Thierry Dubois is a freelance writer specializing in helicopters, business aviation and aerospace technology. He earned a degree in fluid dynamics from an engineering school in Toulouse, France in the mid-1990s. At an unexpected crossroads, he found his first job in journalism. In 1997, he started working for French aerospace weekly Air &amp; Cosmos in Paris. This lasted until 2000, when he moved south to Lyons. He then became a freelancer, working for various aerospace publications and has been part of the AIN team since late 2000. In addition to writing about business aviation, Thierry shares responsibility for the rotorcraft section. He also is a regular on-site writer for AIN’s daily editions at international airshows such as the Paris, Farnborough, Dubai and Singapore shows, as well as at EBACE in Geneva.
In 2007, he won the Honeywell award for “Best systems or technology submission” at the Aerospace journalist of the year awards. In 2013, he won an Aerospace Media Award for the "Best Safety, Training &amp; Simulation Submission."
In other activities, Thierry moderates international conferences on aviation technology topics. Thierry is married and has three children, who seem to begin enjoying the mountains–as their parents do.

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Thierry Dubois

The Sikorsky S-76D medium-twin helicopter achieved FAA type certification on October 12. Deliveries are now planned to begin later this quarter, as the backlog is “approaching half a billion dollars.” The manufacturer is now working on EASA certification.


According to Ed Beyer, v-p of Sikorsky Global Helicopters, “The S-76D will offer a higher cruise speed than its predecessors, coupled with more efficient fuel burn, making the S-76 more productive than ever.” Deliveries of the initial version of the S-76 date back to 1979. Sikorsky launched the S-76D at Heli-Expo 2005, announcing “an additional set of product improvements that will lead to the introduction of the S-76D model helicopter in 2008.”


Early customers include “various corporate flight departments in the Northeastern U.S. and Canada, Asia and Europe,” a company spokesman told AIN. The first fleet customer is the Japan Coast Guard, where four S-76Ds will replace several helicopters damaged in the tsunami last year. In addition, the U.S. Export-Import Bank has authorized “more than $50 million” to guarantee a loan extended by Apple Bank to Mexican offshore operator Aeroservicios Especializados (Asesa) for a fleet of Sikorsky S-76Ds.


The manufacturer reports firm orders for its latest civil product as “in the high-20s,” and it expects to turn other agreements into contracts soon. The annual production rate is planned to reach “at least 36 aircraft” over the coming years.


Since its 2005 launch, the program has been consistently delayed. The last setback was a crack found on an engine mount, “an example of a typical discovery expected during aircraft envelope expansion,” according to a company spokesman.


The new version features major changes such as Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada PW210S turboshafts, a digital four-axis autopilot and a Thales TopDeck avionics suite. The dual-speed main rotor allows pilots to select a quiet mode. Sikorsky’s engineers are now working on an optional rotor de-icing system for all-weather capability, as well as incremental certifications such as additional autopilot and navigation functions and single-pilot IFR.

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