DAY 1 February 27, 2018

HAI PUBLICATIONS Convention News

A Bell 407GXi touches down at the Las Vegas Convention Center in advance of 2018’s Heli-Expo. The 407GXi is Bell’s just-announced upgrade of the 407GXP and will feature a Garmin G1000H NXi integrated flight deck and new Rolls-Royce Fadec engine. Shaanxi Helicopter will receive the first 407GXi.

Heli-Expo Largest Ever? BARRY AMBROSE BARRY 2018 event has the potential › page 4 Bell surprises with 407GXi Avoiding LTE Awareness, training are by Mark Huber key › page 9 Bell (Booth C5122) unveiled an updated offered high/hot performance, it had one keeping the same performance for hot version of its 407 single yesterday at computer controlling the engine, explained and high.” Airbus Shelves Heli-Expo 2018. The 407GXi features the Bell program director for light helicopters Nault said the G1000H NXi is “five X6 Project Garmin G1000H NXi integrated flight deck Michael Nault. “If that fails you could go times faster” than the G1000H. “Its LED and a new Rolls-Royce M250-C47E/4 engine and control the throttle with the twist grip displays are cooler, easier to manage and May re-emerge as with dual channel Fadec that delivers bet- and go in manual mode. just have so much more processing power ter high/hot performance, full automatic “So we went from one computer to two and capabilities.” military project › page 12 relight, and the ability to cruise at 133 knots. computers and each of the computers Customers with existing orders for the The 407GXi was certified by Transport have two channels. We added three layers GXP will receive the 407GXi at no addi- Sikorsky Sells Canada on January 19 and first deliveries of redundancy with this new engine while tional cost. n are scheduled for mid-year. Schweizer The G1000H NXi features high-defini- Texas-based RSG tion displays and faster processors with increased brightness and clarity, faster is owner › page 26 startup and map rendering, and connec- Era is AW609 launch customer tivity to smartphones and tablets. New options for the 407GXi include a rede- by Curt Epstein Robinson Rebounds signed executive cabin; Garmin Flight- Offers new R66 version Stream 510 that allows pilots to upload A Leonardo Helicopters order announce- into service. They will be used in a variety flight plans from devices; Garmin Surface- ment on the eve of Heli-Expo will pave the of missions, including offshore/utility, VIP › page 28 Watch that provides runway identification way for the AW609 tiltrotor to enter com- transport, EMS, and SAR. and alerting technology; a 3,100-pound mercial service with U.S. launch customer Era has been a part of the AW609 program Garmin’s Rotorcraft cargo hook; and health usage monitoring Era Group. Under the terms of the deal, Era, since the two companies signed an MoU to (HUMS) for aircraft systems diagnostics. one of the world’s largest rotorcraft opera- develop an EMS variant of the aircraft at Flight Control System The -C47E/4 engine replaces the Rolls- tors, will take delivery of two of the VTOL Heli-Expo 2016. “Era Group’s decision to The new GFC 600H Royce 250-C47B/8 in the 407GXP that aircraft in 2020, along with a dedicated operate the AW609 marks a new milestone Bell launched in 2015. While the 407GXP training package to support their entry continues on page 37 › page 34 Honeywell: Purchase plans by region helo sales to grow by 10% by Curt Epstein

Honeywell’s 20th annual “Turbine-pow- ered Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook,” released on the eve of Heli-Expo 2018, anticipates a better long-term global economic outlook and increased cus- tomer confidence, predicting deliveries purchase plans, followed by medium percent, while India plunged by more than of between 4,000 and 4,200 new heli- twins at 27 percent, light twins at 20 per- 40 percent. Only 10 percent of operators Purchase plans by Emergency Medical Services and Search and Rescue higher, copters over the next five years—5 to 10 cent, and large cabin multi-engines at in the Middle East and Africa expect to Oil & Gas lower. percent more than the 3,800 handed over 5 percent, up from just 1 percent in last purchase a new helicopter over the next helicopter size between 2013 and 2017. year’s survey. Thirty-four percent of those five years. “In addition to better global economic purchases are expected to occur within Among expected usage for the planned conditions expected in the coming years, the next two years. purchases, medevac and search and rescue potential positive impacts of U.S. tax reform By region, 13 percent of North American (SAR) rose significantly, from 13 percent in on new helicopter demand and lower vol- respondents indicated they would either last year’s survey to 22 percent this year, atility in oil and gas-related markets have replace or expand their fleets with a new while oil-and-gas declined year-over-year helped fleet managers confirm what they helicopter over the next five years, with from 13 percent to 7 percent. In North told us last year,” said Ben Driggs, the pres- more than 50 percent expected to be light America, fully one-third of the planned ident of the Americas at Honeywell Aero- singles and 20 percent each for light and purchase mentions concerned medevac space (Booth C1329). medium twins. More than 20 percent of and SAR use, up from 11 percent last Overall, light, single-engine helicop- European operators plan to make a new heli- year. Asia and Europe also showed strong ters make up approximately half of the copter purchase through 2022. Notably, 12 growth in plans for the segment. percent expect to purchase heavy-twin heli- In a change this year, brand experience and copters, a 10-point increase over last year. customer support were noted as the lead- INDEX In Latin America, the region’s purchase ing motivators in new rotorcraft purchases. plans exceeded the world average, with 35 “Typically, cabin and range are always num- Advanced Composite Structures Florida...... 32 percent of respondents reporting intention ber one,” said Gaetan Handfield, Honeywell’s Advanced Torque Products...... 6, 36 Airbus Helicopters...... 2, 12, 16 to purchase over the next five years, an senior manager of marketing analysis for the Airwolf Aerospace...... 6 increase of 12 percent from the previous year. helicopter, business and general aviation Astronautics...... 6 It is the only region to anticipate increased markets. “We saw a move from technical Avidyne...... 8 purchases based on oil and gas sector usage. attributes of the helo to actually more the Avinco...... 8 More than 50 percent of these purchases are intangibles of the OEM. This is a first, so we Bell...... 1, 27, 33, 35 anticipated to be light singles. will see if it repeats in the future.” Billings Flying Service...... 36 Eighteen percent of Asia-Pacific opera- Over the next year, rotorcraft fleet utili- Cadorath...... 8 tors plan to purchase helicopters over the zation is expected to increase significantly Conklin & Decker...... 36 forecast window, with China increasing by in North America, and more modestly in Dart...... 33 9 percent year-over-year, to more than 21 Europe and Latin America. n Donaldson...... 33 East/West Industries...... 38 Erickson...... 22 EuroTec...... 33 the field to competitors such as the Leon- Eye in the Sky...... 6 ardo AW139 and AW169. Frasca International...... 10 Airbus' new H160 lands in Airbus Helicopters CEO Guillaume Garmin...... 34 GlobalParts.aero ...... 13 Faury, who is shifting over to become head HAI...... 4 Vegas for its first U.S. visit of Airbus Commercial Airplanes, had set HAI Salute to Excellence...... 31 a target for the H160 of 35 to 40 percent Honeywell...... 2, 10 by Mark Huber market share, about equal to that of the HQ Aero Management...... 4 H155 in the past. Airbus Helicopters has HTAWS...... 22 Airbus Helicopters’ new H160 medium Bridge, Airbus Helicopters executive v-p not detailed total firm orders, but has Kopter...... 3, 33 twin is making its U.S. debut. Prototype for global business. The three H160 pro- noted that Falcon Aviation has ordered Leonardo...... 1, 10, 14, 36 number two (PT2) arrived in Las Vegas for totypes have accumulated approximately six H160s in VIP configuration. Milestone Aviation...... 24 this year’s annual Heli-Expo show and is 650 flight test hours to date. Airbus is aim- Airbus Helicopters is eyeing a potential NGTI...... 36 on display before embarking on a three- ing for certification next year, a year later civil and parapublic market for 2,500 new Ontic...... 38 month customer demonstration tour than originally anticipated. helicopters valued at nearly $32 billion PPG...... 35 followed by high/hot testing in Leadville, “This shift is due to the problems over the next 20 years in the H160 niche. Pratt & Whitney Canada...... 18 Colorado. Maintenance demonstrations encountered on some mechanical parts The new helicopter also has a military Ramco...... 16 of the H160 will be performed daily at the that had to be redesigned,” the head of the variant, the H160M, which was selected RDDS Avionics...... 6 show to illustrate how maintenance has H160 program Bernard Fujarski, said late by the French army in March 2017 for the Robinson Helicopter...... 28, 33 Rockwell Collins...... 18 been optimized as a result of the helicop- last year in Marignane, France, confirming future HIL program (Hélicoptère Inter- Rolls-Royce...... 8, 37 ter’s design and new processes, including the delay. armées Léger) that is expected to call for Safran...... 3, 33 the “Operator Zero” campaign. Airbus Helicopters, which unveiled the 160 to 190 units. This contract has still to Sikorsky...... 18, 26, 36 “This aircraft is emblematic of the com- twin-turbine H160 at Heli-Expo in March be confirmed. StandardAero...... 8 pany’s transformation in every domain 2015, sees the program as a key to growth The H160 will have a maximum takeoff United Rotorcraft...... 6 from concept and design, to the revamped in the medium-size niche, where its world- weight of 5.67 metric tons (12,566 pounds) Van Horn Aviation...... 20 industrial production model,” said Ben wide market share fell to 6 percent, leaving continues on page 37

2 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com adjustments coming from the P3 flight test program,” said Riccobono. A total Kopter’s under- of around 110 flight hours are planned development SH09 for PS4. Based on his experience at mates a dual- Leonardo, Riccobono plans to send P3 Fadec-controlled to Sicilia, in Pozzalo, to take advantage Honeywell HTS900 of sunny weather —and no air-traffic turboshaft of 1,020 restrictions—and accelerate the flight- shp to an all-carbon test program. Flight-test teams plan to fiber airframe fly day and night there. incorporating a Weight remains a challenge despite shrouded tailrotor. the advantages of carbon-composite con- Accommodations struction. P3 missed its goal of an empty are provided weight of 1,300 kg, with a weight of 1,530 kg. for up to seven For PS4, which is still loaded with flight- passengers test instrumentation, Kopter is targeting while the cockpit a reduced empty weight around 1,450 kg. includes an all- “The target empty weight for the SH09 glass instrument serial design remains at 1,300 kg, [which] panel. Its internal- gives a payload of 1,350 kg, slightly higher only maximum than the empty weight,” said Riccobono. takeoff weight will Kopter is also working on EASA cer- be 5,842 lbs. tification of the SH09’s Honeywell HTS900 turboshaft engine. Löwenstein has reaffirmed the ambi- Michele Riccobono, executive v-p of tech- tion to make Kopter “one of the world’s nology, who joined Kopter last June from leading manufacturers of light helicop- With its new name, Kopter Leonardo Helicopters. He acknowledged ters within 10 years.” Kopter is hoping issues surrounding high-vibrations and to capture 20 to 25 percent of the civil loads in the rotor system of P2, the sec- world market. transitions to manufacturing ond prototype that has flown around 70 One area of focus is the U.S. EMS mar- hours and is being showcased at Heli- ket, where operators can fly single-engine by Guillaume Lecompte-Boinet Expo. “We have now fixed this problem rotorcraft. In Europe, operators must fly with new blades,” he said. twin-engine helicopters. In the EMS seg- Since Marenco Swisshelicopter has has opened a U.S. subsidiary in Dallas for A third prototype, P3, is expected to fly ment, the SH09 will face competition rebranded as Kopter, the company is now market development. “We also plan to shortly. This rotorcraft will fly around 250 from the Airbus Helicopters H125/130 turning to certification and serial pro- have a final assembly line in the U.S. and flight hours through next September and and the Bell 407. “SH09’s large cabin and duction of its SH09 light single-engine in Asia. Their precise locations haven’t yet will be used to open up the flight envelope, easy back-door access are well-fitted com- helicopter, which features a large rear- been decided,” said Löwenstein. including maximum speed and altitude, pared to competitors,” noted Christian fuselage entry door. Kopter’s Heli-Expo The Mollis facility is organized with controllability, and aerodynamic tests. Gras, Kopter executive v-p for customers. exhibit (Booth N4615) features prototype lean manufacturing methods. The SH09 Kopter engineers have replaced the flex Kopter also is targeting the sightseeing P2 as well as the SH09 mockup. will be assembled in a flow line of six sta- cables fitted on P2 for control of the main market with a large glass-enclosed cabin “We have to transform Kopter from a tions. “We want to achieve a time cycle rotor blades with rods on P3 to improve (at 10 sq m), high cruise speed (140 knots), very talented engineering company to a of 20 weeks to assemble and deliver a rotor system control. The first pre-series and capacity for up to eight passengers. real helicopter manufacturer, able to pro- machine,” said Jan Nowacki, executive SH09, PS4, will fly in September. Other potential markets include police duce in series and support our custom- v-p of operations. “We have postponed PS4 a little bit and security, utility, VIP transportation, ers,” said Andreas Löwenstein, CEO of Planned ramp-up is to deliver five to to implement all the modifications and and coast guards. n Kopter, when he unveiled the new brand 10 SH09s in 2019, 20 in 2020, more than on February 1. To do so, Kopter will close 30 in 2021, and reaching the full Mollis a funding round of $150 to $200 million capacity of 50 machines per year in 2022. with banks and investment funds later in Those figures don’t take into account final 2018. The financial backer of Kopter, Rus- assembly lines in the U.S. and Asia. Airbus Selects Safran’s Aneto for Racer sia’s Alexander Mamut, who has already Kopter has logged 27 SH09 firm orders, invested $270 million in the program, will 19 on precontract with payment (which Airbus Helicopters (Booth N1915) has with Safran Electrical & Power and the remain the principal shareholder through will be converted into firm orders as soon selected Safran’s Aneto engine to power result of a study financed by France’s Gen- Cyprus-based company Lynwood. as EASA certification occurs), and 120 let- its Rapid and Cost-Efficient Rotorcraft eral Directorate of Civil Aviation (GDAC), the Besides its new name, the Swiss com- ters of intent, Löwenstein said. “We have (Racer) high-speed compound helicopter Power Pack Eco Mode configuration allows pany has inaugurated a new corporate/ sold out the first two to three years of pro- demonstrator. The Racer will be pow- the pilot to put one of the two engines on engineering facility in Wetzikon, 25 km duction,” he added. ered by two 2,500-shp Aneto-1X engines, standby during cruise flight, reducing fuel from Zurich, and new production facil- Kopter is still finalizing some primary a family of engines unveiled by Safran consumption by around 15 percent. ities in Mollis, along with those in suppliers for the helicopter. It chose Swit- (Booth C4743) in October. When necessary—for acceleration, land- Näfels. The factories will house up to zerland-based Connova to fabricate the The Racer is funded by the European ing or emergency maneuvers—the standby 500 employees by 2021 and have a total main components of the all-composite air- Commission’s H2020 research program, engine is quickly and automatically reacti- surface area of 18,000 sq m (226,000 sq frame and TenCate to provide the TC-275 as part of the Clean Sky 2 initiative. The vated to its maximum power, thanks to a ft). Mollis is dedicated to final assembly pre-preg carbon composite material used 2,500-hp Aneto-1X engine is 25 percent new type of electric motor designed by and test flight, while preassembly of key for composite manufacturing. The manu- more powerful than existing engines with Safran Electrical & Power. components, such as the gearbox, rotor facturer will likely announce the avionics the same footprint, according to Safran, “Aneto will help us achieve the ambi- blades, and the all-composite airframe, supplier shortly, although Sagem provided helping to increase capabilities. tious environmental and performance takes place in Näfels. avionics for the first prototypes. The Racer will be the first helicopter to goals set out in this European research Kopter also has facilities in Munich, Kopter still aims to obtain EASA certi- have the Safran Power Pack Eco Mode con- program, thanks in particular to Eco Germany, for airworthiness and engine fication within 12 to 14 months and FAA figuration, which incorporates hybrid pro- Mode,” said Tomasz Krysinski, Airbus support, and in Ennetmoos, Switzer- certification by September 2019. Entry pulsion technologies allowing better energy Helicopters’ research and innovation land, for dynamic component tests, such into service is planned for fall 2019. “It’s management. Developed in partnership director. M.H. as the main rotor system. The company been a long and difficult road,” admitted

ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 3 2018 Heli-Expo opens with record-breaking potential by Kerry Lynch Rotorcraft Safety Challenge, which involves dozens of topic-specific safety The Helicopter Association International’s forums that provide opportunities for 2018 edition of Heli-Expo in Las Vegas is certification credit. The safety sessions shaping up to be another record-breaker, will include discussions both from the with floor space very nearly sold out and operator’s and the pilot’s standpoint on registrations on pace to top last year’s total, the HFI “Land and Live” program. said association president and CEO Matt Zuccaro. Last year’s show, held at the Kay Regulatory Issues Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Beyond safety, a host of other operational, Dallas, drew 17,788 people, 731 exhibiting regulatory, and political issues will be dis- businesses and 62 static-display aircraft cussed through committee meetings and over 322,800 net sq ft. “And right now it other sessions and forums. These cover looks like we’re tracking toward the largest nearly every aspect of the varied helicopter exhibit floor that we’ve ever had,” he said. operations, Zuccaro said. One of the fore- Las Vegas has traditionally been a most issues is the effort to separate the air strong draw for conventions such as Heli- traffic organization from the FAA. HAI is Expo, but Zuccaro believes that is only a aligned with the general aviation commu-

small part of the growth. “All the com- nity in opposition to that effort, he said, KLOSS KASHEA ments we’re receiving are positive. The noting the association has grave concerns Matthew Zuccaro, HAI’s president and CEO, briefs AIN staff on what to expect at this year’s show on its own is creating a buzz,” he about such a prospect. event during a video interview before Heli-Expo 2018. In addition to responsibility for everyday said, adding the mood is upbeat, given the Also industry and regulators are operation of the association, Zuccaro is a member of HAI’s board of directors. uptick in economic indicators. expected to discuss the potential of a “We’ve always looked at Heli-Expo as a rewrite of some of the Part 27 and Part 29 be partnerships with local high schools, government, the military, and schools to bellwether to measure how the industry regulations governing helicopter certifica- technical schools, and colleges to provide alleviate the problem. overall is doing. As the show produces the tion to incorporate some of the risk-based orientation sessions for students inter- Another area of increased focus is numbers—the participation and business and consensus standards approaches ested in entering the industry. In addition, unmanned systems, with new exhibitors, activity on floor—it tells us in an indirect recently adopted for Part 23 general avia- Heli-Expo will continue to host a clinic UAS demonstration cages and discussions way how industry is doing,” he said. tion aircraft certification rules. An informal that is designed to help transition military through various information sessions. The show has expanded in various committee has been reviewing Parts 27 and veterans to the civilian service side. Beyond UAS, Zuccaro believes the show metrics in recent years, he believes, on 29 certification procedures, but Zuccaro is The educational efforts are particu- will host product unveilings, including the strength of the diversity of the indus- hoping that this year’s Heli-Expo can serve larly important as the rotorcraft industry those on new technologies, but was not at try. “When a particular element in the as a “benchmark to get to the next step” worries about pilot and technician short- liberty to detail those unveilings. industry is having a difficult time, we with a more formal approach, such as an ages. “We have a shortage and it is get- Looking forward, HAI is planning out have the ability to take those aircraft and Aviation Rulemaking Committee. ting worse,” Zuccaro said. In addition to the next several Heli-Expos, with the show those resources and staff to move them Another potential issue facing the releasing a survey on the topic, HAI will anticipated to land next year in Atlanta and to other mission profiles and use them to industry as it gathers for Heli-Expo is discuss steps it can take with industry, Anaheim, California, in 2020. n their maximum capability,” Zuccaro said. ADS-B equipage. Zuccaro expressed He acknowledged the struggles of the concern about a “crunch” for helicopter oil-and-gas segment over the past several operator equipage as the 2020 deadline years. But this year, it looks as if it is on approaches, with shop space anticipated the verge of recovery, he said. “The price to become limited. Helping Meet Looming Technician Shortage of oil is going up. The overall economic HAI’s next effort, he said, is to imple- situation worldwide and in the U.S. over ment lower-level IFR dedicated routing With the aviation industry facing a with one of HQ Aero’s local aviation part- the last year has done quite well. We’re and approaches in the air ambulance looming shortage of technicians due to ners. They are then given the opportunity just experiencing that.” environment. Individual operators and retirement, HQ Aero Management (Booth to shadow and work closely with industry In addition to the improving economy, hospitals have established their own C4155) has been helping steer new veterans in the structures career field. the industry is gathering following one of approaches, but the program would take entrants into the field for the past five Since its first class in 2012, all but eight the “greatest humanitarian challenges that it to the next level, he said. The tech- years. In 2012, it partnered with Work- of the 128 enrolled students have com- we’ve ever seen in terms of earthquakes, nology already exists to take Helicopter force West Virginia and local aviation pleted the course, with 105 moving into fires, floods, and hurricanes,” Zuccaro said, TAWS and terrain and obstacle data and companies to establish an eight-week the aviation field upon graduation. The expressing pride in the industry’s response. overlay that with FAA data, providing the aircraft structures training course at a program has expanded to four classes “The helicopter industry has responded to possibility to be able to pull up instru- local community college. of 12 students each a year, with the next those in a phenomenal manner. It was a ment approaches at accident scenes. The Due to various state grants, the cer- group slated to begin later next month. real highlight over the last year. People possibility is under study with the FAA tificate program is free to students and HQ Aero provides nationwide recruit- were in awe of what we did.” and NASA. “That is the kind of advance- provides them with entry-level training ing services to the aviation industry, Heli-Expo will serve as a venue to ments were working on,” he said. in fundamental aircraft structures fab- employing between 200 and 300 con- recognize some of those involved in In addition to discussion about safety rication and repair concepts, including tract aviation technicians at any given responses and continue to highlight the and other issues, Heli-Expo will have assembly tools, blueprint reading, fas- time. It became involved in the project value the industry overall provides to an increased focus on maintenance and tener pattern layouts, and solid rivet and to provide guidance in terms of the skills society, he said. But at the same time it maintenance technicians. “We want to fastener installation. Successful candi- requested by its clients. will serve as a venue to review lessons make sure we give the same attention to dates must pass criminal background and The issue of workforce shortages will learned. The activities will be reviewed the maintenance side, which is absolutely drug tests, as well as a skills assessment also be addressed on Wednesday after- in various meetings to discuss how the critical to operations,” he said. Among to ensure they are mechanically inclined. noon at Heli-Expo 2018, when HAI will industry can become even more effective, other activities, the show will include an According to the company, all students present the results of a new industry Zuccaro said. inspection authorization renewal pro- who complete the program are guaran- labor study conducted with the University The Helicopter Foundation Inter- gram for technicians. teed positions as aviation apprentices of North Dakota. C.E. national (HFI) is bringing back the Along with technician development will

4 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com

some rulemaking around cyberse- News Clips Astronautics tests new curity,” he said. “We want to make sure the [products] we’re deliver- Eye in the Sky Nears New Zealand, FAA STCs ing now are going to be compliant Eye in the Sky (Booth N3017) is close to completing an STC with wireless networking with whatever comes out of that. the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority for its flight recording “Helicopters have unique chal- device. The New Zealand-based company stated that an STC by Matt Thurber lenges…[such as] the tempera- from the FAA is also pending. Eye in the Sky is currently offering tures that they operate in, they’re an early-bird 50 percent discount on all orders until March 31. Astronautics (Booth C5854) has operational data. According to more susceptible to electromag- The flight recording device captures a pilot’s cockpit view and begun engineering testing of its air- Astronautics, the wireless capabil- netic interference, vibration, and records audio, intercom, and radio interactions. Built in GPS records ground communications system ity is via cellular networks when shock. We’ve got a lot of experi- data on speed, altitude, and position, while the accelerometers (AGCS) and is displaying the system on the ground or satcom in the air. ence in developing products that provide information on pitch, roll, and yaw. Overall, the flight this week at Heli-Expo, along with A cybersecurity element is nec- meet those requirements with a recording device records more than 40 hours of video. the RoadRunner electronic flight essary to maintain data quality high degree of reliability, so that The discount reduces the $4,400 list price to $2,200. instrument (EFI), and multifunc- when uploading navigation data- when we put something on a heli- tion display system (MFDS). The bases and software updates to the copter it stays on the helicopter.” Advanced Torque Products’ Enstrom Mast Nut Tool RoadRunner is also on display this helicopter’s avionics. “[AGCS] The AFI 4700 RoadRunner EFI Advanced Torque Products (ATP, Booth C2738) has developed a week at the Eagle Copters’ booth also has a safety aspect as well should receive TSO approval early custom tool kit to improve the torquing method of the mast nut (C4851) in an ERA Bell 212, and at because getting that data off the in the third quarter, and so far it has on the Enstrom F-28F, 480B, and 280FX helicopters. The tool was StandardAero’s booth (C6043). helicopters will allow the opera- flown in the Bell 212 and 214ST and developed to reduce overall weight and size, improve accuracy, and Airbus Helicopters has selected tor to analyze what’s going on and Leonardo Helcipters A109. What provide a safer solution for operators. In the past, maintenance the AGCS for new-production hopefully catch trends,” as well as makes the AFI 4700 unique is that it professionals were faced with having to employ significant physical replaces two electromechanical or force during application, which could lead to dangerous balance issues. first-generation EFI instruments— Now, the company’s new ATP761 tool increases operator safety and the attitude direction and horizon- has addressed previous application problems. The tool kit reduces tal situation indicators—installed application time to less than five minutes, requires only one person for on thousands of helicopters. The labor, provides increased accuracy and reduces the amount of physical RoadRunner EFI features a single force required. Enstrom worked directly with ATP to ensure that the LED-backlit display that fits easily product met and exceeded operators’ needs. Its torque multipliers over the same panel holes filled by are completely mechanical and use stacked planetary gear systems. the older instruments, and installa- tion takes just two hours. USHST Offering Sage Safety Advice During Heli-Expo Also on display at the Astronau- The United States Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) is providing a full tics booth is its six-by-eight-inch slate of safety workshops this week at Heli-Expo 2018. Among the 13 EFI, which features a new software session topics scheduled (some multiple) for today and tomorrow are update with radio altimeter low-al- flight risk assessments; autorotations; safety management systems titude alert, video-panning capa- for small fleet or private operators; human factors; flying blind; Astronautics’ air-ground communications system consists of a server, a wireless bilities for any video source, and vortex ring recovery; airworthiness; flight instructor intervention and connectivity module, a remote media device and software to make it all work. customized behavior of VOR, ILS, risk prevention; intermittent instrument meteorological conditions and marker beacon indications. threat; avoidance and survival; and heliport accident prevention. helicopters, according to Astro- help with managing maintenance The update is for customers Sener The USHST was formed in 2013 as a regional partner within the nautics president Chad Cundiff. costs, said Cundiff. and Babcock MCS España for the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) to lead a cooperative Certification of the system is The AGCS platform is a system Spanish Navy’s AB-212 fleet. government and industry effort promoting safety. The IHST also expected in the fourth quarter, that consists of the AFS 6400 air- Astronautics’s displays are works with regional teams to develop complementary products and Airbus will announce its borne communications server, AFS uniquely able to accept any type for use worldwide, address unique regional needs, and share plans for which helicopters will 6460 wireless connectivity module, of video interface. “We are the these products worldwide. Today, nearly 40 countries support the be the first to receive the AGCS. AFS 6480 remote media device, and only company that has certified IHST’s efforts to reduce civil helicopter accidents and fatalities. The AGCS is designed to meet GSS 6000 ground-server software. multiple video inputs on a pri- multiple requirements for mod- Cybersecurity is a fundamental mary flight display,” said Cundiff. United Rotorcraft Offers Vegas Heli-tour Raffle ern helicopters, from providing aspect of Astronautics’s research For example, FLIR input doesn’t Colorado-based helicopter MRO and completions provider United a secure framework to prevent and development and in its prod- require a converter to run on an Rotorcraft is offering Heli-Expo 2018 attendees a chance to unauthorized access to avion- ucts, and the company is working Astronautics display. “You get experience Las Vegas’ glittering lights from on high with a Sundance ics to wireless transmission of closely with regulators on cyber- HD-quality video that’s certified,” Helicopters tour. Visitors to its booth (C4027) are invited to leave operational and maintenance security issues. “We think in the he said. “We spent a lot of money their business cards to enter into the drawing, which will award two data and storage and retrieval of next few years there’s going to be developing that capability.” n sets of two tickets at the end of the day today and another two sets tomorrow. Each package from the Air Methods subsidiary will include door-to-door stretch limousine service from the winner’s hotel.

RDDS Debuts New Multifunction Touchscreen Displays Airwolf offers Enstrom AD solution shipping completed mod kits back RDDS Avionics and DAC International are introducing Sense, the to customers in less than three former company’s newest range of touchscreen multifunction Airwolf Aerospace is providing Airwolf’s newly STC’d tension-tor- weeks from receipt of the parts. displays, this week at Heli-Expo 2018. DAC (Booth C3951) a solution to Enstrom Helicopter sion (TT) straps are no longer The company also announced is the North American distributor of RDDS Avionics. operators grounded by a recent affected by the AD, the company it is in the final stages of FAA RDDS designs and manufactures mission-critical displays, spindle Airworthiness Directive said. According to Airwolf (Booth approval for its PMA lead lag bear- video distribution and conversion equipment for airborne- (AD). The FAA directive grounds C2426), approximately 550 heli- ings, shear bearings and dampers surveillance operators. Its touchscreen “turret technology” all piston-powered Enstroms copters currently in operation for the Bell 407. As 407 operators allows mission operators to slew camera turrets to objects with more than 1,500 hours worldwide are covered by the AD. have seen a reduction in supply of interest with just a touch of the display screen. on their spindles until they are As a result, Airwolf has invested choices for elastomerics compo- The UK-based avionics maker will also debut RD3003, its replaced with new components, heavily in building up its required nents over the past several years, latest airborne computer, which it says features i7 processors and are thereafter subject to parts inventory and decreasing Airwolf is looking to fill the gap, as and combines the performance needed for feature-rich 500-hour recurring inspections. the turn time required for the it has done with the Bell 206, 204, mission management with a rugged DO160G-qualified form Helicopters modified with conversion. It has committed to 205, 212, and UH-1. C.E. and fit. DAC International is a worldwide distributor of avionics, test equipment, data converters, and aviation supplies.

6 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com

FIREHAWK WHEN MINUTES MATTER... AT LOCKHEED MARTIN, WE’RE ENGINEERING A BETTER TOMORROW.

© 2018 LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION StandardAero, Papillon sign crash-resistant tank MoU by Samantha Cartaino

StandardAero (Booth C6043) signed an of the tanks include a self-sealing break- MoU with Papillon Airways for 40 retrofit- away valve, vent system roll-over protec- table crash-resistant fuel tanks (CRFTs) for tion, a vent system flame arrestor, and a Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopter’s fleet of crash-resistant recessed sump drain valve. Airbus AS350B3s and EC130B4s. The CRFT In 2017 StandardAero acquired Vec- installations are expected to begin in April. tor Aerospace, creating an organization “Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters with 6,000 employees that produces $3 has made the commitment to lead our billion in annual revenues across more industry by retrofitting our tour fleet with than 40 locations around the world. The recently FAA-certified crash-resistant fuel acquisition significantly extends its reach systems,” said Papillon Airways owner in the civilian and military helicopter-en- and executive v-p Lon Halvorson. EASA gine MRO market, including on the M250, certification is expected soon. PT6T, Arriel 1 and 2, T58/CT58 and T700/ The CRFTs, which received FAA certi- CT7 engines. Currently, StandardAero fication in December, were developed by offers services in four different sectors: StandardAero in collaboration with Rob- business aviation; airlines and fleets; mili- ertson Fuel Systems (Booth 6051) for the tary and energy; and components, helicop- AS350 and EC130 families. Safety features ters, and accessories. n

Cadorath receives Rolls, FAA approvals for M250 nozzle Cadorath (Booth C5651) has recently tubes for existing nozzles that previously received approvals for its M250 C47 first- could not be repaired. stage nozzle repair process from Rolls- “This repair represents Cadorath’s ded- Royce (Booth C1343) and the FAA. The ication to defining customer needs and process involves replacing worn cooling providing solutions that exceed expecta- tions,” said Cadorath COO David Haines. “Innovations and partnerships like this will ensure the M250 engine line operates

safely and reliably for years to come.” KLOSS KASHEA Cadorath began working with Rolls-Royce to finish the repair process in 2017. Looking Up close and complex forward, the company will continue to offer Even though this image of the Airbus Helicopters H160 prototype on display this week at repair services for the Rolls-Royce M250 2018’s Heli-Expo shows lots of details about the engineering and design going into something engine line, as well as the 300 line. S.C. as intricate as a Fenestron, complexity of this sort extends throughout a modern rotorcraft.

Avidyne obtains FAA STC for Avinco celebrates 15th anniversary Avinco (Booth N4115) is celebrating its 15th IFD navigators in Robinsons anniversary, and 2018 also marks its 10th Heli-Expo appearance. After completing by Curt Epstein 24 helicopter transactions in 2017, Avinco moved a total asset value in excess of $35 Avidyne (Booth C2531) has received communicates via wireless and provides million. Avinco’s subsidiary, Avinco Americas an FAA STC for its IFD series of FMS/ independent, large-screen display and Corp., totaled seven transactions in 2017. GPS navcoms for installation in Rob- control of the panel-mounted system. “About 50 percent of second hand heli- transactions and 140 commercial aircraft inson helicopters. The STC covers the “Robinson is the world’s leading man- copter transactions involve a U.S. cus- transactions. Avinco also offers sourc- IFD540 and IFD440 systems, as well ufacturer of civil helicopters, and we tomer and 40 percent of helicopters sold ing and consultancy services and trades as the standalone IFD 510 and IFD 410 have found that there is a huge, pent worldwide are sold and remain within helicopters from its own portfolio. A 2016 FMS/GPS navigators, and allow for easy up demand for the features we offer the U.S. This is a critical market for us. AH145 is on display, and available for sale, slide-in replacement installation in Rob- with our IFD series,” said Avidyne CEO We see huge opportunities in the U.S. this week at its Heli-Expo booth. insons currently equipped with legacy Dan Schwinn. EMS sector and the VIP segment is also “This is a great opportunity to thank our GNS navigators. It can also be used for “Now this STC marks the first of many very buoyant,” said François Gautier, the customers for their continued trust and green installations. upgrade and forward-fit programs we are founder and CEO of Avinco. loyalty, and our staff for making this a Operators who upgrade to the IFDs working on to bring the powerful capabil- Since its launch in 2003, Avinco has unique, fun and exciting company deliver- will also be able to add an IFD100, an ities of the Avidyne IFD products to the overseen more than 320 helicopter ing value to the market,” said Gautier. A.P. iPad-based version of the IFD that helicopter market.” n

8 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com LTE avoidance: awareness and training are key to prevention by David Jack Kenny

The specific phrase “loss of tail rotor fast enough to escape its own downwash. effectiveness” (LTE) is significant. While The vertical stabilizer gains meaningful certain types of mechanical failures pro- authority to reduce yaw only near cruising duce similar effects, LTE is a purely aero- speed, and of course wind components dynamic phenomenon in which a fully make up the highest proportion of the functional tail rotor system fails to pro- relative wind at near-zero airspeed. vide effective directional control. The surge in torque accompanying Conventional helicopters have a single abrupt power increases can kick the air- main rotor. In most U.S.-made models it craft into a spin if not precisely matched or-less direct crosswinds opposing the tail altitude. If there’s no altitude to sacrifice, turns counterclockwise. The “equal and by appropriate pedal inputs. Also, yaw rotor’s thrust—left crosswinds from about recovery requires an outwardly spiralling opposite reaction” described by Newton’s most quickly accelerates beyond con- seven to eleven o-clock—cause rapid and flight path that can cover half a mile or Third Law of Motion spins the rest of the trol when it’s in the same direction as unpredictable fluctuations in tail rotor more. Landing zones rarely provide that ship in the opposite direction, clearly not the ship’s intrinsic spinning tendencies, thrust, requiring quick and accurate pedal much clearance from obstructions. acceptable behavior in a functional air- i.e., to the right with a counterclockwise inputs to compensate. LTE can result Many—perhaps most—helicopter craft. The traditional solution is to use main rotor. A helicopter’s orientation to when pedal inputs that fall further behind pilots enter their careers without ever a small rotor facing sideways—that is, the prevailing wind can amplify the risk the aircraft trigger overcorrections. receiving realistic training in LTE onset perpendicular to the plane of the main via three distinct mechanisms: and recovery. Full-motion simulators rotor—at the end of a tailboom to counter Main rotor disk interference—Winds Recovery and Training aren’t widely available. Not all of those that spin with lateral thrust. of 10-30 knots from about the pilot’s As with most aviation emergencies, pre- that exist convincingly recreate the sud- Like everything else in aircraft design, 10 o’clock position can blow the main vention is the best cure. Understanding denness and severity of real LTE events, tail rotor effectiveness is a matter of com- rotor’s tip vortices directly into the tail the situations conducive to LTE and and as the National Transportation Safety promise. The engine produces a limited rotor, creating turbulence severe enough being ready to meet any uncommanded Board noted in a March 2017 Safety Alert, amount of power, so the more that’s pro- to significantly reduce tail rotor thrust. In yaw with timely and forceful pedal pres- “Due to safety concerns, training for LTE vided to the tail rotor, the less is available a right turn, if the pilot reacts by increas- sure reduce the chances of being caught is rarely done in an actual helicopter.” to the main rotor to lift the ship. And, as the ing right pedal pressure, the increase in by surprise or failing to manage an ade- Pete Gillies, who retired as chief pilot FAA’s Helicopter Flying Handbook points thrust after the aircraft turns through the quate response. Stopping the turn imme- after 44 years with Western Helicopters out, “Environmental factors can overwhelm area of interference can quickly push the diately is essential. Once it reaches 180 and spent most of his 50-plus years in any aircraft.” The result is that no single- turn past controllability. degrees, successful recovery requires alti- helicopters flying powerline construc- rotor helicopter has enough tail rotor Weathervaning—Tailwinds (from tude and elbow room, neither of which is tion, sling loads, “mountain missions of authority for every conceivable situation. about the pilot’s four- to seven-o’clock usually available. all types,” fire suppression, and training Low airspeed is a factor in most LTE positions) tend to swing the helicopter’s Altitude offers the option of lowering other experienced pilots in the fine points encounters. Torque reaction is greatest tail downwind. The initial yaw may be collective, reducing both the main rotor of those disciplines, offers these insights at high power settings, and because the either left or right and begins gradually, blades’ angle of attack and engine out- on surviving LTE encounters and training main rotor operates more efficiently in but can accelerate quickly if not coun- put. This decreases torque while making for them in the aircraft: undisturbed air, more power is needed to tered right away. more power available to the tail rotor, but “The only time helicopter pilots rou- stay aloft when the aircraft isn’t moving Tail rotor vortex ring state—More- at the cost of the lift needed to maintain tinely apply full pedal in either direction is when checking freedom of controls before engine start. “In the case of LTE when slowing down A few recent examples: or coming to a hover, FULL opposite pedal is required. Bell Helicopter deserves Wichita Falls, Texas, Oct. 4, 2014: A Bell Austria’s highest mountain was balanced groundspeed of 30 knots. The preponder- credit for researching and publishing the 206L1+ EMS helicopter approached United on one skid while loading. Just after the ance of witness testimony indicated that corrective action years ago. Immediate Regional Hospital’s helipad in very light patient boarded, its tail lifted and swung from a hover, it spun to the right and contin- application of full opposite pedal will stop winds. The pilot decided the approach was to the left. The helicopter made two rota- ued spinning as it descended into the trees LTE if it’s done before the yaw becomes high and fast and tried to go around, pitch- tions nose-low at accelerating speed before in a 45-degree nose-down attitude. These so developed that it cannot be stopped ing forward to build airspeed. A witness on crashing onto the rocks and coming to rest details were corroborated by University without reducing power by lowering col- the ground saw the helicopter begin spin- just above a 1,000-foot drop. No one on of Virginia security camera footage. The lective, still holding full opposite pedal. ning, slowly at first, and descend behind board was seriously injured; the patient was aircraft was being repositioned to provide “Realistic training can be accomplished the building. The pilot reported that when moved to another landing zone and eventu- security for the governor’s motorcade after by climbing to at least 750 feet over a he increased power to climb, the ship ally hoisted out by another helicopter. assisting ground units responding to con- suitable landing surface and coming to entered a “violent” right spin. The helicop- tentious public demonstrations in the city. a hover. Slowly relax the pedal, allowing ter completed at least five rotations before Charlottesville, Virginia, Aug. 12, 2017: Both pilots were killed. yaw to develop, then reapply to stop the hitting the ground inverted and catching While the investigation is still in the infor- yaw and return to the previous heading. fire. The pilot escaped with injuries, but mation-gathering stage, the NTSB’s pre- Clint Johnson, now chief of the NTSB’s Repeating this maneuver and allowing the flight nurse, paramedic, and patient liminary report on the fatal crash of the Anchorage, Alaska office, once narrowly more and faster yaw to develop, you may were all killed. Virginia State Police helicopter bears many escaped an LTE encounter on a windswept find that full opposite pedal will not stop of the hallmarks of LTE. Preliminary radar ridgeline. His recollections and a recreation the yaw. You now have LTE. The only Großglockner, Austria, Aug. 1, 2017: A track data showed the helicopter begin- of the flight form the core of theNTSB practical way of stopping the spinning is McDonnell-Douglas 902 evacuating a ning a right turn before rapidly descend- Safety Alert Video—LTE. See the videos at to reduce power by lowering collective patient from above the 11,000-foot mark of ing out of sight; the final return showed a www.ainonline.com/LTEAccidents. and gain some airspeed, still holding full opposite pedal. n

ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 9 we can in some cases [install Recon] as a Recon is Honeywell’s next-gen HUMS drop-in replacement, but we still need the STC.” Smaller helicopters can benefit from by Matt Thurber lighter-weight Honeywell portable HUMS. Recon taps into Honeywell’s existing Honeywell (Booth C1329) is introducing usage characteristic that we’re getting from Recon, he added, “is scaleable and web-based infrastructure and PC ground- at Heli-Expo 2018 its new Recon HUMS, bus data, which many competitors’ sys- modular, just buy what you need. Unlike based station (PCGBS). Data gathered the next generation of its health and tems do, but also for vibration-monitoring our previous-generation and competitors’ by the data acquisition unit is first sent usage monitoring system, with faster pro- data.” Recon can detect an exceedance, say systems, you can go from a remote vibra- to the PCGBS and then to Honeywell’s cessing, new customization features, and a vibration limit, and send a text message, tion module to a unit that’s a base model HUMS website for further analysis and the ability to more quickly send alerts which takes up a small amount of band- to multiple modules and doing more pro- sharing with maintainers or engine and and data via satcom to recipients on the width, to notify the operator quickly. cessing with more inputs. It’s highly con- airframe manufacturers. ground in real time. Another benefit of Recon’s increased figurable to monitor more inputs.” “Recon’s ability to transfer data in Recon can process data eight times as speed and capacity is that it allows for That said, Recon installations will be real time is enabling the new age of the fast as previous-generation Honeywell more sensor inputs, so operators can certified either by the OEM itself as part connected helicopter,” said Ben Driggs, HUMS. “It reduces flight data acquisi- monitor more parameters, and run more of an original type certificate, or as a sup- president of aftermarket sales, Americas, tion time by 85 percent,” said John Melin, complex algorithms for processing sensor plemental type certificate (STC) for after- Honeywell Aerospace. “Using this new HUMS senior product line leader. data. Honeywell is welcoming developers market upgrades, but generally for large system with other connected technol- The greater processing power allows to develop third-party algorithms that can fleets and not for one-off installations. ogies like Sky Connect and Aspire 200, Recon to process data on board, instead be hosted on Recon, Melin said, for exam- operators can remain connected wher- of having to wait to download data or for ple, military operators or rotorcraft OEMs. Large Aircraft Niche ever they go. This can reduce in-flight data to be sent over relatively narrow-band- The connectivity part is separate from The target market for Recon is medium cancellations by up to 30 percent, reduce width satcom. “It can generate condition Recon, which can be installed inde- and heavy helicopters. “We would engage test flights by 20 percent, and cut down indicators to tell you the health of the air- pendently of a satcom system. Honey- in discussions about what they’re looking on scheduled maintenance by up to 10 craft from the data acquisition unit itself,” well’s Aspire 200 and Sky Connect are to monitor, then would customize a solu- percent.” he explained. “This makes the system typical satcoms available for helicopters, tion, including how many modules and According to an eight-year study of capable of sending real-time alerts on the but Recon works with other satcom and where to place sensors,” Melin said. “If the helicopters operated by the South Caro- health of the aircraft, not just regarding airborne connectivity systems. customer already has our legacy system, lina Army National Guard conducted by the University of South Carolina, Honey- well’s HUMS “saved $2.1 million in parts cost and operation support, [and] found a 75 percent reduction in unscheduled maintenance, [and] unscheduled replace- ments were reduced to less than 4 percent of total maintenance actions.” More than 2,000 Honeywell HUMS are installed on commercial and military rotorcraft, and the company has shipped approximately 20,000 portable systems. Existing HUMS STCs are available for 20 platforms, and announcements of Recon STCs are expected shortly. n

NEWS note The worldwide Leonardo AW139 fleet has amassed two million flight hours. Nearly 900 of the medium twin helicopters are in service in 80 countries worldwide with the fleet leader logging over 12,000 hours. Development began in 1997 as a joint venture with Bell, and the AW139 re- ceived FAA certification approval in 2004. Bell exited the joint venture in 2005. Since the model’s introduction, the airframer has added equipment and capabilities. Maximum takeoff weight Frasca introduces new budget-friendly helo training device increased to 15,432 pounds, enabling enhanced offshore Cat. A procedures. Frasca International (Booth 3909) has 407, Robinson R44, or Airbus Helicopters features include Garmin GTN 750, simu- Maintenance time has been reduced by launched a new, lower-priced helicopter AS350), Garmin G500H or analog instru- lated HeliSAS, three-channel visual display 30 percent. The AW139 is equipped with training device (HTD). The HTD is designed ment panel, Garmin GTN 650, collective system, customer databases, and a trailer a 60-plus-minute run dry main gearbox for helicopter air ambulance providers, grip based on aircraft configuration kit to make the system mobile and contained. and optional systems include limited airborne law enforcement, introductory (governed or ungoverned piston, modu- Frasca designed the HTD for IIMC—inad- and full icing protection and the obsta- turbine transition training, and ab initio lated, or Fadec), annunciator panel and cir- vertant instrument meteorological condi- cle proximity lidar system. Avionics suite flight schools. Frasca developed the HTD cuit breakers required in RFM procedures, tion—encounters as well as operational update releases have included ADS-B in response to customer demand for a Frasca’s Helicopter Mission Training Data- and procedural training. Launch customer Out, TCAS II, EGPWS, and WAAS/LPV. helicopter training device that had a lower base, single-channel visual system, and EMS provider Air Evac Lifeteam took deliv- Leonardo (Booth C3225) has estab- price point but still delivers the features Frasca’s Simplicity touch-screen instructor ery of seven Bell 206 HTDs earlier this lished a reliability data sharing group and required to meet their training objectives. station. It will also be advanced aviation month. Six of the devices are housed in published a flight crew operations manual. The device comes standard with one training device (AATD) qualified. the optional trailers. Frasca is displaying Since 2004, 5,300 pilots and 7,700 techni- aircraft configuration kit (Bell 206, Bell Additional aircraft kits and optional the HTD at Heli-Expo. M.H. cians have trained on the AW139. T

10 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com

m F p 'E lyi ee ng K

Keep Em Flying with With a corporate focus on super-mediums, Airbus Helicopters is shelving plans for its X6. Airwolf PMA/STC parts. Airbus rethinks X6 project Airwolf PMA/STC parts. by Mark Huber and Guillaume Lecompte-Boinet Airbus Helicopters delivered 409 helicop- more than 100 deliveries are scheduled ters last year, a slight decrease from 418 within the next five years, including the Is It gettIng harder to fInd parts? in 2016, the company announced when it three to five helicopters per year assem- airwolf makes It sImple. released its annual results. Gross orders bled in Brazil. Changes were introduced for the year were 350, also down from 388 on the H225/215’s final assembly line to get TT STrapS for: • Enstrom 480 & F28/280 Piston Helicopter Conversions in 2016, while net orders stood at 335 last more flexibility and the ability to produce • Bell Jet Ranger, Long Ranger & OH-58 year, 18 fewer than in 2016 but up slightly several configurations of the Super Puma. • Bell 204, 205, 212, UH-1 & AH-1 Always in Stock, from 333 in 2015. Worldwide, the company Workforce on the line will go from 150 this Under developmenT: Strap Fittings, Pins, Latch Bolts, other Life Limited Components for Bell and Hiller Helicopters Always Saving you Money maintained its 50 percent market share. year to around 400. “We want to reduce by Outgoing company CEO Guillaume one week the time-cycle from six weeks to Faury, tapped to lead Airbus’s commer- five,” said Michel Macia, head of the Super cial aircraft division, said the numbers Puma program. “reached our target” in a “challenging mar- The future of the in-development H160 ket.” Faury also revealed that Airbus is medium twin is bright, Faury said, given rethinking its X6 large-helicopter project. the French military’s selection of the airwolfaerospace.com • 440-632-1687 He said the unspecified technologies type for its HIL (hélicoptère interarmées Airbus was considering for the X6 are “not léger) replacement program, with the ready” from suppliers and “the market is promise of orders for up to 190 H160s. FROM THE COMPANY THAT BROUGHT YOU THE FIRST LONGER LIFE TT STRAPS not sustainable” for a new heavy twin in The decision on the X6 followed a deci- the depressed oil-and-gas space, which is sion to halt production of the H120 Hum- PMA ELASTOMERICS increasingly turning to smaller super-me- mingbird. Airbus wants to focus on the FOR BELL 407 HELicOptERs dium twins such as the H175. H125/130 Squirrel range, which sold well Airbus (Booth N1915) booked orders in 2017 with 197 gross orders. COMING SOON for 19 more H175s last year with total The group inaugurated at the end of orders reaching 100. The in-service fleet last year its new ultra modern blade fac- has amassed 25,000 flight hours with tory, located near Paris, where it invested seven operators. Twenty-two have been €130 million ($160 million). “We will delivered in three configurations: oil and reduce manufacturing cycle times by 50 gas, VIP, and public service. percent and costs by 30 percent with Faury hinted that the X6 might ulti- this new plant,” added Laurent Prat, site mately emerge as a military-driven prod- manager. A number of operations will be uct. For now, he said, Airbus Helicopters robotic, and the factory is “zero-paper.” “will not launch a full-fledged program,” For the near future, Faury sees a “sta- but will rather continue research, and ble” 2018, compared with 2017. And he

SEE US AT that the $429 million in European Union- confirms his market forecasts for the HELI-EXPO! is it gEtting HaRdER tO Find paRts? BOOTH #C2426 approved subsidies for the program from next 20 years: a global civil and parapublic AIRWOLf makEs it simpLE. France and Germany remain “in place.” business of €125 billion ($154 billion) for “A successor [to the H225] has to be new helicopter deliveries. This represents NEW fOR 2018: PMA ELASTOMERICS fOR BELL 407 HELICOPTERS. able to answer to the expectations of the 22,000 aircraft, including about 16,000 in Shear Bearings, Dampers, Lead Lag Bearings military market,” Faury said. “We believe the light helicopter segment. The rest of this military market may be more active the market, €245 billion ($301 billion) will [in the future] than it is today.” However, be for after sales service and spare parts, right now, he said, “Airbus could not make where Airbus Helicopters makes 48 per- a robust business case” for the X6. cent of its turnover. Instead, a ramp up is scheduled for the Faury said he hopes his successor, Visit us at Heli-Expo for more H225/215 in light of orders received in 2017. former Safran Helicopter Engines CEO details on how we can help you save! The airframer wants to increase deliv- Bruno Even, will continue to embrace airwolfaerospace.com • 440-632-1687 eries from eight helicopters in 2017 to 13 new technologies such as electric propul- this year and 30 per year after. In total, sion and autonomous flight. n

12 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com the GlobalParts.aero executives agreed. GlobalParts.aero moves into rotor market GlobalParts.aero supports manufacturers and customers with customized manu- by Kerry Lynch facturing, including the production of “one-off” parts. This work has supported GlobalParts.aero (Booth C3645) Gill Batteries, LoPresti Aviation, Shadin parts offering and builds up the clientele. airframes from many of the major fixed- is expanding into the rotary-wing Avionics, Precise Flight, Mid-Continent In addition to expanding the parts wing manufacturers, but also rotary-wing market with plans to boost its port- Instruments, Electromec Technologies, and business, the move into the helicop- manufacturers. The repair business can folio of parts offerings for mixed- Ametek MRO. GlobalParts.aero executives ter market extends to its Part 145 capa- expand its support offerings for a custom- fleet customers. Exhibiting for the expect thisAIN_2018_JUNIOR_PG_R44_BRAND_AD.pdf list will grow as it expands 1 1/8/2018 its 10:35:41bilities AM and manufacturing businesses, er’s fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. n first time at Heli-Expo this year, the Wichita, Kansas-based parts provider sees the move as a natural progression for its business, said GlobalParts.aero COO Malissa Nesmith. “We already have a cus- tomer base with mixed fleets, but we hadn’t previously crossed over and made a focus of it like we are this year.” She added that the com- pany has had a “laser focus” in the early part of this year on getting the word out about its recent expansion. GlobalParts.aero paved the way for the expansion last year, bring- ing on board George Canale and Bill Vickers, two industry veter- ans with expertise in helicopter components, as business devel- opment executives. “Many times when we’re calling on fixed-wing customers, we might walk into a hangar to talk about a Learjet and there might be two or three heli- copters there,” Vickers said. “We’re already with that customer and at the airport. So the business is already there.” The next step is to determine the needs of customersC with both fixed- and rotary-wingM models, Vickers said. “We’re in the Y very early stages of setting up.” In addition to having a built-inCM customer base, the company hasMY already been positioned to proCY - vide parts through its existing CMY distribution channels. “With the distribution lines that we have,K we have a lot of crossover from the fixed-wing [market] into the helicopter market. To us, it’s an obvious transition,” he said. The company distributes more than 90,000 unique part numbers and already has added 6,000 more in the rotary-wing space, Nesmith estimated. The company is initially targeting part numbers for models that its customer base may already be flying, such as Bell, Airbus Heli- copters, and Sikorsky. It is working with select airframes that it can support, “rather than going after everything and then saying we’re in the helicopter market,” Vickers said. It is offering rotary-wing parts from several of its existing part- ners, including Parker Aerospace,

*

YOUR SOURCE FOR AVIATION NEWS www.ainonline.com

ENEWSLETTER FOR BUSINESS AVIATION ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 13 www.ainonline.com/alerts

AERO DEFENSE INDUSTRY ENEWSLETTER www.ainonline.com/subscribe

AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRY ENEWSLETTER www.ainonline.com/subscribe

FOR NEWS VIDEO FROM DUBAI In addition to market forces, Cutillo blamed some internal factors for a dis- appointing 2017, including “offering too much flexibility to push sales.” He declared a simple rule going forward: “We cannot change the configuration Leonardo’s AW139 once the helicopter is on the final assem- medium helicopter bly line.” is powered by two Cutillo said the civil rotorcraft market Pratt & Whitney is returning to growth; the CAGR fore- Canada PT6C-67C cast is 5 percent in the five-year period turboshaft engines through Fiscal Year 2022. The stron- of 1,142 kW (1,531 gest segments are predicted to be light shp) apiece. Current intermediate, intermediate, and medium, production is as where Leonardo offers the AW169, AW139, high as six per and AW189, respectively. “The medium/ month. heavy segment is not attractive,” he added. The military helicopter market is expected to continue to decline by 2 per- cent a year through the same period. One of the aircraft on the production line is Leonardo revving up to 10 percent profit the 16th and final ICH-47F Chinook, built under license for the Italian army. by Rick Adams Despite cash-flow concerns, Leonardo plans a robust investment strategy, fueled If 2017 represented a “reset” for strug- From 2018 to 2020, Leonardo is estimat- the parent company’s CFO, maintained by €200 million ($245 million) identified gling Italian aviation and defense company ing order growth of more than 6 percent that “there’s nothing wrong with the core savings from “strict cost control” and a Leonardo, including a new chief executive and a 10 percent increase in profitability product strategy.” While the company’s “new phase” of its Leonardo 2.0 internal officer and new managing director of its by Fiscal Year 2020. Earnings before inter- addressable civil helicopter market had “one company” integration and optimiza- flagship helicopters division, 2018 “will est, taxes, and amortization (EBITA) for plummeted 45 percent from 2013 through tion campaign, launched when the name plant the seeds for growth,” according to 2018 are forecast to be between €1.075 2016, he noted this was largely linked to was changed from Finmeccanica in 2016. CEO Alessandro Profumo, who recently billion and €1.125 billion (USD$1.3 billion the decline of oil-and-gas industry sales. Half of these investments will address addressed investment analysts and media and $1.4 billion) on revenues of approxi- But within that shrunken space, Leon- platform-focused improvements, such as at an industrial plan event in Vergiate, Italy. mately €12 billion ($14.7 billion). Backlog ardo (Booth C3225) captured market those addressing noise reduction, green After shares had dropped about 20 per- is €34 billion ($41.7 billion), or equivalent share from its competitors on the strength technologies, and avionics. cent last November, when former banker to three years of revenue. of its dominant AW139 medium twin-en- More than one-third of investment is Profumo issued a surprise reduction in “We absolutely have the right product gine multi-role platform. The company targeted to new product development, 2017 guidance, investors were hoping for in the right market,” said Profumo. “We is currently producing five to six AW139s including the AW609 tiltrotor. Profumo an aggressive forecast revision. But they have a plan and we know where we need per month in Vergiate and Philadelphia, said the company anticipates certifica- were disappointed by Leonardo’s expec- to go. Now it’s time to execute.” Pennsylvania, for emergency medical ser- tion of the aircraft by the end of 2019. A tations of relative flatness in the 2018 to Leonardo Helicopters managing direc- vices (EMS), search and rescue (SAR), law fourth prototype is expected to fly this year, 2019 near term, sending the company’s tor Gian Piero Cutillo, who shifted to enforcement, oil and gas, VIP transport incorporating a Rockwell Collins Pro Line stock price down another 12 percent. the role in September after serving as and military customers. Fusion flight deck for avionics testing. n

AW609 tiltrotor flight tests target 2019 service entry by Mark Huber

Leonardo Helicopters is checking off key Another major milestone was achieved milestones on its AW609 civil tiltrotor late last year when Transport Canada program, and the aircraft remains on pace certified the AW609’s 2,000-shp Pratt & for entry into service in 2019, the com- Whitney Canada PT6C-67A powerplant. pany reported in its latest update. The PT6C-67A has a new compressor “Our collaboration with ICAO [the with advanced aerodynamics, and the The AW609 civil tiltrotor project is expected to achieve entry-into-service in late 2019. International Civil Aviation Organization] engine’s new turbines are made with and the FAA, coupled with the increasing more modern materials. Together, the Fuselage fatigue testing, meanwhile, touchscreen avionics. Cockpit integra- momentum in flight test and developmen- new compressor and turbine allow for kicked off late last year at Leonardo’s facil- tion tests are conducted on a regular tal operations, puts the company in the increased power and reduced fuel con- ity in Poland, the company said, and added basis with the support of the integra- right position to ensure first AW609 deliv- sumption. The engine has also been cer- supplier component certification testing tion lab to finalize man-machine inter- eries after certification in late 2019 meet tified to enable continuous operation in is proceeding well and according to plan. face and the correct display of all flight customer operational requirements,” said vertical flight. AC4 is currently undergoing assembly information. Bill Sunick, AW609 marketing manager for In accordance with development plans, and plans call for it to join the flight-test Leonardo said it is also closing in on its Leonardo (Booth C3225). a production engine was recently retrofit- program this year. The aircraft will be the collaboration with the ICAO to finalize Last year, the third AW609 test aircraft ted onto AC3 to complete the integration first to feature the Rockwell Collins Pro the first version of the “Tilt-Rotor Guid- (AC3) successfully completed an artificial and ready the aircraft for certification Line Fusion cockpit. ance Material.” And the company said it icing campaign in Marquette, Michigan, testing. Retrofit of AC1 is nearly complete The company continues develop- is progressing toward the development of laying the groundwork for future testing and that aircraft will start certification ment and engineering work to integrate AW609 training manuals and other tech- in natural icing conditions. “load level” surveys this year. the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion nical publications. n

14 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com INVENTION IS THE MOTHER OF NECESSITY: ENGINES BUILT FOR A HIGHER PURPOSE.

When P&WC delivered its first helicopter engine, no one was thinking about windmill farms. Today, the capabilities of our engines and the helicopters they power have redefined what’s possible... and what our customers see as a necessity.

Learn more at pwc.ca/en/engines/turboshaft

Visit us at HAI Heli-Expo, Booth C4432 Ramco developed multi-organization Ramco extends its reach; unit capability, which involved a single installation that all the different organiza- tions can access with separate logins and eyes ‘long tail’ of small ops individually manage their information. But the installation also can pool infor- by Kerry Lynch mation from these organizations that is required at the corporate level. Ramco (Booth C7932) continues to expand needed a flexible system that could be used Now with a full portfolio of clients, its portfolio of large helicopter fleet oper- remotely. Ramco tailored a system that Ramco is looking at the next stages of evo- ations as it looks to build an ecosystem of would work for those operations. lution for its products, including building data collection and sharing. At the same At the time, Ramco was primarily an ecosystem that can directly connect time, though, the aviation maintenance enmeshed in the airline industry. But a information to the supply chain and the and support software specialist is eying short-lived arrangement with Boeing that OEM. Singh noted that the company’s cli- the “long tail” of smaller operators with limited its ability to independently mar- ents not only are the largest fleet operators, plans to roll out a new push into that arena. ket its software to airlines led Ramco to but they also are operators that have the Ramco has developed apps for a wide variety The latest large fleet operator to select look at other opportunities, including the largest collection of given helicopter types. of operator functions. the Ramco system is Papillon Group. helicopter market, Singh said. This provides opportunities in the Papillon’s Grand Canyon Helicopters areas of data sharing with the OEM. Pro- While the software specialist expands and Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines Tailored Offerings for viding clear channels of operational and its opportunities with large fleet oper- installed the Ramco Aviation Suite V5.8 Rotor-industry Clients maintenance data to the OEM enables ators, it is also turning its attention system, which will integrate the manual Ramco had noted that most operators the manufacturer to track trends to offer to smaller operators. Ramco has built systems of both operators into a single tracked only a portion of their mainte- better support, as well as engineering a suite on the cloud that can be used platform and automate maintenance, nance, but needed access to a range of improvements. Also, from the supply by small operators. The operator can engineering, compliance, quality assur- information, from parts management side, data sharing will enable the supplier input information such as helicop- ance, and crew scheduling functions. In to flight operations, he said. Bringing on to better plan and prepare for the parts ter configuration, weight and balance, addition, the system will provide elec- board PHI and Era, Ramco rolled out an needs of the operator, Singh said. “We operational details, and inventory, via tronic flight bag tools and automated electronic flight bag capability and pro- are trying to improve the visibility,” Singh the cloud-based system and have the flight operations information. vided software that took a more complete said, and the large fleet operators provide ability to track and manage operations approach to maintenance tracking. The statistical significance. Ramco already similar to the system used by the large EFB function provided an interface for the has a client on board with this initiative, fleet operations. Singh estimates that flight crew to manage their tasks on board. and is in discussions with others over the cloud-based system will provide at In addition, Ramco integrated operational the possibility. least 80 percent of the functionality of information, with other processes such as “We have gained the scale in the industry the large-fleet operator system. maintenance and billing, to provide a holis- to bring value in connecting organizations He is hoping for a quick ramp up tic approach for the operator. and operators and build an ecosystem,” of the customer base in this area, and Ramco developed the software taking Singh said. “From the technology perspec- plans to highlight the system during into account the numerous unique fac- tive, we are trying to make a big leap.” Heli-Expo this week. n tors that need to be reflected in mainte- nance tracking. Maintenance tracking is not just a matter of how many hours or flight cycles, Singh said, but also must reflect the nature of operation, including the loads, environments, and any special equipment installed on the helicopter. Ramco developed a “huge list of parame- ters” for operators to capture, he said. Ramco then moved into the air med- Bringing new tools to electronic flight bags ical field with companies such as Air is part of Ramco’s expansion strategy. Methods and Air Medical Group Hold- ings (AMGH), which have several indi- “Embracing digitization with Ramco vidual bases that may be staffed by a will bring a new edge to our business,” pilot and perhaps a mechanic. Ramco said Geoff Edlund, president of Papillon tailored its products to facilitate use of Grand Canyon Helicopters, adding the the system at these smaller bases, while service will streamline its operations and still providing a complete picture to the ensure real-time data availability. parent company. Papillon, which operates 80 rotary- and Also some air medical clients have sep- fixed-wing aircraft, flying 600,000 passen- arate companies throughout the country EC135/H135 fleet numbers 1,300 gers annually on sightseeing tours, joins a feeding into a central corporation, Singh Ramco client list that includes seven of the said. “These are very independent compa- Airbus Helicopters (Booth N1915) deliv- offshore wind, and military flight train- top 10 U.S. fleet operators (in terms of fleet nies. When it came to integrating a group ered the 1,300th helicopter from the H135 ing. The majority of the lightweight twin- size). These clients—including Air Methods, level, it was a nightmare.” family, attesting to the popularity of the engine helicopters of this type are oper- PHI, Air Evac, and Era Helicopters, among light-twin helicopter, the manufacturer ated in Europe, with 641 of them based others—are engaged in a range of opera- announced. The H135-family global fleet there, followed by North America, with tions, from medical evacuation to oil-and- has accumulated more than 4.5 million 316, and Asia, with 195. gas support and air tourism. flight hours since service entry of the first In 2016, the H135 was upgraded with Air- This range of operations has helped EC135 in 1996. bus Helicopter’s Helionix avionics suite to evolve the Ramco product suite since it According to Airbus, more than 300 better meet customer needs. The avionics entered the helicopter market in 1999, said Manoj Singh, customers in 60 countries fly H135-family system incorporates a four-axis autopilot— Manoj Singh, senior v-p, North America for senior v-p, helicopters on a wide range of missions, the same one that’s on the H175 and H145— Ramco. The company initially provided North America including emergency medical services, and further reduces pilots’ workload and software to Columbia Helicopters, which for Ramco law enforcement, corporate transport, provides a higher level of safety. C.T. was flying in a range of environments and Systems.

16 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com JSSI. A BETTER APPROACH

For nearly 30 years, we’ve provided maintenance support for virtually every make and model of business and regional jet, turboprop and helicopter on the market. Wherever you fly, enhance your ownership experience with a complete range of maintenance, financial and consulting services from JSSI.

MORE THAN HOURLY COST MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

ASSET JSSI JET ENGINE ADVISORY MONITORING PARTS LEASING SERVICES PLATFORM

VISIT US AT OUR BOOTH #N3930

WE ARE JSSI. JETSUPPORT.COM Aircraft availability takes on greater focus at Sikorsky by Mark Huber

Sikorsky remains focused on supporting tracking how effective they have been in a fleet of some 1,000 civil helicopters servicing the demand of the region they worldwide, said company director fleet cover,” Gharibian said. management supportability and training It starts with Sikorsky’s four forward Simon Gharibian. Its biggest emphasis, parts-stocking locations and its Atlanta Gharibian added, “is to ensure availability parts hub, expanding the number of parts of the aircraft, that is operating and avail- the company is stocking and improv- able and ready for a mission.” ing inventory turn rates, according to To that end, over the last two years Gharibian. Then it extends to Sikorsky’s

Sikorsky (Booth N5315) has made signifi- initiatives and relationships with service MARIANO ROSALES cant progress reducing aircraft on ground centers and customers, as well as the Sikorsky’s S-92 medium-lift helicopter is powered by twin GE CT7-8A turboshafts turning four (AOG) turnaround time, Gharibian said. company’s recent service-related innova- composite main rotor blades. Monitoring systems track some 5,000 parameters in real-time. In 2016, AOG turnaround time dropped 66 tions. Sikorsky has 23 authorized service percent and total AOG volume dropped 72 centers worldwide. the lower time periods altogether thanks download either on demand by pilots or percent. “We’ve seen a further 20 percent More than a decade ago, Sikorsky formed to some very rich customer data.” ground crews or can be automatically trig- drop on the turnaround time, so now we a maintenance review steering group with And there is a lot of data. “We already gered by a major event on the aircraft such are averaging under our original target of customers that convenes every six months have 1.25 million hours of maintenance as a caution or warning. Live HUMS infor- 24 hours. We’ve gone as low as 16 hours on to review inspection intervals, maintenance and HUMS data from the S-92 and we mation can rapidly speed maintenance, monthly averages and an additional drop manuals, and specific tasks. This approach want to take advantage of this data to thanks to Sikorsky’s next-generation cus- of 30 percent in monthly occurrences,” he has produced demonstrable savings. ensure we keep inventory and positioning tomer portal, Sikorsky360, Gharibian said. pointed out, crediting the improved per- On the S-92, for example, the first as efficient as possible,” Gharibian said. Going forward, Gharibian said Sikorsky formance to better process improvement major inspection has been pushed out Last year, Sikorsky—in cooperation would continue working with the FAA to and forecasting. from 1,250 to 1,500 hours. “We’ve been with PHI and Metro Aviation—added leverage investments in “speed, auton- “It’s about having the right parts in the able to shift hundreds of line items to real-time health-usage and monitoring omy, and intelligence” and reduce cus- right place at the right time. That’s been that later inspection interval. At the same (HUMS) capability to the S-92. It auto- tomer costs by developing new operating significantly helped by increasing utiliza- time, we’ve been able to eliminate or matically monitors 5,000 parameters efficiencies and lifetime extensions for tion of our forward stocking locations and move out inspection intervals at some of coming off the aircraft, allows live HUMS critical parts and components. n

Similar opportunity is available in Rockwell the lighting, cabin management, and P&WC unveils six-pack of new services power-systems businesses. B/E Aero- space’s 2014 purchase of Emteq brought Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC, Booth the key to our future success and to that of Collins touts those capabilities into the interiors spe- C4432) has unveiled six new aftermarket our customers,” said P&WC vice president cialist’s portfolio. Collins’s acquisition of offerings tailored to specific segments of of customer programs Tim Swail. B/E Aerospace expands those opportuni- the helicopter market. Topping the list is an P&WC also announced a new line- wide range ties by opening up new markets, notably expansion of its PT6A Certified Pre-Owned replaceable unit program that will add on the military side, and connecting the (CPO) engine program to the PT6C-67C, geographic pools to an existing initiative capabilities to its legacy product lines, PW206C, and PW207C turboshaft engines. that places LRUs with customers, and an of upgrades such as avionics and connectivity. Customers that purchase CPO equipment Eagle Service Program platinum level for Another fruitful area: upgrades on para- through P&WC’s dealers will get a one- its P206/207s that includes environmental by Sean Broderick public aircraft, such as law-enforcement year/500-hour first-run factory warranty. repair at overhaul. helicopters that also serve special mis- “There are five times as many transac- Two other specialized offerings target Rockwell Collins (Booth C1731), long sions, such as search and rescue. The tions in the secondary market than there government and military operators. P&WC is established on a variety of military heli- variety of products needed for the array of are new transactions,” P&WC vice presi- working on “tailored solutions and services” copter platforms, is looking to leverage its missions—from synthetic vision systems dent-sales and marketing for helicopter for defense and security-focused operators, experience and the addition of B/E Aero- to lighting kits for multiple roles—lends engines Nicolas Chabée told AIN. “As an including firefighting and law enforcement. It space’s product lines to expand its reach itself to Collins’s broadening portfolio. OEM, we want to bring value there, too.” also is creating “optimized packages of spare and spotlight its civil capabilities. “What we’re able to do from a Rock- P&WC is also rolling out a pay-per-hour parts and engineering services” for head-of- One area that’s helping drive synergies well Collins standpoint is bring all of this program for fleets of fewer than five heli- state customers, including mobile-repair ser- is the company’s Fischer Seats division, together in one place,” Toy said. “It’s more copters. The program, based on P&WC’s vices for on-site maintenance and training of said Dan Toy, Collins’s strategic market- one-stop shopping.” Fleet Management Program (FMP) for customer technicians. S.B. ing manager for rotary-wing solutions. While branching out from its tradi- larger operators, will start on the PW206, Already well known in the helicopter tional product lines is one focus, Col- PW207, and PT6C engine families. It will world thanks to its forward-fit positions lins is not taking its eye off of its legacy offer both tailored packages and transfer- for flight deck and cabin seating, Fisch- business lines. The company’s presence ability, the company said. er’s products are being brought to the at HAI includes its new retrofit cock- In addition, the company also is integrat- table on upgrades and retrofit opportu- pit display system aimed at medium ing data analytics, using programs such as GET UP TO nities, particularly in the military and and heavy-lift helicopters. The system its FAST and oil analysis offerings, to help SPEED! public-use arenas. builds on Collins’ vast experience as a deliver more customized service packages. ON THE LATEST “Fischer has a very solid position almost forward-fit supplier for the OEMs for “These new services and solutions are sup- HELO & BIZJET NEWS all of the major OEMs on forward-fit,” said heavy and medium helicopters, includ- ported by the use of big data and technolo- SENT RIGHT TO Toy. “We’re starting to see a lot of oppor- ing the Sikorsky S-92 and S-76D, Airbus gies that amplify our ability to be innovative, YOUR INBOX tunity to bring that over to the military Helicopters H225 and H155, and Leon- scalable, and flexible, which we believe is www.ainonline.com/subscribe and the parapublic customers.” ardo AW169 and AW189. n

18 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com THE H160. WHAT THE PEOPLE YOU RELY ON, RELY ON.

FLY WE MAKE IT The new generation H160 boasts a range of unparalleled safety features. Maximized pilot visibility, intuitive information display, unrivaled pilot assistance with Helionix®, and unmatched flight envelope protection. What’s more, it carries up to 12 passengers with a radius of action of 120 NM, while burning 15% less fuel. With so many impressive features, the H160 is a huge step forward not just for its category, but for the environment too.

Safety. We make it fly.

Come see the impressive H160 at Booth #N1915

airbus.com

Airbus RUSH Show Daily Helicopter Ad 022418.indd 1 2/23/18 6:44 PM Van Horn refining, expanding Bell blades by Rob Finfrock

Van Horn Aviation (Booth C6054), which Tempe, Arizona-based company recently blade with modified doublers to combat a has produced more than 4,000 rotor blades introduced a new, plug-in replacement nuisance paint-cracking issue. for Bell light and medium helicopters over bearing design to facilitate easier installa- “These aren’t flashy ‘wow’ widgets, but the past 10 years, is rolling out several new tion of its Bell 206 tail rotor blade, as well rather examples of our customer-centric products and product enhancements. The as an updated variant of its UH-1H tail rotor emphasis,” Van Horn president Dean

Rosenlof told AIN. “We saw a need for changes and made the neces- sary corrections.” That said, Van Horn continues to develop new products in the segment. After nearly two years of work, Van Horn resumed flight test- ing earlier this year of its prototype main rotor blades for the Bell 206L LongRanger. Similar in design to Van Horn’s existing line of composite blades for the 206B but with an addi- tional 22 inches in length, the new 206L blades include fiberglass root and tip blocks, a foam core and carbon fiber spar and skin, and stainless steel/nickel abra- sion strips. They will feature a 20,000-hour component life with 5,000-hour overhaul intervals, at a target price of $95,000. “We’ve gone through one com- plete mission [in testing] and it’s flying incredibly well, with similar properties to metal blades,” Rosen- lof said. The company anticipates cer- tification shortly, with deliveries beginning in the third quarter. Bell’s Aeronautical Accessories subsidiary will be the exclusive distributor. Noting that company projec- tions show potential for addi- tional applications in the legacy light/medium helicopter segment, Rosenlof emphasized a cautious approach to future growth and expressed pride in what Van Horn has accomplished with just 30 For missions employees at its Tempe facility. “That number includes production and flight testing, and certification accomplished testing,” he added. “It’s rather amazing how much we can do as a micro-company. Truth is, we have enough work Whatever the missions, satisfying our current growth plans, whatever the times, wherever the places, and we don’t want to diminish our we’ll get you where you’re going. capability to serve our customers.” While Heli-Exop 2018 provides Say hello to Kopter. companies with a powerful venue to showcase new products, Van Horn views the show primarily as an koptergroup.com important opportunity to meet with its existing customer base. “We’re here to give customer support for our rotor blades in the field,” Rosen- lof said. “Our customers know we’re here for them.” n

20 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com LIFT AND THRUST MAKE THEM FLY. YOUR SMART DECISIONS LET THEM LAND.

HELICOPTER SOLUTIONS ™ ™ ™ ™ G500H TXi GTN 750 HTAWS GTX 345 GRA 55 GFC 600H TOUCHSCREEN TOUCHSCREEN HELICOPTER TERRAIN ALL-IN-ONE ADS-B ALL-DIGITAL FLIGHT CONTROL FLIGHT DISPLAYS NAVIGATOR AWARENESS AND TRANSPONDER RADAR ALTIMETER SYSTEM WARNING SYSTEM

GARMIN.COM/HELICOPTERS

© 2018 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

18-MCJT10072 Helicopter Solutions Ad-10.8125x13.875-AIN_ShowDaily-HAI.indd 1 2/22/18 1:40 PM Now out of bankruptcy, Thanks to its characteristic flexibility and heavy- Erickson has lifting capability, the Sikorsky S-64 Aircranes Erickson a new focus operates on fire- fighting missions by Garrett Reim like this also can be applied to a wide Some nine months out of bankruptcy, Erick- variety of military son (Booth C1338) has new private owner- and national defense ship, a new board of directors, and a new activities as the executive team. It also has a new strategy. company expands Before the bankruptcy, the company into those markets. was known as the manufacturer, as well as an operator, of the S-64 Aircrane heli- copter, which is used for its heavy-lift abilities on construction and logging “You are seeing a shift within the Erickson generated $297.5 million in has a lift capacity of up to 25,000 sites, and as a water tanker for aerial fire- DOD away from these legacy, accept- revenue in 2015, but had a net loss of $86.7 pounds and can be equipped with a fighting. It also operated a fleet of several able, touch-labor contracts toward, ‘We million, according to financial filings. The 2,650-gallon water tank and snorkel for dozen smaller helicopters and fixed-wing are looking for quality,’” said Kitani. “It’s company filed for bankruptcy in Novem- aerial firefighting. aircraft. But, Erickson of Portland, Ore- beyond the simple repair aircraft. It’s ‘How ber 2016 with debts of $561 million. Kitani acknowledged that civil avi- gon, is turning its focus away from civil do we extend the life of these aircraft?’” Much of the company’s liabilities came ation services will remain the bulk of aviation services and toward serving the In particular, the company sees oppor- from its $298 million acquisition of Ever- Erickson’s revenue stream over the next U.S. military, said Doug Kitani, the firm’s tunities to provide aircraft modification green Helicopters and $26 million pur- five years. In 2015, civil aerial services CEO since September. and support, as well as pilot services for chase of Air Amazonia in 2013, according accounted for 54.1 percent of the firm’s “We are now organized around two special operational activities in remote to financial filings. Erickson divested revenue, defense and security accounted principal verticals: commercial and and austere environments—conditions to itself of Air Amazonia and the majority of for 35.3 percent, and manufacturing and defense-national security,” he said. “Most which Erickson is accustomed, given its the helicopters that it acquired through MRO accounted for 10.6 percent, accord- of us on the team and the board view the history of aerial firefighting, logging, and its purchase of Evergreen as part of its ing to a financial filing with the Securities national security segment as a tremen- heavy-lift operations. bankruptcy reorganization. and Exchange Commission. dous growth opportunity.” Kitani declined to disclose Erickson’s Erickson’s Aircrane is a heavy-lift The company now owns 50 aircraft, 20 Within five to 10 years, the company revenue last year or this year’s projection. helicopter based on the U.S. military’s of which are S-64 Aircranes. The rest are aims to generate the majority of its rev- He also would not reveal the firm’s num- Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe. The company a mixture of fixed-wing aircraft and other enue from military customers through ber of employees, though in May 2017 then- manufactures the helicopter in-house helicopters, said Kitani. Erickson has pilot services, as well as maintenance, interim chief executive Andy Mills told AIN via a type and production certificate orders for four S-64 Aircrane Helitankers repair, and overhaul services. that the company had 700 employees. from Sikorsky Aircraft. The Aircrane from South Korea’s Forest Service. n

In-flight trials help improve HTAWS for offshore missions by Sean Broderick

A consortium of helicopter operators, based flight data monitoring (FDM) data. flight crew to loss of airspeed. CHC, Bri- protection against loss of airspeed on regulators, and safety advocates is mak- The protection envelopes defined in stow, and Babcock International contrib- approach using input parameters of indi- ing progress on tailoring Helicopter Ter- CAP 1519 came after several years of CAA- uted FDM data to help build a dataset of cated airspeed (IAS) and total torque,” rain Awareness and Warning Systems led work using FDM data, providing the some 200,000 offshore approaches. These CAA explains in guidance material. “This (HTAWS) for offshore operations. baseline for the enhanced envelopes. It data were used to set the alerts for the envelope may be inhibited below a height Trials held in November involving pilots also identified two new envelopes alerting new Offshore Envelope 7, which “provides of 50 feet to avoid unwanted alerts during from CHC Helicopter and Bristow Group a rejected takeoff following an engine fail- evaluated a modified Honeywell Mark XXII ure.” CAA added that Envelope 7 “is tai- enhanced ground proximity warning sys- lored to individual helicopter types” for tem (EGPWS) in a Sikorsky S-92 simulator optimal performance. at Bristow’s Aberdeen, Scotland, base. The The Aberdeen trials are part of a system used flight-alert envelopes devel- broader safety effort from trade associ- oped by the UK Civil Aviation Authority ation HeliOffshore, which works with and published in its CAP 1519. OEMs, operators, and oil-and-gas compa- Using HTAWS in offshore operations nies to improve offshore rotorcraft safety. presents several challenges. Some cur- “This trial was a great example of rent systems can’t accurately display industry collaboration, as Honeywell was fixed obstacles, such as oil platforms, and supported by CHC and Bristow pilots, mobile obstacles present a challenge in some of whom had given up their time keeping a database accurate. The solution, off to fly on the trials, and simulator staff the collaborators feel, is creating modes who provided expert technical support with alert envelopes that can be inte- during two and a half days of simulator grated into HTAWS and selected when Operators CHC, Bristow, and Babcock International contributed FDM data to help build a dataset time donated by Bristow,” said HeliOff- appropriate. The modes’ parameters are of some 200,000 offshore approaches that have been integrated into Offshore Envelope 7. shore consultant Mark Prior. n

22 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com See us at Booth #C4622

OEM MODERNIZATION SUPPORT

B412 B429 S70 EC225

A109 B412

Flight Displays Commercial Aircraft Life Cycle Integrated Systems Defense & Government Logistics Network Solutions Business Aviation Engineering Services

B412EPI S70/UH-60 Analog/Digital

PFD MFD EICAS WxRadar PFD VIDEO FLIR Electrical Fuel Engine www.rogersonkratos.com Rogerson Kratos certified the first Rogerson Kratos offers legacy aircraft Primary Flight Displays, Integrated the opportunity to have all the features, CONTACT: Instrument Display Systems, EICAS, meet all the certification requirements North America Multi-Function Displays, Integrated and addresses obsolescence challenges [email protected] Avionics Systems for Helicopters. on most aircraft fleets. South America [email protected] Having flown hundreds of thousands Improves Safety, Mission Effectiveness, Europe of hours in all climates and conditions, and Situational Awareness, while improv- [email protected] the Rogerson Kratos Advanced Avionics ing life cycle costs for commercial, Middle East/Africa Systems fulfill challenging missions government, and special mission [email protected] every day on every continent. operations. Asia [email protected] Milestone eyes Chinese HEMS by Curt Epstein

Milestone Aviation sees increasing oppor- healthcare sector is being fueled by a popu- tunities in helicopter emergency medical lation that is wealthier and more urbanized services (HEMS) operations in China, the on the aggregate, with an increased need for world’s most populous country. With an advanced medical services. annual expansion of 20 percent, the country’s To keep up with that demand, the

This Leonardo AW139, one of eight delivered in January and operated by Shanghai Kingwing Aviation, is part of the largest helicopter lease placement ever made in China. HELICOPTER ENGINES Chinese government has con- tinued to pump money into the healthcare industry, rising from $579 billion in 2014 to an expected nearly $900 billion in 2019. Despite that, the country has only 50 helicopters available for air medical services to serve 1.4 bil- lion people. By contrast, Western Europe has two EMS helicopters per million people, while the U.S. has three per million. In early February, China’s civil aviation administration released a first draft of regulations detailing the country’s interest in improving its helicopter EMS operations. Based on these discussions, the Chinese FOCUSED ON YOU EMS market is expected to quadru- ple over the next 10 to 15 years. “We have long believed China was primed for growth in civil helicop- ters and look forward to supporting capable operators as they provide life-saving helicopter services across China,” said Milestone president and CEO Daniel Rosenthal. A GE Capital Aviation Services subsidiary, Milestone (Booth N3515) currently leases 10 EMS helicopters to operators in China. In January, it delivered eight leased medium-twin AW139s to Shanghai Kingwing Avi- ation, the country’s largest HEMS operator. It was the largest heli- copter lease placement ever in the country, offering enhanced services to 22 provinces nationwide. Milestone made its debut in the Chinese market in October 2016, with the delivery of a pair of medevac-equipped Airbus Safran is the world’s leading manufacturer of helicopter engines. It o ers the widest range and supports 2,500 operators in Helicopters H130’s to HEMS999, 155 countries with one constant aim: to stay focused on their another of the country’s air ambu- missions and to keep their helicopters fl ying every day, everywhere. lance operators. n Proud of our 80-year legacy in the helicopter industry, safran-helicopter-engines.com this is what we stand for since 1938. : @SafranHCEngines

GET UP TO SPEED! ON THE LATEST HELO & BIZJET NEWS SENT RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX www.ainonline.com/subscribe

SafranHelicopterFocus80Ans_190x264_VA.indd 1 14/02/2018 08:20 24 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com Level D Helicopter Technology-Based • Professional Training for Superior Safety-Focused Training Quality and Value

EXTENSIVE AND GROWING RANGE OF PROGRAMS

DALLAS Airbus Helicopters H135 Bell 212 Bell 412EP Bell 412EP-Fast Fin Bell 430

DENVER Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 Airbus Helicopters EC130 T2* Airbus Helicopters H135 Bell 407GXP

LAFAYETTE Bell 206 Bell 407 Leonardo Helicopters AW139 Sikorsky S-76B Sikorsky S-76C+/C++ Sikorsky S-92

LONDON FARNBOROUGH Sikorsky S-92

SHREVEPORT FlightSafety, the global leader in training, offers Level D-qualified simulators for Helicopter Flight Training Center – Metro Aviation twin- and single-engine helicopters. Designed to enhance the safety and proficiency Airbus Helicopters AS350 B2* Airbus Helicopters EC145 of helicopter flight crews, our simulator-based training provides in-depth instruction, Airbus Helicopters H135* from basic operation to highly specialized maneuvers and recovery techniques. And SINGAPORE Sikorsky S-76C+/C++* our knowledgeable, experienced instructors are simply the best in the business, STAVANGER, NORWAY dedicated to providing the highest-quality professional aviation training. That’s Sikorsky S-92* why the majority of today’s aircraft manufacturers – including Airbus Helicopters, WEST PALM BEACH Sikorsky S-70/S-70A Bell Helicopter, Leonardo Helicopters and Sikorsky – trust us to provide world-class Sikorsky S-70i training. Train with us and we’ll earn your trust, too. Sikorsky S-76C+/C++ Sikorsky S-76D Sikorsky S-92 *Dry Lease Only

Aviation professionals from around the world trust us to provide the highest-quality training and outstanding service. More than 1,800 highly experienced professional instructors deliver aircraft- and mission-specific courses, using our comprehensive training systems and advanced-technology flight simulators designed to enhance safety. Trust your training to FlightSafety. You’ll see why so many aviation professionals make the same choice. And have since 1951.

For more information, please contact Steve Gross, Senior Vice President, Commercial 314.785.7815 • [email protected] • flightsafety.com • A Berkshire Hathaway company

FLIGHTSAFETY HELICOPTER TRUST AD - AIN CONVENTION NEWS - HELI-EXPO 2018 - Trim: 10.8125” w x 13.875” d Bleed: 11.0625” w 14.125” d Day 1 HAI 2018 AIN Convention News DAY 1_Ad_AIN Conv News (MSB_R66)_HAI 18.pdf 1 2/15/18 3:58 PM 1/2 Page (non bleed) 4.875” W x 12.5” H

TYPE CERTIFIED Schweizer S-300 line sold, ON ROBINSON new company takes TC R66 HELICOPTERS by Mark Huber Sikorsky has sold the Hughes/Schweizer planning to sponsor a gathering of S-300 S-269/300 series type certificate and all distributors and operators at Heli-Expo. related items, including its parts stores, to “We want to make sure we focus on what a new entity formed by Fort Worth, Texas- they tell us they need,” said Horton. based Rotorcraft Services Group (RSG, Horton did not rule out eventual new Booth N4623). The new entity, Schweizer helicopter production, but said for now RSG, will also be based in Fort Worth and the company will focus on supporting the headed by David Horton, a former Sch- fleet in place. “We have a license agreement weizer president and general manager. with Avic, and we have a shared responsi- “I still have a lot of friends who oper- bility for building the entire airframe. We’re ate these helicopters,” Horton said. “We going to share that responsibility on what need to get those parts here…and support makes the most sense. We’re going to have our customers as soon as possible.” This to build new helicopters to keep the market included plans to get a website for the energized, and…Avic is an important part of new company up and running. Horton that in terms of building parts.” added he hopes to have parts available Since 2011, Avic’s Avicopter has been for customers before the end of February, manufacturing a virtual copy of the S-300 and strongly suggested that the opera- it calls the AC310 with a base price of tors of an estimated 2,900 S-300-series approximately $470,000. aircraft worldwide would soon see better Sikorsky purchased Schweizer in 2004, product support and competitive prices. but over the subsequent years the future “We are going to work to remain com- of the S-300 became increasingly ambig- Robinson R66 petitive and make sure we have a very uous as parts and pricing issues frustrated

C strong supply chain so we can deliver operators and an effort to develop a high/ a good-quality product at a market- hot variant of the S-333 turbine faltered. M accepted price,” he said. Further doubt about Schweizer’s future Y Sikorsky’s prior agreement that dates surfaced in 2015, when, on the cusp of being

CM back to 2008 with China’s Avic to man- acquired by Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky

MY ufacture airframe parts for the S-300 announced it would no longer accept new remains in place with Schweizer RSG as orders for the S-300 and S-333 and that it CY DELIVERING part of an overall strategy to keep prices was “evaluating all options,” including the CMY reasonable, he said. Schweizer RSG is sale of Schweizer. n K THE POWER Sikorsky releases iFly Flight v2.0

OF INNOVATION Sikorsky (Booth N5315) is releasing the climb calculator and multi-chart interpola- latest version of its iPad flight calculator tion are carried over from the previous ver- app for the S-92 and S-76D. The “iFly sion, they have a simpler interface, which Sikorsky v2.0” suite will replicate common results in a tool that is faster and more performance calculations and perform as intuitive, Sikorsky said. a weight-and-balance calculator, offer a Sikorsky is demonstrating both iFly v2.0 Certified new graphical interface, and now connect and the NextGen Helotrac maintenance to web-based weather data. management system at its booth at Heli- Lithium-ion Sikorsky’s iFly suite of apps was launched Expo. Helotrac has been revised to be more in 2014 as part of the company’s electronic user friendly and now incorporates interac- flight bag solutions. The iFly tools allow for tive electronic technical manuals, mainte- Batteries preflight planning and performance pre- nance planning, parts ordering, health and dictions based on ambient conditions and usage monitoring, and additional fleet ana- TB17 Advanced Lithium-ion Battery aircraft configuration and include informa- lytics and management functionalities. tion such as normal operating procedures, In another maintenance-related develop- checklists, emergency procedures, aircraft ment, Sikorsky has entered into an exclusive Learn more supplements, and other manuals. distribution agreement with Habco Indus- truebluepowerusa.com Booth C4239 Version 2.0 “radically streamlines the tries to supply ground support equipment workflow of preflight calculations” and for maintenance, servicing, and manufac- reduces and automates the number of turing of Sikorsky helicopter products. The discrete pilot actions required to conduct agreement covers all commercial, interna- typical performance predictions, Sikorsky tional military, and U.S. government ground said. For example, location-based weather support equipment, as well as locally fab- ® data can be incorporated into the calcula- ricated and commercial-off-the-shelf items tion pages, as can data directly from the where Sikorsky is the main source. The aircraft sent via the optional pilot interface agreement further covers commercial and module. While tools such as the two-stage military helicopters currently in use. M.H.

26 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com Bell V-280 flight campaign is expanding its envelope by Mark Huber

Since making its first flight December embedded as part of a mixed flight test 18, Bell’s V-280 next-generation tiltrotor team in the V-280 program. has continued its flight-test campaign, The V-280 program is part of the Joint conducting more than nine flight hours Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator including pattern flights at speeds up (JMR-TD) initiative, a science and tech- to 80 knots, according to Ryan Ehinger, nology precursor to the Department of Bell Helicopter V-280 program manager. Defense’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Ehinger said the prototype aircraft has program. It combines the resources of accumulated more than 56 rotor turn Bell, Lockheed Martin, GE, Moog, IAI, Designed for ease of manufacture as well as operational functionality and versatility, the Bell hours to date and that the development TRU Simulation & Training, Astronics, V-280 represents a new generation for tiltrotor technology. team is continuing to expand the con- Eaton, GKN Aerospace, Lord, Meggitt, version mode flight envelope at higher and Spirit AeroSystems. According to in favor of six-foot-wide fuselage doors include a maximum speed of 280 knots; speeds toward full cruise mode. the U.S. Department of Defense, the under the wings. It also differs from combat range of 500 to 800 nm; maxi- “The Bell Helicopter V-280 team contin- FVL program is designed to find a the V-22 in that on the V-280 only the mum self-deployable range of more than ues to work swiftly and decisively to meet replacement for the Army’s Sikorsky gearboxes and prop-rotors rotate, while 2,100 nm; and more than 13,000 pounds the Department of Defense’s capability UH-60 Black Hawks and the Bell UH-1 on the V-22 the engines, gearboxes of useful load. It features fly-by-wire requirements for the next generation of operated by the U.S. Marine Corps. and prop-rotors all have to rotate as flight controls and a pair of GE Aviation future vertical lift,” he said. The V-280 The program ultimately could result in thrust direction is changed. The V-280 T64-GE-419 turboshaft engines. n reached another milestone on February 7 deliveries of as many as 4,000 aircraft also eschews the forward wing sweep when it was flown for the first time by an by 2030 under a contract potentially of the V-22. Going to a straight wing Army pilot. Chief Warrant Officer Tom worth $100 billion and include signif- on the V-280 eliminates the need for a Wiggins, U.S. Army Special Operations icant foreign military sales. mid-wing gearbox and makes the wing Aviation Command, made the flight at Bell (Booth C5122) said the V-280 can easier to manufacture. The tiltrotor YOUR SOURCE FOR AVIATION NEWS Bell’s test facility in Amarillo, Texas. carry 14 passengers and four crew and provides twice the speed and range of www.ainonline.com Army test pilots and flight engineers are eliminates the V-22’s rear loading ramp conventional helicopters. Specifications

ENEWSLETTER FOR BUSINESS AVIATION www.ainonline.com/alerts

AERO DEFENSE INDUSTRY ENEWSLETTER BIGGERwww.ainonline.com/subscribe.

BETTER.AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRY ENEWSLETTER www.ainonline.com/subscribe BOLDER.

FOR NEWS VIDEO FROM DUBAI

ENHANCED FASTER INCREASED CUSTOMER SERVICE TURN TIMES CAPABILITIES

TWO INDUSTRY LEADERS SETTING A NEW STANDARD VISIT US AT HELI-EXPO 2018 IN HELICOPTER MRO EXHIBIT #C6043

For over a century, customers have relied on Engines Dynamic Components StandardAero and Vector Aerospace as the industry • GE T700/CT7 experts for operational efficiency, innovation and • Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T Fuel Systems • Rolls-Royce M250 and RR300 custom MRO solutions. Today, we’re one company • Safran Arriel 1 and 2 Avionics – Bigger…Better…and Bolder – committed to providing best-in-class rotary-wing support for our Airframes STCs • Airbus AS350/EC130 series and customers! Contact us to see how we can help you. www.standardaero.com/heli AS332/H225 Super Puma • Sikorsky S-92, S-76 and S-61 [email protected] +1.204.318.7544

ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 27 INTOSH DAVID M c DAVID The newest member of Robinson Helicopter’s growing R66 family is a skyhook-equipped version with a load capacity of 1,200 pounds. The rotorcraft will make its debut at Heli-Expo. Robinson rebounds in 2017, offers new version of R66 by Curt Epstein

For California-based Robinson Helicopter, the helicopter maker for a few years to gain the world’s most prolific rotorcraft manu- valuable industry experience. The company facturer, this past year saw a rebound from offers generous pay scales and benefits to a disappointing 2016. “Our production was hold on to its talent. up,” said company president and chairman At Heli-Expo, Robinson will debut the Kurt Robinson, noting Robinson produced latest member of its R66 family, a sky- and delivered 305 helicopters last year, hook-equipped version, which was expected compared with 234 in 2016. Deliveries of to receive FAA certification around show the R22 increased from 19 to 34, and the time. The skyhook, which has a load lift R44 Cadet from 12 to 20. The R44 Raven I capacity of 1,200 pounds, is on exhibit in more than doubled from 26 to 54 deliveries, the static display area. “It’s something while the Raven II improved by six units we’ve been working on for several years, but to 120, and the turbine-powered R66 went its always been pushed to the back burner from 63 to 77. “In every single one of our because there’s so many tests we had to do,” aircraft categories, we increased in sales, said Robinson. and obviously that makes us optimistic for As part of the conversion, three instru- 2018,” Robinson told AIN. ments—a measured gas temperature meter, “We’re seeing a rebound and the other load meter, and torque meter—were added thing that is kind of nice to report is there adjacent to the left-side collective to aid the was no pocket of strength around the world; pilot. Also, operating controls for the cargo we’re seeing sales everywhere,” added Rob- hook were added to the left-side cyclic grip. inson, son of company founder Frank Rob- The hoist-equipped helicopter on dis- inson. “Some areas that were way down have play in the static area also features the new rebounded strongly.” The airframer saw Magellan Aerospace wire strike protection improvement in Canada, Australia, China, system, which received Transport Canada and South Africa, among other countries. certification in November. Magellan was expecting to receive FAA approval before Workforce Growing the show, and is accepting orders for the That increased production has affected the kit in Las Vegas. This past summer the company’s workforce. “It meant that we rotorcraft maker also received certification were working some overtime,” Robinson for an electronic news-gathering-equipped said. “Production lines run basically from 5 version of the R66, one of which is in ser- a.m. until midnight.” With two shifts a day vice in the Dallas area. currently, Robinson has hired more work- At its booth (C4242) Robinson is display- ers recently and the company plans to add ing three of its products: an executive ver- approximately 100 workers over the next sion of the R66 with air conditioning and year, pushing the number of employees at the integrated Garmin GTN 750 GPS; a two- its Torrance facility to more than 1,200. seat R44 Cadet trainer; and a Raven II. The While the company faces stiff competi- models will be equipped with the Genesys tion for skilled aerospace labor in the area, Aerosystems HeliSas autopilot and fitted it holds its own when it comes to staffing with new displays from Garmin and Aspen levels through its willingness to train new Avionics. “We’ll have the latest and greatest entrants. Robinson admitted that other from those manufacturers on display, just local aerospace companies even suggest to to show what people can do in the different their own job candidates that they work at price ranges,” said Robinson. n

28 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com Critical Missions Avionics for when it is needed most. 5-inch FPCDU, UNS-1Fw MMMS

Visit Heli-Expo booth N4421 to learn more. uasc.com/criticalmissions Salute to Excellence Each year during Heli-Expo, HAI’s Salute to Excellence Awards recognize individuals and organizations who achieve incredible feats while supporting their local communities and the helicopter industry as a whole

CHRISTCHURCH HELICOPTERS, humanitarian award

During this year’s Heli-Expo, Christchurch from Christchurch Helicopters quickly an isolated farmhouse to help a stranded Helicopters of Christchurch, New Zealand, arrived at Kaikoura, a seaside community young mother and her baby who had no MARIA RODRIGUEZ will receive the HAI Salute to Excellence isolated from the rest of the country, and water or sewage. Pilot of the Year Award Sikorsky Humanitarian Award. The asso- began helping stranded residents and tour- Christchurch Helicopters’s efforts, ciation is honoring the operator for its ists. Christchurch Helicopters transported combined with those of the other helicop- Maria Rodriguez of St. Thomas, U.S. Vir- actions during an earthquake in Novem- urban search-and-rescue personnel to the ter companies, was the largest air bridge gin Islands, will receive this year’s HAI ber 2016 and the February 2017 Port Hills island to rescue 130 Chinese tourists. in New Zealand history. Just a few months Salute to Excellence Appareo Pilot of the fires in Christchurch. The award will be The operator worked with New Zea- after the events at Kaikoura, Christchurch Year Award at the organization’s Salute presented during the February 28 Salute land Civil Defense to coordinate an aerial Helicopters went on to save lives in the to Excellence Awards Dinner this week to Excellence Awards Dinner in Las Vegas. program to deliver supplies, continue Port Hills fires in Christchurch. during Heli-Expo. Rodriguez is being rec- When a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit evacuations, and support the recovery HAI’s Salute to Excellence Sikorsky ognized for her actions during Hurricanes New Zealand’s South Island on Nov. 14, project. Christchurch Helicopters and Humanitarian Award will be presented to Irma and Maria. 2016, the crews from Christchurch Heli- the organization coordinated services Christchurch Helicopter for demonstrat- After the company Rodriguez worked copters got to work. The earthquake lasted between several other helicopter compa- ing the value of helicopters to the com- for moved from the U.S. Virgin Islands to for two minutes and caused landslides nies to transport 1,300 workers, deliver munities it serves and for providing aid the U.S. mainland, the pilot opened her that destroyed roads and railroads. Crews cancer medication, and fly a plumber to to those in need. own helicopter companies, Caribbean Buzz and Caribbean Buzz Management. The multi-aircraft operations offer heli- copter services throughout the Carib- ERIC BASHTA, JERRY OSTERLOH bean and yacht support around the world. Law Enforcement Award She focused her U.S. St. Thomas-based companies on remote/adventure heli- Eric Bashta and Jerry Osterloh, depu- copter and seaplane support. During the ties from the Riverside County sheriff’s recent hurricane season, Rodriguez’s department in California, will receive the home was hit by both Hurricanes Irma HAI Salute to Excellence MD Helicopters and Maria. Law Enforcement Award at Heli-Expo During the first storm, the pilot left her for their heroic efforts during an inci- shelter and ventured two hours on a bicy- dent in January 2017. The award will be cle to reach her hangar at the local airport. presented at HAI’s Salute to Excellence Her helicopters were unscathed and she Awards Dinner. immediately began flying support mis- A DUI/reckless driver traffic stop sions. During Hurricane Maria, Rodriguez turned into a violent altercation in Riv- moved her helicopters to a reinforced erside County on Jan. 11, 2017. A highway hangar in Puerto Rico and returned to the patrol officer called Osterloh and Bashta U.S. Virgin Islands to fly support missions for assistance and they approached the after the storm had passed. scene in their helicopter. Osterloh saw While her passion is aviation, Rodri- the driver, who had a woman and two chil- used their FLIR camera to direct SWAT allowed officers on the ground to safely guez also has an interest in photography. dren in his pick-up truck, pull out a rifle officers to the driver’s location, the sus- close in. Within 30 minutes, a SWAT dep- She documented the damage around her and begin to shoot at responding officers. pect fired 60 to 80 rounds at the helicop- uty was able to engage with the suspect. home and posted the pictures to social The driver emptied an entire magazine, ter hovering 600 feet above him. Another According to responding law enforce- media, where they were highlighted by reloaded, shot a few more rounds, and police aviation unit arrived from the Riv- ment, the suspect intended this event to media outlets around the world. Her pho- then got in his truck and fled the scene. erside Police Department, and Bashta be a murder/suicide. Bashta and Oster- tography showed those who did not live As police pursued the driver, Osterloh coordinated their flight operations while loh’s diligent work ensured that neither on the island the reality of the storms. and Bashta followed in their helicopter. Osterloh kept the driver in sight. the responding officers nor the suspect’s Today, Rodriguez continues to serve The driver stopped in front of a home and As the suspect continued to fire at offi- girlfriend and children were harmed her community by completing relief mis- fired at officers. As Osterloh and Bashta cers, Osterloh sent radio updates that during this altercation. sions and posting more photographs.

30 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com CLAUDE VUICHARD JONATHAN ROEBUCK JOHN WILLIAMS CHARLES HAGEN BLR Aerospace Airbus W.A. “Dub” Blessing Perot Rolls-Royce Safety Award Golden Hour Award Flight Instructor Award Maintenance Award

Claude Vuichard, a former line pilot and Jonathan “JR” Roebuck, who led the John Williams will receive the HAI Salute Charles “Chuck” Hagen will receive the flight instructor who developed the Vuich- creation of the Remote Access Project to Excellence W.A. “Dub” Blessing Flight HAI Salute to Excellence Rolls-Royce ard Recovery technique, will receive the for Maine-based critical care transport Instructor of the Year Award. The award, Excellence in Helicopter Maintenance HAI Salute to Excellence BLR Aerospace company LifeFlight, will receive the HAI which is sponsored by H. Ross Perot, Jr. Award during Heli-Expo in Las Vegas. Safety Award. The award, which will be Salute to Excellence Airbus Helicopters and the Perot family, will be presented at Hagen, who is a sales, training, and field presented during Heli-Expo’s Salute to Golden Hour Award. The award will be the Salute to Excellence Awards Dinner. service manager at Aeromaritime America, Excellence Awards Dinner, acknowledges presented at the Salute to Excellence Williams, of Fort Worth, Texas, had a is receiving the award for his accomplish- individuals who promote safety in the Awards Dinner. career as a flight instructor with Bell Heli- ments in conducting or managing mainte- helicopter industry. LifeFlight maneuvers around intricate copter that spanned more than 35 years. nance operations in the helicopter industry. The Vuichard Recovery technique trains aviation environments in Maine. Previ- After completeing military service in the Hagen received his A&P license in 1992. helicopter pilots to recover from a vortex ously, it could take up to eight hours for 1970s, he served as a production test pilot During his six years in the U.S. Army, he ring state with minimal loss of altitude. In a patient to reach a hospital from remote and also worked in the experimental flight served as a 68B10 turbine engine mechanic the vortex ring state, helicopters lose the areas. Through the Remote Access Proj- test department. and had experience with depot level and ability to maintain lift and begin to drop. ect, Roebuck established 120 remote Once at the Bell Flight Academy, he line maintenance units for all U.S. Army For more than 30 years, pilots have used access landing zones (LZs) on private trained pilots in 19 different countries. He turbine-powered aircraft. Hagen then Vuichard’s method to adjust their controls land. These LZs provide helicopters went on to become a pilot training safety joined Aeromaritime America in 1996 as and exit the ring state by moving the air- with space to land in remote areas, cut- manager for Bell. a technician/test call operator and worked craft to the side. ting the time it takes to bring a patient Williams participated as a U.S. preci- his way up to production manager and Various helicopter operators have to the hospital. sion helicopter team pilot for Bell Crew into the quality department. adopted the Vuichard Recovery and sev- In one case, the Remote Access Project during the World Helicopter Champion- Hagen gained a reputation for his exper- eral organizations have publicly supported helped LifeFlight rescue an injured snow- ships in the former U.S.S.R. in 1978 and in tise, troubleshooting-skills, and commit- this technique. Both the International mobiler. Responders dispatched a heli- Poland in 1981, where the team won the ment to safety for his customers. Dedicated Helicopter Safety Team and the U.S. copter to collect a woman who crashed gold medal for the first time. to excellence, he once flew 15 hours to sup- Helicopter Safety Team have published her snowmobile into a 40-foot ravine. Williams holds five international heli- port an international client. Hagen has also airmanship bulletins supporting this The helicopter reached the nearest LZ, copter speed records, including the west- received letters of thanks from customers, maneuverer. Meanwhile, Robinson Heli- which was just 50 yards from the woman. bound around-the-world record with eight of which were included in his nomi- copters integrated the Vuichard Recovery Without the Remote Access Project LZ, Ron Bower. nation package for this HAI award. n into its safety course. it would have taken LifeFlight much lon- Vuichard currently teaches around the ger to reach the woman and tend to her world and continues to develop tech- critical injuries. niques to improve helicopter safety. He According to LifeFlight, large signs dis- JAMES SPRAY dedicated his retirement from the Federal playing LZ unique GPS coordinates have HAI Lifetime Achievement Award Office of Civil Aviation in Switzerland to been placed at more than 40 of the 120 reducing accidents. Vuichard also serves established sites. Roebuck continues to James Russell Spray, Spray was also as founder and president of the Vuichard manage the Remote Access Project for who previously served president and CEO of Recovery Aviation Safety Foundation. LifeFlight, as well as for MedComm. as president and CEO of Safran from 2003 until Safran Helicopter Engines his retirement in 2016. USA, will receive the HAI During his time with Salute to Excellence Bell Safran, the number of military rotorcraft operations, flight Lifetime Achievement employees doubled simulation, manufacturing and materi- Award. Spray is receiving while multiple new facil- als, rotorcraft design and testing, and the award in recognition ities were opened. The avionics integration, among others. He of more than five decades company also received also co-authored an early design history of service to the helicop- two military contracts of the AH-64 Apache. Colucci served as ter industry. and developed or strengthened rela- an editor for American Helicopter Soci- Before retiring, Spray dedicated 53 tionships with Airbus and Bell Helicop- ety’s book about AHS International’s years to the helicopter industry. He served ter. While working at Safran, Spray also 75-year history and provided content for as a helicopter pilot for Pacific Airmotive held the positions of president and CEO the society’s website. Over the years, he and trained approximately 500 pilots in of Microturbo, Turbomeca Canada, and has written approximately 1,000 feature his role as a helicopter flight instructor Sagem Avionics. FRANK COLUCCI articles for Vertiflite and has contributed for Bell Helicopter and Southern Airways. He further served as chairman of HAI’s Lightspeed Award to a number of other magazines in the Before becoming chairman and CEO of Emergency Medical Services Commit- industry. Rocky Mountain Holdings, Spray served tee (now known as Air Medical Services). Frank Colucci, senior contributing editor One award nominator wrote about as v-p of medical operations for the com- Spray’s other achievements included serv- of Vertiflite, will receive the HAI Salute to Colucci: “His articles stand the test of pany, increasing the air medical services ing as co-sponsor of the American Society Excellence Lightspeed Aviation Excel- time. They are noteworthy for their accu- division from seven helicopters and $3 mil- of Hospital Based Emergency Air Medical lence in Communications Award. racy, excellent writing, and clarity of lion in annual revenue to more than $100 Systems (now called the Association of Air Throughout his 35-year career, Colucci thought that allow the reader to see the million in revenue per year with 90 aircraft. Medical Services). n has written on topics including civil and subject through intelligent eyes.”

ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 31 Business Does Not Just Fly by Firm OK’d to supply parts for restricted-category helos FIXED-WING by Alexa Paprosky Following a three-year process that involved untangling a bureaucracy associated with surplus military parts, Advanced Compos- ite Structures Florida (ACSF) has obtained FAA clearance and has seen its order book begin to fill for composite main rotor blades for restricted-category helicopters. Airworthy replacement parts for restricted-category helicopters—which primarily comprise an aging fleet of sur- plus military aircraft—are essential for the continued support of government-con- tracted missions, including firefighting and disaster relief. The installation of articles on restrict- ed-category aircraft is subject to FAR 21.9, which requires articles to have been Rotorcraft or xed wing, if the aircraft’s in your eet you’ll nd the part for it in our inventory. declared surplus by and intended for use With more than 90,000 replacement parts constantly in stock, GlobalParts.aero ships anywhere by the U.S. Armed Forces. This regulation in the world, 24/7. See how we can keep your eet ying. proved to be an exceptional challenge Globalparts.aero is proud to partner with: for David Stone, president and founder of Stone Aviation International, and Jeff Small, president of ACSF (Booth C6624). To provide airworthy items for restrict- ed-category helicopters, Stone obtained composite main rotor blades (CMRB) that To learn more visit us at HAI Heli-Expo 2018 at Booth C3645 WWW.GLOBALPARTS.AERO • 1.316.733.9240 had been designed in accordance with U.S. military specifications and manufac- tured under the same design, data, and part numbers as required by the licen- After a three-year process that included sor’s contract with the U.S. military. The collecting data on surplus parts from the blades, however, were manufactured for German military, ACSF is approved and declared surplus by the German mil- to provide them to the U.S. military. itary, and thus not suitable for installation according to FAA regulations. Getting the After three years, the FAA found the blades approved under FAR 21.9 became exemption to be in the public interest an arduous process that required Stone to and granted it to ACSF, allowing it to sell seek additional support from Small. the CMRB under specific conditions and “There was no way around the 21.9 minu- limitations. “Each blade goes through a tia, period. I needed the support of a blade developed process to meet all the criteria shop,” said Stone. ACSF’s FAA repair sta- of the exemption,” said Stone. tion certificate and rotor blade repair capa- Under the exemption, ACSF does not bilities provided Stone with the assistance have the authority to determine if CMRBs he thought would be sufficient to supple- are eligible for installation on an aircraft; ment his intention to sell the CMRBs. that authority will remain with the main- “David had all of the data on the blades tenance provider that is installing the and kept bringing in substantial informa- CMRB. Also under the exemption, ACSF tion,” said Small. must develop a receiving inspection pro- Despite the collective efforts of Stone cedure for review of each rotor blade’s and Small, they were still met with rejec- documentation. The approval for the tion from the FAA. “I was exceptionally return to service of the blades must also surprised,” said Stone upon initial rec- be documented on FAA Form 8130-3. ognition of the difficulty in determin- “We kept the faith in Sarah and each ing where the CMRBs fit within FAA other as this process took a tremendous regulations. To move the process for- amount of time,” said Small. “We are now ward, Stone and Small enlisted the help hitting the ground running and people of Sarah MacLeod, managing member have been calling and jockeying for posi- of the OFM&K law firm and executive tion to get blades. We expect sales to be director of the Aeronautical Repair Sta- brisk during the firefighting season.” tion Association. Stone is now the business development Stone explained, “Sarah first identified manager at ASCF, and Small said, “I have a pathway from A to Z with all the letters developed an excellent working relation- in between” and realized “an exemption ship with David and he is instrumental in from 14 CFR § 21.9 was the only way to our success. We are skyrocketing in busi- convince the FAA” that the blades were ness and it really has to do with Sarah and suitable for installation. the people at ACSF.” n

32 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com News Clips Safran’s Bruno Even To Lead Airbus Helicopters Airbus Helicopters has tapped Safran Helicopter Engines chief Bruno Even as its new CEO. Even will replace Guillaume Faury, effective April 1. Faury is leaving Airbus Helicopters to run Airbus commercial aircraft division. Even, 49, ran Safran’s helicopter engine division since 2015. Before that, he was CEO of Safran’s electronics and defense business, formerly known as Sagem. During Even’s tenure at the helm of Safran Helicopter Engines, the company instituted several initiatives to improve customer support, including rolling out online engine maintenance tracking.

Bell Rebrands as Diversified ‘Flight’ Company Bell Helicopter has rebranded itself simply as “Bell” and incorporating the dragonfly into its red shield logo to accompany a new slogan, “above and beyond flight,” the company announced on Thursday. Bell CEO and president Mitch Snyder said the company is making the changes to reflect its more diversified approach to flight. Bell selected the dragonfly for the logo because it has been around for “hundreds of millions of years…[and] has mastered flight, and that is what we are trying to do,” he said. The brand change coupled with Bell’s foray into new vehicle types such as urban air taxis does not preclude development of new helicopter models, Snyder added. Demonstrating its multi-chamber design and high-visibility color, the Dart Aerospace emergency float system for the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is pictured above. Bell and Dart have obtained a Canadian STC, and expect FAA approval in mid-2018. Helicopter Veteran Larry Roberts Joins Kopter Swiss Helicopter maker Kopter Group (née Marenco Swisshelicopter) has appointed veteran American helicopter executive Larry Roberts senior vice president of U.S. business development. In his new role, he Bell and Dart obtain Canadian STC will be responsible for sales and marketing of the company’s SH09 turbine single in North America. Roberts, a former senior executive for two decades with both Bell and American Eurocopter (now Airbus for 505 emergency float system Helicopters), is based in Fort Worth, Texas. Before joining the private sector, Roberts worked in law enforcement for 14 years and was a by Alexa Paprosky founding member of the Gainesville, Florida police helicopter unit. He holds single- and multi-engine commercial pilot and rotorcraft After announcing a partner- between both companies to get available system of its kind on instructor ratings. Most recently, Roberts served as vice president ship at Heli-Expo last year, Bell this kit delivered in a timely the market. of sales and marketing for the Bell 525 super-medium twin. and Dart Aerospace (Booth fashion, allowing Bell to meet its “The execution by both project C5551) set a goal to develop an customer commitments,” said teams was outstanding and Dart Donaldson to Deliver 9,000th Inlet Barrier Filter emergency float system (EFS) LaShan Bonaparte, Bell’s 505 Jet is proud to deliver the first 505 Donaldson Aerospace & Defense will deliver its 9,000th inlet barrier for the Bell 505 in first-quarter Ranger X program manager. EFS kits to Bell in less than one filter (IBF) to Robinson Helicopter chairman and president Kurt 2018. After a rigorous certifica- The float design incorporates year from the announcement of Robinson during a special ceremony tomorrow at its Booth (C1736). tion program, the joint team is Dart’s tri-bag float technology, the Bell-Dart partnership for this Tom Newman, engineering director at Donaldson, will deliver the announcing today at Heli-Expo allowing for increased stability product,” said Dart Aerospace R66 IBF to Robinson. Certification of the R66 IBF was announced in 2018 that its goal has been met during water landings without vice president of certification February 2017 and is available as a factory option from Robinson, as after receiving STC approval impeding egress during emer- David Shepherd. well as retrofit at Robinson authorized service centers and Donaldson. from Transport Canada. gencies. Lightweight and reli- FAA certification of the EFS is Donaldson’s IBF systems prevent engine damage and assist in lowering “There was great teamwork able, the EFS is the first and only expected by mid-2018. n aircraft operating costs. Donaldson also annnounced it recently received snow approval for the IBF on the AW139 type certificate.

Titan Helicopter Leases AW139 for Namibia Ops incorporates a health monitoring Titan Helicopter Group (THG) of South Africa completed a leasing EuroTec nears STC for system.” transaction with Lobo Leasing Group (Booth N3925) of Dublin Compared to traditional lead- for an offshore Leonardo AW139. The medium twin helicopter will acid and NiCad batteries, the be used to provide crew change flights and SAR/EMS cover for Airbus Li-ion battery TB17 lithium-ion battery is light- mining vessels located off the coast of Namibia. “Lobo was able to weight and involves less mainte- provide flexibility and the ideal helicopter for the job,” said Martin by Samantha Cartaino nance, which can reduce overall Steynberg, THG chairman. The leasing company “worked efficiently operating costs. The batteries with our team to build a lease that matched our specific needs.” EuroTec (Booth N4330) is nearing “The batteries are more power- from True Blue Power provide completion of an STC that incor- ful, safer, and feature smart pack increased power during start Robinson Accepts DynaVibe, DynaTrack for R22, R44 porates the TB17 lithium-ion bat- technology that senses voltage, sequences and offer higher nomi- Robinson Helicopter has accepted RPX Technologies DynaVibe prop tery from True Blue Power into current, and temperature, and nal output voltage. balancer and DynaTrack optical blade tracking accessory for the R22 the Airbus H130/EC130B4 series. “Partnering our design engi- and R44 series, RPX announced. RPX representatives will demonstrate The company is also in the final neers with True Blue Power’s both the DynaVibe and the DynaTrack at its booth (C4043) at Heli- design and development stages responsive and dynamic group Expo. The DynaVibe system has built-in setup information for both of integrating True Blue Power’s has greatly streamlined the over- R22 and R44 series, which streamlines the track and balance process, TB44 lithium-ion battery into the all certification process,” said RPX said. The complete track and balance system is priced at $7,000. Airbus H135 series. EuroTec president Chad Decker. Mark Young of Tropic Airpower has used the technology multiple “Lithium-ion technology is “They have been very receptive times and said he is able to “adjust the Robinson R22 track and balance the next generation of aircraft and supportive regarding the var- of the main blades, balance the scroll/squirrel cage fan, and balance batteries,” said EuroTec avionics ious helicopter airframe options the rotor.” He also was able to get the tail rotor to zero inches and design manager Adam Boyko. Li-ion TB17 battery. we have proposed.” n per second with the DynaVibe.

ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 33 Helicopter-Electronic Stability and Protec- Garmin enters rotorcraft tion (H-ESP), which includes a “LVL” button that returns the helicopter to straight-and- level flight from unusual attitudes. Other flight control system market H-ESP features include overspeed protec- tion, limit cueing, and low-speed protection. by Matt Thurber “We hope no one has to use these features,” said Garmin flight-test manager Sean Doyle, Garmin has unveiled its next foray into the middle. A collective position sensor “but we hope they will.” flight control systems—the new GFC allows the flight control system to auto- The GFC 600H adds other features 600H, designed to deliver new safety ben- matically move the anti-torque pedals that “might be found in larger heli- efits to VFR and IFR helicopters. The first when the pilot moves the collective. copters,” he noted. For example, hover certification program for the GFC 600H For pilots, the parallel servo system is assist or ground-position stabilization, is in Garmin’s Airbus AS350B2, and the designed to make flying easier while allow- which helps the pilot stay in a hover, design work and installation was done at ing full control of the helicopter. In fact, “even in strong and gusty winds.” In the Garmin’s Salem, Oregon facility. The VFR the flight control system can be switched basic attitude-retention mode, the heli- system will be first to market, with cer- on during takeoff and landing. The sys- copter will maintain the same heading, tification estimated in the fourth quarter. tem’s basic stability augmentation system even if not in heading mode and even if The GFC 600H three-axis, attitude- mode maintains the helicopter’s attitude, disturbed by a gust. When coupled with based flight control system now installed and provides force feedback when the a Garmin PFD, the GFC 600H can cap- in the AS350B2 consists of a servo pilot deviates from the attitude. A four- ture a selected altitude. A flight direc- installed in parallel to the controls. The way or force trim switch on the cyclic is tor is optional. The GFC 600H can be Garmin’s G600H autopilot, shown here on the yaw axis holds current heading in hover, used to adjust to a new attitude. installed by itself, without a display. lower left, will be certified by year-end. and in cruise keeps the helicopter in A unique feature of the GFC 600H GFC 600H lateral modes include head- trim with the turn coordinator “ball” in is that it incorporates Garmin’s ing select, nav, and approach. Vertical We programmed a search-and-rescue modes are indicated airspeed, altitude, pattern in the new TXi touchscreen dis- altitude select, and vertical speed. A beep play in the helicopter, then allowed the switch on the cyclic is used to adjust some GFC 600H to follow the pattern, allowing settings for vertical modes, such as verti- us to look outside for our search target. cal speed. We simulated approaching the target for Components of the GFC 600H include a pickup, followed by a simulated hospital a GFS 83 force-trim servo, GMC 605H drop-off in an urban area. mode controller and flight director com- On the way back to McNary Field in puter, GSU 75H ADAHRS (for standalone Salem, Doyle placed the AS350 into an installations without a Garmin display), unusual attitude, and I pushed the LVL and a collective position sensor. Total button to recover to straight-and-level, system weight is 13 pounds. which worked perfectly. We also tested During a recent flight in Garmin’s the overspeed protection, which automat- AS350 equipped with the GFC 600H, I ically pulled the nose up to reduce speed. tested the features of the new autopilot. Finally, I set the GFC 600H to follow the With the system switched on, the AS350’s visual approach available in the Garmin controls felt more solid, and the pushback GTN 750 to the end of the runway, then from the ESP started as a gentle nudge landed, aided by the autopilot’s hover then became firmer the longer I held the assist mode, which helped me to gently controls, for example in a steep bank. lower the helicopter to the ground. n

Garmin Brings G1000H NXi to Rotorcraft Garmin’s G1000H integrated helicopter maps, and database concierge with avionics suite is now available in the NXi flight plan transfer. Also new are the HSI version, featuring more powerful dual- map with terrain, traffic, weather, and core processors for quicker response other overlays, and visual approaches. and advanced features. These include ADS-B Out and In are available, with fea-

KASHEA KLOSS KASHEA split-screen capability, NVG compati- tures including Garmin TargetTrend and One More Entry for the Logbook bility, HTAWS with Garmin’s WireAware TerminalTraffic. Customers can opt for wire-strike avoidance, helicopter syn- SiriusXM weather, verbal traffic alerts, Chuck Aaron, the 2014 recipient of HAI’s Pilot of the Year award, pauses after landing his thetic vision with terrain, obstacle, and Garmin’s Telligence voice control, Irid- company’s MBB BO-105C Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Aaron was the first powerline display, helicopter route ium voice/texting, and more. M.T. civilian pilot authorized by the FAA to fly helicopter aerobatic routines in the U.S.

34 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com new and increased sales. Among these was the decision by Reignwood Interna- tional Investment Group in November Powered by a to significantly up its previous order for Turbomeca Arrius sixty 505s to a total of 110. Reignwood, a 2R from Safran, reseller of the model in China, is estab- Bell’s 505 Jet lishing a delivery and maintenance cen- Ranger X includes ter for the 505 in China. a dual-channel With a 1,500-pound useful load, 3.5- Fadec and a 3,000- hour endurance and 306-nm range, Bell hour TBO. Cockpit sees a number of corporate and para- Instrumentation public roles for the 505. But it is finding features a strong interest in training possibilities Garmin G1000H in particular, said Bell program director integrated flight of light helicopters Michael Nault. The deck and the cabin company has ongoing negotiations over a accommodates number of large potential contracts from four passengers, the training market, he added. plus a pilot. The The light helicopter is priced between helicopter’s useful $1.2 and $1.8 million, depending on kits and load is 1,500 pounds configuration. Bell is continuing to make and it can cruise at progress on various kits for the five-place

BARRY AMBROSE BARRY 125 knots. 505, with a wire-strike-protection system now available. Dart Aerospace and Alpine the president of Bell Helicopter Textron Aerotech recently obtained STC approval Canada, noted delays in certain approv- for bear paw landing stabilizer kits on the Bell ramps up production of als slowed initial production, but “we’ve model. Certifications are pending on sev- gone through this and that’s all behind us.” eral kits, including a cargo hook. Production is fully ramped up, she said, To accommodate demand, Bell is its new 505 Jet Ranger X adding, “We are…now at a point where streamlining its production procedures we are meeting customer commitments and parts and tooling handling to increase by Kerry Lynch to our customers in terms of timing.” helicopter output. This includes adopting While not sharing planned production more lean manufacturing techniques and With 20 certifications in hand and hun- a rapidly growing number of countries numbers, Garneau promised the jump shifting more to a “visual management” of dreds of orders and letters of intent, Bell spanning from Chile and Argentina to in production and deliveries “will be siz- its parts. Parts racks are simplified to easily (Booth C5122) has ramped up production South Korea and Japan to New Zealand able.” Just this past month alone, Bell see if something is missing. This streamlin- of its 505 Jet Ranger X and anticipates and Mexico, among the numerous others. announced deliveries to Vietnam and ing is expected to continue throughout this deliveries to pick up significantly this U.S. FAA had followed Transport Canada Japan, as well as highlighted recent deliv- year, with the goal of being able to make a year. The manufacturer initially secured certification in June 2017. The European eries to Australia. block shift of all the aircraft through the Transport Canada certification for its Aviation Safety Agency nod, meanwhile, A steady stream is anticipated to con- stations at the same time. new Jet Ranger in late 2016, bringing to came in November, leading to the delivery tinue, based on the flow of orders that Also, Bell installs any options on the market a light single powered by a 504- of the first two European-bound 505s to have come in for Bell’s new light single, 505 assembly line, a move Garneau said shp Safran Arrius 2 with dual-channel customers in late January. Those helicop- which has quickly become the top seller enables the company to compress the Fadec and a fully integrated glass Garmin ters, handed over to unnamed customers, of its current-production lines. cycle time. “The 505 team came up with G10000H cockpit. were in VIP configuration. Bell had letters of intent for 400 of the idea of installing options before we Bell handed over the first 505 last March Next major certifications on the hori- the new Jet Ranger Xs, and Garneau do certification and flight test, so we do and has since been adding new certifica- zon include China, Brazil, and Russia, the was encouraged that the conversions it only once,” she said. So far Bell has tions and putting in place new production manufacturer said. into firm orders have been proceeding around 18 different options, covering processes to achieve a higher volume. Bell last year had delivered 27 of the well. But on top of that the company has everything from air conditioning to avi- The helicopter has been certified by aircraft to customers. Cynthia Garneau, continued to pad the order book with onics upgrades to seats and carpet. n

PPG wins 525 heated windshield contract

Bell has awarded PPG (Booth N6100) with a around 100 degrees, allowing exceptional contract to produce heated pilot and copilot clarity for both the pilot and copilot. windshields to be installed on the forthcom- With an outboard ply of stretched acrylic ing Bell 525 Relentless medium-sized heli- and an inboard strength enhancing poly- copter. The composite windshields feature carbonate ply, the windshields will measure scratch-resistant coating and will be avail- approximately 50 inches by 60 inches. The able as customer-specified equipment. They composite design meets bird-strike require- are designed especially for helicopters flying ments and can withstand the impact of a 2.2- in mountainous and cold-weather environ- pound bird at 185 knots, according to PPG. ments, or engaged in off-shore operations. “PPG’s ability to produce heated wind- “We have the transparency-forming exper- shields with superior optics was key to the tise to produce the windshield’s deep, com- company being awarded the contract,” said plex, and compound vertical bend,” said Steve Bell design principal Howie Mosier. Nyman, PPG’s segment manager for general The windshields will be fabricated at PPG’s aviation transparencies. The front-facing Sylmar, California, plant, and the PPG Aircon portion of the windshield will be contoured heating system will be supplied by the com- to wrap around to the helicopter’s side at pany’s Huntsville, Alabama, facility. A.P.

ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 35 News Clips Advanced Torque Products Launches EC145 Tool Kit Advanced Torque Products (Booth C2738) announced its Airbus Helicopters EC145 mast nut tool kit, the ATP 760, is now available. In The first airframe developing the new kit, the Connecticut-based company worked to go through the with maintenance professionals in the Airbus training facility to joint program address human-factor issues encountered by technicians. between Waypoint Previously, working on the EC145 mast nut required using complex, and Leonardo is on heavy tooling while upside-down and with limited visibility. While display at Heli- technicians performed the task, stability and alignment could be lost Expo 2018. The because the equipment lacked a mechanism to lock the tool in place. reconfiguration and Advanced Torque Products said it created the ATP 760 to refurbishment work address these issues. The tool kit reduces application time and turns older AW139s increases accuracy to within +/- 1 percent and helps minimize into modernized a maintenance professional’s fatigue possibly resulting from versions, extending holding the tooling in place while the task is performed. their useful life and adding new Sikorsky Adds Thai Aviation Services as Support Center capabilities. Sikorsky (Booth N5315) has authorized Thai Aviation Services

BARRY AMBROSE BARRY as the first Sikorsky customer support center in Thailand and its seventh in the Asia-Pacific region. This comes after the operator upgraded its fleet to include eight Sikorsky Waypoint, Leonardo give new helicopters, one of which is a Sikorsky S-76C++. “Over the past 30 years, Thai Aviation Services has shown the quality of its organization with an outstanding safety and performance life to AW139 medium twins record,” said Sikorsky president Dan Schultz. “Sikorsky is proud to authorize Thai Aviation Services as a customer support center, as by Curt Epstein we know they will carry this record of quality into the maintenance of S-92 and S-76 aircraft in this highly important region.” Waypoint Leasing (Booth N4106) converted to serve a wide range opportunity to serve the global As a Sikorsky customer support center, Thai Aviation Services and Italian airframer Leonardo of utility mission areas, including utility market segment.” offers operators various service capabilities. It also enables access to Helicopters today launched a new firefighting, light EMS/SAR, mining, The AW139 has achieved more a factory-supported spare parts inventory and Sikorsky’s logistics. partnership at Heli-Expo 2018 powerline support, cargo and utility than two million flight hours and has involving the Waypoint medium transport and general aerial work. proven itself capable of supporting NGTI, Billings Flying Service Team on T55 Support utility helicopter (MUH), which is To support it, Leonardo has rolled a wide range of missions, according Nebraska Gas Turbine Inc. (NGTI, Booth N5932) and Billings Flying making its debut here at the show. out a program specific to the MUH. to Leonardo senior vice president of Service have teamed up to provide engine maintenance services to On display this week at Leonar- “We are pleased to work together global sales Emilio Dalmasso. “Way- T55 operators. NGTI supports various engines and their components, do’s Heli-Expo booth (C3225) is with Leonardo Helicopters and point’s MUH program is an import- including the T55 and T700. Billings Flying Service operates T55- the program prototype, a recon- take advantage of the full AW130 ant example of how companies are powered Chinooks and T700-powered Blackhawks. Its investment figuration of one of Waypoint’s lifecycle, which will greatly benefit thoughtfully expanding the lifecycle in T55 OEM parts is expected to aid in NGTI’s responsiveness. older, off-lease AW139s offshore utility operators,” said Allen Rowe, value of the AW139, while position- “We have provided engine maintenance support to Billings transport helicopters. the leasing provider’s managing ing it to meet the modern demands Flying Service for many years…[and] it made sense to The work, performed by Eagle director of sales and relationship of utility operations.” combine our efforts and expand our partnership to offer this Copters over several months in management. “Waypoint’s MUH He added that the cost-compet- service to others,” said NGTI vice president Tracy Ogle. Calgary, Canada, involved strip- offers modern technology, the lat- itive program will include entry Billings Flying Service will maintain the parts inventory necessary ping out the medium-twin heli- est safety systems, and the supe- into service, as well as compre- to support NGTI’s engine repair, maintenance, and overhaul copter, removing superfluous rior performance of the AW139 at hensive training and dedicated services. “NGTI helps keep us flying. We’re excited to help them equipment and lightening it. comparable costs to competing power-by-the hour support plans. help others,” said Billings Flying Service co-owner Al Blain. Under the program, early vin- legacy utility aircraft. This pro- After the show, Waypoint and NGTI provides in-house repair services, including cleaning, tage, “short nose” offshore and gram leverages the success of the Leonardo plan to take the MUH welding, blasting, balancing, coating, non-destructive testing, and VIP transport versions can be existing AW139 platform with the on a demonstration tour. n precision machining. It is an FAA repair station, a Honeywell- authorized T53 service center, and an aircraft maintenance organization approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority.

IHST Updates Helicopter Flight Instructor Guide Sign Up for Conklin & de Decker’s April AOC Seminar The European branch of the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) has released an updated 168-page guide for helicopter flight Conklin & de Decker will hold its developing new information into Registration includes a $100 instructors. Based on feedback from the training community, the sixth annual Exploring Aircraft Oper- management tools. discount on the $995 per person guide’s goal is to share the IHST’s resources and strong foundation ating Costs Seminar on April 24 At the conclusion of the seminar, rate until April 3. Additionally, for safe helicopter operations throughout the region’s industry. and 25 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The attendees will have improved their Conklin & de Decker is offering The guide was developed in two parts: teaching and learning, company is inviting Heli-Expo 2018 knowledge to manage costs associ- during Heli-Expo a 10-percent and air exercises. Teaching and learning focuses on training attendees to register for the sem- ated with an aviation operation and discount on database products philosophies, applied instructional techniques, student evaluation, inar this week at its booth (C4135). make more efficient use of their including Aircraft Cost Evaluator, testing, and the human performance element. The air exercises The two-day seminar is organization’s financial resources. Life Cycle Cost, Aircraft Perfor- portion include 30 areas of fundamental helicopter flight designed to help management Managers that find the course help- mance Comparator, and 2018 operations and covers emergency procedures, altitude changes, personnel learn how to control ful come from accounting, mainte- State Tax Guide for General Avia- transitions from hover to climb, forced landings, and more. operating costs. That includes nance, inventory, and operations tion. Attendees who visit Conklin Developed in coordination with Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety understanding different types of divisions, according to Conklin & de & de Decker this week at Heli- Authority, the guide is available in the Safety Tools-Training operating costs, converting data Decker. Seminar attendees will also Expo 2018 can enter a contest area of the IHST website, www.ihst.org. The IHST organization into useful information by identi- be able to receive NBAA Certified to win a new quadcopter camera (Booth C1945) promotes helicopter safety worldwide. It works fying systems and methods, and Aviation Manager credit. drone package. M.B. through its regional partners on government and industry cooperative efforts to reduce accidents and fatalities.

36 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com continued from page 1 nine people in a pressurized cabin at twice the speed and range of a typical helicopter. “As we celebrate our 70th Era’s AW609 Launch year in service, we continue to scan the horizon for the technology in aviation in the program and a major step forward that will allow us to continue to serve in bringing this groundbreaking aircraft to our customers and communities in an market,” said Gian Piero Cutillo, Leonar- ever-changing world,” noted Era CEO do’s managing director. “A longtime partner Chris Bradshaw. “We see the AW609 as of Leonardo as our largest civil customer, part of our future and look forward to Era’s forward-thinking approach to the building upon the collaboration with future of aviation leverages investments in Leonardo as Era prepares to launch vertical lift technologies that will change commercial tiltrotor operations across

BARRY AMBROSE BARRY the way the world flies.” the diverse missions we operate.” Once certified, the AW609 will be Leonardo (Booth C3225) said it cur- Touching Down the first civil tiltrotor to enter com- rently has expressions of interest from This H145/EC145 (née MBB/Kawasaki BK117), a popular EMS platform, is operated by Cleve- mercial service. The aircraft can take worldwide operators for approximately land-based MetroHealth System. It was captured arriving at the Las Vegas Convention Center. off and land vertically, and carry up to 50 AW609s. n

continued from page 2 testing. The manufacturer is expecting said Fujarski. A third line could be opened Rolls To Brief On to complete flight testing in 2018 to if the H160M program is confirmed. obtain simultaneous European EASA Airbus Helicopters chose a flow-line 'Electric Future' H160 makes U.S. debut and U.S. FAA certification. In parallel, organization to reduce costs and make the Safran Helicopters Engines Arrano production leaner, as it did with its H125/ Rolls-Royce will hold an industry brief- and 850-km (450-nm) range. It will offer a for the H160 will be certified. The H130 final assembly line. The machine will ing on “Electrifying Future Technology” fuel burn 15 percent lower than that of the H160’s first electronic flight bag will be pass through five steps with a total time from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. tomorrow in Dauphin H155 family, the model that the issued this year and also the first flight cycle of 40 days to assemble a helicopter. meeting room N258 at Heli-Expo 2018. H160 replaces. simulator made by Thales. “We want to obtain a total cycle of 26 Mike Mekhiche, the global head of The program has completed some major The program enters a major industrial weeks to produce and deliver a machine, electrical at Rolls-Royce, will discuss milestones over the past year. Airbus Heli- phase in 2018, with the launch of the so more than two times less than the the state of current and future technol- copters carried out the cold weather and final assembly line at Marignane and the Dauphin,” added Fujarski. Main elements ogy at the company. The presentation snow campaign in Canada and in the Alps, assembly of the first production rotorcraft. are produced in the Airbus Helicopters will also extend beyond rotorcraft to the lightning impact tests, and started the Two final assembly lines will be deployed, Germany-based factory of Dönauworth include an overview of the aerospace assembly of the first production helicopter. with a capacity of 50 to 60 machines per (airframes), in Albacete, Spain, and in industry and related products. A.P. Plans call for the flight-test program year. “We want to reach 40 helicopters per Tarbes, France, at Daher Aerospace (rear to encompass about 1,100 hours of year three years after the entry in service,” fuselage and empennage). Twelve units will be produced in pre-series (the first this year), before the start of the produc- tion flow line. Support and maintenance will also be a key point, as the airframer wants to deliver a mature machine, notably in terms of sup- port processes. “An operator will pay two or three times [the value of] its helicopters in maintenance costs during the lifetime of the machine,” Fujarski said. Airbus Heli- copters wants to reach a 95 percent dis- patch availability rate at entry-in-service, versus 80 to 85 percent in the past. “We also want to reduce maintenance costs by 20 percent compared to compet- itors,” said Antoine Fleischmann, head of the H160 support program. To minimize operating costs, all maintenance and sup- port processes have been defined in a collaborative way with Airbus’s 23 global support subsidiaries and with a customer The newest Airbus Helicopters model, the medium-twin H160, is making its first-ever appearance in the U.S. at Heli-Expo 2018 in Las Vegas. advisory panel. n

ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 37 East/West Industries brings home the gold by Alexa Paprosky

East/West Industries (Booth C4828) has recognize suppliers who have achieved reason to celebrate at Heli-Expo 2018, exceptional performance, and East/West receiving a Boeing Performance Excel- has received the gold-level award for three lence Award and also marking its 50th consecutive years. Of Boeing’s 13,000 year in business. The company designs, suppliers, only 85 suppliers received the manufactures, and repairs aircraft seats gold level. and other lifesaving products. “We take great pride in knowing that Boeing issues the annual award to we represent such a small number of sup- pliers who receive this honor, and we’re proud that our performance standards help meet Boeing’s customer expecta- tions for world-class products that are competitive on a global scale,” said East/ West president Teresa Ferraro. Since being founded in 1968, East/West has delivered around 3,000 seats to a range of manufacturers, including nearly 400 Bell 505 VIP and utility seats under a 10-year agreement. “We just closed out our best year in the history of the com- pany,” said Ferarro. East/West recently moved into a new facility and was certified by the FAA as a Part 145 repair station. To raise money for

charity, the company will donate $1 to the KLOSS KASHEA Wounded Warrior Project and Wreaths Across America for each Heli-Expo visitor Having too much fun East/West’s VIP Seat provides passenger at their exhibit that mentions the com- The pilots aboard this Hélicoptères Guimbal Cabri G2 light single are all smiles after their safety and comfort in helicopters in both pany’s motto, “Saving aircrew lives is our landing at the Las Vegas Convention Center for Heli-Expo 2018. The French-built G2’s pri- forward- and aft-facing orientations. first concern.” n mary use is as a trainer, but it also has been the foundation for unmanned aerial systems.

in part because there’s a lack of unifor- Recent U.S. tax bill affects mity among the 50 U.S. states. “And the Ontic expands state laws change all the time,” she noted. “Unlike the federal government, states rotorcraft products most aircraft operators can pass a bill in two months, so you need to keep informed. And if you operate in Ontic (Booth C5239), a BBA Aviation by Randy Padfield several states, you could have tax expo- company, has entered into an agree- sure in all of them.” ment with Racal Acoustics, part of Everyone who pays taxes, and especially of like-kind exchanges, which are now no Buyers and sellers of aircraft also need Esterline, to license original equip- those who own or operate a business, longer available for sales and purchases to be aware of state laws, so they can have ment manufacturing and aftermar- should know by now that the U.S. Tax of aircraft, and might not be available in the delivery of the aircraft take place in a ket support for products, including Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, enacted into law some states. state that does not collect sales tax on the cockpit communications control sys- in December, represents the most signif- However, bonus depreciation is avail- transaction. “States pay a lot of attention tems. This is Ontic’s first license with icant reform of the U.S. tax code in more able with the purchase of aircraft that to general aviation aircraft,” she said. Esterline and the 12th product line than 30 years. Helicopter owners and qualify for the MACRS deduction, which Stubbs also warned, “Just because introduced to the Ontic Cheltenham operators need to understand that many offsets taxable gain on the federal level. It your helicopter operation is exempt facility since 2012. of the provisions of this law have a direct has been increased to 100 percent of the from the requirements of a Part 135 cer- Separately, Ontic announced effect on them. purchase price and now it includes the tificate does not automatically mean licenses aimed at expanding its MRO Like most changes, some are good and purchase of used aircraft. The downside that it’s also exempt from all federal offerings for the Bell 206, 212, and some are not. With taxes, it often can be is that bonus depreciation will be phased excise taxes.” n UH-1; Airbus Helicopters AS350; Leon- difficult to know the effects of tax changes down after 2022 at 20 percent per year ardo Helicopters AW101; Boeing CH-47; without the advice of experts. This is per- until it disappears. Sikorsky S-70, UH-60, and CH-53; and haps one of the most important messages The tax law also disallows deduc- the MD Helicopters MD500. from Monday’s Heli-Expo 2018 seminar, tions for all entertainment expenditures, “Our position within the rotorcraft “Keys to Successful Transactions,” orga- regardless of whether they are related to market has grown immensely due to nized by members and advisors of the HAI a business goal. For example, this means GET ON our expanding partnerships with top Finance and Leasing Committee. that the cost of flying a helicopter in con- OEMs serving the industry,” said Ontic Jeffrey Towers, general counsel of nection with entertainment is no longer BOARD! president and managing director TVPX, said, “It’s an exciting time to talk deductible, even if it is directly related to HELO & BIZJET NEWS Gareth Hall. He expects more OEMs to about taxes. But with the new tax, some one’s business. FOR THOSE ON THE GO seek out Ontic’s solutions to provide things still need to be sorted out. We Conklin & de Decker vice president Nel SENT RIGHT TO lifetime customer support as legacy YOUR INBOX won’t know all the results for awhile.” One Stubbs said the application of state taxes platforms continue aging. M.H. thing that has changed is the elimination can be more confusing than federal taxes, www.bjtonline.com/subscribe

38 HAI Convention News \ February 27, 2018 \ ainonline.com ConventionHA INews JAMES HOLAHAN (1921-2015), FOUNDING EDITOR WILSON S. LEACH, MANAGING DIRECTOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF – Matt Thurber PRESS ROOM EDITOR – Kerry Lynch PRESS ROOM MANAGING EDITOR – Chad Trautvetter

THE EDITORIAL TEAM Rick Adams Mark Huber Marisa Bojiuc David Jack Kenny Sean Broderick Guillaume Lecompte-Boinet Jeb Burnside Randy Padfield Samantha Cartaino Alexa Paprosky Curt Epstein Garrett Reim Rob Finfrock Annmarie Yannaco GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER – Tom Hurley PRODUCTION EDITOR – Martha Jercinovich GRAPHIC DESIGNERS – Mona L. Brown, John A. Manfredo, Grzegorz Rzekos PHOTOGRAPHERS – Barry Ambrose, Kashea Kloss

LEAD DEVELOPER – Michael Giaimo DEVELOPERS – Nathan Douglas, Ryan Koch VIDEO PRODUCER – Ian Whelan

GROUP PUBLISHER – Dave Leach ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER – Nancy O’Brien ADVERTISING SALES Georges France – Western Europe Tel: +33 6 80 21 17 93 Melissa Murphy – Midwestern U.S. Tel: +1 (830) 608-9888 Nancy O’Brien – Western U.S./Western Canada/Asia Pacific Tel: +1 (530) 241-3534 Anthony T. Romano – Northeastern U.S./Eastern Canada/

Mexico/Brazil Tel: +1 (203) 470-4957 AMBROSE BARRY Joe Rosone – Southeastern, Mid-Atlantic U.S./Middle East Tel: +1 (301) 693-4687 Diana Scogna – Italy/Northern Europe/Middle East Kopter to Unveil Fifth SH09 Launch Customer Tel: +33 6 62 52 25 47 Victoria Tod – Great Lakes U.S./United Kingdom Kopter (Booth N4615) will unveil a fifth launch customer for its SH09 and established a partnership with Metro Aviation. Kopter is aiming to Tel: +1 (203) 733-4184 Yury Laskin – Russia light single helicopter today at Heli-Expo. Previously committed early create a U.S. subsidiary in the second quarter, with first SH09 deliveries Tel: +7 05 912 1346 customers for the in-development, all-composite helicopter include two from the U.S. facility expected at the end of 2021. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – Jeff Hartford Swiss operators, a Polish operator, and a Norwegian operator. Kopter Kopter has received facility location proposals from 38 loca- MANAGER OF ONSITE LOGISTICS – Philip Scarano III currently has 120 letters of intent, 27 firm orders and 19 memoran- tions in the U.S. “The right place is evidently where we find the ONSITE PRODUCTION – Zach O’Brien SALES COORDINATOR – Nadine Timpanaro dum of agreements for the SH09. EASA certification of the helicopter helicopter community, where we find qualified personnel, where SALES ADMINISTRATOR – Cindy Nesline is expected in 2019. we find space for the facilities, and where they show us through With a focus on developing in the U.S., Kopter recently appointed the conditions they offer that we are welcome,” said Kopter CEO DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & HUMAN RESOURCES – Michele Hubert Larry Roberts as the senior vice president of sales for North America Andreas Löwenstein. A.P. ACCOUNTING MANAGER – Marylou Moravec ACCOUNTS PAYABLE – Mary Avella ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE – Bobbie Bing

U.S. HEADQUARTERS: 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432 +1 (201) 444-5075 30 percent growth last year and based on Advertising Inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 Hawke Aerospace rebrands its booked backlog, he believes it could [email protected] see 50 growth in 2018. To help manage Circulation Inquiries: +1 (201) 345-0085 [email protected] that expansion, the company has named WASHINGTON, D.C. EDITORIAL OFFICE: Michael Topa, formerly president of Com- Kerry Lynch (business aviation) itself as Uniflight Global [email protected] posite Technology as its new COO. +1 (703) 969-9195 by Curt Epstein Uniflite Global is also in active acqui- EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICE: Ian Sheppard; [email protected] sition discussions with several businesses Hangar 9, Redhill Aerodrome, Surrey RH1 5JY, UK Reflecting on its reach across multiple seen in the marketplace over the past three that align with one or more of its divi- Tel: +44 1737 821409 Mobile: +44 7759 455770 businesses in the rotorcraft sector, Grand years,” said company chairman and CEO sions, and is about to embark on a recap- HAI Convention News is a publication of The Convention News Prarie, Texas-based Hawke Aerospace Joseph Hawke. “Our observations are that italization plan to finance any of those Co., Inc., 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432; Tel: +1 (201) 444-5075. Copyright © 2018 All rights reserved.­ Reproduction in Holdings has rebranded its three segments operators need more fully integrated solu- company purchases. n whole or in part ­without permission of The Convention News Co., that it refers to as “finance, fix, and fly,” tions. We’re really seeking to change how Inc. is strictly prohibited. The Convention News Co., Inc. publishes Aviation International News, AINalerts, AIN Air Transport Per- under the Uniflight Global banner. vertical lift is delivered to the marketplace, spective, AIN Defense Perspective, AINtv, ­Business Jet Trav- The move covers Uniflight (Booth N3307), and do that with fully flexible and seam- eler, BJTwaypoints, ABACE Convention­ News, Dubai Airshow NEWS note News, EBACE ­Convention News, Farnborough Airshow News, its MRO division, which operates two Part lessly integrated solutions.” LABACE Convention News, MEBAA ­Convention News, NBAA Convention News, Paris Airshow News, Singapore Airshow 145 locations, a customer service facility for Among its offerings are consulting for fleet The Royal Netherlands Air Force has News, Mobile Apps: Aviation International News; ­AINonline. Bell, Airbus Helicopters, and Leonardo at upgrades and mission requirements, as well contracted with MRO provider Heli-One PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40649046 RETURN­ ­UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: PITNEY BOWES its flagship Grand Prarie Municipal Airport as operational services. “An important part (Booth N4505) for the latter to provide ­INTERNATIONAL MAIL, STATION A, P.O. BOX 54, WINDSOR, ON, facility, and the other at Pittsburgh-area of the value proposition is that we’re able intermediate/depot-level maintenance N9A 6J5, returns [email protected]. Rostraver Airport; Infinity Helicopter Leas- to basically deliver turnkey wet lease oper- on a dozen active RNLAF AS532 Cougar THE CONVENTION NEWS COMPANY, INC. AIN PUBLICATIONS EXECUTIVE TEAM ing, its financing division, a joint venture that ations if that’s ultimately what the end user helicopters, plus five more in storage. Wilson Leach Jennifer Leach English currently has 11 rotorcraft in its portfolio; desires,” Hawke told AIN. For existing heli- The work includes airframe inspections Matt Thurber Dave Leach Michele Hubert Nancy O’Brien and Aviation Services Unlimited (ASU), the copter operators who look to acquire new and maintenance, Maikila 1A2 turboshaft company’s Part 135 flight department based equipment, Uniflight can also provide a short Printed in Las Vegas by ColorDynamics engine inspections, corrosion preven- Computer services: ABComrents.com in Rome, New York, which operates a fleet of turnkey lease with training to make the client tion, and on-request operational level three Bell 206 Jet Rangers and a Cessna 172 self sufficient by the end of the agreement. maintenance support. The agreement on aerial survey missions. Uniflight Global was founded in 2008 covers the Cougars’ suspected lifespan, PUBLICATIONS “The impetus for the rebranding is to with the acquisition of Uniflight and ASU. potentially through 2030. T respond to the profound shift that we have Hawke noted the privately-held company’s

ainonline.com \ February 27, 2018 \ HAI Convention News 39 Rugged and Reliable

109

TREKKER Leonardo Helicopters are renowned for performance, versatility and safety. The AW109 Trekker - an evolution of the proven AW109 platform - is the newest light twin, designed for demanding utility and aerial work operations. Equipped with robust skid landing gear, a latest-generation glass cockpit and advanced avionics, the Trekker provides the excellent handling qualities, high productivity and operational flexibility you demand. Inspired by the vision, curiosity and creativity of the great master inventor - Leonardo is designing the technology of tomorrow. Visit us at Heli-Expo, Stand C3225

leonardocompany.com

Helicopters | Aeronautics | Electronics, Defence & Security Systems | Space

M-18-0018 AIN Convention News AW109 Trekker AW Team Up AW169 VIP.indd 1 14/02/2018 10:07:40