Helicopters – Page 228
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Eurocopter predicts that Asian crisis will bring order cancellations
Eurocopter president Jean-Francois Bigay is forecasting cancellations and order delays as a result of the continuing economic crisis in Asia. Orders for 15 civil helicopters from South Korea and Thailand have already been put on ice. The warning came as the Franco-German company announced that, in 1997, it achieved ...
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Air Methods eyes EMS franchises
Emergency-medical-service specialist Air Methods is discussing establishing franchise operations in Israel and Turkey. The US company already has a franchise partner, Flamingo Unimed Air Taxi Aereo, in Brazil. Air Methods is not predicting when the Israeli and Turkish medical-transport programmes could get under way, but says that discussions are ...
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Eurocopter delivers AS365 to Slovakia
Eurocopter has made its first helicopter delivery to Slovakia, after identifying a potential market for about 20 sales in the East European country. The company has handed over one AS365 Dauphin to Slovakian trade organisation Martimex. The helicopter has been bought by power company Slovenske Elektrarny. The Slovakian media ...
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Boeing and Elbit join to rescue Polish Huzar project
In a deal brokered in Warsaw in the first week of January, the rival bidders for Poland's $600 million PZL-Swidnik Huzar helicopter, Boeing and Elbit, have agreed to participate jointly in the programme, a move aimed at breeching a political impasse. Sources in Israel and Poland confirm that Elbit ...
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Rotary Revolution
Russian helicopter design bureaux Kamov and Mil are attempting to pull together their respective associated manufacturing plants. Mil, and the Ulan-Ude, Rostov, and Kazan production sites are planning to form Mil Helicopters. Kamov, meanwhile, is in discussions with the Arseneyev and Kumer-Tau factories to establish a joint enterprise. Source: ...
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Air Methods flies flag
Air Methods has signed a three-year contract to provide helicopter medical-transport services for Arizona's Flagstaff Medical Center. Services will begin in February with a Bell 206L-3, until replaced by a 407, with a second helicopter available when needed. Source: Flight International
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US makers can offer helicopters to Turkey
US makers can offer helicopters to Turkey The Clinton Administration is to allow US helicopter makers to bid for a contract potentially worth $3 billion to supply attack helicopters to Turkey. Approving the bids, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says: "We seek to support this important NATO ...
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Forecasts 98': General aviation
Full-year figures are not yet in, but 1997 appears to have been a good one for the general-aviation (GA) industry. Sales are at record levels - in dollars if not in aircraft - buoyed by surging business-jet deliveries and resurgent piston-single production. Even helicopter sales are up. The stage is ...
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Sikorsky sees S-76 fractional-ownership market emerging
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Sikorsky believes that at least one fractional-ownership programme using its S-76 helicopter will be launched in early 1998. Interest in helicopter fractional-ownership "has exploded", says director, commercial programmes, Mike Moran, and the company is talking to "several" potential operators. Richard Santulli, chairman of Executive Jet ...
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Bogus parts kill
A New Zealand court has convicted aircraft parts trader James Gedson of the manslaughter of two helicopter pilots who died when their Robinson R22 crashed in October 1995 following tail-rotor failure. This is believed to be the world's first successful homicide prosecution for knowingly supplying "bogus parts". The failed rotor ...
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Sahara prepares for growth in spite of Government demise
Ian Sheppard/LONDON Sahara India Airlines (SIAL) aims to implement a comprehensive expansion plan in 1998 despite the delay caused by the fall of the Indian Government in November. The former Government had proposed new legislation which would have supported private domestic carriers . SIAL is preparing to place ...
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Sikorsky begins deliveries of 'all-glass' S-76s
Sikorsky Aircraft has begun delivering S-76 helicopters equipped as standard with a Parker Gull integrated instrument-display system (IIDS). Consisting of three liquid-crystal displays replacing the conventional engine and rotor instruments, the IIDS complements the Honeywell four-tube electronic flight-instrument system which has been standard in the S-76 for some time. ...
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Canada orders review of SAR bidding
The Canadian Government has refused to endorse the Department of National Defense's (DND) recommendation to procure the EH Industries EH101 Cormorant helicopter to meet its search-and-rescue (SAR) requirement. The EH101 came top in the DND's technical recommendation, but the Federal Cabinet is now demanding that the bid process be ...
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Bell 427 Airborne
Bell Helicopter flew its Model 427 light twin-turbine helicopter for the first time on 11 December. The 4min flight took place at the firm's Mirabel, Canada, commercial-helicopter manufacturing plant. The company has orders for more than 70 aircraft, with US certification planned for December 1998 and deliveries due to begin ...
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Coast Guard looks at civil tilt-rotor option
Bell Boeing's Model 609 civil tilt-rotor is among options being considered by the US Coast Guard as it begins planning its long-term search-and-rescue requirements. The Coast Guard is examining its aviation needs and is expected to award study contracts in 1998. Bell Boeing has briefed the Coast Guard on ...
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MD Explorer goes to Grand Canyon
Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters has taken delivery of its first Boeing MD Explorer. The company is due to begin operations on 15 December. The eight-seat, twin-engined aircraft will be equipped for multi-mission operations, including search and rescue and firefighting. The acquisition was made in response to a recent ...
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Bell assembly
The Philippines has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bell Helicopter Textron to assemble the twin-engined 412 and smaller 206 at a planned new site in Alaminos. Bell is stressing that the deal depends on the two types being ordered in sufficient numbers. Source: Flight International
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AAIB advises ban on VFR night flights
A Eurocopter AS355F1 Twin Squirrel crash in Cheshire, UK, on 22 October, 1996, was a result of the pilot's excessive work load in marginal weather conditions and his inexperience of instrument-flight-rules (IFR) operations, according to the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) official accident report. The crash at Middlewich, ...
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Eurocopter distributor delivers first UK EC135
McAlpine Helicopters has delivered the first UK-registered Eurocopter EC135 to an undisclosed UK customer. The Oxford-based helicopter distributor has received 11 orders to date for twin-engined EC135, six of which are scheduled for delivery to police forces and corporate customers in 1998. Source: Flight International
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Tiltrotor will be used to support oil-production operations
Dubai is to play host to the first company in the world set up solely to operate the Bell Boeing 609 Tiltrotor aircraft. The company, Petroleum Tiltrotors International, is a joint venture between Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Sheikh and an unnamed Dubai oil and gas support company. ...