AIR WING DAUPHIN
The Dubai Air Wing has ordered a third VIP-configured Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin. The operator, which is based at Dubai International airport, specialises in VIP/governmental ferry flights and is scheduled to take delivery of the five-seat aircraft at the end of next year.
JAPANESE FIRST
Kamov has delivered a Ka-32A11VS medium utility helicopter to Japanese company Morikava Shoji Kaisha, marking the first Russian helicopter delivery to Japan since the break-up of the Soviet Union. The helicopter will be used to transport passengers and cargo and will be operated by Tokyo-based Akagi Helicopter.
RAVEN REGISTRATION
A Robinson R44 Raven has become the 50,000th aircraft to be registered by the UK Civil Aviation Authority since the UK register was established in 1919. The aircraft - G-MITC - was registered by Warwick-based distributor Heli Air. There are 19,281 aircraft in the UK fleet, including 10,342 fixed-wing aircraft and 1,467 helicopters. General aviation aircraft make up the six most popular types on the UK register, says the CAA, with the Piper PA-28 top of the list with 1,048 aircraft. The first UK-registered aircraft - G-EAAA - was a de Havilland DH-9, in July 1919.
GOVERNMENT DENIAL
Macedonia's minister of internal affairs Gordana Jankuloska has denied claims by NATO-KFOR (Kosovo Force) that a Macedonian police helicopter was hit and shot down on 7 November while taking part in operation "Mountain Storm" - designed to destroy an armed Albanian criminal-extremist group led by escaped prisoners from the neighbouring UN-controlled south Serbian province of Kosovo. At least six members of the armed criminal group were reportedly killed by police during the operation, which ended without civilian or police casualties.
CHINA DROMADERS
PZL Mielec has clinched a contract with the Agriculture Bureau of China's Heilongjiang province for 15 M18B Dromader utility aircraft. The M18s will be financed through a loan agreement between the Polish and Chinese governments. The two-seat aircraft will be delivered in 2003, with 14 to be used for crop-dusting and firefighting missions, for which one aircraft will be configured for training purposes. Delivery is expected in 2008.
Source: Flight International
