Helicopters

United Technologies Corp. said it plans to sell or spin off helicopter maker Sikorsky Aircraft, maker of the S-76, S-92 and Black Hawk series, within the next 60 days. The plan to sell or split the storied company comes as demand for helicopters has softened with falling prices in the oil and gas sector and […]

One of the strangest helicopters you have ever seen is going back into production. Following a 12-year hiatus, the Kaman K-MAX K-1200 heavy-lifter, first built in the 1990s, will again start emerging from the factory after the Connecticut-based manufacturer received an order for 10 helicopters from two operators. First type certified in 1994, the K-MAX […]

Nearly a year ago, Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider helicopter powered up for the first time; now the first prototype is air-bound. The Raider successfully completed its first flight at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on May 22. During the hour-long flight, pilot Bill Fell and co-pilot Kevin Bredenbeck tested the helicopter’s hover […]

When the idea to create a full-motion helicopter sim in which to train EMS personnel came to Joe Brown, CEO of Hartzell Propeller, he immediately thought of Jerry Gregoire, founder of Redbird Flight Simulations. Within a matter of months, the concept turned into a product, designed not to make money but to save lives. As […]

Bell Helicopter is cutting another 1,100 jobs from its overall workforce as global demand for helicopters softens. The Fort Worth, Texas, company said it made its decision to cut staff because the commercial helicopter market has not rebounded as expected. In an email to employees, Bell Helicopter CEO John Garrison said the helicopter maker must […]

With the Helicopter Association International’s annual conference underway this week in Orlando, Florida, Garmin took the opportunity to announce the addition of helicopter charts to its Garmin Pilot aviation app for iOS platforms. The app now includes helicopter route charts for the Gulf of Mexico and in eight U.S. metropolitan areas: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort […]

Manufacturers will deliver around 5,000 civil turbine-engine helicopters in the next five years as global demand remains fairly steady, according to Honeywell’s latest market forecast. Plunging oil prices and a roller-coaster ride of world currencies have caused some short-term market uncertainty, but in its 17th annual helicopter purchasing outlook Honeywell foresees a return to modest […]

The FAA has validated EASA’s certification of the AgustaWestland AW189 medium twin-engine helicopter, clearing the way for customer deliveries in the United States to start soon. AgustaWestland received the validation following flight testing activities with the FAA earlier this year. The AW189 is designed for longer range, higher capacity requirements for SAR, offshore, and corporate […]

Air Methods, one of the world’s largest air medical transportation providers, announced an order for 200 of Bell’s newly introduced 407GXP light single-engine helicopter for EMS duty at bases across the United States. The order marks one of the biggest commercial sales in Bell Helicopter’s history, not to mention one of the largest orders in […]

Bell Helicopter has achieved Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for several retrofit features through its Aeronautical Accessories subsidiary, adding a list of capabilities for Bell 429 owners. Many of the new features add great safety benefits to the helicopter. A new Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) system, the FLIR 380-HD, can be added for $9,960, not including […]