Robinson Helicopter’s new R44 Cadet trainer received FAA certification on Friday. The Cadet has the same airframe, rotor system and Lycoming O-540-F1B5 as the R44 Raven I, but the Cadet’s rear seats are removed, maximum takeoff weight is lowered to 2,200 pounds and the engine is derated to 210 hp for takeoff and 185 hp continuous. Robinson beg...
The University of New Mexico Hospital has launched a new helicopter initiative as part of its Lifeguard Emergency Services division. The initiative that starts on 10 May will involve its newest emergency medical transport aircraft a specially equipped Agusta 119Kx Koala helicopter. The helicopter is owned by SevenBar Aviation and is equipped with medivac and crisis equipment including blood res...
Airbus Helicopters maintains it is addressing a number of persistent criticisms levelled at the Tiger attack rotorcraft by its Australian customer, despite the likely early retirement of the platform from the nation’s inventory. In fact, so confident is the manufacturer in the improvements it is bringing to bear on the Tiger, it believes the platform can be offered as a replacement for th...
After a six month hiatus, ground tests have resumed on the third prototype (A/C3) of the AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotor. The aircraft recently underwent restrained ground testing with all engines and systems online after testing was suspended following a fatal air crash on October 30, 2015, which cost the lives of two test pilots. According to Leonardo-Finmeccanica, the recent ground tests invo...
Bristow Caribbean has signed a contract with BHP Billiton in Trinidad and Tobago to operate a Sikorsky S-92 aircraft for the oil and gas industry in the region. The operations have started this week. This is the first time an S-92 is being operated in the Trinidad and Tobago oil and gas market and the first time that Bristow is using an S-92 in the country. A spokeswoman for Bristow Group sa...
Norway’s SHT air accident investigation board is to resume its search for missing components from the Airbus Helicopters H225 which crashed near Bergen on 29 April. In a statement, SHT says the main focus of its search will be “for parts connected to the main gearbox”, and that this will “continue as long as required”. Preliminary information contained in an eme...
This year has seen Starspeed operate in its 60thcountry: Something that 40 years ago would have seemed impossible. When Starspeed started in the VIP helicopter management and charter business in 1978, the privately owned aircraft were mainly small, single-engined helicopters. They were used only in good weather, within a locally defined area of operations, for short hops as an alternative...
Offshore helicopter operator CHC Group has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to allow it time to restructure its financial assets. The company said it expects day-to-day operations to continue without interruption during a court-supervised process. The company filed “voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankrupt...
Triumph Group subsidiary Triumph Gear Systems has received the 2015 Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training Supplier of the Year from helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky. Thomas Holzthum, executive vice-president for integrated systems, said: “We are very pleased to receive this distinguished award, which is a testament to the manufacturing expertise, valued-added solutions and exceptio...
Bell Helicopter has joined the fuselage to the tilting wings and fixed nacelles of the V-280 Valor more than a year in advanced of a scheduled fly-off for the US Army. “This is a major milestone,” says Lisa Atherton, Bell’s executive vice-president for military business development. For the next year, Bell’s development will concentrate on the fly-by-wire flight contr...
Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced that the third prototype (A/C3) of the AgustaWestland AW609 TiltRotor has completed its first ground run at the company's facilities in Cascina Costa, Italy, marking a critical milestone as the programme advances its testing and plans a resumption of flight testing activities. Aircraft AW609 A/C3 began restrained ground run testing with all engines and system...
European regulators have mandated a number of “precautionary” checks covering the main gearbox of the Airbus Helicopters H225 rotorcraft in the wake of the 29 April fatal crash in Norway. The European Aviation Safety Agency says that although the investigation into the root cause of the accident – in which 13 passengers and crew lost their lives – remains ongoi...
