Salute to Excellence Awards HAI’s Salute to Excellence awards celebration was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Rosen Centre Hotel on March 2. The winners, listed below, were honored with a short video recog- nizing their achievements and contributions to the industry and society. Heli • Aviation Maintenance Technician Award, Ron Gilroy • Aviation Repair Specialist Award, -Expo2007 Richard Wolfgang REPORT • Igor I. Sikorsky Award for Humanitarian Service, Crew of Helicopter ER-MHH (Alexey Ostapenko, Oleg Pazynitch, Alexander Ivlev, Barry Shepherd ogy demonstrator program were scarce, visi- helicopter, a variant of the civil EC 145. A and John Funnell) OEMs shift focus tors to Sikorsky’s booth could test-fly a cabin Turbomeca spokeswoman said the com- • The Joe Mashman Safety Award, and cockpit mock-up of the new S-76D. pany planned to announce the location of Scott Baxter from new models Bell/Agusta Aerospace brought its full- its new North American plant within a few • Outstanding Certified Flight Instructor Award, scale representation of the BA609 tiltrotor weeks of the show. Mel Schiller to Orlando, though company representa- AgustaWestland CEO Giuseppe Orsi • Agusta Community Service Award, to current ones tives indicated that the aircraft would make reported an order backlog of $11.23 billion New York City Police Department Aviation Unit by Meredith Saini a stronger statement at the Paris Air Show for the Italian manufacturer, with new orders • Eurocopter Golden Hour Award, this summer. Flight-testing on the 275-plus- valued at more than $5 billion. Recent new Crew of HH-65C CG6553 (Lt. Brian Waring, At this year’s Heli-Expo in Orlando, the knot hybrid continues with two test aircraft, business includes orders for 110 copies of Lt. Patrick Lineberry, AET2 David Fanelli, major manufacturers racked up $732 mil- one in Italy and one in Texas. the single-engine Koala A119 from 55 cus- AST1 John Isbell) lion in new orders–up 18 percent from tomers in 18 countries, plus new orders for • Excellence in Communications Award, the $620 million in deals signed in Dallas Manufacturers 48 more helicopters announced at the show. Feel Production Squeeze Mike Reyno and Linda Reyno last year–and they did it without having Orsi said AgustaWestland is making a con- • Helicopter Maintenance Award, anything markedly different to offer. This Honeywell released its annual outlook certed effort to “get close to the customer” Glen Cornett increase was despite a decrease in atten- on the market for turbine-powered civil by increasing the number of its customer • MD Helicopters Law Enforcement Award, dance of almost 2,000 people from last year helicopter purchases on the eve of the show, information centers, distributors and support Monica McIntyre to 14,806. Many companies indicated that forecasting some 3,500 new deliveries over facilities to 200 by the end of 2009. they are expending most of their available the next five years. Most of the nearly 1,000 At this year’s Heli-Expo, AgustaWest- • Lawrence D. Bell Memorial Award, resources to keep up with existing demand flight departments that responded to the land announced an upgrade to its AW119 Wanda Lee Rogers and bulging order backlogs, with little left company’s survey of their purchase plans light single to be dubbed the AW119 Ke, • Robert E. Trimble Memorial Award, over for new product development. said they expected to replace older helicop- for Koala enhanced. The Ke will be priced Kenneth Eichner, posthumous “Feeling comfortable is the first sign ters in the same size, capability and price “slightly higher” and feature a 286-pound • Pilot of the Year Award, [that you could] lose,” Eurocopter CEO class, with only about 12 percent trading up increase in max takeoff weight. Dale Weir Lutz Bertling told reporters at an opening- to larger, more capable equipment. Continued on page 90 u day press breakfast. “We need to make sure With a $14.5 billion backlog and sales that we don’t overheat.” up 50 percent last year, Eurocopter remains As a result, in terms of product an- the market leader and one of several manu- nouncements, this year’s show was some- facturers hoping to profit from the pro- what more sedate than last year’s, where Bell jected demand for new helicopters. Helicopter unveiled its 417 single with much “We will not let customer support suffer fanfare. At this year’s event the company because we need the spares to build new announced that it had canceled the project helicopters,” Bertling said. Turbomeca because, according to Bell executives, the CEO Emeric d’Arcimoles echoed the senti- business case for it failed to germinate. ment, telling AIN that demand for loaner Bell’s new CEO, longtime Textron exec- engines has been increasing by about 7 utive Richard Millman, emerged briefly percent per year as customers push more from the company’s booth after opting out hours onto their growing fleets. of his previously anticipated presence at Turbomeca produced 979 new helicopter Bell’s pre-show press conference so he engines last year and is expanding its pres- could attend a Textron board meeting else- ence in North America to support burgeon- where in Florida. Millman told AIN that he ing demand from manufacturers including is still getting his bearings at Bell and spent American Eurocopter, which has a contract most of his time at Heli-Expo greeting cus- with the U.S. Army to build more than 300 tomers. “You have to give me a few weeks,” copies of the UH-72A light twin-engine he said, noting that his main priority in these first few months is ensuring that Bell meets its customer commitments. Frank Robinson confirmed his plans to build the four-seat R66, his first turbine product. The company announced the news with little fanfare, and the only detail Robinson revealed was that the helicopter would be powered by Rolls-Royce’s new Model 300 turboshaft, which was officially announced at the show. N I

The Sikorsky booth attracted some A B

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attention as company representatives lifted E G O R

a wispy black veil off Sikorsky’s first search- : S O

and-rescue S-92 to the sound of thunder T O H

claps and a shower of paper confetti. Though Sikorsky took the wraps off a search-and-rescue S-92. P signs of the company’s ongoing X-2 technol-

88aaAviation International News • April 2007 • www.ainonline.com Heli-Expo uContinued from page 88 The three new orders Sikorsky announced at the show might pale in comparison to those its European counterparts publicized at the show, but the Stratford, Conn., manufacturer remains confident about its prospects for the future, especially in the mili- tary sector. At last year’s show, Sikor- sky CEO Jeffrey Pino said he was optimistic that by Heli-Expo 2007, N

Sikorsky would be the helicopter O T P

manufacturer with the highest total U M I revenue. While that goal proved elu- J sive, Sikorsky did claim that it logged Showgoers who stopped by Sikorsky’s a record year last year, with $3.2 industry decides to change its supply display could check out the cockpit of the billion in revenue–up from $2.8 bil- chain, it takes six months to a year. company’s S-76D. lion the previous year. It’s a tremendous up-cycle for the Pino said the company’s strategy whole industry.” fix. It’s not a two-year fix. This is a for maintaining an on-time produc- In recent years, MD Helicopters five-year turnaround.” tion schedule includes shifting com- has been mentioned frequently in dis- pletions work away from the main cussions about supply chain prob- New Technology on Display plant in Stratford. Keystone Heli- lems. “MD can sell–and has sold–all Although the focus of this year’s copter Holdings, which Sikorsky that we can build,” company CEO Heli-Expo clearly was on sales and acquired in December 2005, now Lynn Tilton told AIN. “It is the pro- production of existing helicopter handles all S-76 completions at its curement of parts in sufficient mag- models, signs of new technology West Chester, Pa. facility. nitude and at fair prices that has been were visible on the show floor. “Our supply chain revolves around a continued challenge.” One of the more prominent of deciding what’s important to us, which At a press conference held during these was Honeywell’s integrated pri- is final assembly, flight dynamics and the show, Tilton said MD plans to de- mary flight display (IPFD) featuring flight test, and moving the rest of that liver 48 helicopters this year even as a synthetic vision system (SVS) de- stream out of here,” Pino told AIN in it continues to struggle with supply- signed specifically for helicopters. a pre-show interview. “If the aviation chain bottlenecks. “It’s not a one-year Phoenix-based Honeywell introduced

Heli-Expo 2007 Highlights Helicopter Cabin Interiors

At Heli-Expo 2007 in Orlando last month, cabin completion and a day. The first ship is due to be finished this fall, and Coulson refurbishment was a major topic, from a designer interior to expan- plans to show it at next year’s Heli-Expo. sion to meet growing demand–good news in many cases for inde- pendent shops. Metro Aviation of Shreveport, La., will be moving into a new, 160,000-sq-ft facility that will allow for an expansion of its helicop- Sikorsky Aircraft president Jeff Pino noted that growth has put ter cabin completion and refurbishment core business. Included in such a strain on the main facilities in Stratford, Conn., “you can’t the new digs are three exterior paint booths, one of which will find a parking space any more.” The com- accommodate transport-category helicop- pany is no longer doing unique interior ters. The facility will permit the simultane- configurations in Stratford, he said, but is ous prep and painting of two airframes. instead sending the finished airframes else- where for completion. Helitowcart of Levis, Quebec, was pro- moting its new HeliCushion kit for the AgustaWestland and Versace, one of “instant refurbishing” of Eurocopter AS 350 the world’s leading fashion houses, have and AS 355 seats. The “ready-to-go” kit announced a collaboration to create a consists of molded foam buildup and cover range of haute couture executive cabins. The distinctive Versace touch is featured in and is designed to slide into place in sec- an AgustaWestland 109 Grand cabin mockup Versace will design them and AgustaWest- at Heli-Expo. onds. A set of six seats is priced at $2,743. land will build them, said an AgustaWest- land spokesman, noting, “The Versace style Emteq introduced a new night-vision imag- uses significant elements of the great clas- ing system upgrade with light-emitting diode sic tradition…mixed with a modern ap- (LED) technology. The NVIS unit operates on proach to elegance and comfort. 28 VDC to draw 80 percent less current than incandescent lighting and is applicable to The Coulson Group of British Colum- dual-mode dome lights, dual-mode wash bia, which probably has as much experience lighting and flexible strip lighting. The New with the Sikorsky S-61 as any company Berlin, Wis. company is expanding and re- outside Sikorsky Aircraft, is expanding its cently reached an agreement for the purchase fleet to include a combination offshore of airborne lighting systems specialist Flight Coulson developed a quick-change executive and executive transport. Work on the first and shuttle interior for the Sikorsky S-61. Components, of Bachenbulach, Switzerland. “ultra-deluxe” S-61 will begin this year. The prototype calls for a walk-around cabin, on-board auxiliary power Keystone Helicopters of Coatesville, Pa., has signed an unit and a lavatory. Coulson CEO Wayne Coulson believes an S-61 agreement to provide completion and maintenance service for that costs between $5 and $6 million, with a capacity of 12 to 14 Seacore’s aviation division. Keystone has also announced delivery passengers, would be an attractive alternative to the smaller of its first S-76++ outfitted with the new Silencer interior. The pack- AgustaWestland AW139 and Sikorsky S-76 and S-92. The execu- age weighs about 100 pounds less than the standard interior and tive cabin could be converted to offshore shuttle configuration in offers sound levels of 81 dB. –K.J.H.

90aaAviation International News • April 2007 • www.ainonline.com its fixed-wing IPFD at the Farnborough ponents must meet strict guidelines for information, using radio relays from other The courses were divided into four cate- Air Show last July, touting it as the first illumination while NVGs are being worn. aircraft or cellphones. gories: safety, management, pilot training “forward fit” (as opposed to retrofit) high- The FAA made a hard sell at Heli- A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and maintenance. Each participant received a end SVS product on the market. Expo to offshore oil operators that will is expected to be published in September, free one-day pass to Heli-Expo. Two more Product manager Sergio Cecutta told soon have the opportunity to receive un- requiring all aircraft to use ADS-B by 2020 education courses–“Defining Direct Operating AIN that while night vision goggles precedented traffic and weather informa- as part of the FAA’s Next Generation Air Costs” and “Advanced Helicopter Operator (NVGs) and infrared enhanced vision tion in the cockpit via ADS-B (automatic Transportation System. A final rule on the Management”–took place after the event. systems (EVS) are excellent for providing dependent surveillance-broadcast) tech- NPRM is expected in 2009. Castaldo said The association is also bringing its educa- increased situational awareness, he said nology–if they equip their helicopters the FAA expects about 25 percent of the tion program to a number of convenient loca- these sensor-only systems do not deliver with special equipment that can receive nation’s aircraft will be ADS-B ready by 2014. tions with its new “On the Road” series, for the precise visual cues required by heli- and display the information. those who could not make it to Orlando. copter pilots flying down low in condi- “If you put this equipment on your air- HAI Professional For more information about the program, tions of marginal visibility. plane, you will get priority service–like Education Series contact HAI at (703) 683-4646 or send an e- The main difference between Honey- an HOV lane,” said Rick Castaldo, an According to HAI, more than 500 people mail to [email protected]. well’s helicopter IPFD and its fixed-wing FAA engineer working closely with FAA participated in this year’s Professional Edu- Next year’s Heli-Expo event will be held application is the display database. The ADS-B program manager Vincent Capez- cation Series, which began on February 24. from February 24 to 26 in Houston. J helicopter IPFD is designed to render zuto. “Aside from the air traffic benefit, the real-world combinations of pitch and this will help you manage your re- motion that are not possible in fixed-wing sources,” he added. aircraft, such as a negative pitch on take- Castaldo assured those attending the off and climb. Heli-Expo briefing that ADS-B will con- Also, the helicopter terrain database tinue to be funded through its maturity. features contour lines that are much The FAA’s budget for the program N O T P U M I J Bell/Agusta showcased its BA609, which closer together, with a resolution of six will also appear at the Paris Air Show. arc-seconds compared with 24 for the Below, the R-R Model 300 turboshaft, fixed-wing version. The database will which will power the Robinson R66. contain 108,000 obstacles 100 feet and higher, including Gulf of Mexico and North Sea oil platforms. The develop- mental system now being flown in a Hon- eywell AStar also accepts pilot inputs of obstacles and waypoint designations using GPS lat-long coordinates. (To watch a video of the system in action, visit www.aintv.com.) AIN learned that Sikorsky and avion- ics integrator Thales are discussing plans to incorporate SVS into the Thales TopDeck avionics suite in Sikorsky’s new S-76D. Sikorsky named Thales as N I A

its avionics provider for the S-76D in B

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2005. Certification of the aircraft is G O expected next year, but it remains un- R clear whether an SVS solution will be available by then. through 2008 is $80 million, with private FLIR Systems of Portland, Ore., intro- industry expected to contribute at least duced a new low-cost thermal camera that much to the joint effort by providing system called the EVS3. Environmentally the physical locations where the agency sealed and priced at less than $15,000, the will install its equipment. EVS3 uses a high-resolution vanadium The FAA plans to award a contract in oxide infrared detector to produce real- July for the deployment of the necessary time thermal enhanced-vision imagery infrastructure, which includes up to 16 that can be displayed on multifunction or communications stations and 26 auto- secondary aircraft displays that have aux- mated weather sensors that will be lo- iliary inputs. The product should be avail- cated on offshore oil and gas platforms. able this summer. According to HAI, there are 650 heli- In response to the increasing use of copters operating in the Gulf supporting NVGs, Sky Connect of Takoma Park, more than 5,000 offshore oil and gas Md., introduced its new NVG lighting- platforms. These operators have histori- compatible satcom dialers. The units are cally been left to their own devices to designed for use in cockpits where com- keep track of aircraft and obtain weather

www.ainonline.com • April 2007 • Aviation International Newsaa91