Rotorcraft

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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Dallas Cowboys Score with New Airbus H145 Helicopter

Team owner Jerry Jones's new medium twin helo is painted in team livery, including the Cowboys’ signature blue star on the top of the vertical stabilizer.

Rotorcraft

September 12, 2016

Lord Corporation Provides New Anti-Vibration System for CH-47s

The improved systems offers significant weight saving as well as a smoother ride

Rotorcraft

September 8, 2016

Safran Delivers First U.S.-built Arrius 2R to Bell

The 2R was certified in December 2015 and is slated to power the Bell 505 JetRanger X light single.

Engines

September 8, 2016

Safety Alert Addresses Bell 206/407 Transmission

There have been two accidents involving Bell 206s where a malfunction of the main transmission freewheel system led to a failure of the main rotor mast.

Maintenance and Modifications

September 6, 2016

U.S. Helicopter Accident Rate Improves

Overall, accident rate for civil helicopters declined in the U.S. for the first six months of 2016, to 3.28 per 100,000 flight hours

Accidents

September 2, 2016

Final MD 530Fs of Follow-On Contract Arrive in Afghanistan

MD Helicopters over the last two years has produced 24 armed MD 530F helicopters for the Afghan Air Force, in addition to earlier trainers.

Rotorcraft

August 30, 2016

New Orders Show Latin American Rotorcraft Market Still Alive, Says Bell

This week at LABACE, Bell Helicopter is displaying a VIP-configured 429, a 407GXP and a mockup of the new 505.

Rotorcraft

August 29, 2016

First H175 Delivered in the Americas

H175 will be used by Mexico's Transportes Aéreos Pegaso for oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico

Rotorcraft

August 29, 2016

Moody's Downgrades Credit Rating for Helo Operator Erickson

Credit rating agency Moody's downgraded Erickson's $355 million bond debt two full notches to Caa3, assigning it a very high credit risk.

Rotorcraft

August 29, 2016

FAA Warms To Easier SE-IFR Helo Certification

Industry views this as key to increasing the number of IFR operations and improving safety.

Regulations and Government

August 25, 2016

U.S. Interior Department Awards Contract for Quadcopters

The cabinet-level department will make the small rotary-wing drones available for use by its constituent agencies.

Rotorcraft

August 24, 2016

HEMS at Odds with Insurers, Medicare

In many cases air medical providers are compensated significantly below the cost of providing the service, say operators.

Rotorcraft

August 23, 2016

Argentina’s Cicare Prepares for Certified Helos

The small, family-owned company has its sights set on several development projects.

Rotorcraft

August 17, 2016

New Challenges for Erickson

Long-term financing plan needed.

Rotorcraft

August 17, 2016

Bristow Helicopters Crews Aid Louisiana Flood Rescues

Bristow crews retrieved people from flooded homes, small boats, levees and high ground surrounded by floodwaters.

Rotorcraft

August 17, 2016

AW609 Tiltrotor Flight Testing Resumes

The AW609 flight-test program had been voluntarily halted following the fatal October 2015 crash of AC2 in Italy.

Rotorcraft

August 11, 2016