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.

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Mark Huber

Canada’s Universal Helicopters ceased operations last week. The move comes after the almost 60-year-old company based in&nbsp;Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Canada,&nbsp;made several unsuccessful, debt-fueled acquisitions and investments in recent years and also as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Universal operated a mixed fleet of 35 mostly Airbus and Bell light singles.

 


The shutdown includes subsidiaries acquired in recent years, including&nbsp;Lakelse Helicopters Limited and Lakelse Air Limited, based in Terrace, British Columbia. Universal also took a 49 percent share in California-based South Coast helicopters in 2018. South Coast provides services to a diverse clientele including the motion picture industry and government customers, including NASA and the U.S. Forest Service. South Coast was still answering its phones on Thursday and a representative told AIN that the company was continuing normal operations “as far as I know.”

 


Universal issued a statement on Tuesday saying it had no choice but to cease operations due to “high levels of bank debt” emanating from the Lakelse acquisition in 2018, poor operating performance in 2019, and the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;"These occurrences have had a drastic negative impact on the operations of all businesses of Universal Helicopters," the company said.

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

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News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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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.

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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.

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