Russian Helicopters has yet to make a final decision on whether to revive production of the Mil Mi-14 amphibious rotorcraft. In July 2015 the company raised the prospect of restarting the programme, which has been dormant since the mid-1980s, but Alexander Shcherbinin, deputy chief executive of business development at the manufacturer, says the project is “still under consideration”...
Following the recent introduction of a robust regulatory framework concerning helideck and helipads by the GCAA (General Civil Aviation Authority) in the United Arab Emirates, a new locally based company Oryx Aviation Consulting (OAC) has been founded in order to assist major Oil and Gas, Government and Private clients achieve the approval or certification of their helicopter landing facilities, a...
Abu Dhabi based Falcon Aviation is to fly the latest generation AW169 following the delivery of two AW189s in July 2015, reports European Business Air News. "We have established our position as a market leader in executive aviation services and offshore oil support in the Middle East," said COO Raman Oberoi. "I believe that we are setting the benchmark for the industry in terms o...
France has ordered six additional NHIndustries NH90 troop transport helicopters for its army, increasing the service’s eventual inventory to 74. Deliveries of the 11t-class rotorcraft are due to take place between 2017 and 2019. “The French armed forces have deployed the NH90 operationally in Mali where its outstanding endurance, versatility and manoeuvrability have been greatly...
Operators of Bell 429 helicopters have been instructed to conduct urgent inspections of a tail rotor component after an investigation revealed a potentially dangerous manufacturing defect. In an emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) effective from 19 January, certification agency Transport Canada warns that corrosion on the part could lead to its failure and subsequent loss of control of the...
Finmeccanica Helicopters (formerly AgustaWestland) is studying ways to enhance main gearbox performance in case of loss of lubrication. At the EASA rotorcraft symposium in December, Marco Tamborini, one of the company's experts in transmission system design and development, gave details on Finmeccanica's strategy in gearbox durability. Unless the possibility of such a failure is extreme...
Two families whose Air Canada flight declared an emergency on the way to Arizona say they are frustrated in trying to deal with the airline afterwards. Lisa Zayac and her husband thought they were going to die, and said good-bye through oxygen masks. George Papp wondered whether the Airbus 319 would break up. And while the aircraft landed smoothly and safely in Albuquerque in the D...
He allegedly pointed a green laser at least four times -- three cases from outside, plus once through an apartment window -- at a TV news helicopter racing to the scene of a New Jersey fire. And because of that, Stiven Lopez-Bender now faces the prospect of five years in federal prison. Authorities arrested the 26-year-old on Thursday, a day after a criminal complaint was filed accusing him...
LIAT, The Caribbean Airline, has entered into a bespoke charter agreement with Caribbean Helicopters, based in Antigua & Barbuda, whereby the company will provide LIAT with charter flights into specific markets in the region. Caribbean Helicopters operates a fleet of Piper Navajo Chieftain PA31-350 and Britten Norman BN2 aircraft, which are ideal for services into some of the smal...
Polish emergency medical services (EMS) operator Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR) has taken delivery of four additional Airbus Helicopters H135 light twins, taking its fleet of the type to 27 units. The latest examples are all powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206BB engines and delivery to Warsaw-headquartered LPR took place following an acceptance procedure at the manufacturer's Do...
Egypt is to acquire 46 navalised Kamov Ka-52K attack helicopters to equip its new French-built Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. According to Kamov parent Russian Helicopters, the deal with Cairo has been signed via Russia’s Rosoboronexport arms export agency. Writing in the latest issue of its corporate magazine, Russian Helicopters chief executive Alexander Mikheev says despite...
Airbus Helicopters intends to perform a maiden sortie of the second flight-test prototype of its H160 medium twin-engined rotorcraft in the coming days, having missed a self-imposed end-2015 deadline for the milestone. The manufacturer says the minor slippage in the schedule was to ensure the helicopter can move straight into the certification test programme as soon as it has completed its init...
