Helicopters

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 […]

AgustaWestland this morning showed off the AW609 prototype for the first time in a public venue — and in the process gave clarity to the future direction of the civil tiltrotor market with a paint scheme boasting Bristow and Eastern Airways colors. Bristow Group, one of the world’s largest offshore helicopter operators, has committed to […]

Airbus Helicopters answered many of the questions surrounding its X4 medium twin-engine helicopter development program today by officially unveiling a full-size mockup of the new H160 on the show floor at Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida. A successor to the Dauphin family, the H160 features newly developed Blue Edge main rotor blades that are quieter and […]