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.

Contributor

Mark Huber

Leonardo Helicopters&nbsp;senior executives expect the new 4.8 ton maximum gross weight AW169 medium twin to sell as well as its extremely popular AW139 sibling. “I personally expect it to be as prolific as the AW139,” said Robert Brant, vice president, Americas commercial business for Leonardo Helicopters. That's a high bar, considering that the larger AW139 has sold more than 900 copies, but Brant said Leonardo is “very optimistic” for the aircraft this year now that it has gleaned FAA certification. Brant points to the AW169's competitive price point, relatively smaller exterior footprint and larger amount of cabin space compared to other aircraft in its class as reasons he thinks the AW169 will sell well. An AW169 outfitted with executive interior will be on display here at Heli-Expo and after the show will embark on a demonstration tour.

 


Through the beginning of this year, Leonardo (Booth C3225) had orders for more than 160 AW169s and had delivered 50. The first VIP models are slated to reach U.S. customers later this spring. The worldwide fleet has accumulated more than 10,000 flight hours to date. Approximately 40 percent of all AW169s ordered have been sold with VIP interiors. Brant estimated that an AW169 typically equipped with such an interior would retail in the $10 million range; however, he said that Leonardo has yet to release 2018 pricing.

 


Leonardo offers customers a variety of VIP interior stylings: Diamond, which features five passengers on reclining seats with options for up to seven seats; Pearl, with six passengers on four reclining seats and two fixed, with options up to seven seats; Gold, with six passengers on two reclining seats and four fixed, with options up to seven seats; and Silver with eight passengers on fixed seats. The interior options catalog runs more than 80 pages and choices include sliding or hinged doors cabin separation walls, selection of luxury finishes/veneers/liners, armrest cabinets, central cabinets, reading lights, and USB ports. A cabin Wi-Fi system is under development as is a full icing protection system (FIPS) and an external 300-gallon Simplex fire-suppression tank as part of a three-ship EMS/multi-mission order from Travis County (Texas) STAR Flight.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 


The AW169 features a pair of 1,000-shp Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada PW210A engines and Rockwell Collins glass-panel touchscreen avionics with four-axis digital automatic flight control system and dual flight management systems. AW169s are also equipped with a variable-speed main rotor, which improves efficiency and reduces external noise, and the helicopter is the first in its category entering the market with electrically actuated retractable landing gear. Top cruising speed is 155 knots and maximum range is 505 nm. The 222-cu-ft cabin can accommodate seven to 10 passengers.

 


The aircraft received initial FAA certification approval in February 2017 and recently was approved for a gross weight increase to 4.8 tons, giving it a mission payload increase of 440 pounds or a range increase of 80 nm.

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

Leonardo Bullish on AW169 Sales

AW169 Offer more options, capabilities.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Neelam Mathews

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.

Single-engined rotorcraft will compete with Hindustan Aeronautics’ Light Utility Helicopter

Tata and Airbus Set To Build H125 Helicopters in India

Charles Alcock

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

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

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.

Evacuation of Ukrainian troops from Mariupol inspired efforts to "reinvent helicopters"

Lithuanian Start-up Takes New Approach to Emergency Air Mobility

Matt Thurber

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

System would encourage operators to add equipment to prevent accidents

VAST Effort Explores Helicopter Safety Rating System

Aero Asset’s annual report noted a four-year peak in supply in Q4 2024

Single-engine Helicopter Market Stable, Supply Climbs

Helicopter sales for 2024 climbed 10% over 2023, including 58 Super Pumas

Airbus Helicopter Deliveries, Orders Climb During 2024

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

Purchase marks company’s first investment in utility helicopter segment

Fundamental Advisors Acquires Utility Operator HeloAir

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Works includes new avionics, fresh paint, ultra-leather seats, and pop-out floats

Meridian Delivers 29th Refurbished Bell 206 to FlyNYON

Jessica Reed

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

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.

HAI Heli-Expo 2018

More In Rotorcraft