All Helicopters articles – Page 220
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News
Night Vision
The first civil helicopter night flight using night vision goggles (NVGs) was flown on 5 February by Rocky Mountain Helicopters. The Eurocopter BO105 flew from Asheville, South Carolina, to evacuate a patient in Yancy County, North Carolina. The operator recently won a supplemental type certificate from the US Federal Aviation ...
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Manufacturers are on a high over sales prospects
Helicopter manufacturers are projecting increased deliveries this year, based on their order backlogs. Eurocopter has benefited from a strong US market, says president Patrick Gavin. The company delivered 216 commercial helicopters last year, up from 211 in 1997, and booked orders for 272. These include 32 upgraded versions of ...
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Heli-Flite plans for shared ownership launch in Texas
Heli-Flite is in discussions to link its planned helicopter fractional ownership programme with one of the major US-based business jet shared ownership schemes. The company plans to start operations in April in Texas, with two Bell 430s serving the area within a 450km (250nm) radius of Dallas/ Fort Worth. ...
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Boeing business move claims refuted
Dutch-owned MD Helicopters has reaffirmed its intention to keep the newly-acquired former Boeing commercial helicopter business based in the USA, despite claims to the contrary made by rival Bell. MD Helicopters chief executive Hank Schaeken says: "We will maintain the technical and industrial base in the USA. We decided ...
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Helicopter operators face airspace restrictions
A major challenge facing helicopter operators in the next millennium will be maintaining the freedom to fly in unrestricted airspace, says Helicopter Association International president Roy Resavage. Speaking at the show, Resavage said that a proposed bill before Congress effectively would give US communities the power to control the ...
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Heli Expo hosts revamped S-55 Whisper Jet and S-61N Short
New versions of two older helicopters, Vertical Aviation Technologies' S-55QT Whisper Jet and Helipro International's Offshore S-61 Short, were displayed for the first time at the show. Certification of both conversions is imminent. Florida-based Vertical Aviation has completed flight testing of a five-blade rotor on its turbine conversion of ...
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Bell to decide on major facelift for 412
Bell expects to decide soon whether to launch an improved Model 412Plus helicopter in partnership with Agusta, while at the same time committing to a North American final assembly line for the all new Italian-led AB139 development. The Fort Worth-based company is considering a major design revamp of ...
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PDG Helicopters plans for expansion
PDG Helicopters plans to expand its international on-shore operations following a £1.6 million ($2.6 million) investment from the Scottish Clydesdale Bank. The Inverness, Scotland-based company specialises in utility pipeline patrol, forestry, aerial photography and fish farming - for which it also recently set-up "the first foreign base" in Chile, ...
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Demand for civil helicopters 'robust'
Two engine manufacturers are forecasting continued robust demand for civil helicopters despite concerns over some operating sectors. AlliedSignal Aerospace is projecting deliveries of 2,350 new turbine-powered helicopters over five years from 1999 to 2003, while Rolls-Royce (formerly Allison) has produced a broadly similar forecast for 5,410 civil deliveries over ...
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Eurocopter gets a grip on Australasia
Eurocopter International Pacific (EIP), has announced the approval in Australia and New Zealand of its AS350B3, EC120 and EC135 helicopters. The first AS350B3 was delivered to New Zealand in October last year, and a further four are scheduled for handover in 1999. Deliveries to the region of the EC120 ...
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Twin tune-up
Paul Lewis/FORT WORTH Bell's new Model 427 is in development flight testing. The eight-seat, light twin turbine has gained weight, hover, speed and range since its maiden flight in December 1997, but the manufacturer aims to reduce the weight by May Bell is fine-tuning the performance of its ...
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Four crew die in S African crash
A Mil Mi-8MTV helicopter crashed into the roof of an office block in central Cape Town, South Africa, on 10 February, killing its four crew. The helicopter, operated by Heyns Helicopters of Nelspruit, was carrying an underslung load - an air conditioning unit - to a nearby building when its ...
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Bell sets deadline for tiltrotor workshare
Paul Lewis/FORT WORTH Bell Helicopter and Agusta hope to finalise a manufacturing workshare agreement within 12 months to co-produce the new BA609 civil tiltrotor and AB139 medium helicopter in the USA and Europe. The two companies are establishing a joint venture structure, following their tie- up announced at ...
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AAG purchase edges Sikorsky towards fractional ownership
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Sikorsky has taken a step towards launching a helicopter fractional ownership programme by agreeing to acquire New York-based charter operator Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) for an undisclosed sum. The company will become a subsidiary of Sikorsky. The US manufacturer refuses to speculate on when it ...
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Dutch company buys Boeing civil helicopter production line
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Boeing has sold the former McDonnell Douglas (MDC) civil helicopter production line to Dutch holding company MD Helicopters, nearly two years after it snapped up the Mesa, California-based manufacturer in its merger with MDC. The deal is expected to be finalised and signed by 15 February, ...
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India reveals light helicopter project
Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has unveiled details of a study for a light observation helicopter (LOH) design under way for the Indian forces. The 3t-class aircraft, which will have a maximum payload of 1,500kg (3,300lb) and a design ceiling of around 19,000ft (5,800m), will be in a similar class to the ...
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Agusta will certificate Koala - a year late
Agusta is planning to certificate its single engined A119 Koala in May, nearly a year later than originally scheduled. The Italian manufacturer blames the delay on its efforts to incorporate design changes to the aircraft, in response to customer demands. The design of the seven-seat Koala, which was originally ...
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Era expands tourist business activities
Era Aviation is expanding its helicopter sightseeing operation with a multimillion dollar order for five Eurocopter AS350B2 Astars. Era's executive vice-president, Richard "Lash" Larew says: "This deal brings our B2 fleet to 26, making us not only the largest commercial operator of this aircraft in the USA, but also ...
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Canadian company on target to deliver single-engined GA jet
Alberta Aerospace is on target to become the first manufacturer to certificate and deliver a single-engined general aviation jet. The Canadian company says its two-seat Phoenix Fan Jet will be in full service "by the end of the year", closely followed by a four-seater. "We are now 10 months ...
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Sikorsky S-92A Helibus completes maiden flight
Flight testing of the Sikorsky S-92A Helibus medium helicopter began on 23 December. With its maiden flight successfully concluded, attention has now switched to a final decision by the company on a production go-ahead later this year. The first General Electric CT7-6D-powered prototype S-92 made its inaugural flight from ...