Pia Bergqvist

Among several new helicopter introductions at Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California, this week was a new trainer from Enstrom Helicopter Corp. The bright orange helicopter the Menominee, Michigan-based company unveiled at its booth at the Anaheim Convention Center’s show floor is a mockup of the two-seat TH180, a scaled down version of the three-seat 280FX, which […]

AgustaWestland opened up its booth at Heli-Expo on Tuesday morning with a massive floor-to-ceiling cloth screen blocking about one fifth of its floor-space. Another giant flat-screen banner display at the back of the booth had a countdown timer in anticipation of the unveiling. A large crowd of people gathered to witness a dramatic unveiling, which […]

In a dramatic ceremony shortly after the Helicopter Association International opened the doors of Heli-Expo, which is currently in progress at the Anaheim Convention Center, Bell Helicopter unveiled three versions of a new helicopter, the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, developed for the short light single (SLS) class. The three 505s now on display at […]

The president of the Helicopter Association International, Matt Zuccaro, is expanding on his idea of encouraging helicopter pilots to land when trouble brews in the cockpit. A new initiative called Land and Live was launched during Monday’s press day in advance of Heli-Expo’s opening at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Zuccaro got the […]

Legendary fighter pilot, test pilot and airshow pilot R.A. Bob Hoover was honored last week in an extravagant event at the entrance to the Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood, California, where a fiberglass replica of Hoover’s P-51 “Ole Yeller” acted as the centerpiece. Nearly 500 people, including many aviation executives and celebrities, had a chance […]

Just before the start of HAI’s Heli-Expo, which opens its doors next week in Anaheim, California, the FAA has finalized a rule that aims to improve helicopter safety. The new rule requires helicopter operators to include additional safety equipment, improve communications and procedures and impose additional training requirements for their pilots. In developing the rule, […]

If you are dissatisfied with the wireless Internet connectivity speeds available in flight today, there is hope for a brighter future. Honeywell and Inmarsat have joined together to bring high-speed Internet service to airline and business jet passengers in flight through what they call GX Aviation. The companies claim the service will be able to […]

In clear, cool Kansas-winter skies, Cessna took its latest bizjet offering, the Citation Latitude, on its first flight yesterday morning. The two Pratt & Whitney PW306D turbofan engines that power the midsized business jet took it up to 28,000 feet and 200 knots, the upper speed limit for the flight. The Latitude has a ceiling […]

Most before takeoff checklists in piston-powered airplanes include the item “Throttle – idle.” And while you may pull the throttle lever all the way back to the stop, you may not have a clear idea of what to look for. You may think the action is simply done to ensure that the engine keeps running […]

The FAA has signed off on a supplemental type certificate that brings new capabilities to the Eclipse 550 very light jet, the new version of the Eclipse 500 now in production in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The STC adds auto throttles and anti-skid brakes (ABS), reducing the workload for the pilot and enabling the airplane to […]