All Helicopters articles – Page 214
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FAA opens door to helicopter IFR
Helicopter operators in the USA will have greater flexibility to operate in instrument flight rule (IFR) conditions after crucial amendments to rules just issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration. The changes reduce the ceiling minimum for helicopters from 600ft (185m) to 400ft and the visibility minimum for precision ...
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Whisper Jet to keep canyon quiet
A heavily modified, ultra-quiet version of the Sikorsky S-55, dubbed the Whisper Jet, has been unveiled by its Washington-based developer following certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration. Conceived and developed by Whisper Jet in conjunction with Florida-based Vertical Aviation Technologies, the initial version of the helicopter is entering ...
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MD Helicopters severs last Boeing link
MD Helicopters has signalled a final separation from former owner Boeing with the $11 million purchase of its own production facilities and moves to begin the outsourcing of remaining subcontracting work. The new Dutch-owned manufacturer hopes to be able to double its output this year to 65 civil machines with ...
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Agusta invites Bell into ERICA tiltwing study programme
Agusta has invited Bell Helicopter Textron to join its planned ERICA tiltwing study programme. It has also expressed interest in Bell's concepts for larger derivatives of the jointly developed Bell/Agusta BA609 tiltrotor. "We're interested in participating in further developments of the BA609 and we've invited Bell to participate in ...
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Canadians to be first civil S-92 Helibus users
Sikorsky has signed initial agreements to place its first civil S-92 Helibus helicopters with two Canadian operators. Nevertheless, the US helicopter company and rival EH Industries face a battle trying to break into the traditional turboprop airline market. Cougar Helicopters has signed a letter of intent to be the ...
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Eurocopter secures first US EC155 sale
American Eurocopter revealed a number of orders at the HAI show, including the first EC155 sale in the USA, made to Fred Drasner, co-chairman of US News & World Report. The European concern also announced the sale of two EC120s to the San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department, which will ...
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Mergers
US motion control systems specialist Parker Hannifin is to buy Commercial Intertech for $366 million in cash and stock, plus the assumption of $107 million of debt. Both companies are based in Ohio. Parker has made 42 acquisitions in the last six years. The takeover of Helicopter Services of the ...
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Bond EC135s
Bond Air Services has ordered five Eurocopter EC135 helicopters from UK distributor and completion centre McAlpine Helicopters. The instrument flight rules-equipped aircraft will be delivered over the next 12 months. Source: Flight International
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Time travel
Helicopter fractional ownership is still at the embryonic stage - but operators have bigger plans Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DCThe concept of fractional ownership has grown to be a phenomenal success with the business jet fraternity, but it is at the embryonic stage in the rotary-wing world. Selling a timeshare in a ...
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Standard contract
Scheduled helicopter airline Helijet Airways of Vancouver, Canada, has awarded Winnipeg-based Standard Aero of Canada a $1 million contract to overhaul 10 Rolls-Royce Allison 250 powerplants, which drive its Sikorsky S-76 helicopters. Source: Flight International
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Offshore contract
Bond Helicopters has clinched a C$4 million ($2.75 million) one-year contract from UK oil company ARCO. Bond will deploy a Sikorsky S-76 from its Great Yarmouth base to fly personnel to and from ARCO's oil fields in the southern North Sea. Source: Flight International
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A brighter future
The Helicopter Association International's Heli-Expo exhibition promises better times ahead Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DCThe helicopter industry may reflect on the past year as a period of mixed fortunes, during which sales for some manufacturers have excelled. For others there is the hope that the Helicopter Association International's (HAI) Heli-Expo 2000, to ...
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Bigger and better
Eurocopter says its new EC155B medium helicopter is more than just a larger version of its long-established Dauphin A casual observer might think that the EC155B is just a stretched development of the AS365 Dauphin. Not so, says Eurocopter, although the manufacturer did incorporate some features from its experimental AS365X ...
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Bell debut
Bell Helicopter Textron hopes to start deliveries of the Model 427 light turbine twin later this month at the Helicopter Association International show in Las Vegas. Deliveries are a year later than planned. The 427 received Canadian certification in November and Bell awaits US approval. Source: Flight International
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Proteus grows with Flandre Air purchase
Proteus Airlines has completed its purchase of Flandre Air, creating one of France's largest independent airlines. The deal, revealed last October, makes Saint Etienne-based Proteus the 100% owner of family-owned Flandre Air, which has its headquarters at Lille, northern France. Twenty-three-year-old Flandre Air operates nine Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias ...
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US helicopter fractionals go for expansion despite slow market
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC North America's pioneering helicopter fractional ownership companies, Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) and HeliFlite Shares, plan to expand operations despite slower than expected development of the new market sector. Sikorsky-owned AAG expects to add a second helicopter to its scheme by the middle of the year. The ...
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Perils of prediction
Predictions can prove embarrassing. And airlines are much more cautious these days If Flight International had polled airlines 30 years ago for their predictions on long-term developments within the industry, the answers would have been exciting, ambitious and possibly outrageous. They would also have born little or no relationship to ...
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Eurocopter delivery
Eurocopter has delivered its 100th AS350B3 Ecureuil helicopter to its Japanese distributor, Kawasho, less than two years after the twin turbofan received certification. The aircraft will be handed over to an unnamed operator shortly. According to the manufacturer, the "multipurpose" B3, which "is operated by 50 customers in 22 countries", ...
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BAE and EADS battle for Alenia
Andy Nativi/GENOABAE Systems and the European Aeronautic, Defense and Space company (EADS) are battling to recruit Alenia Aeronautica, the biggest element of Finmeccanica's Alenia Aerospazio subsidiary and one major European concern that is not yet tied to a strategic partnership. Discussions have taken place at industry and government level. BAE ...
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Lynton receives EC155
Lynton Aviation has taken delivery of the first corporate-configured Eurocopter EC155 twin-engined helicopter for a private customer. The aircraft, an enhanced version of the AS365 Dauphin, will be completed at Lynton's base at Blackbushe Airport, UK. Orders for the EC155 stand at more than 20. Source: Flight International