Latest from Mark Huber
Rotorcraft
First Leonardo Trekker Ordered for U.S. EMS Market
U.S. EMS operator Life Link III has ordered the first Leonardo AW109 Trekker light twin for the U.S. air ambulance market.
Rotorcraft
LA Sheriff Uses Helicopters To Deliver Ballots
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department began using its helicopter fleet to securely deliver ballot boxes
Rotorcraft
Airbus Helicopters Takes New Look at Urban Air Noise
Airbus research into helicopter noise is being used to evaluate potential eVTOL designs.
Avionics
Maverick Is Launch Customer for Spidertracks FDM
Maverick Helicopters will be the launch customer for Spidertracks’ Insights virtual flight data recorder technology on its Spider X.
Engines
Hill Developing Own Helicopter Engine for HX50
Hill Helicopters revealed its 400-shp Hill GT50 light turbine engine designed specifically for the new Hill HX50 single.
Rotorcraft
Trump's S-76B For Sale
N76DT, s/n 760351 is listed by Aero Asset with a price of “make offer,” but is believed to have a market value near $800,000.
Rotorcraft
Russian Helicopters Launches Indonesian Test Program
Russian Helicopters has launched an operations pilot test program for its Mi-8/171 twin in Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Regulations and Government
FAA FSDOs Move into Virtual Plane
The FAA is conducting more business virtually in Covid-19 era: 5,000 Zoom meetings a day.
Regulations and Government
FAA Developing Broader SMS Mandate for Part 135 and 145
FAA hopes to have a proposed rule mandating broader safety management systems (SMS) ready by 2022.
Rotorcraft
Vanderbilt LifeFlight Is Air Medical Program of Year
Tennessee’s Vanderbilt LifeFlight has been named the air medical program of the year by the Association of Air Medical Services.
Rotorcraft
Air Methods Settles California Overtime Claims for $78M
Air Methods settled a seven-year class action suit brought by its California flight crews.
Rotorcraft
Bell Delivers Three 407GXis To Polish National Police
The delivery marks the fifth Bell sent to Poland this year.
Accidents
Inquiry Clears Crew in Fatal 2013 Super Puma Crash
Accident triggered by "perfect storm of circumstances."
Rotorcraft
Leonardo Affirms Support for Convicted CEO
Leonardo said it would stand behind CEO Alessandro Profumo while he appeals fraud conviction.
Rotorcraft
AW139 Enlisted To Support Giant Red Sea Project
The Helicopter Company will provide a Leonardo AW139 helicopter and crew to support construction of the Kingdom's massive Red Sea project.
Maintenance and Modifications
Airbus Helicopters Signs Air Methods to HCare Support
Air ambulance provider Air Methods has signed a $24 million, five-year HCare Smart support contract with Airbus Helicopters, Inc.
Rotorcraft
Miami-Dade Fire Gets First Leonardo AW139
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) has taken delivery of the first of four AW139s ordered last year.
Airports
London Heli Shuttle Driving Traffic at Biggin Hill
London Biggin Hill Airport is seeing more traffic during the Covid-19 pandemic with the help of the London Heli Shuttle.
Finance, Taxes, Insurance
More Insurance Pain Forecast for Rotor Industry
Helicopter insurance premiums are rising in a "hard market" that could last another two years.
Rotorcraft
Bristow's UK SAR Contract Extended
Bristow’s contract to provide search and rescue (SAR) services in the UK has been extended through 2026.
Rotorcraft
Russia Developing Fast Hybrid Helicopter with AI
The Russian concept helicopter driven by a hybrid power plant and artificial intelligence.
Rotorcraft
Aero Asset: Medium Helo Inventory Explodes
Nearly $1 billion worth of used rotorcraft remain on the market with a large increase in the inventory of medium twins.
ATC
Leonardo, ENAV Pair on Helicopter PBN
Leonardo and ENAV partner on developing more PBN options for helicopter operations.
Rotorcraft
Milestone Commits To Six Airbus H160s
Helicopter lessor Milestone Aviation is adding six Airbus H160 medium twin helicopters to its order book.
Rotorcraft
Bell 407GXi Gives Aeromed Operator SE/SPIFR Capability
Halo-Flight has begun operating a Bell 407GXi single engine, single pilot IFR (SPIFR).
Rotorcraft
Airbus Delivers H145D3 to Norwegian Air Ambulance
Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first five-blade H145 D3 to the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation.
Rotorcraft
Leonardo's Marco Viola Takes Over Leadership of Kopter
Kopter CEO Andreas Lowenstein has left the light helicopter manufacturer that Leonardo acquired in early 2020.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
UAS Groups Prod DOT on Remote ID Rule
DOT and FAA urged not to delay rulemaking covering remote identification requirements (ID) for unmanned aerial systems.
Rotorcraft
Omni Introduces Airbus H175 To Brazil
Omni Taxi Aereo will be the first operator for the Airbus H175 super-medium helicopter in Brazil.
Rotorcraft
Bell 505 Fleet Hits 50,000 Flight Hours
The fleet of more than 260 in-service Bell 505 Jet Ranger X light single turbine helicopters has accumulated more than 50,000 flight hours.
