HELICOPTER HELICOPTER SummER 2014 LIFE COVER STORY Flight Show & Tell Guide 4 Macedonian Warrior LIFE Aviation shows and conferences. Carlo Kuit and Paul 32 www.helicopterlife.com Kievit look at the new Summer 2014 / £3.99 The Editor’s Letter 5 types of training for the Macedonian mili - including gyroplanes Aerial Forum 6 & 7 tary Letters to the Editor 10, 21 Flying Crackers 8 & 9 Whirlwind Revisited EC175 Air Test 12 & 13 Derek Jones flies the revamped Westland 40 UK ATC improvements Whirlwind and gives new technological his impression of the developments used by 11 current incarnation, the CAA for ATC while Andrew improvements Whitehouse explains how he came to buy the machine NATO Iceland Going the Distance Alan Norris 14 Mark Radcliffe 46 reports on the Iceland updates us on the Defence Meet, bring - state of his charity for ing together partici - disabled servicemen pants in the Nordic Wings4Warriors Defence Cooperation NATO and non-NATO members Russian Helicopters International News Zhanna Kiktenko 50 The state of helicopter 18 Director of the business around the HeliRussia Expo looks world at the Russian heli - copter scene, and the show held at Crocus Expo in Moscow Russia Round the Singapore Airshow David Oliver 54 World G Hunter-Jones, 26 Model News 58 talks to Michael Farikh about his R66 CAA Legislation changes 59 flight round the world with four friends Accident Reports 64 House & Helicopter 66 HELICOPTER LIFE is the HIGH LIFE HELICOPTER LIFE , Summer 2014 3 S how & T ell T he e diTor ’ S l eTTer G uide HELICOPTER n April 30 2014, EASA lighted the problem that “sixty per - (European Aviation Safety cent of helicopter air ambulance land - Agency) announced that they ing facilities in the UK are ‘inade - 2 June - 4 June 2014 LIFE O had approved certification of the quate’, something that could lead to HELIExPO UK SummER 2014 Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire, UK Robinson R66. This came nearly four greater morbidity and mortality.” http://www.heliukexpo.com years after the machine received FAA Why is the change to better safer HON. EDITORIAL BOARD certification (October 10, 2010). landing sites coming so slowly, and 19 - 21 June 2014 Captain Eric Brown, CBE, RN While this is extremely good news why do potentially dangerous sites EUROPEAN HELICOPTER SHOW The Lord Glenarthur, DL both for those awaiting a G reg still remain? Is the CAA so busy with Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic Jennifer Murray (CAA UK Certification, part of enforcement of licence infringement, http://www.eurohelishow.com Michael J. H. Smith EASA) machine and for the many so that it no longer has time for safe - operators in the Europe Union who ty issues? Has EASA sidelined the 14 July - 20 July 2014 have been awaiting delivery of their national agencies to such an extent FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / PILOT machines and were losing money by that they are no longer relevant, and Farnborough, near London, UK. Georgina Hunter-Jones www.farnborough.com [email protected] being forced to use the older and less at the same time become out of touch CREATIVE DIRECTORS efficient machines, it also begs the itself? developments both in foreign helicop - 2 September - 5 September 2014 [email protected] question, why did it take EASA so This question is further underlined ters in Russia and in their homegrown EUROPEAN ROTORCRAFT FORUm COPY EDITORS long to certify a machine that is fly - by the growth of more regulatory industry. Helicopter Life will be Grand Harbour Hotel, Gerald Cheyne ing in so many other countries around bodies including, in Great Britain, the attending the Russian Helicopter Southampton, UK CONTRIBUTING EDITORS the world? General Aviation Challenge Panel Show and seeing how it has changed Derek Jones, Carlo Kuit and Paul Kievit, Zhanna http://aerosociety.com/Events/Event-List/1487/European- Kiktenko, Alan Norris, David Oliver, Mark There are now more than 500 established in November 2013 by the since its inception. Rotorcraft-Forum-2014 Radcliffe, Andrew Whitehouse machines flying around the world. UK Government, to combat the This issue has also seen the North CONTRIBUTED PHOTOGRAPHY EASA has been charging Robinson growth of over-regulation in aviation. Sea Operators response to the CAA 21 September - 23 September 2014 Alan Norris, Jane Gregory, Gerald Cheyne, Helicopters $25,000 a month to do On a broader perspective we see changes to helicopter transportation NBAA Broncho Aviation, Mark Radcliffe, HeliRussia, through the UK shelf. After a series of Orlando Florida David Oliver their investigations, and the manufac - the rise of national political parties in turer has currently paid the legislative Europe wanting to take they nations accidents, the CAA, in consultation http://www.nbaa.org SPECIAL THANKS TO Dave Smith ATPL(H)IR, agency nearly $1 million. In contrast, out of the European Union. While it with other affected parties, made 24 September - 26 September 2014 ADVERTISING certification in the USA was free, is unlikely they will succeed in their many changes to North Sea regula - HELITECH Telephone: +44-(0)20-7430-2384, cost $170 in South Africa and even in ambitions, if they did, there would be tions: CAP 1145. The operators have Amsterdam, Holland [email protected] Russia (CIS) cost a comparatively an interesting question for aviation now had time to respond to these http://www.helitechevents.com SUBSCRIPTIONS low $178,000. (and other industries too) who then changes, and are mostly positive Go to our website or turn to page 54 [email protected] Is EASA is standing in the way of would be the legislative and regulato - about how they will work with the 4 November - 6 November 2014 development the helicopter industry ry body? Would aviation return to new regulations. The CAA has also DUBAI HELICOPTER SHOW WEBSITE www.helicopterlife.com and if so why? Or are they simply national legislative bodies, or would agreed to some changes including the Maydan Racecourse, Dubai timing of implementing these www.dubaihelicoptershow.com Blog unable to keep pace with the speed of there be some government led body http://www.helicopterlife.blogspot.com changes. See Helicopter Life on Facebook & Twitter change in aviation development and created as part of the Department of 3 March - 5 March 2015 are thus inefficient? Transport: a return to the future? Helicopter Life travelled up to HAI HELIExPO In May this year, Bristol Royal We have two stories in the maga - Aberdeen to see the new Airbus Orange County Convention Centre COVER PHOTOGRAPH Infirmary was delighted to announce zine relating to NATO, one is the Helicopters EC175 in action. Certified Orlando Florida Macedonian Helicopters they have their first approved cover story about a new training in January 2014, the EC175 is a 5 http://heliexpo.rotor.org photograph courtesy of Broncho Aviation helideck for the hospital. However, school in Macedonia, a country keen tonne class helicopter designed princi - even though the importance of Air to become part of NATO, and the pally for the oil and gas market. The 16 September - 19 September 2015 Ambulances is now understood, other is about one of the founding Avicopter Z-15 is the Chinese version CHINESE HELIExPO HELICOPTER LIFE is published quarterly by FlyFizzi Ltd. Bristol is an all too rare example of countries of NATO, Iceland. of the machine which is manufactured Industry Base of The AVIC Helicopter 59 Great Ormond Street London, WC 1N-3 HZ . by the Harbin Aircraft Industry Free Trade Zone of Tianjin Port success. Russia, while not actually in Copyright © FlyFizzi Ltd. 2014. Group. We have a report on page 12. (Airport economic zone) ISSN 1743-1042. Earlier this year a report was sub - NATO, is currently in a co-operative http://www.helicopter-china-expo.com/ All rights reserved. Opinions expressed herein are not neces - mitted by the Association of Air agreement with NATO. The country sarily those of the pub lishers, the Editor or any of the editorial Ambulances (AAA) to the UK’s All is increasing both its civilian and mil - staff. Reproduction in whole or in part, in any form whatever, Party Parliamentary Group for Air itary helicopter fleet and Zhanna is strictly prohibited without specific written permission of the Editor. Ambulances (APPGAA) that high - Kiktenko writes about the many 4 HELICOPTER LIFE , Summer 2014 HELICOPTER LIFE , Summer 2014 5 A eriAl F orum First Air Ambulance HeliDeck at Bristol Royal Infirmary he new £3 million helideck at Bristol Royal Bill Sivewright, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Infirmary (BRI) was used for the first time on Chief Executive Officer said, “The importance of heli - TFriday 9 May by Dorset and Somerset Air pads at Major Trauma Centres is paramount in ensuring Ambulance just two days after its official opening. that patients get to the right place for the best treatment Air ambulances across the region had spent the last first time! The fact that the helideck at BRI was used so few weeks undergoing orientation test flights for the new quickly after its launch and potentially has already made helideck which is located 220 feet above ground on the a difference to someone’s life means it’s an invaluable roof of BRI and last Friday saw the first patient experi - asset. ence its benefit. “The development of helipads and suitable landing The patient, an adult male who had undergone previ - facilities is a key issue for the Association of Air ous cardiac treatment at BRI was airlifted from Pylle Ambulances that we support strongly.” near Shepton Mallet at 2 pm. He arrived on the 25m Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has attended over square helideck just ten minutes later. 9,800 incidents since its launch in March 2000, saving A grant of £500,000 from the HELP Appeal supported many lives and aiding recovery with outstanding imme - the helideck’s construction as part of a major redevelop - diate care and rapid delivery to the hospital best suited to ment at the BRI.