HELICOPTER www.helicopterlife.com Autumn 2013 / £3.99 LIFE including gyroplanes

HELICOPTER LIFE is the HIGH LIFE HELICOPTER AuTumn 2013 LIFE COVER STORY

Flight Show & Tell Guide 4 Rotorway Aviation shows and conferences. Roughnecks 32 Georgina Hunter-Jones The Editor’s Letter 5 learns to fly the Rotorway helicopter, Aerial Forum 6 & 7 thanks to the support Canadian Chinooks of the Roughnecks. Letters to the Editor 10 Flying Crackers 8 & 9 Helicopter Makeover Steven Swatton 40 Helicopter Business has his 1980 Bell 206 The business of heli - JetRanger re-painted copter companies 12 and revamped by - Stimulation and Simon Edmondson at loans Thruxton.

Merline casts a spell Little Nellie Bows @ DSEI 46 Out Gerald Cheyne G Hunter-Jones 14 visits the dfence show Looks back at the look and hears the latest on and creative life of the Merlin and Ken Wallis who died Wildcat. on 1st September 2013 aged 97. German Ghosts Aerial Peepers Tommaso Muntforti 52 G Hunter-Jones, celebrates the life and on the continuing 24 passing of the implementation of the German F-4 National Police Air Phantoms Service and what it means. Book Reviews 58 CAA Legislation changes 59 HeliTech G Hunter-Jones 26 RNAS Yeovilton Ian Turner 62 examines the show to see how the new site Accident Reports 64 works for HeliTech 2013. House & Helicopter 66

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 3 S how & T ell G uide HELICOPTER

24 February - 27 February 2014 LIFE HELIExPO Anaheim, California, USA AuTumn 2013 http://www.rotor.com

13 March - 16 March 2014 HON. EDITORIAL BOARD AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIx Captain Eric Brown, CBE, RN Melbourne, Australia The Lord Glenarthur, DL http://www.grandprix.com.au Jennifer Murray Michael J. H. Smith 9 April - 12 April 2014 AEROFRIEDRICHSHAFEN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / PILOT Lake Constance, Germany Georgina Hunter-Jones [email protected] http://www.aero-expo.com CREATIVE DIRECTORS [email protected] 22 May - 24 May 2014 HELIRUSSIA COPY EDITORS Evangeline Hunter-Jones, JP Gerald Cheyne Crocus Forum, Moscow www.helirussia.ru/en/index.html?src=englishlink‎ CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Arjan Dijksterhuis, Simon Edmondson, Tommaso Montforti, Ian Turner, Gerald 30 May - 1 June 2014 Cheyne, Russian Helicopters, Peter Foster, AEROExPO Stephen Swatton, John White, Sywell, Northamptonshire, UK CONTRIBUTED PHOTOGRAPHY www.expo.aero/uk/‎ Arjan Dijksterhuis, Ian Turner, Gerald Cheyne, Russian Helicopters, Peter Foster, Stephen Swatton, Simon Edmondson, Tommaso 2 June - 4 June 2014 Montforti HELIExPO UK SPECIAL THANKS TO Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire, UK Dave Smith ATPL(H)IR, The Rotorway http://www.heliukexpo.com Roughnecks ADVERTISING 19 - 21 June 2014 Telephone: +44-(0)20-7430-2384, EUROPEAN HELICOPTER SHOW [email protected] Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic SUBSCRIPTIONS Go to our website or turn to page 54 http://www.eurohelishow.com [email protected] WEBSITE 14 July - 20 July 2014 www.helicopterlife.com FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW Blog Farnborough, near London, UK. http://www.helicopterlife.blogspot.com www.farnborough.com See Helicopter Life on Facebook & Twitter

24 September - 26 September 2014 COVER PHOTOGRAPH HELITECH Rotorway Roughnecks Ian Bown flying Amsterdam, Holland GKARN. Photograph courtesy Georgina http://www.helitechevents.com Hunter-Jones HELICoPTER LIFE is published quarterly by FlyFizzi Ltd. 4 November - 6 November 2014 59 Great ormond Street DUBAI HELICOPTER SHOW London, WC 1N-3 Hz . Maydan Racecourse, Dubai Copyright © FlyFizzi Ltd. 2013. www.dubaihelicoptershow.com ISSN 1743-1042. All rights reserved. opinions expressed herein are not neces - sarily those of the pub lishers, the Editor or any of the editorial staff. Reproduction in whole or in part, in any form whatever, is strictly prohibited without specific written permission of the Editor.

4 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 T he e diTor ’ S l eTTer

ne excellent recent develop - August, only a few weeks after they ment from the UK CAA is its had been reinstated, there was a onew online service. AS332L2 Puma crash on the North The UK CAA said: Sea. An initial investigation showed “As part of a process to improve no mechanical failures and the the way it handles official transac - AS332L2 and the EC225 were all tions, the UK Civil Aviation returned to service. Authority (CAA) will from today However, this has not satisfied the accept more applications online, unions, who are asking for a deeper including secure online payments. investigation into why the Super Pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers Puma L2 crashed, killing four people, and air traffic personnel can now and a general look at safety on the apply for a replacement licence or North Sea. The CAA has recently certificate online.” announced it will be doing a review: I consider this to be very good “The Civil Aviation Authority news, and, with any luck, means (CAA), the UK's specialist aviation looking into new avenues. In this there will be far fewer documents regulator, today announced a review issue we feature not only their new misplaced or lost, and a far speedier of offshore helicopter operations in Ansat from Kazan Helicopters, which service. Well done the CAA. the North Sea. The review will be has just received commercial certifi - The CAA has also sent out undertaken jointly with the cation, but also the new Ka-62 and, reminders to pilots that the National Norwegian CAA and the European on a smaller scale, the first flight of Licences will no longer be valid for Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Berkut VL. of the coming years most aviation from 8th April 2014. advised by a panel of independent there will continue to be more and “The UK Civil Aviation Authority experts. It will study current opera - more from Russia, and it looks to be ...reminds holders of ‘national’ pilot tions, previous incidents and acci - innovative. licences of the need to convert to a dents and offshore helicopter flying Finally, our cover story is about the European equivalent by 8 April 2014 in other countries to make recom - Rotorway kit helicopter. This is cur - to maintain their current flying privi - mendations aimed at improving the rently the only kit helicopter certified leges. The deadline affects all com - safety of offshore flying.” by the UK CAA to fly in the United mercial and private pilots holding a As well as changes and updates to Kingdom, although there are moves to valid non-JAR licence (sometimes legislation, this issue looks at the increase the types available. I am per - also referred to as a CAA licence), HeliTech conference and show move sonally interested in the Rotorway as I which would have been issued before from Duxford to the Excel Centre in have been asked to become a January 2000. With only six months London. Rotorway examiner. To do this I need to go to arrange the switch over, the This move was apparently made to fly 15 hours and pass a test with CAA said it was concerned some after pressure from the European another examiner. I will let you know pilots would be left with invalid Helicopter Association, who felt that how these flights go and how success - licences if they failed to meet the it needed to be a more international ful the Rotorway is as an examining deadline. Flight instructors, in partic - show to reflect the business needs of platform in future issues. However, ular, could be caught out and face the majority of the participants, many one thing that has already become disruption to their training sched - of whom were, naturally, outside the very clear is how much Rotorway ules.” UK. It probably also reflects the owners and pilots value their There are exceptions to this, changing position of the UK in the machines, and how much they enjoy t s including older aircraft, kit built heli - helicopter industry, which is no r flying them. u h copters and gyrocopters, which longer the major player it was in the g n o

L remain with the national authority. early years of helicopter aviation. n i v This summer has been much busier If the UK has lost its position in e K h than in the last few years both in the the helicopter market, Russia has P a r

g industry generally, and in the flying gained status and growth in its place. o t o schools. However, at the end of Russian Helicopters are constantly h P HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 5 A eriAl F orum DnD issues fact sheet on Chinook helicopter acquisition

s part of the Government's commitment to industry from this procurement. Boeing is currently on strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces track to meet its commitments. A(CAF), the Department of National Defence This procurement project remains both on time and (DND) is acquiring 15 advanced, multi-mission, medium within budget since the contract was signed with Boeing to heavy-lift helicopters, or more specifically the in 2009. Canadian version of the F-model Chinook (also known Projected Costing as CH-147F). This will continue to position the CAF as a The total estimated cost for acquisition and in-service first-class, modern, flexible force capable of defending support for the Medium-to-Heavy Lift Helicopter Canada and Canadian interests well into the future. Program is CAN$5 billion. The breakdown is The purchase of this fleet of 15 aircraft meets our mil - as follows: itary's requirements and enables the CAF to project itself The total project acquisition cost is estimated at effectively across Canada and abroad. CAN$2.3 billion, which includes the 15 helicopters, in- The Canadian CH-147F Chinook represents a new service support set-up, equipment procured directly from capability for the CAF that will enhance its ability to the U.S. government (Foreign Military Sales cases) new operate in remote and isolated areas and increase its infrastructure in Petawawa, project management costs, capacity to respond to a wide variety of humanitarian and a complete maintenance and aircrew training pro - emergencies across the continent, such as fires, floods, gram, including simulation devices and courseware. and earthquakes. The 20-year in-service support program for the heli - As part of the Medium-to-Heavy Lift Helicopter copters, which includes the training systems and equip - Acquisition Program, Boeing has committed to providing ment procured directly from the U.S. government Industrial and Regional Benefits equal to US$1.25 bil - (Foreign Military Sales cases), has an estimated value of lion, which will ensure significant benefits for Canadian CAN$2.7 billion.

6 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2013 The estimated costs associated with 20 years of per - that Montréal-based CAE would be the single opera - sonnel, operations, and maintenance (excluding GST) are tional training systems provider for the Chinook F-model approximately CAN $1.7 billion. helicopter fleet. CAE was awarded a contract valued at Acquisition and Support Costs approximately CAN$250 million to establish and main - Acquisition costs: $2.3B tain a comprehensive aircrew training solution. In-Service Support (20 yrs): $2.7B • october 2010: The Government of Canada awarded ToTAL: $5.0B Ellis Don Company a contract valu ed at CAN$134.8 mil - N.B. The Foreign Military Sales program is the U.S. lion to construct first and second line maintenance bays, method for selling U.S. defence equipment, services, and CAE and Boeing training schools, a back shop and ware - training that is not available for individual companies to house, a DND command suite, and a fenced-in parking lot. purchase, even if they are American. Equipment that falls • June 24, 2012: Canada's first Chinook F-model heli - under this program are typically sensitive, such as spe - copter successfully completed its maiden test flight at a cialised weapons, high-performance engines, and classi - Boeing test facility, kicking off the year-long Test and fied communications systems. In programs like the Evaluation phase of the program which is comprised of Medium-to-Heavy Lift Helicopter, Canada procures cer - both ground and flight-test activities.• September 24, tain equipment through Foreign Military Sales, and then 2012: A second Canadian Chinook F-model helicopter provides it to the company for assembly and integration began the Test and Evaluation phase of the program and into the aircraft. completed its first test flight. Chronology of Events • February 5, 2013: Boeing-led training began for air - • June 2006: The Government of Canada announced craft technicians, loadmasters, and flight engineers at a its plan to acquire a new fleet of medium-to-heavy lift training site near Philadelphia. Approximately 45 gradu - Chinook F-model helicopters to meet the CAF rotary- ates were available to support the first Chinook helicop - wing transport requirements for the next 20 years. To ter that arrived in the summer of 2013. ensure a fair, open, and transparent process, an Advance • March 24, 2013: The Government of Canada Contract Award Notice was published on Government announced the awarding of a CAN$5.7 million subcon - Electronic Tenders Service (MERX) to give notice to tract by Boeing to Weatherhaven, of Burnaby, BC, to fit supplier community of the intent to award a contract to made-in-Canada portable repair and maintenance shelters the Boeing Company. Boeing was assessed as being the for the CH-147 helicopters. These portable shelters can only compliant supplier. be trucked and/or airlifted to locations to meet the N.B: Canadian Armed Forces' various needs in the field, both ◦ December 2008: Separate from the Medium-to- domestically and internationally. Heavy Lift Helicopter Program, Canada acquired six • June 21, 2013: The Government of Canada finalized used Chinook D-model helicopters (CH-147D) in order a contract amendment with the Boeing Company to pro - to meet an urgent need for a medium-lift capability in vide the first five years of 20 years of in-service support Afghanistan. These helicopters were procured directly for the helicopters. from the U.S. government (Foreign Military Sales cases). • June 24, 2013: The Government of Canada accepted This capability lasted until the end of the mission in the Canadian Armed Forces' first new CH-147F Chinook 2011. helicopter at a ceremony at Boeing's facility in ◦ Two of the original six Chinook D-model helicop - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ters were damaged beyond economical repair while in • June 27, 2013: The Government of Canada wel - operation in Afghanistan. DND is pursuing disposal comed the delivery of the Canadian Armed Forces' first options including the sale of the remaining four helicop - new CH-147F Chinook helicopter in Canada at a cere - ters of the Chinook D fleet. mony in ottawa. • August 2009: The Government of Canada announced Next Steps a contract to the Boeing Company valued at approxi - Aircraft will be delivered at a rate of approximately mately US$1.2 billion to build the helicopters and pro - one aircraft per month with all aircraft being delivered vide initial in-service support set-up. over the next year. The operational readiness of this fleet • December 2009: The Government of Canada will be developed in a progressive manner that is in step announced Canada's new fleet of 15 Chinook F-model with testing and training on the Chinook. This will helicopters will be based at Canadian Forces Base ensure that the impressive capabilities of this aircraft can Petawawa, ontario. The new helicopter squadron will be be fully and safely exploited when responding to future designated 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron. emergencies or military operations. • March 2010: The Government of Canada announced

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2013 7 F lyinG C rACkerS

project would continue and that they Fuel Testing Autogas 93UL will be developing a diesel option Ken Wallis who died in September aged 97 Piper and start-up fuel distributor for the company's Sportsman air - flying his autogyro Airworthy Autogas jointly tested craft. The diesel project should stim - the fuel company's 93 octane unlead - ulate the company's worldwide mar - ed fuel on an Archer as part of the ket. Glasair is working with lead-up to Airworthy Autogas's DeltaHawk on the task. DeltaHawk launch later this year. in 2011 acquired $720,000 in low- interest loans from the state of Toronto Team wins out Wisconsin. DeltaHawk's Dennis The elusive $250,000 Sikorsky Prize Webb said that a test aircraft was has been won by a Canadian approximately six to eight weeks engineering team. AeroVelo's Atlas from flying. Meanwhile, Glasair's human-powered helicopter satisfied involvement with Build-A-Plane has the requirements of the Igor I. already seen success. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Build-A-Plane is an eight high Competition in a flight inside a soc - school project selecting students cer center near Toronto. The flight from a competition involving some took place on June 13 and the 30 high schools. After selection, the opment in the development of announcement was made Thursday students participated in Glasair's British rotary flight, died in July after the flight was verified by the Two Weeks To Taxi (TWTT) pro - 2013 aged 99. competition committee, who saw the gram, and completed two Glasair Born in 1911, Hislop got a first class videos. Sportsman aircraft, mentored by degree from London university. He Glasair's standard TWTT support. then got the James Caird scholarship Terrafugia First Flight Financial support for the experience to Cambridge to do research in aero - Terrafugia Transition flying car flew was arranged by GAMA. After com - nautics. Here he learnt to fly fixed for the first time at a public pletion, each student flew in one of wing. He was first introduced to hel - event on Monday afternoon at EAA the two aircraft that they built. For icopters during his wartime work for AirVenture in oshkosh. The aircraft more information on Build-A-Plane, the A&AEE (Aeroplane and drove away from its exhibit on the visit Build-A-Plane online. Arnament Experiment south side of the field, with the Establishment) at Boscombe Down. company's chief test pilot, Phil Jet Pack NZ Approved In 1944, a Sikorksy R4 arrived there Meteer, at the controls. He drove Martin Aircraft Company is on for testing and he worked on that down Celebration Way and onto track to begin deliveries of a before moving to Farnborough Phillips 66 Plaza, steering the air - first responder version of its per - where he had his first rotary flight. plane like a car, trailed by a crowd sonal air vehicle; the Martin He spent a lifetime involved in heli - of curious onlookers, with the wings Jetpack now that the New zealand copter development including the folded up. once on the ramp, the government has approved manned possibilities of a large inter-city pas - wings unfolded, and Meteer stepped testing of the aircraft. The govern - senger carrying helicopter for Fairey out of the cockpit to conduct a pre - ment will allow Martin test pilots Aviation. He was involved in testing flight before driving down to the

to fly the twin-ducted fan device up s

the 40 passenger Fairey Rotodyne. e end of the runway for takeoff. n to 20 feet above ground and 25 feet o This project was cancelled in 1962. J - r e

above water at first and then Hislop was later involved in the t n

Diesel for Glasair u expand the flight envelope as the development of ‘ultralight’ helicop - h a n Glasair Aviation LLC was acquired concept proves itself . i ters which led to the Scout and g r

in 2012 by Chinese company zhuhai o Wasp! e g

Hanxing General Aviation Co. Ltd. h

George Hislop dies aged 99 When Westland took over Fairey P a

(zHGAC) of China and announced r The aeronautical engineer, George Aviation Hislop became Technical g o t

at AirVenture that its Build-A-Plane o

Hislop, who played a major devel - Director and in 1973 became Vice h P 8 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 F lyinG C rACkerS

Chairman. During his time there they developed the Wessex, Sea King and with Anglo French coopera - tion the Gazelle and Lynx projects. He was awarded lion in 2012. The report, which covers aircraft from busi - a CBE in 1976. ness jets to heavy transport, looks at the existing opportu - nities and areas of future growth and covers opportunities USAF Fuel Testing Flights all over the world. New airplanes sales may be a little soft, but there is an increase in doing up older aircraft; every - Two U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft flying in formation thing from new panels to fresh paint to full-up interiors. showed how to save the Air Force up to $10 million per year in fuel costs. The test flights, conducted in July, departed from Edwards AFB in California and Stowaway Survives flew to Hawaii and back. The trailing aircraft's A Nigerian teenager who survived a stowaway flight in a autopilot software was tweaked to enable it to main - main gear well of an Arik Air airliner was captured after tain the optimum fuel-saving position, about 3,000 hopping onto the ramp at Lagos International Airport on to 6,000 feet behind the lead aircraft. "Maintaining Sunday. The flight from Benin to Lagos (153 miles) is a position in the [fuel-saving] formation is no more short one and the aircraft only reached 21,000 feet on the task-saturating for the aircrew than flying at cruise," 30-minute hop, no doubt contributing to the survival said Maj. Kyle Clinton, one of the pilots who flew of the boy. the trailing C-17. Air Force oficials said that the tests demonstrated in-flight rendezvous, day and night Teenager Survives Crash in Mountains operations, and several hours of flight on autopilot. McKenzie Morgan, while flying part of a long cross coun - try Tuesday, crashed the Cessna 172 she was flying in China looks for Foreign Pilots mountains near Meeteetse, Wyoming. Fortunately, she Chinese airlines, reacting to rapid industry growth, crashed not far from a cabin once owned by Amelia are seeking to attract experienced pilots by offering Earhart and within sight of two hunters. Morgan, a student salaries and benefits roughly double that of the pilot, told reporters she had become disoriented, flying in average U.S. airline captain, The Wall Street Journal nearly the opposite direction of her intended destination. reported Friday. Top salaries offered by some She entered a valley with rising terrain that evolved into a Chinese airlines exceed $225,000, and the country's box canyon. The plane eventually impacted the ground current pay leader, Hainan Airlines, is advertising near 13,150-foot Francs Peak and the aircraft flipped. pay packages up to $270,000 per year. That push is part of a surge that has over the past 18 Buy a Cessna in a Car Boot Sale! months seen pay offers to foreign pilots rise by up to A Minnesota man found a ready market for his 1946 30 percent, the Journal said. Cessna 140 when he included it in a garage sale he organ - ized for his father. "We just put it in there as a last-minute Increased Refurbishment Market deal," Robbie Love, of East Grand Forks, told A new report by marketsandmarkets.com says the GoodMorningAmerica.com. "We were going to have a aircraft refurbishing and repurposing market will garage sale for my dad, and I just figured I'd put it in there to see what interest there was in the local area. And geez, s

e grow to $4.3 billion in 2017, up from about $3 bil - n

o I've gotten calls from all over." J - r e t n u A Pilot Reports h a n i Flying back from Belfast to Blackpool several years ago, I g r o

e heard a GA pilot behind me cleared for take-off by the g f tower. The tower then reminded him of the local noise reg - o y s ulations. The pilot replied that he understood and added e t r u helpfully that he would only be using one engine in this o c

h instance. P a r g o t o h P HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 9 l eTTerS To The e diTor

59 Great ormond Street, London WC1N-3Hz, England. Telephone: 020-7430-2384, Email: [email protected]. Letters are continued on pages 23, 24, 25 Please include your name, and email or phone. Rotorway Scottish Challenge We are blessed in Scotland with fantastic places to fly and mostly in uncontrolled airspace but I look forward Dear Georgina, to my trips south of the border and the nav challenges I believe I am the only operator of the 162F in being in unfamiliar territory bring. Scotland and it was a big decision to buy it knowing I My wee heli G-WHoo has exceeded my expecta - would need to bring it to Takeley each year for the tions and performs surprisingly well given most of Annual Permit renewal. But after listening to my type these only do around 20 hours a year, (my total on this rating instructor (John Jackson) say he had heard of machine will be around 90 hours in the 18 months one being flown to Ireland, I reckoned the 400 mile since it arrived up here and when i take it back for the trip to Scotland would be `doable`. annual in September) I already had experience of helping to ferry Robinson Hopefully more pilots up here will give the 162 a try 22 and 44 from north of the border to service facilities and find out what fun this little helicopter can be. near Milton Keynes and with a bit of thought it should be no more difficult in the Rotorway. Wishing you all the best with Helicopter Life My preferred routing is: Fife to Millfield (gliding site) or Eshott for fuel John White (110nm) continued on page 13 Eshott to Bagby International (90 nm ) hanger the R612F overnight, refuel in the morning. Bagby to Wickenby ( 70 nm) top up fuel. Wickenby to Fenland (40 nm) top up fuel. Fenland to Takeley, south perimeter of Stansted (55nm) Total approx 370 nm I treat all of the above as short bite size `nav ex` trips with a fairly big fuel reserve margin, topping the tanks at each stop and carrying an emergency 20 ltr in the cargo box between the skids. The max range I adhere to is to fly no more than 1.5 hours without refueling,hence the frequent stops. Needless to say I must do this solo to keep all in bal - ance and within CofG. There is surprisingly enough room for an overnight bag, the handling wheels,one full fuel can and one empty 20ltr can. I fly this trip over two days,treating it as a mini holi - day and not being stressed out by time scale there is plenty time for the fuel stops,each time approx 2 hours from landing to take off again. Last year was a challenge as the trip coincided with the olympic Games and also had to file a flight plan through Atlas at Fenland to allow zone transit over head Stansted for Takeley and Southern Helis, at least I wont need to do that this time!! The return trip is just a reverse of the above, but if I was friendly with people en route I could obviously fill up with `Mogas` and avoid dropping into airfields!

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2013 10

n ew

B uSineSS For h eliCopTerS

Balfour Beatty to support uK SAR ristow Helicopters Ltd yesterday appointed Stornoway. The ninth SAR helicopter base which will be Balfour Beatty as its infrastructure delivery partner used by Bristow to deliver the contract is an existing P

to support the development of its UK Search and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) facility at Lee- h o

B t Rescue service. on-Solent and a final tenth base shall be an existing o g r a

As the main contractor, the company will now begin Bristow facility at Sumburgh. P h c outsourcing various aspects of the building works to local At the forefront of sustainability, the new helicopter o u r contractors in the communities in which the bases will be bases include a raft of environmental technologies includ - t e s y

established. ing PV solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems. o f

The contract, worth in excess of £40m will see Balfour Bristow Helicopters was awarded the ten-year UK B r i s t

Beatty delivering infrastructure projects at nine sites Search and Rescue contract by the Department for o w across the UK between 2014 and 2017 including the con - Transport in March 2013 and is due to take over the serv - h e L i struction of seven new build search and rescue helicopter ice on behalf of the MCA from April 2015. c o t P bases at commercial airports in Inverness, Manston, Construction is due to commence in early 2014 with e r Prestwick, Caernarfon, St Athan, Humberside and developments continuing until early 2017. s Newquay, and the refurbishment of an existing facility in visit Bristow SAR website www.bristowsar.com

12 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Bond benefits from £1billion of new Lending

he Government’s Business Finance Partnership Bond Aviation (Bond) is based in Gloucester and scheme is said to free more than £870m of new Aberdeen. Part of the UK-based Avincis Group, Bond Tlending since March. The scheme is designed to companies in the UK operate a mixed fleet of over forty- create new private sector sources of lending for small and five helicopters and employ around 630 staff. The loan medium sized businesses, to fill the gap left by the reduc - they have received will refinance existing lending more tion in bank lending. It has so far raised £5 of lending for flexibly, releasing cash flow to grow the business. In the every £1 of taxpayers’ money. next 12 months Bond companies in the UK intend to Six new lending funds have been created by the invest many millions in new medium and heavy helicop - scheme and are backed by investors that previously lent ters, as well as hiring and training skilled staff and to large businesses but are now re-directing their money expanding their bases around the UK. to medium sized companies. A further seven non-tradi - tional sources of lending for smaller businesses have also been supported, such as peer-to-peer platforms and sup - ply chain finance providers. So far, 18 medium-sized businesses have received a total of £827m of lending through the scheme. These businesses have an average turnover of £80m and around 550 staff. A further 880 small businesses have also received loans totalling another £50m. The Chancellor, George osborne, visited Bond Aviation in Gloucester in September, one of the compa - nies to have received loans. Bond Aviation provides air ambulance, search and rescue, and other helicopter sup - port, and the loan from the Business Finance Partnership will help the business to expand in the UK.

m ore l eTTerS To The ediTor

continued from page 10 Ken Wallis Dies aged 97

Dear Georgie, I was saddened to hear of the death of Ken Wallis on the 1st.September. What a nice man.

I attach a photograph I took of him on his stand at Fly! The London Air Show with his autogiro "Little Nellie" from the Bond movie back in April 2005.

I hope the photo conveys the fact that he always had all the time in the world to give to people, as well as being a consummate professional in an area of avia - tion that he could almost call his own.

Kindest Regards,

Aussie Brown Photographer 13 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 H elicopter A fter -l ife Little nellie Bows Out

Ken Wallis the pinoneer inventor and gyrocopter pilot dies aged 97 ing Commander Ken Wallis died on 1st received an Aviators Certificate issued by The Royal September 2013. He had a life spanning most Aero Club. However, he only once used his certificate: Wall types of aviation but, in spite of being an when he was in his Austin 7 saloon with a girl in 1940 Honorary Editor of Helicopter life, never had a helicop - (“we had the lights out we weren’t breaking the black- ter licence, preferring instead to fly autogyros. This, he out”) and a policeman open the door to investigate. Ken said, was because he did not like the instability of heli - showed his certificate and the policeman overcome with copters! admiration insisted he must do whatever he liked (as He explained: “rotor systems in flight follow a shallow long as it didn’t interfere with the blackout). cone relying oncentrifugal force to control the blades.. In 1938 Wallis applied for a short service commission both helicopters and autogyros flywith the point of the and was again turned down on the grounds of poor eye - cone at the bottom, but with helicopters the air comes - sight. The doctor said: “You would never be able to land P

from the top whilst with autogyros the air comes from an aeroplane, Wallis.” When Ken explained he already h o t underneath. Strictly speaking,” he adds, “the term heli - had an ‘A’ licence the doctor added, “I am speaking of a o g r a

copter could actually be applicable technically to an aut - high-speed aeroplane like a Hawker Hart.”! P h s

ogyro. Heli implies a twisting screw shape, while opter Undaunted, in 1938 Wallis joined the newly inaugurat - c o u

can imply a wing. Helicopters screw up through the air, ed Civil Air Guard as a pilot, thanks to his ‘A’ Licence. r t e s

while autogyros screw down!” Knowing he would be called up for medical tests when y o f

Ken Wallis learnt to fly in 1937. Having been twice the war came, he learnt the Bishop Harman binocular test h i L a

turned down by the RAF because of a problem in his by heart, which, as he puts it; “was indeed of value when i r e

right eye, he decided to learn to fly as a civilian at I was called up for the tests at RAF Uxbridge in october D u B o

Cambridge. He paid £14 for his ‘A’ licence, including 1940.” u r c

helmet, goggles and a gosport speaking tube and In 1941 Wallis flew Lysanders. “There was no co- q 14 HELICOPTER LIFE Autumn 2013 to Scotland. With the gauges already showing empty he tried to make an approach to Binbrook in Lincolnshire. After a number of attempts to land he thought “there was Ken in his little sense in the rest of the crew staying aboard while I office was making these suicidal passes. Luckily, while I was asking Binbrook if the crew could bale out she was climb - ing like a bird, being so light, and then both engines stopped. I was, of course, the last to leave, and just in time.” His next accident was when the Wellington was brought down by a British balloon barrage, allegedly set up to stop low flying German planes bombing strategic places such as ports they brought down 90 British planes as well as 233 enemy planes. In January 1942, Ken was flying the Wellington over Emden, “when a reconnaissance flare went off in the bomb bay due to iced-up bomb doors. We jettisoned all the bombs and they went down flaming, but we were also on fire for quite a bit of the way back.” After the third raid on Rostock, Ken was moved in May 1942 to Moreton in Marsh, where he flew the Anson carry - pilot,” he explains, “the pilot had to write up his log, ing six wireless operator/air gunners. undertake the navigation etc while rattling away on the “They would take turns at the Morse key as we flew the Morse key sending messages back to the Corps HQ.” usual training routess over the North Sea..to give the The strangest thing was the lack of communication with Germans the impression that training was proceeding as the gunner: there was an armour plated wall between him and the pilot. “As I recall it,” says Wallis, “the pilot could pass a written message such as ‘3 degrees port on Ken in the the camera’, which was in the gunner’s compartment, garden! through a small door in the armour plate bulkhead. Hopefull, the gunner saw this as it fell in. However, even if the gunner could have tried to write to the pilot it would not have succeeded. It would have fallen behind the seat unnoticed.” Later these were amended and a cord was drilled through the metal wall and attached to the pilot’s shoulder which the gunner could pull for attention. Ken explains: “When this ‘great breakthrough’ in communications occurred the pilot’s shoulder harness on the side from which the attack was being made would be pulled. one pull would indicate an attack on that side and below, two pulls for level...etc...the pilot would respond by a tight turn into the attack; if he was P h o not already being shot down!” t o g In 1941, Ken moved on to flying the Wellington. r a P h “There were no special navigation instruments, just a s c o compass and a watch, we had to rely on Dead u r t

e Reckoning. We had to hope the wind was right but if we s y

h couldn’t find the target we were supposed to bring the i L a i

r bombs back.” Consequently many crews ran out of fuel. e

D on one such occasion Ken was returning from a run u B o

u and was almost out of fuel when he was told the whole r c q of England was under fog and he would have to divert HELICOPTER LIFE Autumn 2013 Ken loved showing visitors his gyro collection usual. In fact the training Wellingtons were bombed-up ment over his eyesight, increased by the discovery that and waiting for the orders for the first Thousand Bomber he had been flying passengers. But Ken was clearly too raid.” good to lose as, in spite of all these misdemeanours, he After flying in the Navigation Flight for a while Wallis remained in the RAF. applied to go back on operations, flying the exciting new In 1955, flying a Chipmunk out of Hendon, he had an Mosquito night fighters. But when his eyes were checked engine failure at 300 feet. Although it was a built-up area the problem with his defective right eye once again sur - he managed to land in a small park, through a couple of faced. However, this time he was sent to a specialist, trees and narrowly missing a park bench covered with who, pronouncing: “I’d rather have a pilot with fire in nannies and children. For this he got a green endorse - his belly than good eyesight,” gave him specially adapted ment on his licence for special conduct. only his wife goggles. was unimpressed. He says: “She had been a WAF officer Unfortunately, he missed out on the chance of flying on my Bomber Station at Elsham Wolds, Lincs 1941 & ‘Mossies’ and instead took command of ‘X’ Flight Aerial ‘2. Her attitude was, ‘what is all the fuss about? There Gunnery Training, before going back on bomber opera - was no one shooting at him!” tions in the Wellington in Italy and Morocco in 1944. Remaining in the RAF, he was seconded to the USAF When the war ended Ken wanted to stay in the RAF to Strategic Air Command where he flew the 10 engined but by this time his special goggles had been found and RB36H carrying atom bombs. These planes had 6 piston another row about his eyesight had broken out, so Ken and 4 jet engines and flew for 36 hours at a time without opted for the air armaments division. However, in those refuelling. There were 22 in the crew including 4 pilots days if you had been a pilot you were allowed to borrow and Ken describes it as ‘flying a small village’. In this planes like a Proctor or Chipmunk from Hendon and fly plane he flew over the North pole. yourself home at weekends or on duty flights. Ken’s new While still in the military Ken had continued his inter - reformed licence said he could fly with a passenger (of est in building and inventing both aircraft and other course it meant safety pilot) and Ken seeing that machines, for example having seen the smallest camera assumed he could fly with more than one passenger, so available for spy work he noticed that while the film was he used to fly clients around the country on military small the mechanism was not. So, employing “a focal- business and made good use of his plane privileges. plane shutter of my own design, reducing the amount of In 1953, when posted to the Air Ministry job, Ken was mechanism involved and using the space for a bigger given the opportunity to convert on to jet aircraft and picture format capable of bigger enlargement” he created gain a green instrument rating on them, but first he had the tiniest possible camera at that time. to do a refresher course on Harvards. When this found its In 1936, he made some models of the flying flea, way onto the bureaucratic table there was another excite - although his had not yet flown when they were banned 16 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 from flying. gyros. He did his first tests at Shoreham, where he met His father and uncle had already built a Wallbro the Miles brothers, who convinced him this should have Monoplane in 1910, (the world’s first steel tube plane, it a military capability. Wallis agreed. However in 1959, used conventional ailerons instead of wing warping for when displaying at the Battle of Britain display at RAF roll control,) so in some ways Ken, and his cousin Tangmere, Sussex, “a fast pass which should have been Geoffrey who helped him, were following in the family followed by a smooth climb quickly became steeper than tradition with their aircraft building, but Ken took it I had intended. I had been flying long enough to recog - much further. Ken also made a replica of the Wallbro and nise pitch instability problem. I duly issued a warning on flew it in 1978. It is now in the Norfolk and Suffolk this aspect in the Third Flight Test Report to the then Museum at Flixton in Suffolk. Ministry of Aviation...on this potential hazard.” In 1947, Ken modified one of the WW2 German jet This led to a change in direction and Ken designed a engines, a 270cc 2 cylinder 2 stroke engine (which in his completely new autogyro. He says: “I had always felt post war armament work he was involved in ‘killing’) that...my version of the Bensen B-7 would serve as a and fitted it to a Petrel glider. one evening at Redhill, ‘stepping stone’ to a more practical autogyro. The Miles after, he says “I had carried the complete assembly, brother’s interest, together with possible military roles in together with a champagne bottle filled with fuel on the mind, spurred me to take the design of a completely new train from Brighton to London, on the underground to autogyro very seriously. It incorporated many patented my Kensington office and then by train to Redhill,” it features. The prototype G-ARRT, designated the Tyne was flown in 10 successful flights by Test Pilot Hugh WA-116, first flew in August 1961.” Kendall his glider pilot wife. Miles Aircraft Ltd., received the Contract to Joint Post-war, Ken became aware of a number of small Services operational Requirement for three autogyros for rotorcraft experiments, including the rotor-kite towed by Army Air Corps Trials following a number of demonstra - U-boats and the UK ‘Rotachute’ designed by Raoul tions done by Ken. Unfortunately the 62/63 winter was Hafner, a rotary winged parachute which could be so cold and snowy that most of the Army Air Corps steered to a chosen landing site. It was not used opera - pilots, when faced with Ken’s outdoor autogyro or a nice tionally but did inspire several other designs including cozy cockpit helicopter knew where to put their mark Dr Benson’s ‘Gyroglider’. While in the US Ken pur - Ken says: “it was undoubtably a premature trial.” chased plans for the Bensen B-7 Gyroglider but was In 1964, Ken finally left the Air Force as the RAF determined he would make his with conventional con - were cancelling many projects, such as the Fairey trols rather than the control column hanging from the Rotodyne, from lack of finance. He and cousin Geoffrey rotor head as in the gyroglider. He was also determined set up a business in Cambridge building autogyros. Ken to have an engine and propeller. The Bensen versions says: “The Norfolk and Norwich Aero Club at Swanton also soon flew under power, now called the Bensen Morley “acquired one to ‘test the waters’. Any qualified ‘Gyrocopter.’ aeroplane pilot could become a day member of the club By 1958, Ken was seriously experimenting with auto - continued on page 48

He was still flying well in his 90s

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 17 Around the World Commercial Certificate for Ansat

ussian Helicopters announced that the light multi - retains the same take-off weight and technical parameters role commercial Ansat with hydro-mechanical with the new controls. Rcontrols produced by Kazan Helicopters has Experts say that the modernized Ansat has a number obtained type certification from the Aviation Register of of important competitive advantages over other models the Interstate Aviation Committee. in its class. It is reliable and easy to operate, can tolerate

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e certification of the commercial hydro-mechanical version demonstrated the new Ansat in key markets including the h

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i of the helicopter in 2011. Previously Kazan Helicopters CIS, South-East Asia, Africa and Latin America. s

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u produced a fly-by-wire version of the Ansat; however, no The fly-by-wire Ansat programme continues to make r

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commercial fly-by-wire helicopter had obtained certifica - successful progress in the military sector. The Russian y

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e tion anywhere in the world, and there were no estab - Defence Ministry is buying the Ansat-U training model t

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lished requirements for such a helicopter. To bring the for its flight-training schools. Institutes of the Russian c

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h helicopter to market more quickly it was decided to Air Force's Military Training Centre will also receive a P

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o a traditional hydro-mechanical system. The helicopter current contract. h

P 18 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 new Kamov Ka-62 at mAKS

ussian Helicopters, a subsidiary of oboronprom, and ease of operation. part of State Corporation Rostec and a leading Another French company, zodiac Aerospace, a global Rglobal designer and manufacturer of helicopters, leader in aviation systems, has supplied the helicopter's presented the first prototype of the new medium multi - fuel system. In addition, the transmission has been made role Ka-62 at the MAKS International Aviation & Space by Austrian firm zoerkler, which has many years' experi - Salon, which took place on August 27 in the Moscow ence and the advanced technologies necessary to engi - Region town of zhukovsky. The helicopter was built at neer high-precision drives and gears. the Company's manufacturing plant in the town of The Ka-62 is equipped with the latest avionics system Arsenyev in Russia's Far East, and has already arrived at including a glass cockpit developed by Russian company the Gromov Flight Research and Development Institute Transas and a navigation system that supports GPS and aerodrome, where it will be based before taking part in GLoNASS. In future it may also add support for the exhibition as part of Russian Helicopters' static dis - Galileo, the satellite navigation system being developed play. by the EU and European Space Agency in collaboration The Ka-62 is the first helicopter that Russian with China, Israel, South Korea, Ukraine and Russia. Helicopters has created in international co-operation with The first customer for the Ka-62 is Brazilian company European partners who worked on individual compo - Atlas Taxi Aereo, which has placed an order for seven of nents. The Ka-62 is fitted with the latest Ardiden 3G the helicopters. The first consignment is planned to be engines made by France's Turbomeca, which meet the used in offshore work for Brazilian national oil company highest environmental and fuel-efficiency standards. The Petrobras. engines' dual-channel FADEC system ensures reliability Air BP Expands Presence in Spain

ir BP expands its presence in Spain with the and business aviation traffic. Effective immediately, new opening of two new refuelling services. Leading Air BP installations at Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) Ainternational aviation fuel supplier, Air BP, con - and Don Quijote Airport, near Toledo are now fully oper - tinues to expand its presence in Spain with the opening ational enabling added convenience and time saving effi - of two new into-plane refuelling services for all general ciency for its customers.

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 19 Dorset & Somerset manikins

orset and Somerset Air Ambulance has purchased ing in neonatal resuscitation. Its features are designed to three new simulation manikins as part of their focus on the critical and the resuscitation skills required Dvision to provide maximum patient benefit to the in the first ten minutes of a newborn baby’s life. The air - people of the two counties. way is designed to allow for training in all aspects of The manikins, all realistic in size and weight, will newborn airway management, and allows the use of air - have a large part to play in the training and development way devices. Anne accurately represents a full term (40 week) of the Charity’s paramedics. ‘SimMan Essential’ (with newborn female measuring 21 inches and weighing 7lb. patient monitor), ‘Crash Kelly’ and ‘Newborn Anne’ A team of specialist Doctors and Consultants across the became the latest members of the team when the life-sav - region are providing education and training as part of the ing service took delivery earlier this month. Advanced Paramedic Practice (Critical Care) Programme. ‘SimMan Essential’ is a wireless patient simulator and Dr Farhad Islam, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at will help with learning core skills of airway, breathing, Royal Bournemouth Hospital said, “These simulation cardiac and circulation management. The added realism tools will provide the paramedics with scenarios and helps the air ambulance crew to practice life saving drills emergency critical incidents, tailored and modified quick - and skills, both in the classroom and in the tricky envi - ly in preparation for real patient encounters. ronments that they may encounter. It also features a vari - “A critically ill patient’s condition can change in a mat - ety of eye movements and pupil dilation levels, simulated ter of seconds, so being able to react quickly and precise - spontaneous breathing and abnormal breathing sounds, ly is paramount. The mannequin is similar to the ones we vascular access, manual drug recognition and a number use in hospital to teach doctors and is particularly useful of cardiac features. for practising less frequently encountered but critical life The wireless touch screen simulated patient monitor pro - saving procedures, as well as improving team working vides the training team with concise clinical feedback The skills with an added sense of realism.” monitor provides multiple simulated parameters, each pre - Providing such tools come at a cost (just over £40,000) a senting multi-level alarms, snapshots of ECG’s, patient X- and with no direct Government or National Lottery fund - a t e s

rays, CAT scans, MRI’s and other diagnostic tools. ing, the charity relies on the public to help it raise the r e m

‘Crash Kelly’ is a durable, rugged training manikin funds to purchase items such as these. o s D

with an intubation head for advanced airway manage - Bill Sivewright, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance n a t ment training and realistic articulation allowing the Chief Executive officer We believe that the training value e s r manikin to be placed in various settings for extrication or of these simulation tools, make them a valuable invest - o D h rescue. The head can be tilted forward, backward or ment in the future of our service.” Dorset and Somerset P a r

Air Ambulance has attended more than 9,350 emergen - g rotated 90 degrees to either side. o t o

‘Newborn Anne’ is a manikin designed for skills train - cies since its launch in March 2000. h P 20 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Eurocopter Quieter Helicopters

urocopter has successfully demonstrated new to reduce perceived sound,” said Yves Favennec, Vice- landing procedures relying on augmented satellite President of Research at Eurocopter. Eguidance that can be tailored to more completely The Green Rotorcraft Integrated Technology comply with the local environmental requirements. Demonstrator program that supported Eurocopter’s These new landing procedures were validated with a EC155 flight evaluations is part of the Clean Sky Joint twin-engine Eurocopter EC155 during flight tests per - Technology Initiative, which is Europe’s most ambitious formed as part of the company’s participation in the aeronautical research program ever. Clean Sky’s goal is to Green Rotorcraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator develop breakthrough technologies that significantly program – which is part of Europe’s Clean Sky Joint increase environmental performance of the air transport Technology Initiative. sector, resulting in quieter and more fuel efficient aircraft Eurocopter’s validation flights demonstrated signifi - and rotorcraft cant reductions in the helicopter’s perceived sound foot - Eurocopter is a founding member of the Clean Sky print - consistent with predictions. They also confirmed Joint Technology Initiative, and recently joined with its that such automated low-noise approaches could be tai - other members to propose an extension of this effort dur - lored to local environmental requirements, thereby opti - ing the 2014-2024 time period. mizing Eurocopter helicopter operations for even the most sensitive environments. The flight testing involved the use of optimized noise EC155 abatement flight paths compatible with Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations. During the EC155’s landing approaches, vertical guidance was provided by EGNoS, the European Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), with the helicopter’s Flight Management r

e System (FMS) coupled to the Automatic Flight Control t P o System (AFCS). This enabled the new approach profiles c o r

u to be flown accurately, minimizing the pilot workload e f with an automatic monitoring of speed profiles and o y s

e ascent/descent rates. t r u “Improving the neighbour-friendly aspects of rotor - o c s craft continues to be a priority for us, and these new tests h P a r underscore how advanced flight guidance systems can be g o t brought together with the latest navigation technologies o h HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 21 The First Flight of Helicopter Berkut VL

he first demonstration flight of the unique light helicopter «Berkut VL» will be held at the TInternational aviation and space salon MAKS’13. This twoseater coaxial model is intended for serial pro - duction and has no analogues on the Russian market. «Berkut VL» creates a new class of multi-purpose heli - copters. Due to its low price and low operation cost it gives the possibility to widen the use of helicopters in the economy.

At MAKS new Improved PremiAir wner and Chairman Graham - all eager to rebuild the business. Avery, who acquired the In parallel he has also acquired a PremiAir last year, has spent world leading E-learning training P

o h the past six months restructuring and organisation for airline pilots – with o t o g

reshaping the UK helicopter charter bases in London (Gatwick), Dubai, r a P

and maintenance brand. The result is a Houston, New York, Seattle and h r u

lean, debt free business, focused on Singapore and integrated it into s s i a

one operational base at Blackbushe PremiAir to create PALS (PremiAir n h e

Airport in Surrey, an AoC and a team Aviation Learning Systems). L i c o

of 60 engineers, technicians, design They will be exhibiting at HeliTech P t e r

specialists, admin and sales executives at Excel. s 22 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 PhotograPhs : e urocoPter anD anthony Pecchi s B 5 i o H H E A i i n g c y 0 f r e l E g n - s a

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Georgina Hunter-Jones looks at the implementation of NPAS (National Police Air Service) to date he National Police Air Service (NPAS) was United Kingdom and, prior to NPAS, these were support - launched in the United Kingdom on 1st october ed by twenty-nine police aviation units, either locally T2012. The aim is to consolidate the present system based or in small consortia, (for example, the South East of regional police aviation support services into one sys - Air Support Unit, which supported Surrey, East and West tem of borderless tasking, overseen by a central Despatch Sussex and Hampshire). Each aviation unit was and Flight Monitoring Service based in Bradford, West autonomous, choosing their own air power as required Yorkshire. Integration is taking place region by region so and funded by the central government. one region was the system will not be fully implemented until January co-ordinated with the air ambulance service and one 2015. Interestingly, the idea of a national police aviation region did night air ambulance work. Eighteen of the avi - support service was actually first proposed in 1964, so, ation units had EC135 helicopters, seven had MD902s, by the time it is fully implemented it will have taken 51 three had EC145s, and there was one BK117, one years! AW109E and one AS355, there were also two fixed wing Ever since the police first used an airship for surveil - aircraft. It is said that when NPAS is fully implemented lance at the 1921 the police service has been aware of the these 33 aircraft will be reduced to 23, located at region - value of aviation. The government was not always so al bases chosen by NPAS and available to the police s a committed, but has been involved in many trials includ - force in any area on a first called basis. However, P n / e c ing using the military and the four ‘Aerial Peelers’ trials Matthew Woodward Communications officer of West i L o

(one of which was nicknamed the Peeping Peelers Saga!) Yorkshire police said: “All existing police aircraft will P e r i

In 2004, the UK government initiated a research project transfer to the office of the Police and Crime h s K to look into the air assets used by the ‘blue light’ (emer - Commissioner for West Yorkshire under the terms of the r o y gency) services and to assess the financial and opera - National Collaboration Agreement. Any future decisions t s e

tional efficiency of the current operational models regarding the composition of the NPAS fleet is a matter w y s e

(including Search and Rescue) to suggest ways in which for the NPAS Strategic Board”.. t r u efficiency might be improved in the future. The results At the time of writing, two thirds of the police avia - o c h were published in 2011 and led to the Nation Police Air tion support units are already integrated into the service, P a r g

Service. with one third (including the Metropolitan Police) still o t o

There are forty-three territorial police forces in the outside. on April 1st 2013, the North East aviation units h P

24 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 There is no suggestion that the Wiltshire police avia - (Cleveland, Durham, Humberside, Northumbria, North tion support unit will not join NPAS in December 2014. Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire) joined Critics of the old system complained that some areas NPAS. North East aircraft are now being based at Carr had a surfeit of aircraft available while other areas were Gate Wakefield, Sheffield, Humberside Airport, out of reach. They say that NPAS, under the lead force of Newcastle Airport, and Durham Tees Valley Airport. West Yorkshire Police, will deliver operational benefits Then, on 3rd July, Devon & Cornwall, Dorset, Avon & while still allowing for necessary financial cuts. Somerset, and Gloucestershire also joined the service. However, critics of the new system worry that this is Their aircraft will be located at Bournemouth Airport, merely a cost cutting exercise by the coalition govern - Exeter Airport, Filton, and Gloucestershire Airport. ment and that there will not be enough helicopters avail - However, Dyfed Powys and South Wales (who shared able and that important attempts to avoid crime may be a helicopter with Gwent police force,) who were also missed if all the helicopters are busy on routine work. supposed to join NPAS in July, refused to do so, stating These critics also point to the differing areas served by that it would give a decreased level of service. the police and suggest that a ‘one size fits all’ service Alun Michael, South Wales Commissioner, said, “The will not work. They point to the mountains of Scotland National Police Air Service is a coalition government and Wales and compare them with low-lying Devon and decision, which has been imposed on police services in Cornwall, where fogs and flooding are major problems. England and Wales.” They suggest that West Yorkshire, being considerably to The Dyfed Powys commissioner, Christopher Salmon, the north of the country, is too far from the centre and in said that he remains very much in favour of maintaining particular the capital city of London, where two-thirds of access to a helicopter for the second largest force in the the population live. UK. However, he pointed out that while the justification At present, though, both the government and the for NPAS is clear, his force’s “great challenge” is its majority of the police units are synchronised and want to geography, with the area of almost 4,200 square miles, work with this system. Given the financial restrictions of which is predominantly rural. He said that he is continu - the time it is understandable that the government wants ing “in positive discussions with NPAS”. to reduce the financial costs, and it is good that they The Home office spokesman said that NPAS would remain committed to aviation in the air and they under - give all the police forces access to modern helicopter sup - stand how policing is enhance by the use of aviation. port 24-hours a day and save up to £15million a year. With luck this compromise of price and service will work The spokesman added: “North Wales Police are and the police will be able to continue the job for which already members of NPAS, while Dyfed Powys, and they are employed: catching criminals. Gwent and South Wales Police are committed to joining and we continue to work closely with them. A joining date for these forces is expected to be agreed shortly.” Under the former system two police services also gave support to the Air Ambulance Service. Wiltshire, which had an integrated service sharing a helicopter and a heli - copter base, and Cambridgeshire, whose police helicopter worked as a night time air ambulance service.

e Wiltshire police service is currently due to join NPAS c n a

L in the last trench and will be active as part of NPAS from u B m December 2014. From that date, Wiltshire Air Ambulance a r i will have to work in an independent basis, funded entire - a D n ly by public donations. David Philpott, the CEo of a e c i Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said that the air ambulance L o

P service would be capable of meeting the ‘stand alone’ e r i

h challenge. He said, “Wiltshire Air Ambulance does face s t L i an enormous challenge … Wiltshire is the smallest coun - w f

o ty and ...was only raising £750,000 per annum. However, y s

e … since the new charity was formed we have gone from t r u being the worst air ambulance charity in terms of o Wiltshire Police and Air c h fundraising to third best ... our income target in the cur -

P Ambulance in co-operation a r

g rent financial year is £1.6 million and it looks like we until 2014 o t o will comfortably smash that.” h P HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 25 HeliTech @ Excel

Georgina Hunter-Jones reports on HeliTech in its latest new home

eliTech International 2013, was held for the first good as the conference company - Reed Exhibitions - time at The ExCeL Conference Centre in predicted? Helicopter Life went to find out. HLondon, and was held in association with the Bell had a B429 in the car park, which was doing European Helicopter Association. The helicopter flights demonstration flights to Rochester for potential cus - that accompanied the Duxford show were sadly miss - tomers, and there were some static aircraft, including ing, as was the buzz of the previous shows. However, the AgustaWestland AW101, a medium-lift helicopter this was a business event, no longer the gentleman pilot displayed in a very magnificent civil VIP configuration. at work, but the businessman at his trade. But, was it as Inside, there was an AgustaWestland AW189 mockup

, 26 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 But was it Excellent?

and a South African AW139, with an amusing colour The most wide-reaching was the Teal Group forecast scheme. Eurocopter had an EC130 T2, the EC145T2, that 16,126 rotorcraft worth $193.1 billion will be pro - and a mock-up of the EC175 on their booth. duced between 2013 and 2022. This forecast only cov - Sloane Helicopters displayed the Robinson R66, ers turbine helicopters and tilt-rotors and does not deal sadly still on the N-register as EASA has still not with the ‘lower’ market of pistons and kit helicopters. agreed to certification, in spite of the manufacturer and They forecast that the five major companies (Sikorsky, distributors claims that this is due any moment. AgustaWestland, Textron Bell, Eurocopter and Boeing) There were also some announcements at the show. will continue to dominate the market, something that

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 27 Eurocopter EC145T2

Russian helicopters might dispute. Analyst Richard Bell 429. Two Bell 429s were at HeliTech one, owned Aboulafia does, however, give a slight nod to the enor - by discount retailer Home Bargains, is of the higher mous number of helicopters produced by Robinson hel - 7,500 lb all up weight. Under the Isle of Man register icopters when he remarks: “Very high barriers to market the Bell 429 has the higher weight limit of 7500 lbs, a entry remain firmly in place, with only Korea weight increase of 500 lbs more than the FAA and CAA Aerospace establishing any kind of new market pres - registered Bell 429s. ence, We also have Robinson's R66 light turbine heli - Gary Slater from Heli Charter told Helicopter Life copter. Since our forecast excludes piston engined heli - about the excitement that has been generated by the copters, this model represents Robinson's sole presence announcement at Paris Le Bourget Air Show of the new in our numbers.” Bell ‘JetRanger Lite’. “If I could take deposits now I Charter company PremiAir announced its return to would have already have enough to build several the market under new management. Graham Avery, the machines,” he said humorously. “There has been so new owner and CEo, told the gathered journalists that much interest generated by that machine it is exciting.” not only is the company intent on regaining and Eurocopter announced that: improving its previous position as European market “PDG Helicopters’ Squirrel fleet attains 200,000 leader, but that they will be marketing Blackbushe flight hours as the Scottish on-shore helicopter operator Airfield as the West London Heliport. For the business marks its 40th anniversary” and “Eurocopter owner there is a package which will allow helicopter to International Services extends its operational quality be left at the West London Heliport for training and management support for Starlite Aviation Ireland”. maintenance, while they take a car to the centre of Robinson were not actually at the show but sent a London or the local international airports, Gatwick and press release in association with Russian Helicopters to Heathrow. congratulate four Russian aviators - Michael Farikh,

The Helicentre Aviation Academy in Leicester, who the expedition’s leader, Alexander Kurylev, Vadim s e n

are known for their generous training scholarships, Melnikov and Dmitry Rakitsky. These four pilots flew o J - r

announced that they have just bought a third Cabri from two Robinson R66s around the world. They flew e t n the Guimbal company. Furthermore, they have been 24,512 miles, in a range of temperatures from 40 u h a n granted the National Grid contract for another seven degrees centigrade to 1 degree, took 220 flight hours i g r

years, something that allows their new trainees to move and began and ended the trip in Moscow. o e g

quickly onto employment once trained. “The R66s performed exceptionally well from start s s h

Bell Helicopters, whose UK distributor HeliCharter, to finish, demonstrated a high degree of reliability and P a r g

had a new facility opened by John Garrison only days required only routine maintenance.” said Mikhail o t o

before HeliTech, were buoyant thanks to sales of the Yushov, CEo of Aviamarke. h P 28 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 John Garrison, Bell CEO, at HeliCharter the Saturday before HeliTech with Ken Wills, Cllr Kay Dark and Cllr Clive Hart Opening of the new HeliTech started in Aberdeen. It then moved to Bell UK dealership Redhill in Surrey, from there it went to Duxford in Heli Charter Cambridgeshire, now it has moved to the Excel Centre in London. Next year it will be in Amsterdam. on the one hand, this shows the excellence of the brand, which has been able to transport itself from a small Scottish show to a major international one, on the other hand it speaks loudly of mankinds love of uni - formity and dislike of diversity. The movement is, as one of the organisers reassured me, to make it a much more B2B show, and, of course, that works perfectly. only the question is - where were the pilots? Do you need pilots to make a helicopter show thrive, or are marketers and salesman quite sufficient?

Although only company helicopters could fly into Excel itself, it was possible for private owners to fly to Daymns Hall and get a bus to the show - weather permitting s e n o J - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g s h P a r g o t o h P

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 29 First JHP.Aero Dutch Heli Day

Hey Georgina, There are now plans for a second show. Given the Last Saturday we, the Joint Helicopter Pilots amount of preparatory work, that will not be next year, (www.jhp.aero ) organized the first Dutch Heli Day. but certainly in a few years. We are planning to With over three thousand visitors on a rainy day, the extend the day with more activities. Dutch Heli Day was successful. In this link you can download the big format Visitors were allowed to take a look at the aircraft, photo’s. pilots were on hand to explain how everything worked. The nice thing was the variety of visitors: http://we.tl/m2GG9CuHpE aspiring helicopter pilots, technically interested and skeptics, but also fathers with sons. More info in Dutch on the website of JHP Joint There was a range of very different helicopters on Helicopter Pilots: http://jhp.aero/pages/nieuws.php display from an R22, R44, S300, EC120, to the Royal Flight Alouette III, the HEMS EC-135 and the off - And 2 movies of this day: shore EC-155. Also there was a MI-2 and 2 drones of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M_gGEkLYD4 the NLR. In total, there were 17 helicopters on site this day! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crChU_Lopj0 There were also RC (Radio Controlled) helicopters, and many helicopter corporate company’s demonstrat - Best wishes, ing their logos to the visitors. Gerben van Beek

30 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Off shore EC155

Alouette 111 M24 Magnigyro

HEMS EC135

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 31 Rotorway

Georgina Hunter-Jones seeks out the secrets of kitbuilt fliers

he Rotorway Company was first incorporated in There are currently about 40 Rotorways in the UK, of 1961 and since then has been under several differ - these about 20 are flying: 2 Rotorway Execs, 7 Tent owners and has had time to develop a variety Rotorway 90s, and 11 Rotorway 162Fs. After 1996, you of different models, these range from the original could only buy 162F, and you cannot buy new 162Fs, as Scorpion to the current model, the Talon. Were the the company only makes Talons. However there is a Rotorway a certified model, that would mean that it dilemma here: the CAA does not allow Talons in the became a training helicopter, and, given its much cheap - country. This, a problem itself, became more acute for er costs, a popular model. However, kit helicopters are Bruce Alexander AME, who having bought a 162F body different, and that is not just because many of them were to build needed an engine (and various other pieces) actually built by their owners. when none were available. This was eventually solved

32 Roughnecks Autumn 2013

when Alexander was allowed to put a Talon engine into All the Rotorway helicopters are on a CAA permit. a 162F body. This is different from fixed wing kits in the UK, which Nine of the British Rotorways are kept at Southern are on a LAA (light Aircraft Association) permit. In the Helicopters, based at the Bull Brother’s farm near USA and some Europe countries there is also an experi - Stansted. This is also the engineering base where all the mental category, which allows different privileges annuals and many of the 25 hourly checks are done. including training. There are also other drawbacks to The Bull brothers have been the UK Rotorway dealers the CAA permit; no flying over built-up areas, no hire for seventeen years and are well respected in the com - or reward (with the exception of training of the owner munity, receiving nothing but praise from all the on his or her own machine) however, this is the same Rotorway owners I talked to. permit on which ex-military helicopters are run. 33 and on a specially designed shaft behind the engine for dual flight. The weights are between 25 – 33 lbs, and Rotorway engine the exact weight depends on the model of Rotorway and the size of the pilot. The Exec 90 had 25 lb weight and very light pilots can opt to have a lighter weight. Rotorway Engine The engine is specially made by Rotorway at their factory in Arizona. It is a piston engine (although in other EASA countries they have experimented with the Chinook APU used in the FAMA Kiss, the CAA does not allow that here). The engine has an alternator belt but no magnetos, so it runs directly on battery power. This means that battery power is important and most Rotorway pilots fly with that option on the ‘FADEC’ so they can see battery charge condition. “However,” Geoff Connelly points out, “this is not a problem and as long as the alternator belt is working the battery will be charging.” Rotorway pilots prefer to see the battery charge above 12 volts. Although the Rotorway is a conventional helicopter Another difference is that the engine is water-cooled. with all the normal controls it does have a few differ - This is very unusual in aircraft because of the additional ences, some are general for all kit helicopters, others are weight. However, Jonathan Ball explained, “in this case Rotorway specific. it is not actually carrying much weight and water cool - Tail rotor and belt ing is much more efficient.” Firstly, there is the tail rotor shaft, which in all the While the 162 running system is called a FADEC, it Rotorways until the Talon has been a belt. In the 162F is not actually a Fully Authority Digital Engine Control, this is made up of three single belts on swinging arms as the helicopter has a manual throttle, nonetheless it is that stretch down the tail boom to the tail rotor in lieu of a nearly FADEC system and known by that name. The a shaft. The good thing about this is it negates the need older Rotorways, such as the Exec, are not FADEC run for a gearbox at the tail rotor, and thus saves a lot of and have normal carburettor piston engine, while the weight. In the Talon the long belts are replaced by a 162s are fuel injected. shaft, but that too has a small belt at the tail rotor end to Rotorways are all designed to run on unleaded fuel take away the need for a gearbox. Rotorway owners are and mogas. This makes it cheaper to run and also allows a little cynical about the change, feeling that this change for the convenience of popping down to the garage to was inspired by complaints from non-Rotorway pilots, get fuel in a can. as the belt has never failed to date. Rotorhead The disadvantage of the tail belts is that when they The Rotorway blades run clockwise as opposed to the are new (and they must be replaced every two years) the normal American mode of anti-clockwise tractor. For machine must be hovered for 3 hours to fully stretch those taught on the American models this means a bit of them into position, they are then tightened and there is early training to get use to right pedal with power usually no need to stretch them any further. However, instead of left. However, for the newer generation of there is a special belt tool to check the belts and most pilots taught on the French Cabri this is normal. pilots do that before and after every flight (see picture). There are elastomeric bearings in the head, these are The belts are tightened at the tail rotor end. similar to those used in the Schweizer but are specifical - The belts are made of Kevlar and this is an advantage ly made for the Rotorway in their factory. as Kevlar tightens when it gets warm, this is a fail-safe The reduction gearing in the head is a chain in a bath factor. Kevin Longhurst, owner of G-KEVL, says, of oil, for safety and cooling, this sits inside the dog - “check the tail belts before and after every flight.” He house under the main rotor and has to be changed every keeps his test-belt-plunger under the seat. five years or 100 hours. In the Talon, instead of having Balance weight chains for reduction, the company has introduced a The next difference is the moveable weight. This is a broad belt. This is a dry system which the company says weighted hood that sits on the front skid for solo flying is cheaper and avoids leaks. 34 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Kevin Longhurst taking off from his garden

Rotorway Modifications Modifications are allowed, however each one costs £89 in CAA fees. So far this cost has been met by the distributor as they assume that many different pilots will want the mod once it has been seen to be useful. Test Flight A walk round before flight is indispensable in the Rotorway as, as well as normal checks, the pilot must ascertain if the machine is going to be used for solo or dual flight and decide where to put the balance weight. He must also test the tail rotor belt for play. on a full pre-flight check the cowlings are removed and the Jonathan Bull engine checked. However, for smaller checks there is checking the tail dipstick for fuel levels, and the oil is easily reachable. belts Start-up is unusual, the collective is raised to set the -

r elastomeric bearings to their mid position to reduce the e t n u sheer stress on the bearings and reduce collective loads Tail belt tool h a in flight. There should be no throttle on startup except n i g r on the Talon engine, which needs a little. The MAP o e g will be around 29" prior to start-up, ie atmospheric y B

h pressure. P a r There is a setting on the FADEC to see these, as g o s t e o

n well as the pilot’s own judgement. h o J P

Position of the weight with Weight in front two in the cockpit for flying solo HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 35 “The pressure,” John Jackson, Rotorway instructor, washout on the main blades so the lift generated is con - explains, “is not a direct concern at start up.” centrated toward the outboard section meaning that disc In the 162 it is necessary to have the fuel pumps on flapping is effectively amplified. John Jackson says, “I to start, however, this is different in the Exec 90 as wouldn't describe it as a 'fault', more of a 'handling there are only booster fuel pumps. In the 162 turning characteristic’. off the pumps is a way to stop the engine, in the Exec Having got used to cruise flight we tried a few emer - 90 the pilot turns off the fuel to stop the engine. gencies. Geoff Connelly, Rotorway examiner, explains, once the engine and blades are running the pilot runs “most emergencies in a Rotorway are combated by an through his checks. These include checking various autorotation: if the engine fails, autorotate; if the tail ‘pages’ on the FADEC. rotor fails autorotate, so it is very important to get the Checking done, we are ready to take off. Lots of autorotation right.” right pedal is needed on lift off. Autos are done by putting the lever fully down – In flight, I took control to do turns left and right. The while this sounds normal, it is in fact something rather controls felt a little stiff in my hands and there is an ini - different in a helicopter which is started with the collec - tial tendency for the machine to move up and down in tive slightly raised (at seat height) rather than on the pitch. This gets better with time, but increases again floor. Close the throttle and descend at 60 knots. The with speed. Geoff Connelly explained that this was spe - rate of descent is about 2000 feet a minute, similar to cific to the Rotorways. It is caused by there being no the R22 or H300. We did a go-around and the power

Bruce Alexander Iain Brown with the pre-Talon fuelling G-KARN hybrid he built himself

Talon panel s e n o J - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g s h P a r g o t o h P 36 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2012 came back in easily, without problems. like to change. However, the Rotorway has one great Interestingly, the manufacturers do not recommend advantage of most kit built helicopters, and that is time. practicing engine failures to the ground, as the structure They have been around for more than twenty years, the of the undercarriage is designed to deform during heav - company has had the flexibility to make changes, ier vertical impacts - rather like car crumple zones. moreover, there is a general feeling that they will only John Jackson explains, “They're not encouraged in get better. of course, most of the owners would proba - order to protect the undercarriage.” bly secretly prefer a non-kit helicopter but they would However, these have been done in practice in experi - not like to pay the non-kit price. Certainly, if there is enced hands. ever going to be another mass-market helicopter, there We returned to the airfield to do some hovering. It is a good chance, give the current legislation, that it does take a little while to get used to hover the will be a kit. Rotorway. This is, I think, because the controls are a lit - Fuel burn on the 162F is 30 litres an hour, which tle stiff and have more lag than their manufactured costs about £41. other costs are: renewing the permit brothers. However, after a few minutes I started to be every year, maintenance which costs about £2,500 a able to hover the 162F like any other helicopter. It is year. There is also the cost of hangarage and insurance. notable that where there is instability, it is in pitch However, the majority of the Rotorway pilots kept their rather than in roll. machines at home. Since it has two blades it can be Landings were a little hard at first, as the machine folded away easily into a small space and would fit in likes to land directly downwards, like an R22, rather the average garage. John Jackson points out, “For stor - than slightly forward, like a H269. one I understood age, the blades don't readily fold - but as a 2-blader, it this, it seemed easier to land. Taking off was unprob - takes up minimal space anyway. one owner has a 40ft lematic. hi-cube shipping container as his hangar.” overall, I thought this was a nice helicopter. Like all Recently there have been many Rotorway purchasers kits it is lighter than the majority of factory made heli - from China and Indonesia. This would seem to reflect copters, and has a few things that most owners would the general interest in helicopters in the Far East.

Iain Brown with G-KARN

Rotorway dipstick

G-KARN Console s e n o J - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g 37 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Paul Vaughan and the Rotorway guru and dis - tributor Jonathan Bull next to GCBJV

G-CBJV has an extra luggage pod

The Roughnecks one. He has a Talon engine in his 162F because no older In my experience helicopter owners tend to be engines available. It has single injectors instead of the double individuals who like their own space and are not injector system of the 162Fs, this was allowed this because concerned with forming groups, Rotorway pilots there has never been an injector failure, but did cause difficul - appear different from this, they appear to me to be ties with the CAA when getting a permit. guys who enjoy coming together to discuss their Bruce explains that, “every new thing he put in required machines and share information. This is in many full circuitry and each of these was a mod to be paid for and ways more like the owners of light aircraft, who checked by the CAA. He was also allowed an extra 10 lbs of are generally quite sociable and like to do things weight. His empty weight is 985 lbs. s s e e n together. While this is obviously a generalisation Paul Vaughan used to fly radio-controlled helicopters. n o o J J - - r based on the small number of kit helicopter fliers However, his wife found it so annoying when he would fly r e e t t n n u available, it was definitely the feel I got with my them round her head, she suggested he went and had a trial u h h a a n day at the Rotorway Roughnecks. lesson to try out the real thing: he never looked back. He pre - n i i g g r r o Kevin Longhurst keeps his Rotorway in a shed viously had a share in a R44 but found the cost was too high, o e e g he then decided to buy the Rotorway and loves it. g f in the garden. He reckons it costs him £200 an f o o y He bought the helicopter that was featured in the pro - y s hour total cost, based on 30 hours flying. Kevin s e e r r u did not build his own machine, as he did not have gramme a Chopper is Born. u o o c c s time, and bought one that had already been used. Paul says the 162F is “more stable than an R22” and is s e e r r u u t He loves flying the machine. “fantastic in auto.” t c c i i P Bruce Alexander AME built his own Talon Iain Brown named his Rotorway 90 in memory of his late P D D n n a engined Rotorway 162F. Bruce used to own a wife, who supported him in his Rotorway ventures. The a s s D D r r o H300 in South Africa but wanted to try building machine felt more stable and ironically is actually quieter o w w 38 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 from the outside than the 162. However, since these are Rotorway Specifications: kits and individually built, it must be stressed this might Total kit price USD $60,850* be because of the love and attention put into that partic - Powerplant RotorWay RI162F (162 cu.in.) ular machine. Seats 2 Chris o’Neill a former Rotorway owner and still a Gross Weight 1,500 lbs Roughneck is thinking of buying another machine. Empty Weight 975 lbs Pilot & Passenger Load 425 lbs Rotorway Dateline Fuel Capacity 17 gal 1961 The Javelin Prototype Rate of Climb 1,000 FPM 1967 First flight of the Scorpion 1972 The Scorpion 11, which had two seats Hover in-Ground Effect 7,000 ft 1980 The Rotorway Exec has its first flight Hover out-of-Ground Effect 5,000 ft 1980s to 1990 The Elite is developed Service Ceiling 10,000 ft 1990 The Exec 90 Range, Max. Fuel Cruise 180 miles/2 hours 1994 The Exec 162F Normal Cruise 95 MPH 2007 The A600 Talon takes flight. Max. Airspeed (SL/ISA) 115 MPH Rotorway Company History * Price for complete Exec 162F kit except for paint The Rotorway company was incorporated in 1961, in Chandler and avionics. Arizon. It began by developing its first kit helicopter, the Scorpion, which flew at oshkosh in 1967. In 1980 it devel - oped the Executive. However, these were not financially good times for a kit helicopter company and the company assets were sold in 1990. A group of British investors led by John Netherwood bought the assets in 1990, re-employed many of the staff and started a new company Rotorway International (RI). In September 1990, they brought out an improved ver - sion of the Exec, the Exec 90. In 1994, John Netherwood moved the company to a larger and more efficient factory, where they brought out the Exec 162F. In 1996, John Netherwood sold the company, which was bought by the employees and remained in their hands until 2007, when it was acquired by an ownership group led by Grant Norwitz, who became CEo in 2006. Inspite of a brilliant South African inita - tive, RI went into Chapter Eleven in 2007 and is, by all accounts, still there. GKEVL showing the Rotorway FADEC system Kevin Longhurst and GKEVL s e n o J - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g f o y s e r u o c s e r u t c i P D n a s D r o w HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 39 Helicopter

Georgina Hunter-Jones reports on the refurbishing of an elderly Bell 206 JetRanger. Photographs courtesy of Stephen Swatton and Simon Edmondson. i h 40 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 make-Over

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 41 Bell 206 JetRnger 111 in its Dallas Fort Worth Police colours

5735Y Bell 206111 JetRanger was originally built in 1980. It build epoxy primer so that we can make the panels was bought from the factory by the Dallas Fort Worth police and smooth once again. once flatted, we are ready for Nused in a variety of police activities. the first overall colour (in this case, dark blue) once Then, fourteen years ago, the DFW Police bought new helicopters and this has been applied, we completely re-fit up the the JetRaner was sent to Edwards in the USA to be refurbished. After aircraft in order to line out the paint scheme and that it was sent to the UK by sea transport and advertised for sale. one by one, the colours go on. The Bell206 already had 23,000 hours, so it seemed like an old once all colours are on, the aircraft is de masked, machine, and at first buyers were skeptical. However, Stephan Swatton placards are applied and then we give the whole liked the look of the machine. He asked Mike Green to look at it and thing three coats of lacquer. The aircraft is then de- Mike flew it, declaring it, Ston says, one of the best machines he had masked and handed back to Inaer so that they can seen, so Stephen Swatton bought it and re-registerd it as GBXKL. He fit it up ready to fly.” says, “it has been really good ever since.” Swatton suggested that as Dallas Fort Worth is in the heart of Texas, and consequently very dry it was probably an excellent way of preservatiing the machine. The helicopter was given a new design and then leased to Fast Helicopters. Very little has been done to the machine since, it had two sets of blades and a tail rotor delaminated 100 hours shy of its full life. Then, in 2012 Swatton decided it wa time to give KL a full makeover, so he wheeled it along to Edmondson Paints at Thruston. Simon Edmondson explains how the painting is done: “In very brief terms, every access panel, engine cowlings, doors and skids are removed from the helicopter, and we mask off the fibreglass areas ready to strip the metal areas of the aircarft. Chemical stripper is applied and once stripped, it is thouroughly jet washed to leave the bare substrate and we would then see if there are any dents or corrosion, etc. Although this aircraft had hardly any corrosion whatsoever, it did indeed have its fair share in dents. We then de-corrode and scotchbrite the metal areas with thinners before we start applying any filler. Full fibreglass areas are rubbed thor - oughly and then the whole aircraft and panels are thoroughly cleaned again before we reseal the aircraft seams. once dry, we apply the corro - sion resistant epoxy primer. The fibreglass areas usually get the high

42 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Although the aircraft hardly had any corro - sion it did have its fair share of dents

Areas not for painting are Fibreglass areas get high masked off build epoxy primer

Once all the colours are on the helicopter is demasked More than 23,000 hours and still feels like new

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 44

Merlin Puts a Spell on the Show

Gerald Cheyne visits the defence show at Excel

he 2013 Defence and Security Event took place at was in evidence on the back of HMS Sutherland, and Excel in September. There were more that 30,000

was said to be giving a display on a later day. other mili - s e

visitors over the four days of the show from more n o

T tary helicopters included the Eurocopter EC645 T2 Light J -

than fifty different countries and 1500 exhibitors. r e

Utility helicopter (LUH), fifteen of which will be used t During the show it was announced that CoMMANDo n u

by the German Federal Ministry of Defence, according to h

Helicopter Force and Royal Marines will be using a n a recently signed contract with the manufacturer. This i g

Merlines on deployment for the first time in Albania. r o

contract, worth 194 million Euros includes packages for e

The iconic Sea King helicopter will be retired after g special operations packages. D n nearly 50 years’ service by 2016 to be replaced by anoth - a

on the smaller side, once again the show had a strong y v er ‘Green Giant’ the much more modern and powerful a emphasis on unmanned vehicles, with a conference dedi - n L

Merlin. a y

cated to unmanned systems and several unmanned heli - o

Although the Fleet Air Arm has been flying Merlins r e

copters on display, including the Bruker Detection heli - h since the late 1990s, it’s a different version – designed t f

copter. on the fixed wing side BHE, the Hungary based o principally, though not exclusively, for submarine-hunt - y s

company, had completed a UAS which can fly to 4,000 e t

ing. The RAF has been flying the battlefield versions of r feet for 90 minutes, sending back video and telemetary u o the Merlin – the Mk3 and Mk3A – for the past decade c data to the ground station. s h and has extensive experience of operations in P a

DSEI was larger than in previous years with 40 inter - r g

Afghanistan and Iraq. o national pavilions compared to 30 in 2011. t o

The Naval Wildcat (shown left middle opposite page) h P 46 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 HMS Sutherland which hosts the Naval AgustaWestland Wildcat

Bruker unmanned helicopter Royal Navy Wildcat Commando Marines Merlin detection system

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 47 Little Nellie in Ken’s workshop The BBC’s Tony Scase, interviewing Ken about his film role before he left the UK (with his best autogyro already on the boat to Brazil) asked Ken if his autogyro would be up to a fight with helicopters! “Give me half a chance!” Ken replied. The radio interview was heard by Ken Adams, Art Director of Eon Productions, makers of the James Bond films, allegedly while he was shav - ing next morning, and Wallis was immediately contacted by Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie of the war-time Pathfinder Force, the Aviation Consultant for Eon Productions and known to Ken. “He said that I had to bring one of my auto - gyros to Pinewood Studios to do with a ‘James Bond’ film. I said I was about to leave for Brazil and that my aircraft was on its way there by sea. Hamish became even more insistent and at the last moment I took to Pinewood Studios on of the ex-military trials version, G-ARzB, which my cousin had had a prang with, but was rebuilt and on test. At Pinewood Hamish took me to a tiny square of concrete saying, ‘this is where you can take off and demonstrate to Cubby Brocolli (the pro - ducer) and others.’ He had not realised my little aircraft needed a short run for take-off. I soon found a piece of pathway, with all sorts of junk on either side and a huge pile of railway sleepers at the end. (I later learned that these were for the construction of the largest set ever made for any film; the ‘volcano’ in You only Live Twice.) continued from page 17 Hamish subsequently said my demonstration for 7/6d and fly the autogyro solo after only a verbal briefing! was very dramatic, after I had disappeared in a over 100 pilots did this. However, there were some upsets and could of dust heading for the pile of sleepers, tip ups and the RAF got fed up with the noise of the thing doing then surprising the onlookers by climbing steeply little circuits, so in the end I got it back. The only one I don’t into the blue sky. After I landed Cubby Brocolli own belongs to Nigel de Ferranti.” stood looking at little G-ARzB, saying: ‘We Ken designed many different variations of autogyro including shall want her in Japan in six weeks time, with a two-seater. the cosmetics on’ (the weapon systems and paint He started with a MacCulloch radio controlled target engine scheme.)” but also experimented with a Hillman Imp car engine, a Norton, So it was off to Brazil for the ‘spaghetti’ and a Rotax, several Rolls Royce engines, Limbach (a German on to Japan for the real thing. engine) and a twin engine Rotax, as well as an Italian radial Making the film sequence for You only Live engine which, as he recalls, “was like an Italian soprano singing Twice involved Ken in 46 hours of flying, 85 in a high voice then sulking!” flights and was mostly over 6,000 feet. He says: Even while he was inventing and experimenting Ken got ‘it was a serious operational exercise, not just involved in flying in films. An Italian film company Film Studio fun. If my little aircraft had not started every Roma wanted to make a spaghetti James Bond movie called time it was required to fly I would soon have Agent 2.007. In this film Agent 2.007 has a Vespa 2000 motor been reminded how much it was costing in scooter which can go on water and sprout a pair of rotors and stand-down time for the helicopters!” fly. They wanted Ken to fly these scenes in his autogyro in Some of Ken’s most testing moments in the Brazil. autogyro came during filming one or other

48 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 movie. While flying from Gloria Beach 40 miles from In the late 60s and early 70s there was a lot of interest Rio, a storm built up with huge vertical gusts but Ken from the military in an unmanned version of the autogyro, kept on flying his little machine. but post Cold War there was a definite move away from “It is so stable,” he said, “it simply rode through the these kind of defence items and the autogyro was passed storm.” When he returned to Gloria Beach he asked over. Moreover, now there are many versions of about the gust velocities. “We do not know,” they unmanned vehicles, most of which are much smaller and replied, “today we expect the Ventana...there have been more streamlined than the autogyro. no airline flights today.” I asked Ken if he had ever looked towards the civilian This had a more important point for Ken than merely market for building his autogyros and he replied that while being a good story. After seeing that his autogyro was he would have considered such a thing he only wanted a so stable in the storm compared to machines with larger contract if the machine would be built properly: no one tail fins he discarded the large tail concept on the auto - wants to see their invention causing rather than saving gyro which he had previously been playing with, feel - deaths owing to faulty building. ing this would only upset their good pitch stability. In the 1990s, Ken ran into problems with his medical, About this time Ken joined the HCGB. “I had been which was taken away and necessitated a fight to retrieve honoured by the award in 1963, of the Henry Alan from the bottom drawer of the bureaucracy. However, life March Medal by the Helicopter Association of Great being full of ironies, he was able to get his medical back Britain. The Association decided that my machines with the new JAA changes, so while the rest of us cursed qualified, even though they flew in autorotation all the the increase in bureaucracy these have brought, Ken was time! I was soon involved with the Rotorcraft Section cheering. of the Royal Aeronautical Society and was giving a overall Ken Wallis was a Renaissance man and the aut - speech, which Tony Everard heard and invited me to ogyro was the project of a highly unusual person. He join the HCGB soon after its inauguration.” designed it, built it and then flew it, not tentatively as In May 1968, Ken flew his first record on the auto - many engineers do with their machines but to its limits, gyro (he has 18 records, the only one broken was an regularly testing it in air shows, photographic stunts, films altitude record, which he had held for 30 years, and was and in every kind of situation. The basic design is still the broken by an autogyro with a turbo-charged engine). same as the first autogyro Ken created (apart from the ear - The first was an altitude record to 15,220 feet breaking lier model he did away with) but there were minor an original record of 7,280 feet set by Igor Bensen in a changes that Ken called ‘sophistications’. Bensen B8, 90 hp engine. Perhaps an additional pleas - My last memory was of Ken smiling as he said, “in the ure in the achievement was that the Wallis autogyro had early days I made some very intelligent guesses”. an engine that was only 72 hp. Like his machines Ken was one of a kind. The kind that Duration records such as Ken’s record from Lydd to designs and flies by intelligent instinct. Dying at 97 is an Wick in 6 hours and 25 minutes are no longer recog - amazing achievement and be sure that Ken Wallis will nised by the FAI, something he was told while setting a really be missed, not only by his family but by the avia - new 7 hour 50 minute flight in 1988. tion industry. In the 60s, 70s and 80s Ken was creating and break - ing records: altitude, speed and duration, whilst doing other jobs using the autogyro. He worked on photo - graphic shoots in Saudi Arabia, London, Great Britain, Australia and Europe, and had a job detecting bodies for the police. His police work involved a new kind of colour sensitive film which allowed his photographs to be reproduced in the laboratory to give pictures of bod - ies under the ground, in this way they found many graves of slaughtered sheep and cows (insurance fraud) and even the graves of many dead pets. The autogyro was chosen for the task by Plessey Radar Research Centre because of the low vibration level, its natural stability and the lack of any down wash when flying low and slow. He even searched for Lord Lucan’s body for the police using an aerial camera, but nothing was found and Ken believed that Lucan was still alive.

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 49 King of the Junglies Painting

recently completed painting of Sea King zA 298 tremendous honour and privilege to be told they would by accomplished military artist and army veteran be delighted for me to do so. The work took over 3 ATony Byrne from Bideford in Devon was pre - months to create and was an incredible challenge, espe - sented to 845 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton in cially as it was my first painting of a Junglie Sea King. Somerset. The response to the finished product has been fantastic Sea King zA 298, or King of the Junglies as it is col - and at times overwhelming.” loquially known is no stranger to the world of media. It Lt Cdr Punch added, “In many ways zA298 epitomis - was the central focus of a BBC documentary, The Sea es the Junglie Ethos. She has travelled the world, been to King - Britain’s Flying Past presented by the renowned the frontline of most conflict regions over the past 30 television correspondent Jon Sergeant. This particular years and, when at home, continued to work tirelessly for

aircraft, which is still fling today, has seen service in all training and exercises, all this with a smile on her face. s e i L of the major conflicts since the Falkland’s war and has There is good reason she has become known as the King g n u been hit by enemy fire on a number of occasions. The of the Junglies. Tony is clearly an extremely talented J e h t

most recent was in Afghanistan where it was hit and individual doing excellent work for many service chari - t f o

badly damaged by an RPG round fired by the Taliban. ties. We are pleased that he has captured zA298 in such y s e on completion of the presentation to 845 Squadron’s impressive fashion. I, and 845 Naval Air Squadron, thank t r u o

Executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Matthew him for his excellent gift. The Squadron will be using it c s h

Punch, Tony explained, “I approached 845 Squadron as a feature in our future charity auction and expect it to P a r some time back to see if they would be happy for me to bring in a very good price for a good cause.” g o t o produce a painting of this iconic aircraft. It was a h P

50 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Goodwood HeliExpo

elicopters from around the country will be flying into Goodwood Aerodrome this Sunday (october minded individuals who not only have an interest in heli - H6th) for an exposition in aid of Kent, Surrey & copters but also understand the in-valuable service that Sussex Air Ambulance. the air ambulance provides. Phoenix Helicopters Academy is hosting the fly-in “This expo is open to members of the public and we with a special visit from the life-saving crew of the welcome local people to come and have a look at the air - Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). craft on show and learn more about the Air Ambulance. Members of the public will get the chance to see the “The success of the event relies on an enthusiastic twin-engine MD902 Explorer aircraft and meet the pilot, response and we hope many of you will decide to come doctor and paramedic between 10am and 1pm - subject along and make the event a success.” to emergency call-outs. The expo starts at 10am with a barbecue at midday There will also be pleasure flights courtesy of Phoenix and visitors can find out about the air ambulance from Helicopters who have again chosen the Air Ambulance volunteers at the charity’s exhibition unit. as their Charity of the Year after raising more than £2,500 two years ago. * Phoenix Helicopter Academy is a helicopter training Flight operations Manager Toby Chamberlain said: school and Charter operator based at Goodwood and “The Air Ambulance is a very fitting cause for us to sup - Blackbushe in Hampshire. port as a helicopter training school. For more information call 01243 790900 or go to “our students and clients immediately take an interest www.phoenixhelicopters.co.uk in the charity and it enables us to raise money from like-

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 51 German F-4 Phantom Farewell

Words and pictures by Tommaso Munforti

fter 40 years of more than honorable service, on of them in black and orange color and the tail title: June 30, 2013, the German F-4s have been "Don't let me die - I want to fly"! Afinally retired. The German Air Force wanted Many other planes were in visit as the German A-319, celebrate this important change not only with a simple the P-3 orion, the “artic tiger” dressed Tornado ECR ceremony, but with a two days airshow that brought back from AG51 and the tiger tailed Eurofighter from JG 74, Germany into the airshow circuit after a long stop start - British Tornado GR4's and Hawk T1, three Belgian F16, ed in 1988 after Ramstein tragedy. two of Spanish F18 and if not enough warbirds like Unfortunately, the event was characterized by very YAK-52, Bucker Bu-131 Jungmann, Boeing PT17 and bad weather conditions, low clouds and rain was quite the red Fokker DR1. We cannot forget that the JG71 is constant until the end of the flying display on Saturday, titled to Von Richthofen, the WWI Red Barron. like the sky were crying for not having the opportunity to The helicopters line was made up of a Luftwaffe guest the F-4 any more. AS532 Cougar in VIP configuration, a new EC135, the Despite of the weather, however, about 130000 avia - big CH-53 and the Bolkow Bo105, which also took part tion enthusiasts arrived at the home of the at the flying display. Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen" to say goodbye to the on Saturday June 30,2013, it was the official flyout Spooks. for f-4s. The flying display limited and reduced by the on Friday, a rich and well organized spotter day let weather conditions, was opened by the Bücker and the the participants walk free without any limits, around the Boeing PT17. We will never forget the exhibition of the static display and see the last arrival. Many Phantoms Douglas A-4N Skyhawk operated by the BAE System, were available in front of their shelter without any fences but without any doubt the stars were the phantoms. … perfect condition to take the last shots. The four special colour filled more than one hour with The Luftwaffe confirmed once again its skill is air - low passages, touch and go, smoke and sound and maybe plane camouflage, preparing four beautiful special smoke again, until the arrival of the new EFA. After a schemes: three planes were in the past paint scheme and combined flypast and the landing of the two Typhoons, the last one, the 37+01, was dressed in a “Phantom there was only the time for the last shots to the old phan - Pharewell' suite. on this plane was also readable : “ first toms just before the last brake, helped by a welcome in - last out” to mark that 37+01 was the first F-4 deliv - sunny window. ered to Luftwaffe in 1973. The day ended with the phantoms and EFA in line The Luftwaffe WTD-61, the only unit still operating together as to be ready for a new the mission.end. the F-4F until the end of July, sent both their plane, one 52 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 CH-53 Inset showing control panel

Bolkow BO105 Luftwaffe AS532 Cougar

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 53 Sikorsky’s Challenge

o introduce more opportunities for entrepreneurs accompanies the launch of the fourth Entrepreneurial to contribute to aerospace innovation, Sikorsky Challenge. Winning teams will be granted shared services TInnovations today announced it has launched its within the CTNEXT entrepreneurial ecosystem, and, upon fourth Entrepreneurial Challenge, a competition to accel - completion of the year, an investment evaluation by erate companies and individuals with applications in the Sikorsky. A period of rent-free access to the Stamford vertical flight market. Innovation Center, which has been part of the winning prize Sikorsky unveiled a new set of challenge questions, pack since the inception of the Challenge, will now be refreshed rules and rewards – all aimed at attracting optional for all winning applicants. entrepreneurial companies to address some of the tough - The fourth Entrepreneurial Challenge features five est challenges facing the vertical flight community. Challenge questions. To take the Challenge or learn "The Sikorsky Entrepreneurial Challenge has been more, visit the Challenge’s website at successful in expanding the contact and in exploring syn - http://bit.ly/1cjH2dH. Applications are due to Sikorsky ergies between agile and innovative businesses and Innovations by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, Nov. 1. Sikorsky. There is value in expanding our reach to larger With the announcement of the revised competition, and more mature small companies as well as to business Sikorsky Innovations also announced it has recognized ventures already associated with Sikorsky,” said John Clark, founder of Gamechanger Technologies Pty Laurence Vigeant-Langlois, Director of Business Ltd, with an Honorable Mention as part of the Third Development for Sikorsky Innovations. Entrepreneurial Challenge. The Honorable Mention “As a leading aerospace oEM (original equipment award allows Clark to leverage the Sikorsky Innovations manufacturer), Sikorsky has a flexible and dedicated network through introductions to industrial partners. partnership channel that is focused on transformational “The Entrepreneurial Challenge is more than a recog - technologies, products and business processes. That con - nition of achievement, it is an opportunity to open new tinues to be the Entrepreneurial Challenge’s main value channels of communication with dynamic small busi - proposition to small businesses,” Vigeant-Langlois nesses,” said Chris Van Buiten, Vice President of added. Sikorsky Innovations. “Sikorsky Aircraft is celebrating The modifications to the Entrepreneurial Challenge its 90th anniversary, a milestone it has reached because it include: Qualified applicants are any small business is a company that constantly innovates. Creating strategic between 1 and 100 employees; no annual revenue cap is relationships with innovative entrepreneurs is an impor - now imposed. A portion of the Challenge Questions will tant dimension of the innovation process that will enable be “evergreen,” remaining constant throughout the next us to continue being the leader in vertical flight solu - few iterations of the competition. A repackaged prize pack tions.”

54 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Alouette 111 Reaches 10,000 Flying Hours

Arjan Dijksterhuis report and photographs

n May this year a SA.316B Alouette III reached the at RUAG Aerospace at Alpnach, Switzerland. Some 10.000 flying hours mark during a training mission. modifications were made there and it returned to the IReason enough to paint 10.000 HRS largely in gold Netherlands on the 24th of August 2004 as a SA.316B. on the fuselage. Just in time for the 40th anniversary of this type of heli - The particular Alouette III with serial A-301, is one of copter within the Dutch defence. Nice detail was that the the four remaining Dutch SA.316B Alouette IIIs of the price for the modification in 2004, was slightly higher Defence Helicopter Command and is based at Gilze- then the actual purchase price back in 1963. Rijen Air Base in the Netherlands. The A-301 with con - Nowadays the helicopters are still going strong on a struction number 1301 entered active duty on the 4th of variety of duties, but the primary tasks are the royal August 1965 as a SE.3160 Alouette III. It was repainted flights and VIP flights. in a royal blue livery after it received deep maintenance

SE3169 Alouette 111

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 55 RNAS Yeovilton Air Day 2013

Pictures by Ian Turner

he Royal Navy Air Service International Air Day at Yeovilton Twas a great and varied success with the Navy being able to demonstrate its AgustaWestland 159 Wildcat HM2A on the static display for the first time. Historic air - craft like the Gazelle continue to take their place, as did the Sea King. The flying display was also inspiring with the Red Arrows in glorious multi - colour and the Boeing Chinook HC2, doing a fabulous impression of a flying moun - P h tain! o t o g

By luck and with joy for all the weather r a P was lovely and the skies were blue, not h s c always the case at the Yeovilton Air Day, o u r t the crowds were magnificent and the week - e s y end was enjoyed by all. o f i a n t u r n e r

56 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 Marine Lynx tail

Wildcat Lynx

Gazelle Marine Lynx

Apache

Royal Navy Sea King P h o t o g r a P h s c o u r t e s y o f i a n t u r n e r

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 57 B ook r eview Borneo Boys RAF Helicopter Pilots in Action Indonesian Confrontation 1962-66 Roger Annett Pen & Sword Aviation £25.00

hat the Apache is to ing. The brilliant navigational Afghanistan the skills of the locals and the use WWestland Whirlwind of helicopters to hastily carry clearly was to the Indonesian a pregnant mother to hospital Conflict of 1962-1966. in the case of a problem birth. Borneo Boys tells the story As well as Westland of the helicopter action in Whirlwinds, the Borneo con - Borneo during the Indonesian flict included the use of the conflict as seen through the Belvedere load carrying heli - eyes of 17 pilots, an engine fit - copters. These were unfortu - ter and a station supply officer. nately prone to instability and Roger Annett looks at the for were known as the ‘Bristol background to the conflict, Widowmaker’. However, how the boys became involved when they worked well they - mostly they just wanted to were very useful. fly- and their stories, often in The ground crew, though, their own words. Much of this were rather cynical about their is the day to day workings of insect like appearance and the squadron during the post - Annett tells a story about one ing; lack of equipment, spares new fuller who asked: “Sir, do and having to work extra shifts we refuel it, or does it just eat because there were not enough other helicopters?” helicopters - something that The pictures in the book are rings as true to today as in the excellent and sometimes you 1960s. “Do we refuel are surprised that any of the There are stories that reflect it, or does it pilots had the gumption to the technology of the helicop - just eat other record the event, for example ters of the time, for example, helicopters?” with Brian Skillicorn’s landing P when the pilots cannot see in ‘a hole in the trees’ and the h o t

wreckage of his Whirlwind o

because of the rain: g r a

They reduced speed to 20 being flown back under a P h c knots, open the window and Belvedere. o u r

A fascinating book about a t try and pick out landmarks to e s conflict that has not had much y find their way. o f

publicity and the helicopters P

There are also stories about e n

and ‘boys’ who worked there. a the pilots’ interaction with the n D local tribes, Dyaks and Iban, It is available from Amazon s w o with whom they were work - both new and used. r D HELICOPTER LIFE ,Autumn 2013 58 CAA Legislation Changes concerning helicopters and gyroplanes .IN-2013/102: Regulation 1149/2011 changes to Part- Commission Regulation (EU) No. 965/2012 – Air 66 syllabus and examination requirements Operations This Information Notice details the changes to the Part- The purpose of this Information Notice is to provide a 66 syllabus and examination requirements as detailed in briefing to all EU-oPS AoC holders engaged in two-pilot Commision Regulation (EU) No. 1149/2011. fixed-wing scheduled and charter operations on the devel - http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/sarg_lts_Reg%201149_ opment of European regulations for Flight Time 2011_Changes%20to%20Part%2066%20Syllabus- Limitations (FTL), the expected time scale for implemen - v1_July%202013.pdf tation, the development of guidance material, proposed briefing seminars to be held at Aviation House Gatwick IN-2013/107: The requirements applicable when and expected transitional processes. training for a Multi-Pilot Helicopter Type Rating http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&page using a Helicopter that may be flown Single Pilot type=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5653 The purpose of this Information Notice is to clarify the applicability of the Part-FCL requirements that must be SN-2013/011: Policy change to CAA requirements for complied with to obtain a Type Rating with multi-pilot check flights privileges using a helicopter that has a Type Certificate This Safety Notice (SN) details the change in CAA policy that allows single-pilot operation. regarding the requirements for check flights for UK regis - http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pag tered aircraft. etype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5644 http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&page type=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5614 IN-2013/098: Amendment of the Requirements to Renew an Instrument Rating that has lapsed by more IN-2013/113: UK Strategy for Human Factors in Civil than seven years Aviation - Consultation This Information Notice advises of a change to the This Information Notice is to correct the email address requirements for the renewal of an Instrument Rating (previously given in IN 2013/064) for submitting com - that has lapsed by more than 7 years for pilots who have ments on the UK Strategy for Human Factors held an Instrument Rating on a non-European licence Consultation and to advise that the closing date for com - during that period. ments has been extended. http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/lts_sarg_Amd%20to%2 http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&page 0Renew%20IR%20lapsed%20by%20more%207%20 type=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5649 yearv1_July2013.pdf IN-2013/111: Acceptable Means of Simulating IMC for IN-2013/147: Reminder of the curtailment of Initial IR Skill Tests National Aeroplane and Helicopter Pilot Licence This IN sets out guidance on the means of simulating privileges with effect from 8 April 2014 instrument conditions in aircraft used for IR training and To remind pilots that, with effect from 8 April 2014, the testing. implementation of European legislation will limit the http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&page privileges of national UK licences. type=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5647 http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20130IN%20curtail - ment%20of%20Lic%20Privileges-.pdf IN-2013/118: Guidance for ATOs conducting PPL(A), PPL(H), LAPL(A) or LAPL(H) courses, for which N-2013/131: The transition of Registered Training there are new Theoretical Knowledge (TK) require - Facilities to Approved Training Organisations ments. This IN explains the approach that the CAA is intending Guidance to those ATos seeking approval to provide to take to enable current RTFs to convert to ATos PPL(A), PPL(H), LAPL(A) or LAPL(H), Flight and http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pag Ground instruction, and associated EASA Part-FCL etype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5697s Theoretical Knowledge instruction requirements. http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&page IN-2013/115: Flight Time Limitations under type=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5658

HELICOPTER LIFE ,Autumn 2013 59 Helicopter Life  
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60 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 HelicopterLife Training and more to place an advert call sue or email [email protected] see also http://www.helicopterlife.com/advertising.html

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Words and pictures by Peter R Foster

ith 11 Gruppo of 1 Reggimento at Viterbo now Gruppo Squadroni Aviazione dell’Esercito “Ercole” with - struggling to maintain its aging fleet of Boeing in the structure of 1 Reggimento Aviazione dell’Esercito WChinook CH-47C, or ETH-1, helicopters for “Antares” stood up on February 1 1976 and have operat - not only its national commitment but also to maintain its ed the type since. six aircraft and six crews in Afghanistan as part of the The initial order was for 26 helicopters, MM80822 current NATo support structure, the first flight of the through to MM80847 with assigned codes ‘EI-800 to EI- first of an eventual 16 state of the art CH-47Fs on June 825’. Attrition has been relatively light given the nature 24 2013 must surely project a welcome light at the end of the work that they undertake. Two were lost early in of a very long tunnel. their career, MM80823 on April 10 1978 in Lake The Boeing CH-47 Chinook has been an integral part Bolsena, and MM80825 whilst on loan to the manufac - of the Italian Army’s support structure since as long ago turer for demonstration in Dubai on March 30 1980. This as 1973 when Army aviation was beginning a major resulted in a small follow-on attrition order of two heli - structural reorganization. Rationalisation of army assets copters, MM81168 and MM81169. continued throughout the seventies before finally stabi - Three more orders were to be placed over the next lizing in 1980. By 1976 the Chinook had its own support decade for 12 helicopters in batches of four [MM81229- unit, the 4 RRALE [Reparto Riparazione ALE], that had 232], two [81386–87] three [81439-41] and three formed on June 15 of that year at Viterbo whilst the [81458-60] all built in Italy under the Agusta Meridionali operating unit, 1 Reparto Elicotteri Medi [1 REM], that Boeing umbrella bring the total procured to 40. had been formed to evaluate and develop the type, split However there is only just so much you can achieve in into two frontline squadrons. keeping old platforms in front line use in spite of the 111 and 112 Gruppi Squadroni under the control of 11 excellent facilities offered by 4 RRALE. Therefore short -

62 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 ly after the turn of the millennium a number of ‘cabs’ and for aircraft delivery to the Italian Army. Boeing had started to dwindle not helped by the increase in Rotorcraft Systems will build the fuselage in Ridley demands of this effective but small force. Currently there Park, PA. are believed to be some 19 examples stored out of use It was however not until May 13 2009 that Italy’s leaving just 18, or under half the fleet, to maintain com - ARMAEREo procurement agency signed the EUR 900 mitments that includes maintaining two helicopters on 30 million ($1.23 billion equivalent) contract for 16 ICH- minutes readiness to assist in fire fighting with their cus - 47Fs, with an option for 4 more with delivery of the first tom built 5,000 litres bucket throughout the summer peri - aircraft planned for 2013, with final deliveries in 2017. od as well as the Afghanistan deployment as well as The new more powerful ICH-47F Chinook will, it is other routine army support missions. official releases believed, offer the Italian Army enhanced operational still give a fleet figure of 40 but as can be seen from the effectiveness to perform multiple roles including trans - above this is to some degree stretching the imagination. port missions, disaster relief and fire fighting due to its The need to replace the aging CH-47C version of the high payload, long range and high cruise speed. The versatile Chinook was well realized and discussions with ICH-47 Chinook features an advanced communication Boeing began shortly after the turn of the century. In system providing high situational awareness and April 2007 it was announced by Boeing that it expects enabling the aircraft to meet the latest Italian Army and that Italy will buy 16-20 CH-47Fs, through a joint pro - Allies digitalization programmes requirements. The new duction agreement with Italian conglomerate helicopter will provide high operational interoperability Finmecccanica SpA. The deal has reportedly been in the in a network-centric environment while keeping through works for a while, and Boeing said it expects the orders life costs low in the wide range of scenarios where the around 2008-2009. Italian service is called upon to perform its duties. Boeing spokesman Joseph LaMarca said that the The ICH-47F customised version incorporates a secure expected Italian purchase would be a Direct Commercial communications system, self-protection system and Sale, with AgustaWestland as the prime contractor and advanced datalink system. This new ICH-47F Chinook Boeing as the lead subcontractor. In 2006, the 2 compa - variant has a Maximum All Up Weight (MAUW) of 23 nies signed a new memorandum of understanding that tons, is equipped with two Honeywell T55-GA-714A laid out an industrial agreement for further Italian engines giving it excellent “hot and high” capability and Chinook production. is suitable for all weather operations. In July 2008 Boeing and Finmeccanica SpA subsidiary The contract also includes a five-year logistic support AgustaWestland signed an agreement that defined the service. The delivery of the first aircraft is planned in terms for the joint manufacture of new CH-47F Chinook early 2014 with final deliveries in 2017. The initial air - helicopters to replace earlier models used by the Italian craft, CSX81778 c/n M7801, will now undergo a sus - Army. AgustaWestland had been Boeing’s European tained period of flight trials both at Vergiate and no partner for other versions of the CH-47, and this new doubt Cascina Costa the company’s test and evaluation agreement continued and extended that relationship. As facility before being handed over the Esercito’s own test prime contractor for the Italian CH-47F, AgustaWestland facility at Viterbo prior to eventual entry into service. would be responsible for design and systems integration,

The older Boeing Chinook CH-47C A CCidenT r eporTS

carrying out his pre-takeoff checks, the helicopter started Robinson R22 Beta, G-BTHI to yaw to the left. The pilot lost control of the helicopter G-BTHI was on an instructional flight and the instructor and both the tail and main rotor blades struck the ground was the handling pilot. The helicopter was on final in its ensuing manoeuvre. The fuselage section came to approach to Runway 24, at approximately 150 to 200ft rest in a nearly vertical position, resting on the back of agl and 50 kt, when severe vibration was felt through the the engine compartment and the rear of the skids, the tail airframe and controls. The pilot stated that the vibration boom having fractured and lying parallel to the ground. was so severe he could not read any of the instruments The pilot, who was uninjured, vacated the helicopter and he instinctively increased airspeed and made a short through the rear right cabin door. He attributed the unex - MAYDAY call. While he was transmitting, the clutch pected yaw to slippery surface conditions. The pilot was warning light illuminated followed immediately by the 47 years old and had 130 hours with 110 on type. low rotor rpm light and warning horn. The pilot entered autorotation but, instead of yawing left as expected, the Bell 214B C-GTWV aircraft yawed right despite the subsequent application of The Bell 214B 1 helicopter was fighting fire approxi - full left yaw pedal. The helicopter was turning towards mately 20 nautical miles northwest of Lillooet, British a public road and so the pilot increased the rate of turn Columbia. The helicopter lost power, touched down hard using the cyclic control to ensure that the helicopter did on uneven terrain, and rolled over onto its side. The two not pass over it. pilots escaped with minor injuries. The helicopter had turned through approximately 280° as After the pilots successfully carried out 12 water drops it approached the ground. The pilot applied full up input with the helicopter, the engine lost power. The pilot-in- on the collective control to try to cushion the touchdown command, seated in the left-hand seat, turned the heli - but the aircraft landed heavily, with little forward speed copter left and downhill and descended toward an open but considerable right yaw, and rolled onto its left side. area to land. As the helicopter neared the ground, the PIC The student exited the helicopter through the right leveled the helicopter and reduced the rate of descent; door and the instructor exited through the broken front however, the main-rotor struck the terrain on the right - windscreen. Both occupants were treated at the scene side, and the helicopter came to rest on its left side facing for minor injuries. uphill. The tail broke off, and the tail rotor assembly Pilots operating Handbook (PoH) landed 30 feet away. The helicopter was substantially The R22 PoH states that a loss of tail rotor thrust in damaged, and there was a small post-crash fire. forward flight is usually indicated by nose right yaw Investigators found that the engine fuel control unit which cannot be corrected by applying left yaw pedal. (FCU) was contaminated with metallic debris, which Pilots are advised to enter autorotation immediately, likely disrupted fuel flow and caused the engine to lose maintain at least 70 kt airspeed if practical and perform power. A review of maintenance procedures was under - an autorotation landing. taken by the TSB, which revealed that overhaul proce - Pilot’s assessment of the cause dures and documentation were unclear and lacked detail, The pilot assessed that he had suffered a tail rotor fail - and that recurring component failures were not tracked ure. and monitored as required by the approved maintenance After inspection of the wreckage, he found that: organization. The absence of tracking and monitoring The tail rotor drive had failed at the intermediate flex FCU failures increases the risk that component problems plate coupling, which is just aft of the clutch will not be fixed before failure. The investigation further actuator.here may be scope for additional development noted that inspections did not include complete disassem - of this part of the drive-train, the larger diameter shaft bly of sub-component parts of the FCU, and some FCUs represents an improvement in service experience in com - were misidentified when incomplete modifications were parison with the previous version. The pilot was 72, he carried out. Honeywell, the FCU manufacturer, has had 526 hours of which 365 were on type. issued 2 service bulletins for the misidentified FCUs, reducing the time between overhauls from 2400 hours to Robinson R44 11 Raven 11 G-MRRY 1800 hours, and later recalled all these FCUs. The pilot was preparing for a local flight when the acci - dent occurred. The weather was fine and dry, with a light Westland Scout AH1, G-BXRR easterly wind. The helicopter was on a small concrete The helicopter departed Thruxton at 1416 hrs, with the parking area adjacent to fuel pumps. As the pilot was pilot and three passengers aboard, and arrived over the

64 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 A CCidenT r eporTS

landing site in Northamptonshire after an uneventful trees; the pilot thought it struck the ground in an upright flight. The site was a grassed area with no ground mark - attitude but then rolled over onto its left side. ings adjacent to a hotel car park. The weather was fine, Photographs of the wreckage and general area, taken with a surface wind from 330° at 5 kt and a temperature before the wreckage was recovered, showed that the of 19°C. helicopter had descended through the trees with little The pilot flew a “full recce” of the site before making an forward motion. A noted anomaly was a tear in the approach to the grassed area. The helicopter was calcu - aircraft skin at the forward base of the upper vertical fin, lated to be approximately 80 lbs below its maximum forward of the enclosed tail rotor. Trapped in the folded landing weight at this point. As he flared the helicopter it skin material were leaves from a fir tree, which was not did not slow down as quickly as he expected so he a type found in the immediate vicinity of the crash site. increased the flare attitude, following which the heli - Further photographs of what is believed to have been copter’s tail struck the ground. The helicopter started to the intended landing area showed a substantial fir tree yaw to the right, so the pilot immediately lowered the of a matching type, with what appeared to be damage collective lever, which resulted in a heavy landing. to branches at less than half its height. With no height The pilot and his passengers were uninjured and able to reference, an accurate height of the damage above vacate the helicopter normally. The pilot was 49 years ground could not be determined, but was estimated to old and had 206 hours of which 49 were on type. be in the order of 15 to 20 ft. The pilot was 51, with 5400 hours of which 49 were on type. SA341G Gazell 1, G-WDEV The helicopter had a pre-flight and normal inspection Bell 206L-3 Longranger III, G-LVDC with no faults noted. The two passengers arrived in good The pilot had dropped passengers at Silverstone time and the helicopter took off at 09.10. Fuel load on Circuit and was taking off to return to the “feeder departure was 220 kgs and takeoff weight was 1706 kgs, site”, some 12 km to the east. In the climb, at about nearly 100kgs below the maximum. The short flight to 300 ft, the low rotor rpm warning horn sounded and the private site near Salisbury was uneventful and the he immediately lowered the collective lever to enter pilot flew a reccee of the site at 500 feet. He approach autorotation and carry out a forced landing into a and settled into a low hover, but then felt the tail was too field. The warning horn remained on throughout the low and decided to reposition for a better site. autorotation but the landing was successful with a The pilot manoeuvred the helicopter upwards and short run-on, although the pilot noticed some “rock - rearwards, whilst keeping the landing area in sight. ing”. He lowered the collective lever and closed the After initially lifting to about 30 ft with the tail clear throttle to idle. He then opened the throttle and lifted of obstruction, he was unable to determine a more into the hover, watching the engine gauges. favourable landing area so continued the climb. At about Everything appeared normal, so he transitioned out of 60 to 70 ft the pilot noticed the tone of the main rotor the field and returned to the feeder site without further RPM (RRPM) change, suggesting a reduction in RPM. incident. After shutdown, he noticed that the vertical He did not check the RRPM indication, but instinctively fins on the horizontal stabilisers were damaged and reduced collective input, believing the decline in RRPM that there was associated damage to the main rotor would be transient. However, RRPM did not appear to blades. recover and the helicopter started to sink. In his report, the pilot linked the damage to the land - At this point, the helicopter was to the side of the ing in the field but was unsure of the reason for the intended landing site and over tree tops. As it started low rotor rpm. He concluded that there was either a to descend, the pilot pulled the collective lever up “transient reduction in engine power” or that the throt - positively. He then heard pronounced popping and cracking noises and sensed a further reduction in RRPM tle was not fully open on departure. Subsequently, the (his perception was based on sound alone). He did not engine, fuel, fuel system and recall any appreciable yawing motion. associated controls were examined by a maintenance With RRPM dropping significantly and the flight company and no faults were found. The engine was controls appearing to lose effectiveness, the pilot steered also run on a test bed at an engine test facility but, the descending helicopter towards an area where the again, no faults were detected. The pilot was 52, had tree tops were lowest, whilst attempting to keep its nose 1737 hours of which 126 were on type. from dropping. The helicopter came down through the

HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013 65 u S e A n d e h o h l i C o p T e r

Dogmersfield Park Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire Picture shows Stephen Swatton hovering at the hotel in newly painted GBxKL

ogmersfield Park was originally named “Docce ed around Dogmersfield Park in the late 1780’s for mere feld” in Saxon times, meaning “a field by approximately £2,000. Dthe water lily lake”. Both the manor and the vil - The property remained in the hands of the Mildmay lage are mentioned in William the Conqueror’s family until 1933 when Sir Anthony John Mildmay was Domesday Book of 1086. forced to sell the estate. He was charged with adultery Early in the twelfth century close links were estab- and breach of promise owing to another marriage and lished with the Church and Dogmersfield Park passed had to pay large fines. Sir Anthony was the first person several times from the King to the Church and back, in England to be sued for not marrying a woman he had before Henry I granted the manor to Godfrey, Bishop of promised to. Bath and Wells, when it became a medieval palace. During World War II, Dogmersfield Park was used to Henry VI often stayed at the house and in 1501, Henry billet Dutch and Polish airmen. VII visited with Prince Arthur, heir to the throne, to meet Following the War, the estate became Reed’s School his future wife, Catherine of Aragon. The young Prince for girls, who were awarded bursaries to attend this high Henry was also in the party. Prince Arthur died soon standard grammar boarding school, in honour of their after the marriage, and his brother was crowned Henry fathers who were killed during the war. VIII and made Catherine the first of his six wives. Throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s, the manor was a The house became a private estate in 1547 when seminary for Catholic priests, several of whom are buried Edward VI gave the house to Lord Wriothesley, the first on the grounds behind the South Wing. Earl of Southampton, this honour was accompanied by In the 1970’s, Daneshill Preparatory school for girls his peerage as Lord Chancellor, and was part of grant of and boys occupied the site until it was sold in 1979. Crown lands. In August 1981, a fire gutted three quarters of the The Wriothesley family owned the estate for almost house. The only remains were the manor house and the 100 years, then it passed through several families until ruin that can be seen in the courtyard by the glass link. the early 1700s. The East Wing, designed by architect Robert Adam, In 1728, Martha Goodyer and Ellis St. John had the was opened in June 1986 by H.R.H. Princess Anne. existing Georgian Manor House built. The estate passed Early in 2001, the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire uneventfully through three generations of the St. John project began. The Hotel’s South and West Wings were family. built, and the stable block is creatively restored into The In 1786, Sir Henry Paulet St. John married Jane Spa. Mildmay, later taking the family name of Mildmay. Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire opened on 14th Sir Henry Mildmay had the Basingstoke Canal re-rout - February 2005.

66 HELICOPTER LIFE , Autumn 2013