the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world, Eurocopter, has joined the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) family of partners as an associate sponsor of the No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. Drivers Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer return to share the driving duties of the No. 29 after combining their efforts in 2007 to earn six victories and the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner’s championship. After seven races in 2008, the team has one victory (Bristol in March), three top-five and four top-10 finishes and is second in the owner point standings, 28 points behind RCR teammate Clint Bowyer.

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07/04/08: Boeing CH-47F Chinook Helicopter Fielded by US Army’s 4th Infantry Division

ST. LOUIS, April 07, 2008 — The Boeing Company’s [NYSE: BA] CH-47F Chinook helicopter has been fielded by Bravo Company, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas. This is the second U.S. Army unit to field the CH-47F since the aircraft was certified combat-ready in July 2007. “This aircraft is light-years ahead in flight-management systems compared with our older aircraft,” said Col. Patrick Tierney, commander, Combat Aviation Brigade. “The F-model Chinook has the same systems as the latest civilian aircraft.” Lt. Col. Dave Fleckenstein, commander, 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, Huntington, W.V. — who pilots one of the new Chinooks — noted that the aircraft’s radar altitude hold “keeps the aircraft a set number of feet off the ground and negates making multiple passes to land. Also, the all-digital cockpit gives us five displays, with each capable of showing several different pages of flight plans, alternate routes and data from different sources processed by the central processing unit.”

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07/04/08: First NH90 for Finnish Army Aviation delivered

The first of 20 NH90 TTT (Tactical Troop Transport) for the Finnish Army Aviation was delivered on March 11 at Eurocopter’s Marignane facility. It will subsequently be stationed at the Utti Base of the Finnish Defence Forces. This first aircraft was assembled by Eurocopter, while the remaining 19 will be assembled by Patria in Finland. Finland is replacing its ageing fleet of Mi-8 helicopters with the NH90 TTT. It meets the requirements of the Finnish armed forces in terms of mission capability and in terms of its suitability for international operations.

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07/04/08: Eurocopter signs Distributorship Agreement with Heli Invest in Poland

Eurocopter confirms a new level of cooperation with the Warsaw-based Heli Invest Company by the signature of a Distributorship Agreement for the territory of the Republic of Poland. Eurocopter has been working with Heli Invest for the past four years. This new agreement aims at providing even better service to the company’s growing customer base in Poland.

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07/04/08: Bell Helicopter and AATD Advancing the State of Condition Based Maintenance

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (April 7, 2008) — Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), and the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) are advancing the state-of-the-art for Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) Technologies. The Bell team for this program includes risk sharing partners Honeywell International and Goodrich Corporation, in addition to a variety of internationally recognized universities, small businesses, and consultants. The purpose of this advanced technology program is to demonstrate an integrated set of diagnostic, prognostic and system health assessment technologies to support Army Operations Support and Sustainment Technology (OSST) objectives and enable transition to a CBM based philosophy.

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04/04/08: AgustaWestland AW139 To Start Search And Rescue Operations In The UK

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce the introduction of the AW139 helicopter into the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s search and rescue service. Three helicopters provided by CHC Helicopter Corporation will serve the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency under an interim contract through to 2012 operating from bases at Lee-on-the-Solent and Portland on the South coast of England. Unmatched levels of performance, capacity, safety, operational availability, serviceability, economy and state-of-the-art technology have made the AW139 the benchmark in its class. A much higher cruise speed than older generation helicopters combined with modern SAR equipment will provide the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency with a highly effective and efficient SAR capability.

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