Recently in Helicopters Category

From a Sikorsky statement:

Sikorsky Global Helicopters, a business unit of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., has delivered a new VIP S-76C++™ helicopter to the Royal Travel Office for use by the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

Sikorsky has provided helicopters to support the Royal Family since the early 1950's, including the R4, S-51, S-55, S-58, S-58T, S-76B and the S-76C+ helicopters. The new S76C++ helicopter entered service in September.

"The new S76C++ helicopter will continue to provide the Royal Family with a high quality and efficient helicopter travel service," said Captain Christopher Pittaway, Manager and Chief Pilot of The Queen's Helicopter Flight. "It most closely meets the mission requirements by providing a quiet and comfortable cabin environment, low carbon footprint and best value for money.  We have enjoyed excellent product support from Sikorsky over many years and I look forward to a continued relationship."  

Carey Bond, President, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, said: "The S-76C++ helicopter has distinguished itself by its quality, safety, performance and style as an aircraft of choice for VVIP transport. We are honored that the Royal Family and so many others entrust their safety and comfort to us."  

 The S-76C++ helicopter features engine, air vehicle, interior and avionics upgrades.  These include a more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 Engine, an inlet barrier filter to protect the engine against erosion and environmental contaminants, a new VIP interior, a new optional Health and Usage Monitoring System and a quiet main gearbox using Quiet Zone™ technology that significantly reduces interior noise levels without any weight maintenance penalties.

The S-76® helicopter serves a multi-mission role that includes offshore oil transport, VIP transport, including head of state, emergency medical transport, search and rescue and civil defense. The S-76C++ helicopter was initially certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in January 2006.  More recently, it was certified for unconstrained operations in extreme snowy conditions. The European Aviation Safety Agency certified the type design in July 2006, allowing for the export of the S-76C++ helicopter to all European Union countries.

A British Army Elbit Systems Hermes 450 unmanned air vehicle had a near miss with a Boeing CH-47 Chinook while on operations in Afghanistan, Flight can reveal. About half way through the 37s video the Chinook comes into view and grows larger in the left hand side of the frame

Multiflight is offering to transport horse racing fans to a day at the races and arrive in style, using two luxurious Dauphin AS365 helicopters.

One of these helicopters is owned by Newcastle's striker Michael Owen.

 

 

Multiflight sold Michael the twin-engine Dauphin helicopter and it now maintains and operates the helicopter for the footballer under its air operators certificate. 

 

According to the company: "When he is not playing football, Michael uses the helicopter, flown by Multiflight pilots, to follow his own passion for horses and horse racing."

Based at Leeds Bradford International Airport, is offering helicopter transfers in the AS365 Dauphin to the 2008 Ebor Festival at York Racecourse: 19 August to 22 August, and to The Open at Cheltenham Racecourse: 14 November 16 November 16th, as well as to any other race meeting, event, or private function.

 

credit: Sikorsky

This is a concept image of an unmanned air vehicle version of Sikorsky's X2 counter-rotating coaxial rotorcraft X2. Click through for more of Sikorsky's concept images of applications for the X2 and click on every image to see a larger version in the same browser window

A special kind of scrutiny was applied to the European Aviation Safety Agency last week.

On 27 September the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) imported five of the top executives from EASA, seated them behind a long desk facing a packed hall of industry people, allowed them a few words each to update the audience on current issues they face, and then opened the session for about two hours of questions.

This doesn't normally happen to the senior executives in European agencies. So why EASA? And why did the agency's big five - executive director Patrick Goudou, communications head Daniel Holtgen, quality and standardisation director Francesco Banal, certification director Norbert Lohl and deputy head of flight standards Eric Sivel - agree to undergo this public grilling?

Here is a video of a US Marine Corps Boeing H-46 Sea Knight bursting into flames as it takes off from an aircraft carrier.

Even by the notorious standards of military procurement, there is something very odd about helicopter contests. Right now there are no fewer than three stories coincidentally running on the helicopter section of Flight's site about helicopter selections that are in difficulties.

Norway can't decide if it was such a good idea to opt for NH Industries NH90s for its SAR needs.

The USAF is in all sorts of trouble with its choice of the Boeing HH-47 Chinook for its combat SAR aircraft.

And the US Army has ordered Bell to stop work on the ARH-70A armed reconaissance helicopter.

The fact that the British armed forces don't have enough battlefield helicopters to make ends meet has been a known fact for several years now, but it had looked as though troops on the ground in Afghanistan would benefit from prime minister Tony Blair's late 2006 promise - albeit extracted like a bad tooth - that senior commanders would quickly receive any additional equipment they requested to fight the Taliban.

But it now appears that additional aircraft are not among the items needed to do the job in war-torn Helmand province, as secretary of state for defence Des Browne revealed yesterday that "UK force commanders have not requested additional helicopters for operations in Afghanistan since 1 September 2006." Responding to a written question in the House of Commons, Browne said: "Helicopter assets in both Afghanistan and Iraq are currently assessed by the military commanders in theatre to be sufficient to support operations successfully."

How can this be? While a deployed force of eight Army Air Corps Westland/Boeing Apache AH1 attack helicopters, four Westland Lynx AH7 utilities and eight Royal Air Force Boeing CH-47 Chinook HC2 transports seems okay, last month's highly publicised use of two Apaches to deploy four Royal Marine passengers highlighted that something is wrong with the current force mix. Where were the Lynx that are supposed to be operating in tandem with the Apaches? Struggling with the hot and high environmental conditions - even at night? Lacking the armour required to protect their crews? Or worse, operationally useless in Afghanistan?

Flight International reported this week on a formal Eurocopter proposal to supply the RAF with eight AS330 Pumas made surplus to Portuguese requirements by Lisbon's acquisition of AgustaWestland EH101s. These may, as the EADS subsidiary claims, be fine aircraft for the Afghan theatre (despite the more than 30 years of operations already beneath their rotors) and good for another decade of use, but the time has come for the UK Ministry of Defence to bite the bullet and spend good money to acquire new helicopters, and plenty of them.

However, the MoD seems to be so awash with proposals that a decision could be hard to make: should it snap up shiny new EH101s from Denmark, field new transports under a proposed lease deal or - believe this when it happens - even provide money to get the RAF's eight stored Chinook HC3s into a working state by about 2010-11? With mission commanders having missed a trick since late last year by soldiering on with what they have rather than demanding more, perhaps the sense of urgency felt by the frontline troops just isn't getting through…

They have been on the receiving end of terrible press from the general media for years due to contractual shortcomings which pushed up programme costs and delayed the availability of a suitable training package, but the British Army's Westland/Boeing Apache AH1 attack helicopters are now receiving rave reviews after nine months of activity in southern Afghanistan.

The Army Air Corps's (AAC) 9 Regt currently maintains a force of eight Apaches and four Westland Lynx AH7 utility helicopters in the country, and has provided close quarters support to the army's 3rd Parachute Regiment and now the Royal Marines during operations against Taliban guerrillas. In some cases, its formidable 30mm cannon has been brought to bear on militants just 10m (32ft) in front of British troops, who clearly already have full trust in the abilities of the aircraft and the crews who fly them. You can read more about the Apache's recent performance in Flight International's News Focus article this week.

One officer from the 3rd Parachute Regiment who has witnessed the Apache's lethality from such close proximity says he felt more comfortable having the aircraft overhead during contact with the enemy than a fixed-wing asset such as the Royal Air Force/Royal Navy-operated BAE Systems Harrier GR7A. Despite what other army figures might famously write in their e-mails home, this isn't because the RAF is "utterly, utterly useless", but is because the Apache can remain on station looking over the shoulder of ground troops, providing a very evident presence to deter or take the fight to enemy combatants. And judging by some of the combat videos shown by the army during a recent media day at the AAC's Middle Wallop headquarters in Hampshire, even a 10-round burst from that cannon is more than enough to spoil your day.

I got the impression from 9 Regt pilots that they have been greatly frustrated by the lack of coverage that their exploits in Afghanistan have received from the mainstream press during the first nine months of UK Apache operations in the country. Maybe this is just because Iraq gets all the attention these days, but I suspect that rather like with the RAF's Eurofighter Typhoon, many journalists aren't interested in writing good news stories when something goes right after so many years of knocking.

Many people expected the Apache to fail on its debut tour of duty, due to the dusty conditions, ambient temperatures of up to 49ｰC (120ｰF) and the combined need to operate at altitudes approaching 10,000ft (3,050m). Many criticised the UK's decision to buy 67 of the aircraft, equip them all with mast-mounted Longbow fire-control radars and integrate Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engines.

But despite the failings of the Ministry of Defence's original contract framework for the Apache, the army's experience in Afghanistan shows that planners for the large part got its configuration right. There can be little question that Boeing's AH-64D Apache Longbow is the best attack helicopter out there, and in the AH1 variant the UK has fielded some unique capabilities which make its aircraft even better in the Afghan arena than anything the US Army can bring to the fight.

Fair enough, the MoD's ｣3.1 billion ($6 billion) procurement and introduction of the Apache has at times fallen well short of the mark, but in the AH1 it now has a capability that will provide huge support to UK and coalition troops for many years to come. Perhaps it's time at last for the type - and the AAC - to receive a bit of hard-earned praise?

As the first of the four Nordic nations to receive its new multi-role helicopters, Denmark is justifiably proud of its EH101 fleet. So much so, in fact, that its air force invited a trio of British journalists to ride aboard as its newest example was delivered last month. Too good an offer to refuse at the best of times, but with Flight International about to publish a package of Nordic special features, I jumped at the chance to travel with M-512.

  

There would, however, be a couple of unusual conditions for the guests to come to terms with: we would have to wear rubber, and might well have to cross our legs for a bit…

The EH101 is no ordinary helicopter, and ours was to be a long journey, taking us from AgustaWestland's Yeovil manufacturing site in Somerset directly to the home of the Royal Danish Air Force's (RDAF) 722 Sqn: Karup airbase. In total, the engines would be running for 4h 20min, and the flight would be interrupted only by a brief leg stretch - but no prospect of a comfort break - on the deck of a North Sea oil rig.

I guess it highlights my limited experience in flying helicopters over large expanses of water, but my first time wearing an immersion suit was to be an entertaining one. We climbed into our strange attire to strangled cries of "Bring out the Gimp" (a reference to an undesirable character in Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction'), while deep down we were all wondering the same thing: where's the toilet on an EH101? You guessed it; there isn't one.

The immersion suit certainly isn't one of the most attractive items a person could choose to wear, but it's probably a lot better than chinos and a smart shirt if you have to ditch in the North Sea. And trust me, the cable you can see in the photo isn't heading anywhere suspicious…

The RDAF is within three months of flying its first search and rescue (SAR) missions with the EH101 Joint Supporter from Karup, with eight of the type to progressively replace the service's 40-year-old Sikorsky S-61s. But we were bringing home Denmark's fourth of six tactical troop transport (TTT) examples, which will provide the Danish armed forces with a new battlefield capability from early next decade.

Up front for our flight was an unusual combination. In the left seat was Bak, a former Danish army Hughes 500 pilot and fixed-wing instructor, with SAR instructor Jøl - a former Saab Draken and Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter pilot - alongside him. Also aboard were a further three Danish personnel.

We took off from Yeovil at 09:31 on 17 November, with our route appropriately taking us over the nearby Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton and then past Royal Air Force bases Lyneham, Fairford and Brize Norton. We then passed to the north of London, came close to RAF Lakenheath and then headed out over the coast near Lowestoft at 10:45. While on the way at 5,000ft (1,520m), we also got the chance to try out some of the Joint Supporter's gleaming mission equipment, and I was able to put a quick call into the office using the aircraft's Iridium satellite phone; part of a diverse communications suite which will meet the demands of both SAR and battlefield transport duties.

Our speed was initially restricted to 120kt (222kt) due to our heavy take-off weight of 15,200kg (33,500lb); just 400kg short of the type's maximum, but this later rose to around 150kt after some of our 3,900kg fuel load began to burn off. In fact, with a strong tail wind aiding our progress, over the open water we actually achieved an indicated air speed of 197kt, frustratingly close to equaling the 200kt only achieved once before by the RDAF's EH101s.

I've never experienced this before, but our crew complained during the flight that we weren't burning enough fuel. Our initial plan - key to being able to make it directly to Karup without refuelling on the way - was to switch off one of our three engines to cut fuel consumption during the cruise. But because of our high speed we were unable to do this until after we made a brief stop on the Halfdan Alpha rig in the Danish sector of the North Sea. This was another first for me, and I was subsequently assured that the "moderate" wind speed of 26mph on the helideck - with gusts attempting to knock you off your feet - was making it quite a pleasant day out there. Not somewhere I'd want to holiday though, thanks all the same!

After a brief period of flight on two engines, we went low level along the stunning west coast of the Jutland peninsula at 200ft, before heading inland to demonstrate the capabilities of the TTT's laser obstacle warning system. It's a bad thing to ask a helicopter pilot to show off this sort of system, and we were soon heading straight at a 1,200ft-tall TV mast, with cautions and warnings blaring out as I sank that little bit lower in the cockpit jump seat. At least the kit works though! Finally, we used the aircraft's autopilot to pick up the ILS signal from Karup and automatically descended down the glide path, settling 70ft above the runway centre line, slightly nose up and at a forward speed of 60kt before Bak took control. That's a capability I'd already witnessed on a Royal Navy EH101 Merlin HM1 flight into RNAS Culdrose earlier this year, and is a reassuring club to have in the bag.

As with my two previous flights in an EH101, the flight was enjoyable and didn't feel like a long time to be on a helicopter, which bodes well for crews on future SAR missions. It did take about five hours for the immersion suit pinch marks on my wrists to fade away after we reached Karup, but thankfully as I passed on the offers of coffee until 30min from landing that was the only drama I experienced in wearing it!

In some later e-mail correspondence, one of our RDAF hosts noted: "Thank you for flying Royal Danish Airlines - hope to see you onboard again another time". I'll be waiting for my next invitation too; maybe a SAR trip next time wearing a nice orange suit?