Latest from Mark Huber
Rotorcraft
Robinson Delivers 1,000th R66 Turbine Helicopter
The R66 fleet surpassed 1.2 million flight hours as Robinson delivered the 1,000th example.
Rotorcraft
Bell Opens New Manufacturing Tech Center in Texas
Bell's manufacturing technology center is a roadmap to future factories.
Rotorcraft
Bell Opens Wichita Facility
Bell's new Wichita facility was previously occupied by sister company Textron Aviation.
Rotorcraft
Leonardo Breaks Ground on Temp Facility in Florida
Leonardo broke ground this week on its U.S. Navy TH-73A temporary support facility at the Peter Prince Airport in Milton, FL.
Rotorcraft
Air Ambulances Successfully Navigating Covid Skies
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the air ambulance industry is holding its own—for now.
Rotorcraft
USAIG Safety Bucks Fully Cover Airbus Helo IIMC Course
Aircraft insurer USAIG customers can now use their $2,500 Safety Bucks To Cover Airbus Helicopters' IIMC Course.
Rotorcraft
One in Five S-92 Helicopters Parked
Some 39 Sikorsky S-92s, comprising 19 percent of the global market, remain parked during the downturn.
Rotorcraft
Bell Embraces Virtual Reality to Design Helicopters
Bell is using augmented and virtual reality, computer gaming technology, to develop new aircraft.
Finance, Taxes, Insurance
GECAS Slashes Milestone's Value by $729M
GECAS has written down the value of its Milestone Aviation helicopter leasing unit by $729 million.
Rotorcraft
Pandemic Pounds New Helicopter Deliveries
While deliveries of new civil helicopters collapsed, OEMs were buoyed by their military business.
Avionics
Astronautics RoadRunner EFI Approved for Medium Bells
STC validations from EASA, Transport Canada, and Mexico’s AFAC are expected shortly.
Charter & Fractional
Guimbal Cabri Helicopters Remotely Serviced by Precision
Precision Support Services has competed multiple remote inspections of Guimbal Cabri helicopters.
Finance, Taxes, Insurance
HeliValue$: 'The Worst Helicopter Market in 40 Years'
Used helicopter values sink under the pressures of pandemic, cheap oil, and scarce credit.
Rotorcraft
NASA Chief: Uncrewed Aircraft 'Safer'
The agency's administrator touts advanced UAM technologies.
Aircraft
Blackhawk's King Air 350 XR Upgrade Kit Gets FAA Nod
Blackhawk Aerospace has received FAA STC approval for its XR Upgrade Kit for the King Air 350-series twin turboprop.
Avionics
Daher Certifies HomeSafe Autoland in TBM 940
Daher has received both FAA and EASA approval of its HomeSafe emergency autoland system on its TBM 940.
Maintenance and Modifications
Wysong Enterprises Keeps First Responders Airborne
The helicopter MRO has worked on more than 20 aircraft during the Covid-19 pandemic in the last 12 weeks.
Maintenance and Modifications
Ruag Opens New Paint Shop in Oberpfaffenhofen
RUAG Oberpfaffenhofen’s new paint and drying shop is now operational.
Airports
SkyBridge Plans Bizjet MRO Complex at Miami Opa-Locka
The proposed 500,000 square-foot facility at Opa Locka will include hangars, offices, a hotel, and support buildings.
Regulations and Government
EASA Grafts Cybersecurity Onto Certification Standards
New EASA cybersecurity standards include helicopters.
Avionics
Leonardo AW139 Gets Honeywell Primus Epic Upgrade
The new Honeywell Primus Epic Phase 8 software will be available in the Leonardo AW139 intermediate twin.
Rotorcraft
NHV's Airbus H175 Fleet Tops 40,000 Hours
NHV’s fleet accounts for more than 60 percent of the Airbus Helicopters H175’s 66,000 flight hours to date.
Maintenance and Modifications
Bell Buys Chinese MRO Zhenjiang Aerochine Aviation
Bell is acquiring Zhenjiang Aerochine Aviation Limited to increase its MRO capacity in China.
ATC
FAA's New Urban Air Mobility ConOps Raises Questions
Morphing existing helicopter VFR corridors into dedicated urban air mobility routes is among the challenges identified by critics of ConOps 1.0.
Rotorcraft
Airbus Helicopters Marks 60 Years in Japan
Airbus Helicopters marks 60 years in Japan with new maintenance facility, orders.
Accidents
Helo Accidents Fall During Pandemic
Reduced helicopter flight activity translated into fewer accidents during the first six months of 2020
Accidents
NTSB: Los Angeles Newscopter Hit Drone
A-Star sustained minor damage after "an inflight collision with a hard object of polycarbonate construction."
Aircraft
Leonardo Lands First Commercial IFR AW119Kx Order
Leonardo announced the first commercial and EMS order for its IFR-certified AW119Kx single-engine helicopter.
Rotorcraft
Helicopter Laserer Gets Federal Prison
A California man who lasered a sheriff’s helicopter in 2017 has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.
Rotorcraft
Congressmen Continue Push for Safer Helo Fuel Tanks
Two Colorado congressman are continuing push for mandatory crash resistant fuel systems (CRFS) in all helicopter air ambulances.
