Aviation Week ShowNews Briefing - HAI 2011

Majors All Have New HelicoptersIn addition to the new AS350B3e, the first of anew “e” series of “evolution” enhancements toits current product line, Eurocopter will thismorning reveal a brand new helicopter. Believedto be the successor to the Dauphin, it will be unveiled at 11:30am by Eurocopter CEOLutz Bertling. Booth 4637.

Not to be outdone, AgustaWestland willunveil the mockup of its new eight-to-ten passenger AW169, which will go head-to-headwith Eurocopter’s Dauphin. Booth 3811.

And at 11:30am, Bell Helicopter CEO John Garrison will announce two “significant”model developments at Booth 237.

Impervious to Recession?Not quite, but helos havefared well, says HAI. –Page 3

Confident of Full RecoveryEurocopter has EMS success,continues to invest. –Page 6

Turbomeca Sees the FutureEngine updates planned for2020 – even 2030. –Page 8

Enstrom Likes AsiaTrainers in Japan help createbiggest backlog ever. –0

Charles Kaman, 1919-2011Helicopter pioneer passesaway at age of 91. –Page 14

Better Than New MD500DPhoenix Heliparts breathesnew life into a classic.–Page 16

Honeywell Raises ForecastMore optimism in Honeywell’snew five-year outlook. –Page 19

Swiss Clean Sheet SingleMarenco Swisshelicopteroffers SKYe SH09. –Page 20

ShowNews Day1, Day 2See both issues online at:www.aviationweek.com/shownews

AgustaWestland’s AW169 medium/light twin was announced at last year’s Farnborough Airshow. Now it is being launched commercially, and a mock-up in parapublic guise is on show here at Heli-Expo.

HELI-EXPOMARCH 5, 2011

HELI-EXPOMARCH 6, 2011

www.AviationWeek.com

A new era began at Southern California’s Robinson Helicopteras founder Frank Robinson (81) retired, his place at the stickbeing taken by son Kurt Robinson (53) – and a Robinson turbinehelicopter was FAA-certified. The elder Robinson, who foundedthe firm in 1973, retired as chairman and president Aug. 10,staying on until his first turbine aircraft, the Rolls-Royce 300-powered R66, won FAA approval (type and production certifi-cates for the $798,000 R66 were formally awarded Oct. 25).

“He’s not always going to be known as a piston guy,” new president Kurt Robinson saidof his father, who, with a tallyof some 10,000 aircraft deliv-eries since shipments beganin 1979, has sold more heli-copters than anyone else,anywhere, ever. –Page 22

A New Era at Robinson Helicopter

Kurt and Frank Robinson.

Enstrom 480B in Japan.

N E W S M A K E R S

R66 turbine now certified.

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Call 800-Fly-Bell or visit www.bellhelicopter.com to findthe solution that’s best for your mission-specific needs.©2011 Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. All rights reserved.

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Severely injured Arizona CongresswomanGabrielle Giffords made the last leg of her

January trip from Tucsonto rehab in Houston, in aEurocopter EC 145 oper-ated by Memorial HermannLife Flight (below)

The journey began viaground ambulance toDavis-Monthan AFB inTucson, followed by a

fixed-wing flight to Houston Hobby, and thenhelicopter to the ICU at Texas Medical Center, where Giffords was evaluated be-fore moving to the center’s rehabilitation hospital, TIRR Memorial Hermann, theAssociation of Air Medical Services reported.

“The interstate transfer of Congress-woman Giffords to rehabilitative care is a per-fect example of emergency medical servicesworking in concert,” said AAMS presidentDr. Daniel Hankins. “The emergency medicaltransport industry transfers hundreds of thou-sands of patients annually. Rarely does thepublic have the opportunity to see firsthandthe intricacies commonly involved in the trans-port of one critically ill or injured patient.”

GabrielleGiffords.

an HAI record), the association has takenpains to include more members of the gen-eral aviation community, and to helpeveryone understand the implications ofnew rules on rotorcraft from the FAA.

HAI is disappointed that the agencychose not to require night vision goggles(NVG) for EMS operators, and insteadproposed new regulations elsewhere. Butbroadly speaking, “We welcome it and welook forward to working with the FAA onthe final rule,” Zuccaro says. Sessions herewill help formulate strategy.

Key to it all is the economy, and the in-dustry’s ability to weather the downturns.

“We do weather it, and we weather itprobably better than anybody else inaviation,” Zuccaro says. “We do over 50different missions with helicopters, so ifa particular segment or mission specificcontract is not performing well, you cantake your assets and your personnel, andstill generate work.

“From an industry association stand-point, HAI itself—we performed ex-tremely well throughout this whole periodand went right past the recession. We’vehad better financial performance eachyear on an ongoing basis.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Zuccaro says.“We’re absolutely sensitive to those op-erators that had to deal with cutbacks. Butin general, the helicopter community, do-mestically and internationally, survived[the recession] quite well and we’re at, I’dsay, the cusp of a stable environment.”

HAI is planning new Heli-Expo events, in-cluding an aviation association CEO “townhall” gathering, immediately following thegeneral meeting this morning in S310, whereindustry leaders including Ed Bolen ofNBAA, Craig Fuller of AOPA, andPete Bunce of GAMA will discuss broadissues of interest. Also for the first time, the“Salute to Excellence” awards banquet will

feature a guest speaker: Vicki Cox of theFAA, discussing NextGen air traffic con-trol, 8pm tomorrow at the Rosen Centre.HAI’s annual Job Fair takes place today from1:30pm to 5pm in Room N220.

More Heli-Expo HappeningsCosts, heliport design, and operational issues. –Page 22

The industry may not be recession-proof, but some segments nearly are, andHelicopter Association Internationalcomes into Orlando expecting thestrongest Heli-Expo yet.

So says Matt Zuccaro, HAI president,who notes that in addition to the biggesttrade show ever (more than 600 exhibitors,

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PresidentGreg Hamilton

ShowNews Briefing

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Editor-In-ChiefJohn Morris

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Show News Briefing is published at Heli-Expo 2011 byThe McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,

2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121

AVIATION WEEK also publishes Show News,Aviation Week & Space Technology, Aviation Daily,

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www.aviationweek.com/shownews March 6, 2011 3

Not Quite Recession-Proof,But Rotorcraft Still Strong

Matt Zuccaro, HAI president.

Heli-Happenings at Heli-Expo

Life Flight EC145for Gabby Giffords

Life Flight EC 145 N456TK

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Bell Claims Lead in Speed;Will Unveil Two ‘Significant’Model Enhancements Today

“They’re racing for second place,” saysBell Helicopter CEO John Garrison, ofEurocopter’s and Sikorsky’s radical high-speed demonstrator aircraft.

Sikorsky’s coaxial-rotored, pusherprop X2 seems set to become theworld’s fastest helicopter after flying at250 kt, while Eurocopter’s compound

X3 has reached 180 kt.And first place? That’s

held by the BA609 civiltiltrotor being developedby Bell Helicopter andAgustaWestland.

“We’re at 275 kt,” saysGarrison. “When it comes

to speed, tiltrotor technology is thegamechanger.”

And he put to rest any doubts aboutBell’s commitment to the long-runningprogram. “We continue to work on it withAgustaWestland, and our intent is tocontinue to work on it. But it’s prematureto talk about when we will bring it to mar-ket.” Plans call for the nine-passengerBA609 to be certified in 2014.

Bell, says Garrison, has been a pio-neer in the helicopter industry for the last75 years “and we have every intentionof retaining that leadership over time.”

In the meantime, Bell will continueto refine and develop its current mod-els, the latest enhancement beingmore power and a glass cockpit for theBell 412 medium twin.

Two more developments, termed by Garrison as “significant,” will beunveiled here today at 11.30 a.m. atBell’s exhibit (Booth 237). —John Morris

BA609 tiltrotor. Certification in 2014?

John Garrison.

NE W HE L I C O P T E R S

4 www.aviationweek.com/shownews March 6, 2011

AgustaWestland Launches AW169AgustaWestland is launching the 8-10 passenger AW169 twin,to compete directly with Eurocopter’s AS365/EC155 Dauphinin the 4.5-metric ton class. The joint Italian/UK development(AgustaWestland sees the UK as a home market) could rack

up sales of 1,000 helicopters worldwide, the company believes, demanding at least twoproduction lines. The AW169 fits in the AgustaWestland range between the GrandNewand the 6.8-metric ton AW139. It will be powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210turboshafts. Entry into service is planned for 2015. Booth 3811.

Bell Quiet About New Magellan Bell Helicopter launched the Magellan new product development program in January –in an internal newsletter. Studies have begun and timing is not decided, but Bell believesit will not be considered a viable commercial manufacturer if it does not have a product inthe medium range. Bell’s remaining fully mum about Magellan, but has previously talkedof following its all-new 429 light turbine twin with a medium twin, to supersede the 412,and potentially compete with the AgustaWestland AW139 and Eurocopter EC175.Ironically, Bell was once a partner in the hot-selling AW139. Booth 237.

Eurocopter EC175 on Track for Late 2012...With a second prototype joining the flight test program in De-cember, Eurocopter’s 16-passenger, EC175 twin has logged morethan 100 hrs and is on track for certification at year-end, and de-liveries in 2012. The EC175 sits between the EC155 and the largerEC225, and is being developed initially for the offshore market,which accounts for all current orders, including launch customer Bristow. The second pro-totype has the offshore mission package, and Eurocopter has started work on other con-figurations, including SAR. China’s Harbin Aviation Industry Group, a partner on theprogram, delivered the first production airframe to Eurocopter in December. Booth 4637.

...Eyes ‘Compound’ CraftEurocopter is nearing a development decision on a high-speed ‘compound’ helicopter that could replace the EC225.The X3 demonstrator, based on an EC155 airframe, with

dual RTM322 turboshafts driving both the main rotor and propellers mounted at the tipsof short wings, first flew in September 2010. The aircraft has reached 180 kt in flight testsand is aiming to exceed 220 kt this year. Any X3-based commercial model from Eurocopterwould probably be developed in parallel with a conventional design, and take about sixyears to bring to market. A development decision is expected by mid-2012, but “will notnecessarily wait until then,” says CEO Lutz Bertling. Booth 4637.

Sikorsky S-76D Progress Sikorsky’s long-delayed S-76D is moving out of its protracteddevelopment and into certification flights and low-rate produc-tion. Initial certification is expected by year-end, with deliver-ies in the first quarter of 2012. The D is a major upgrade to the S-76, more than 800 of whichhave been delivered since first flight in 1977. With PW210S engines, improved rotor, andintegrated avionics, the S-76D combines the single-engine performance of the corporate-preferred S-76B, with the cruise fuel-efficiency of the offshore-favored S-76C. Booth 2737.


See our newest innovation at a special unveiling event.

March 6th, 11:30 a.m.Eurocopter Exhibit #4637

We Just Sharpened the Cutting-Edge.

Brantly Gets a New PresidentBrantly International has a new president, as Kyle Hardman, aveteran of Bell Helicopter and Vought, was named to the post

late last year, by China’s Qindao Brantly Investment Group. “His depth of experienceas a program leader and helicopter engineer will be invaluable in guiding our efforts tobring the Brantly B-2B light helicopter back into production,” Qindao Brantly said.Brantly previously advised that it had closed its plant in Vernon, Texas, as it gears up formanufacturing in Dallas, with files and stock held by Superior Air Parts in Coppell, Texas.Separately, the Brantly B-2B is being used as the basis for the V750, an unmanned aer-ial vehicle in development by the Weifan Freesky Aviation Industry Company, in China.

Eurocopter Delivers 600th to CanadaEurocopter Canada delivered the 600th helicopterfor the Canadian market to Quebec-based Héli-Inter.The 847-shp Turbomeca Arriel 2B1-powered AS350B3 single, first of the type for the customer, will beflown primarily in northern Quebec, in support ofmineral exploration and development, Eurocopter Canada said. With the Octoberdelivery, the Héli-Inter fleet grew to 44 aircraft, including 23 AStar and Ecureuil singles,and two AS355 TwinStar/Ecureuil twins.

Airwolf First With Bell 206 PMA StrapsThere’s now a second source of torsion-tension straps that hold the rotor blades to therotor hub on Bell 206 JetRanger and 206L helicopters – and they’re significantly lessexpensive than those from Bell, says Airwolf Aerospace. After seven years of R&D, it islaunching the new strap program here today, offering its new-manufacture straps – whichit says are also technically superior – under an FAA Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA).The straps, which must be replaced every two years or 1,200 hrs, have until now beenavailable only from Bell. Airwolf is at Booth 3561.

Av-Base Updates WinAir SoftwareLondon, Ont.-based Av-Base Systems, a global provider of aviation maintenance, inventory and reliability software, is promoting the latest release of its core product,WinAir, at Booth 2548. “This version delivers a wide variety of innovative enhance-ments, including assembly and component management, as well as expanded function-ality and usability across the entire product,” Av-Base says. The product is backed by“cutting edge software innovations, first-class technical support, and the strength of aninternational customer base.”

Mercy Picks Becker for New Bell Becker Avionics’ DVCS6100 digital audio system was selected by Buffalo, N.Y.-based Mercy Flight, for a newly pur-chased Bell 429 light twin and an existing BK117, Becker reports.The new aircraft will be delivered by Bell Helicopter Tennessee (Edwards and Associ-ates) this first quarter of 2011. The BK117 will be modified by Helicopter Specialties inJanesville, Wisc., “specifically tailored to the needs of Mercy Flight,” Becker says. Marc Boies, Mercy Flight operations director, praised the DVCS6100’s “excellent man-machine-interface, outstanding field reliability, the possibility to transmit on up to eight channels simultaneously, and its crystal-clear audio quality.” Becker is at Booth 1652.


American EurocopterRides the Strong Segments, Is Confident of Full Recovery

“This is an asset that is needed,”American Eurocopter president and CEOMarc Paganini says of the helicopter –which is why his firm continues to invest

in new technology. “We are developing

new products becausewe are confident that thismarket will come back,”he says. And, Paganinitold ShowNews, therecession would have

been worse for his firm had it not beenfor the success of the EC135 and 145models, and to a lesser degree theEC130, in the “very-resistant-to-the-crisis” EMS field, a segment that’s beingfurther bolstered by the need to replacean aging fleet.

Tourism and corporate travel marketshave begun to show signs of recoverytoo, Paganini says – to the point thatAmerican Eurocopter is unveiling a brandnew large-cabin helicopter (with corpo-rate paint scheme but furnished for EMS)at Booth 4637 this morning.

Among the technologies beingexplored are diesel engines for light helicopters and the X3 “compound hel-icopter,” combining vertical lift and for-ward propulsion, offering “the speed ofa turboprop-powered aircraft and the fullhover capabilities of a helicopter.” Theconcept is being tested on a Dauphin.

Eurocopter said last month that it will establish a new plant in Querétaro, Mexico, basing its choice on “Querétaro’seconomic, geographic, educational andstrategic position.” The firm also notedthat the U.S. Army ordered 32 UH-72ALakota helicopters in fiscal 2011, “whichwill continue the sustained production[in Columbus, Miss.] for this highlysuccessful program through 2012.” Thelatest contract brings Lakota orders to219 – that’s 214 for the Army and fivefor the U.S. Navy. —Rich Piellisch

Marc Paganini.

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Heliworks Taps Component Control...Pensacola-based Heliworks, a Part 145Repair Station exhibiting at Heli-Expofor the first time (Booth 3613), is talk-ing up recent rebuilds of two TH-67(Bell 206B3) helicopters for the U.S. Army. And according to Heliworks president, Stephen Simpson, implementationof Quantum Control brand enterprise resource planning software from Component Control (of San Diego; Booth 3417) streamlined purchasing and other tasks. “Before Quan-tum, we were losing track of man hours because there was no check and balance system,”Simpson said of the ERP product. “Quantum forces the mechanics to barcode in andout at the beginning and end of each step, and we know exactly how long it takes to com-plete each work order. We purposely waited for the Quantum Control installation tobuy the bulk of the 400 line items needed for the second TH-67,” Simpson said. “Whatwould have previously taken up to a week to procure took literally just a few keystrokes.”

...as Quantum ERP Boosts Others, TooIn addition to Heliworks and its TH-67, San Diego’s Component Control (Booth 3417)reports that its Quantum Control brand enterprise resource planning software has improved efficiencies at Rotorcraft Leasing and at Canada’s Discovery Air. RotorcraftLeasing, a provider of helicopter services in the Gulf of Mex-ico, used Quantum’s barcode scanning and physical inventoryfeatures to help complete a physical count of more than 635 million parts in seven weeks. Discovery Air, says Compo-nent Control, is using the ERP product as its business soft-ware platform for a new technical services MRO facility in Quebec City. Discovery Airwas introduced to Quantum through its Great Slave Helicopters unit, which has beenusing the ERP software since 2004. Discovery acquired Great Slave in 2006.

Air Comm Digital Aircon for Bell 429Colorado’s Air Comm Corp. is showing data at Booth 1649, indicatingthat helicopter climate control systems not only improve passengercomfort during flight, but also boost air crew efficiency, improvingmission safety. The firm is offering technical advice and support sys-

tems to help operators tune up their rotorcraft air conditioning systems for the comingsummer months. Air Comm will soon offer a certified digital climate control system forthe Bell 429, said to be the first-ever digital offering for helicopters.

The Biggest Book Yet from DartCalifornia’s Dart Helicopter Services has released its largest catalog everfor 2011 – more than 500 pages. It is available for free at Booth 4628.

TrueView EVS Approved in Canada New York’s TrueView Enhanced Vision Systems has added Transport Canada to its FAAapproval of its infrared enhanced vision system. Canadian STC SH10-53 complimentsthe existing FAA STC number SR02601NY-D for TrueView’s Model 2061-200-320/640system for the Bell 206 and 206L Series helicopters. TrueView manufactures the EVSsystems in complete kit form, and promises demo rides in its Bell 206 here this week.Booth 1350 (Hillsboro Aviation).

Turbomeca Updating Enginesfor New Portfolio by 2020,Compound-Power by 2030

Turbomeca will have completely renewedits portfolio of helicopter engines in thedecade running up to 2020. And now it’ssetting out to deliver quantum improve-ments, including compound-electricalpower, by 2030.

“That’s just 10 years to renew thewhole range of engines,” says CEOPierre Fabre. “And 10 years to renew itagain. We’ve been improving fuelefficiency by around 1 to 1.5% a year,but we need to move to 2%.”

Turbomeca is today unveiling its latest,the Arriel 2D, with 12% more power anda 10% reduction in maintenance costs.The development roadmap calls for theArriel to yield a 35% improvement in spe-cific fuel consumption by 2030.

Turbomeca’s main activities now revolve around the Ardiden 3 engine andits WZ60 version, being co-developed with China’s AVIC for the Z-15 – the Chinese version of the Eurocopter EC175.

Fabre says the Ardiden 3/WZ60 willbe certified by 2013. The 1,800 shp-classengine is expected to have 15% betterfuel burn than the Pratt & WhitneyCanada PT6C-67E engines that nowpower the seven-ton EC175.

The company has also been makingstrides in aftermarket services, offer-ing to tailor pay-by-the-hour maintenanceprograms to the missions of operators.

“Are we cost effective enough to keepour customers flying?” Fabre asks.“We need to be creative to help keeptheir costs down.” —John Morris

Turbomeca CEO Pierre Fabre.



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New Turbomeca Arriel 2D for AS350B3eTurbomeca is unveiling its latest engine here, the Arriel 2D, whichwill bring 12% more power and 10% lower engine maintenancecosts to Eurocopter’s new AS350B3e light single helicopter. “Thisis a new variant, not just cosmetics,” says Turbomeca CEO Pierre Fabre. The engine features significant changes to the high-pressure compressor, a high-pressure turbine with new blade material for higher temperatures, and an improved power turbine.It is governed by a new FADEC, and includes condition monitor-ing. It will be certified by midsummer. Booth 1637.

Honeywell’s Zing Portable DiagnosticsHoneywell is today unveiling Zing Test Elite, a portable diagnostics system that simplifies the tracking and smoothing of rotor blades, with a reduced number of testflights. The unit, based on Honeywell’s HUMS 1134 technology (HUMS stands forHealth and Usage Monitoring System), is the size of a briefcase and comes in a roll-along carrying case containing all the cables and sensors. Nine models are covered:the AS350, Bell 206B, 206L, 212, 407 and 412, and the military MH-6M, UH-60 andMH-60L, with more to come later. The price is around $30,000, and there is a uniton display at Booth 3021.

StandardAero Celebrates Its Centenary Arizona-based StandardAero, a unit of Dubai Aerospace Enterprisesince 2007, is kicking off its 100th birthday celebration here today,and its 44th year in MRO for helicopter engines. Originally foundedas Standard Machine Works in Winnipeg in 1911, StandardAerohas grown into one of the world’s largest independent repair and over-

haul companies supporting the aerospace industry. Its helicopter activities began in 1967,when it gained authorization from the Allison Engine Company to perform repair andoverhaul of the Model 250 engine. Since then, over 15,000 Model 250 engine equivalentshave been processed through StandardAero repair and overhaul facilities. Booth 1928.

P&WC Maintenance Sessions TodayPratt & Whitney Canada will hold special Maintenance & Overhaul (M&O) sessionsat the Convention Center today, on its PW200, PT6B, PT6C and PT6C-67C turboshaftengines. “We will offer one-hour sessions dedicated to those engines, provide updateson the latest news on P&WC support initiatives, offer insights into P&WC mainte-nance recommendations, and answer customer questions,” said Raffaele Virgili, VP forcustomer service. The schedule is: PW 200 from 1-2pm, PT6B and PT6C 2-3pm, andPT6C-67C, 3-4pm. P&WC is exhibiting at Booth 421.

FLIR for Airborne SurveillanceInfrared and electro-optical sensor specialist FLIR Systems is demon-strating its airborne surveillance capabilities, and an integrated solutionspackage, at Booth 2221. The firm’s EO/IR sensors have been used by localand national law enforcement agencies around the world, for more than25 years. Since the beginning of the year, FLIR says, it’s received orders for more than130 of its Cobalt, Star Safire and Talon brand cameras and sensors, from customers inthe Americas, the Asia Pacific region, the Middle East and throughout Europe.


Enstrom Likes Asiaas Demand in Japan

Supports Best Year Yet

Enstrom Helicopter (Booth 3321) movedinto 2011 with the largest backlog in theMichigan company’s 51-year history, reports Jerry Mullins, president andCEO, citing major work for customers inJapan and Thailand.

“These new programs bring smiles to the faces of Enstrom employees,”Mullins says.

The first fully configured (Rolls-Royce250-powered) Enstrom 480B trainer,for the Japan Ground Self DefenseForce, was delivered in November.The initial JGSDF requirement is for30 training helicopters, with potentialfor follow-on orders.

Enstrom also geared up in late 2010to build 16 trainers for the Royal ThailandArmy. The first three are to be deliveredduring this first quarter of 2011, andfollow-ons are expected. Mullins sayshis engineering team was able to designand certify such features as cockpit voicerecorder, night vision-compatibility, military radar altimeter, wire detectionand agricultural spray systems, new LEDlanding lights, TACAN integration, newelectronic flight instrument system inte-gration, two-plus-two cockpit seating fortraining, and integration of two differentUHF/VHF military radios.

“These programs and design effortswill expand the 480B market base andwill be important for future Asian marketgrowth as the market continues to be abright spot for Enstrom,” Mullins said.

Enstrom president & CEO Jerry Mullins,


http://www.robinsonheli.com

K-Max for Australia Tower WorkKaman (Booth 2521) is talking up the use of a K-Max “Aerial Truck” helicopter by Skywork Helicopters, to help erect electrical towers inflooded Queensland, Australia: “The K-Max handled the tower assem-bly after soggy ground, saturated from heavy rainfall in the construc-tion area, prevented planned use of a heavy crane to lift the pre-assembledstructure into place,” the company says. Tower sections weighed asmuch as 4,850 lb and had to be flown some 580 miles from Skywork’s facility in Wollongong, New South Wales. “Skywork pilot

Euan Stratford relied on the unique K-Max intermeshing rotor system’s exceptional stability, hovering up to 30 minutes for each lift to place the tower sections over the struc-ture, so riggers could fasten the sections with bolts quickly and safely,” Kaman says.

Helo Operators Cry Foul in FranceFrench helicopter operator association GFH (Groupement Français de l’Hélicoptère)has asked France’s highest administrative court to overturn a government decree thatwould severely restrict operations in densely populated areas. The filing says the decree, issued Oct. 20, is based on outdated data and does not take into account progressin noise abatement – or the helicopter industry’s impact on the French economy.

Russian Comes in WinningRussian Helicopters comes to Heli-Expo (Booth 628) afterits Mi-171A1 beat out Eurocopter and Sikorsky offeringsto support Petrobras, as it steps up oil production in theAmazon. Brazilian operator Atlas Taxo Aero won the ten-der. Two transport-configured Mi-171A1s, manufacturedat the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, are scheduled for delivery to Brazil this year. “Furtherdeliveries and the creation of an MRO center based on a Brazilian company, can be re-viewed in the future,” the manufacturer said. The Mi-171A1 heavy twin-turbine heli-copter was certificated in Brazil in 2005, and can carry up to 26 passengers or 4 tons ofcargo, inside the cabin or on an external sling.

Night Flight Concepts Plans WebinarsFlorida’s Night Flight Concepts, which offers night vision goggles andthe training to make the best and safest use of them, is planning a seriesof webinars as it continues to work to “demystify” NVG technology.“With night vision solutions, being informed translates directly into bet-ter solutions, higher performance and greater safety,” says CEO Adam Aldous. Separately, NFC been tapped by Alaska’s North SlopeBorough SAR team, for computer-based training in NVGs. NFC (Booth 3428) offers anFAA-approved, internet-based CBT course via NVIO Systems, a joint initiative withCanada’s Gladstone Aerospace announced at Heli-Expo in Houston, last year.

L. J. Walch for Economical Repairs L. J. Walch is promoting helicopter repairs at Booth 2810, emphasizing cold spray capabilities it says can reduce both costs and turn times – and in some cases help customers avoid replacement of component housings. Walch specializes in Class I, IIand III accessories. The firm, founded in 1953, boasts a 38,000-sq-ft facility in Livermore, Calif., housing an inventory of more than 50,000 line items.

Despite Complications, Civil Helicopter Market

Seems Poised to Trend Up

“Helicopters have a lot of moving parts,as do all the different and intertwiningmarkets driving sales in this industry,”says Brian Foley of Brifo – Sparta, N.J.-based Brian Foley Associates.

“When one market segment is per-forming poorly, it’s always good to have

another one, whosecycles may be different,to take up the slack. Thegood news we’re finallyseeing, is that helicopterslook poised to climb upfrom their current slump.

“There’s an interesting dichotomy between helicopter civil and military markets,” Foley says. “Civil deliveriesrepresent about two-thirds of unit deliv-eries, but less than one-third of the totaldollars. So the industry would have to sella lot of tiny R44s to civilian customers toequal the value of just one Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey. But now we’re entering a period of reversal, characterized bymilitary budget cuts on the one hand, andrising corporate profits on the other.

“This should spur recovery in the offshore-oil and executive-transporta-tion segments, which are part of the civilindustry’s bread and butter.”

Noting that helicopters were one ofthe last segments of general aviation toenter the downturn, and should there-fore expect to be among the last out,Foley believes that 2011 will be remem-bered as a “trough year” in which de-liveries bottomed. The airport-poor Chinaand India markets are promising too.

Military: more dollars for each delivery.

Brian Foley.



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Garmin Gets STC for HTAWS Garmin reports an STC for its helicopter terrain awareness and warn-ing system, available on new avionics packages, or as an upgrade.When HTAWS is added to Garmin’s HTAWS for GNS 430W/530W navigators, it hasforward looking terrain avoidance (FLTA) capability with visual and aural advisories, afive-color terrain scale, and voice callouts when descending below 500 ft. The systememploys new helicopter-specific databases: the obstacle database adds nearly 30,000 low-altitude objects, while the navigation database eases access to 7,000 heliports. Booth 1632.

Scott’s Works to Be a Bell 47 OEMParts are the priority, as Scott’s Bell 47, Inc., which took over the Bell Model 47 typecertificate just over a year ago, works to keep a fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft aloft.“We are actively exploring new sources for main rotor blades, a clear priority for oper-ators,” says Model 47 program manager Neil Marshall.“We have re-opened discussions with suppliers of long leadparts, some of which have not been purchased for many years.”Scott’s may someday offer refurbished, or even new, Model 47s.A 47G-4A on loan from Bell Helicopter’s Customer Train-ing Academy is on show here. Booth 47 – where else?

Borescopes-R-Us Gets P&WC ApprovalTennessee’s Borescopes-R-Us is promoting its Pratt & Whitney Canada-approvedPWC34910-109 inspection kit for PT6 engines – “compact, complete, and cost effec-tive.” The -109 comes with 4mm x 1300mm digital videoscope, tungsten sheathing, 3.5-in LCD monitor, lithium ion battery pack for four to six hours of run time, and a

removable SD card for snapshot and video recording. It is priced at $9,995.Borescopes-R-Us is offering its ECO-9 portable videoscope with

gooseneck insertion tube, for just $299 at Heli-Expo, downfrom the regular price of $369. Booth 719.

Metro Aviation Offers Better LitterShreveport-based Metro Aviation (Booth 5331) is offering an enhancement of the EC145air medical interior, allowing use of the Ferno Model 28A1 litter assembly for “easy andsafe transition between the aircraft mounting system, to ground ambulances that utilizea Stryker or Ferno gurney system.” Separately, Metro reports that Virgina’s Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, home to Nightingale Regional Air Ambulance, has chosenMetro for the air medical completion of a recently purchased EC145. Metro is to finishthe aircraft with single-pilot IFR and night vision goggle capabilities.

Tri-Star for Maintenance-Free MarkingTri-Star Technologies is promoting its M-100L FG-TT portable wire marking unit atBooth 717, a U.S.-made turnkey system utilizing a UV solid-state laser with integratedscanner, featuring “unlimited font selection (any TrueType font for any language) as wellas full graphics capabilities” – the machine can handle pictures,logos, and barcodes, Tri-Star says, on wire ranging from 4 gaugeto 24 (6.3mm to .75mm). The M-100L FG-TT supports pro-grammable message spacing, and three separate zones of print.And, “The beauty of this particular unit is that it doesn’t requireany maintenance,” says Tri-Star president Alex Kerner.

Charles Kaman Dead at 91,Colleague of Igor Sikorsky

Founded Kaman Corp. in ’45

Charles Kaman passed away at theage of 91 on January 31, after runningthe company he founded for 55 years.

Kaman began his aviation career in1940, working with Igor Sikorsky. In1945 he formed what is now known asKaman Corp., with $2,000.

The first Kaman helicop-ter, the K-125, equippedwith Kaman’s patentedservo-flap controlled rotor,flew in January, 1947. In 1951,the company introducedthe first helicopter powered by a gas tur-bine, the K-225. The company also de-veloped the K-Max aerial truck, the onlyhelicopter designed specifically for highlyrepetitive heavy-lift applications. KamanAerospace (Booth 2521), now a half-billion-dollar business, produces a variety ofhelicopters and proprietary parts, andoperates more than 200 customer serv-ice centers and five distribution centers.

“Charlie Kaman, as he was affec-tionately known by so many, was a bonafide aviation pioneer, and helicopterswere his first love,” said Neal Keating,Kaman chairman, president and CEO.“He led a remarkable life as an inventor,entrepreneur, musician, humanitarian andvisionary. His career was, in many ways,the epitome of the American dream.”

Charles Kaman,1919-2011, with Ovationguitar, and Otto.

K-Max.



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Aspen for EFD1000H Pro PFDAlbuquerque-based Aspen Avionics (Booth 2259 and Static 32-34) is pro-moting the Evolution EFD1000H Pro PFD. The Aspen primary flightdisplay is designed for retrofit, using an aircraft’s existing “six-pack” instrument panel holes. “The PFD1000 is a very cost-effective solutionthat offers the VFR operator more for less,” says John Carinha, operations director at Vancouver’s Aeronav, which is developing anSTC for the product for Eurocopter AS350/355 series aircraft.

Apical Cutter for Bell 407California’s Dart Helicopter Services (Booth 4628) reports that its subsidiarypartner Apical Industries (in nearby Booth 5130), has received FAA approvalfor its new cable cutter kits for the Bell 407. “The kits are designed toreduce the possibility of a cable or wire entering the cockpit,” Dart says.

They are available in either high or low landing gear configurations. An optional GPSantenna kit is also available, allowing the antenna to be placed on the upper cutterdeflector for ideal positioning. Transport Canada and EASA approvals are pending.

Revue Thommen’s ‘Revolutionary’ Filter Switzerland’s Revue Thommen (Booth 4108) is promoting an internalinfrared filter for its new HSL-1600 helicopter searchlight. Asopposed to a filter flap that flips down, the new filter may bedeployed “without a reduction in aircraft airspeed,” the companysays. “In this industry,” said Thommen vice chair and sales andmarketing chief Rudolf Iten, “We have reason to believe thatour searchlight design will revolutionize the business.”

Phoenix Resurrects an MD500DIt’s not a new helicopter, but it just as well might be. Phoenix Heliparts (Booth 1006) has“restored” a 30-year-old MD500D into a better than new aircraft with an “E” series nose,a more powerful 420-shp RR250 engine, modern avionics, a complete Aerodynamixnight vision package, and air conditioning. “This machine is indistinguishable from new,”says owner Wayne McCall, who will officially accept delivery here at the show. The air-craft, with only 698.2 hours TTSN (total time since new), is believed to be the lowest-time MD500D in service today. Phoenix Heliparts specializes in maintenance, repair,overhaul and parts for the MD500 series, and it plans this year to launch an STC/PMAprogram, as well as Bell UH-1 retrofits.

SkyTrac’s SkyWeb Mobile AppCanada’s SkyTrac Systems is promoting SkyWeb Mobile for iPhone, Blackberry andAndroid smartphones at Booth 4106. The app displays current position and flight data foraircraft with SkyTrac tracking hardware. Auto-refresh allows continual feedback onaircraft movements, with position on the map and log updated as new reports are re-ceived. The app allows users to control bandwidth demands on mobile networks, andenables one-touch voice dial and e-mail, direct to the cockpit. “We have developedanother tool that enhances safety and increasesefficiency,” said SkyTrac business development VPSteve Fuhr. “Flight operations personnel can now havefleet situational awareness in their pocket.”

Kaman Opens Mexico Plant,Targeting Commercial Market: Both OEMs and Their Suppliers

Kaman Aerospace, seeking to reduce its70% dependence on military business,has opened a plant in Chihuahua,Mexico, to help reduce the cost of com-mercial products. Aluminum extrusions

for OEM helicopter manu-facturers and their suppliersare the first products.

“We’re working very hardin expanding our footprint inthe commercial side,” saysGreg Steiner, president of

Kaman Aerospace Group. “We see a lot of value in having a more

balanced portfolio. “We’re bidding a lot of packages right

now for commercial firms everywhere,”he told ShowNews.

Kaman (Booth 2521) already makes rotorblades for Bell, Steiner says.

Other Kaman military products withcommercial potential include erosion-protective coatings for blades (the1,000th was delivered for a U.S. ArmyBlackhawk last year), more aerostruc-tures (Kaman builds cockpits forSikorsky) and composite parts.

Why Mexico? “To do business in thecommercial area today, you have to havelow-cost manufacturing.”

As for the K-Max, Kaman’s distinctivecounter-rotating heavy-lifter, 35 of theHoneywell T53-17-powered aircraft werebuilt and 21 are still flying, Steiner says.

Two are being developed with Lock-heed Martin as unmanned aerial vehiclesfor the Marine Corps. —Rich Piellisch

Kaman may increase employment to 500 at the 60,000-sq-ft maquiladora plant, itopened this past November in Chihuahua.

Greg Steiner.


Heli2011 d1p16 OK JM :- 3/2/11 11:32 AM Page 1

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Eurocopter Delivers 3rd Miami Dade B3...American Eurocopter (Booth 4637) has deliveredthe third of four AS350 B3s to Florida’s Miami-Dade Police Department. The MDPD helos areequipped with thermal imager, searchlight, moving map, video downlink “and tactical plat-

forms for tactical team transport and deployment.” Each helicopter has a night visiongoggle-compatible cockpit, and American Eurocopter provides NVG training for all MDPD pilots. The B3 is powered by a single 847-shp Arriel 2B1 by Turbomeca (Booth 1637). MDPD’s fourth AS350 B3 is to be delivered later this year.

...as Seminole Sheriff Flies One Too...Eurocopter showed the AS350 B3 operated by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office inSanford, just north of Orlando, during the International Association of Chiefs of Policeannual conference here late in October. Chief pilot Steve Farris praised the aircraft’s“multi-mission flexibility, cabin size and definitely its performance.”

...and EADS Test-Flies the Army 72X EADS North America flew the second company-funded Armed Aerial Scout 72X demon-stration aircraft late last year, at its American Eurocopter facility in Grand Prairie, Texas,

showing integrated targeting sensor, manned/unmanned team-ing (MUM-T) and communications and navigation capabilities.An EADS North America-led team of Lockheed Martin, Euro-copter and American Eurocopter (Booth 4637) is developing theAAS-72X for the U.S. Army’s Armed Aerial Scout requirement.The AAS-72X is based on the UH-72A Lakota light utility hel-icopter, in production for the U.S. Army. The Lakota is basedon the Eurocopter EC145 commercial helicopter.

Becker for Los Angeles Sheriff CommsThe first of a dozen DVCS6100 digital audio systems for theLos Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, has been installed bySan Diego’s Hangar One Avionics on a Eurocopter AS350B2,reports supplier Becker Avionics. The system was selected“due to its unique ability to effectively manage and controlall audio sources in the helicopter,” Becker says: “theDVCS6100 manages all transceivers, receivers and audio warning sources in one centralsystem, and provides simulcast capabilities on eight channels.” The first aircraft was delivered to LACSO on February 11. Brett Gardner is sales director at Becker (Booth 1652).

40 Years of Police MDsPolice forces in both Houston and Wichita celebrated 40 years of helicopter flight latelast year, MD Helicopters reported, with theRolls-Royce 250-powered MD 500E single,playing a key modern day role for both organ-izations. Houston now has ten 500E aircraft(having started with three Hughes 269B helicopters in 1970), and Wichita has one. MD Helicopters is at Booth 1618.

Goodrich Sees Its HUMSBoosting the Aftermarket:

Eurocopter the Next OEM?

The experience of the U.S. Army – andSikorsky in the commercial sector –will convince other manufacturers thatGoodrich HUMS can make their after-market businesses more profitable, saysMarc Brodeur, director of business development for sensors and integratedsystems at Goodrich (Booth 2142).

HUMS stands for Health and UsageMonitoring Systems, designed “to pro-vide actionable data, from flight line maintenance teams all the way to theOEM.” Such data “alert the user to takesmall corrective actions to prevent future costly maintenance.”

HUMS are in use on U.S. Army heli-copters, on Sikorsky’s S-92 (since 1991)and, for the new S-76D, a variant calledVigor, or VHUMS, optimized for mid-sizemachines. “It monitors the entire helicop-ter mechanical drive train from the en-gines to the rotor system, flight manualexceedances, and hundreds of aircraft system signals.” To take the prod-uct deeper into the commercial sphere,“We want to work with the OEM, toshow them how they can use this datato positively influence the aftermarketrevenue,” Brodeur told ShowNews.

HUMS can be coordinated with elec-tronic flight bags, cockpit data recordsand ADS-B avionics, making it easier totake advantage of those technologiestoo, Brodeur says. —Rich Piellisch

Is Eurocopter next? Goodrich is close to acontract with the U.S. Army to evaluateHUMS on the UH-72 Lakota, which is basedon the commercial EC-145.



Turbomeca Sees Recovery This YearThe recovery is in sight for Turbomeca (Booth 1637), says its CEO,Pierre Fabre. The company plans to deliver 1,050 new turboshaftsthis year, up 30% from the trough in 2010 of just 800 engines.But it still has some way to go before reaching the heady heightsof 2008, when Turbomeca delivered a record 1,300 helicopter engines. “The crisis seemsto be behind us,” Fabre says. Among recent highlights, Turbomeca delivered the 1,000thArrius 2B engine (it powers the EC135 light twin); the customer was STAT Medevac.

Safe Flight PDS for Thai Enstroms New York’s Safe Flight Instrument (Booth 329) has commenced delivery of its powerline detection system to Enstrom, for installationon three Enstrom 480B model helicopters for Thailand – and says thePDS “was a key component in the contract award.” The helicopters will

be used primarily for training. The FAA- and EASA-certified PDS is being offered forall Enstrom 480s as a production or retrofit option, Safe Flight says.

Jetnet for CRM and iQ Services Utica, N.Y.-based Jetnet is promoting new information services at Booth 3621, includingJetnet Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Jetnet iQ. Jetnet CRM is a newaviation-specific, web-based contact management system for Jetnet Evolution customers.Jetnet iQ is a forecasting and premium advisory service for business aviation profes-sionals. Jetnet will also be showing the latest release of its Helicopter Market Summary,described as “a module within the Jetnet Evolution interface that on a monthly basisdepicts statistical developments within the helicopter market… [with] model-by-model data points, including number of airframes for sale; high, low and average prices;airframe and engine times; average year; average days on market; retail vs. wholesaletransaction counts and much more.”

China Finance Firm Plans Helos Play China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing Co. Ltd. (MSFL),already the major Chinese buyer of business jets for itshome market with 32 aircraft delivered or ordered to date,plans to do the same with helicopters. It will vigorouslyexpand into helicopters, with 20 orders planned for thisyear, vice president Zhang Bo told an international finance

conference in London, last month. Its target is to become the top general aviation leasing company in China, and eventually Asia, he said. The Eurocopter-Avicopter-EC175/Z-15 is shown here. Eurocopter is at Booth 4637.

China Helicopter Expo in September The inaugural China Helicopter Exposition 2011, will be held September 15-18 in Tianjin, where Avicopter, a unit of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, has

invested more than $800 million in a research center and helicopter pro-duction facility, with initial capacity of some 240 aircraft per year. “This

is a revolutionary development for a country of 1.4 billion people,that currently has only 200 civil rotor aircraft at its disposal,” organ-izers note, pointing too, to “numerous opportunities” for foreigncompanies. The China show organizers are exhibiting at Booth 503.

Honeywell Forecast SaysHelicopter Recovery

to Gain Momentum in 2012

Underscoring expectations that thecommercial helicopter market will showsigns of recovery in 2012, Honeywellhas raised its forecast for deliveries overthe next five years by five percent.

The modest increase translates into4,200 to 4,400 turbine-powered civilianhelicopter deliveries in 2011-2015, com-pared with Honeywell’s forecast a yearago that 3,750-4,250 helicopters wouldbe needed in 2010-2014.

Improved economic growth prospectsin key markets, combined with new mod-els offering increased customer value,are key variables driving improved pur-chase expectations, Honeywell says.

In the short term, lingering tight creditconditions combined with high invento-ries of used, current-production modelsfor sale, continue to dampen order in-take. But on the brighter side, Chinacould be a strong contributor to demandas the country opens its airspace to civilhelicopter operation – although it israpidly developing its own helicopters.

Honeywell’s forecast is based on a survey of the buying expectations of1,000-plus chief pilots and flight depart-ment managers of companies operatingmore than 2,150 helicopters worldwide.

Substantially higher purchase plans inEurope drove the increase in expecta-tions, while purchase plans in major U.S.and Asian centers of demand remainedsteady for the next five years. Althoughspecific purchase plans for 2011 remainsubdued, expectations for new aircraftordering in 2012 and 2013 increased40% over 2011 levels, suggesting therecovery will gain momentum startingnext year, Honeywell says.

Half the demand will be from theAmericas, and the other half from Europe,the Middle East, Africa and Asia. NorthAmerica will be the biggest market, fol-lowed by Europe, and Latin America.



Phoenix Heliparts Settles FAA DisputeMesa, Arizona-based Phoenix Heliparts has reached a settlement with the FAA overlast August’s revocation of its repair station certificate. The deal involves no admissionof wrongdoing, and the company will drop its appeal of the revocation to the NationalTransportation Safety Board (NTSB). The action stemmed from events in 2008 underprevious management, since when Phoenix moved to new facilities and reapplied for itsrepair station certificate; meanwhile the FAA proceeded with its prior emergencyenforcement action. Phoenix Heliparts (Booth 1006) has operated in the meantimeunder the individual certificates of its employees. It specializes in MD500s.

EC225 Sim at North Sea Service CenterEurocopter (Booth 4637) has officially inaugurated its new North Sea Service Center in Aberdeen, Scotland, “providing a highly capable train-ing, technical support and logistics facility, in close proximity to helicopteroperators who support the region’s vital oil and gas industry – as well as theemerging wind farm sector.” The Center features a new EC225 helicopter

full-flight simulator, built in league with INDRA/Spain. CHC Helicopter has signed forat least 800 hours of annual utilization for training pilots from its worldwide operations.

Avinco Sells Two Dozen, Offers PartsThe Monaco-based trader Avinco (Booth 5054) reported sales of 24 helicopters in 2010, “once again proving its ability to perform in spite of a challenging market.” The firm claims sales “ranging from EC120s, all the way to Pumas,” with a grand totalof 150 successful transactions in just five years. The company has begun marketing hel-icopter parts, and offers sourcing, leasing, and consultancy services worldwide.

Third AW139 for Estonia Border Police... The Estonian Police and Border Guard has taken delivery of its third AW139 medium twin helicopterfor SAR, border patrol, medical missions and utility du-ties, reports AgustaWestland (Booth 3811). It is the firstSAR-configured AW139 featuring FIPS (full icing pro-tection system). The handover took place during a cer-emony at Tallinn Airport on February 14. All three

Estonia AW139s are based in Tallinn, although one will be deployed to a new base atKuressaare Airport (Saaremaa Island) enabling faster response times in Estonia’s west.

...and a Simulator for RegaAgustaWestland (Booth 3811) reports a contract with Rega,the Swiss SAR and EMS provider, for an advanced simula-tor for training Da Vinci and GrandNew light twin pilots.The Level 3 Flight Training Device/Level B Full Flight Simulator will help familiarizepilots with such GrandNew cockpit features as Flight-Logic Synthetic Vision, EFIS withFMS, HTAWS (Helicopter Terrain Awareness Warning System), HITS (Highway InThe Sky) and embedded flight recording functions. The unit is being designed and manufactured by AgustaWestland in Sesto Calende in Italy. It is to become operationalin 2012 adjacent to the Zurich Airport. The Da Vinci is described as “a highly customizedvariant of the GrandNew… specifically developed to meet Rega’s requirements.” It succeeds Rega’s A109K2 aircraft.

Marenco Swisshelicopter Offers a Sleek New Singlefor a Variety of Missions

Pfäffikon (think Zurich)-based MarencoSwisshelicopter is unveiling its conceptfor a new multi-purpose single, the com-posite SKYe SH09, at Booth 5120. TheHoneywell HTS-900 turbine has beenbaselined for the new aircraft, which isto make its maiden flight in 2012.

“Our interest and motivation towardsthe U.S.,” says commercial directorMathias Sénès, “is not only an issue related to numbers... U.S. countiesand smaller cities have understood veryquickly the benefits of single-engine operations,” he says. “Hospitals and security services easily operate in urbanareas with singles.

“Most European cities have reduced,if not banned, single-engine operations,thus reducing the level of EMS servicesor drastically increasing its cost by employing twin-engine helicopters.”

A high ceiling throughout the SKYeSH09 cabin “will enhance comfort andaccessibility for stretchers,” he says.Rear-access doors are designed for easyloading of medical equipment.

Beyond EMS, “Our SKYe SH09 willserve all missions, from corporate flights,crew changes in the Gulf of Mexico, totouristic flights,” Sénès adds. “We havedeveloped a clear cabin with unsur-passed field of view, accommodating upto eight individual crashworthy seats, afeature that you would typically find inour competitor’s twin.”

Further expected roles include obser-vation, surveillance, law enforcement,electronic news gathering and broadcast-ing, and flight instruction and training.

Marenco’s SKYe SH09.


Heli2011 d1p20 OK JM:- 3/2/11 6:38 PM Page 1

FlightSafety Takes Overthe Maintenance Training

for P&WC Helicopter Engines

Helicopter operators of Pratt & WhitneyCanada turboshaft engines now needlook no further than FlightSafetyInternational for training their technicians.

FlightSafety (Booth 5106) was selectedas P&WC’s training provider for helicop-ter engines at the beginning of the year,

and the first studentshave already graduated.

“Classes are runningfull,” says Mike Lee, director of maintenance

training business development.Training covers six different engine

series for a total of 28 models, power-ing 26 different helicopters from 12 man-ufacturers. Primary training locations areMontreal, Dallas-Ft. Worth, West PalmBeach, and Paris, France.

“We can support training for any of theengines anywhere, not just at the primarytraining locations but at 10 others world-wide including Australia, China, Singa-pore, South Africa and Brazil,” Lee says.

FlightSafety has procured numeroustraining assets from P&WC, too.

Training sessions include advancedclassware, desktop simulators andgraphical flight simulators that help stu-dents learn how an engine interfaceswith a particular model of helicopter.There are also six web-based courses,a number that will rise in the future.

All students are required to take aLevel 1 web-based course before attend-ing a training center class. “This makessure that all students have the samebaseline, as they vary widely in age andexperience,” Lee notes.

Classes include computer-based learning.

SI M U L AT I O N & TR A I N I N G


FFS for AS350 Certified, with NVG American Eurocopter has secured U.S. FAA Level B and night vision goggle training certification for its Indra Systems full flightsimulator for the AS350 series at Grand Prairie, Texas, effectivelybroadening the customer base to include EMS, corporate, offshoreand utility operators. The device is said to be the only AS350 Level

B FFS with NVG in the world. “We have already had customers from Canada and Botswanacomplete training,” said Marc Paganini, American Eurocopter president and CEO. “Wehave had discussions with Eurocopter customers from as far away as South Korea and Russia.” The Grand Prairie sim has also been used by U.S. law enforcement pilots.

CAE Buying CHC Training to Train CHCCanada’s CAE (Booth 1253) and CHC Helicopter have made a dealfor CAE to acquire CHC’s training operations and provide trainingto CHC’s more than 2,000 pilots and maintenance engineers. Thepact includes four full-flight simulators in Canada, Norway, and theUK. “CAE will become CHC’s long-term partner,” states a release.

“A long-term partnership with CAE will enable us to focus on our core business,” saidWilliam Amelio, president and CEO of CHC – which operates some 250 aircraft.

FlyIt Sim to Hospital Wing TodayFlyIt will present title to a new AS 350 B3 professional helicop-ter simulator to Memphis-based Hospital Wing, at Static 9 at2pm today. The device was built using an actual Hospital Winginstrument panel including Eurocopter VEMD (vehicle enginemonitoring display), dual Garmin G430W, and autopilot. It will help maintain VFR, IFR,and emergency procedure skills “through scenario-based training.”

FlightSafety Has New QualificationsFlightSafety International (Booth 5106) comes to Heli-Expo 2011 with new qualifications,having given notice late last year, that its Bell 407 advanced flight training device inLafayette, La., with advanced Vital X visual system, has been qualified to FAA Level 7.FSI had earlier reported that its Eurocopter AS 350 B2 FTD in Tucson, also a Level 7device, had been certified for night vision goggle training.

Fly. Work. Guaranteed.“We are the only flight school in the world that can guaran-tee a job, as we have a photo contract that does more sortiesthan the training,” says Tommy McDermott of the Fort Lauderdale–based HelicopterAcademy (Booth 3714), which offers training in nearly 40 locations with introductory les-sons starting at $300. Helicopter Academy is affiliated with boatpix.com, which special-izes in marine aerial pictures. The firm has just bought its 30th helicopter, McDermotttold ShowNews, noting that he’s gone as far as Morocco to find float-equipped R22s.

Frasca Gets Bell 429 QualificationUrbana, Ill.-based Frasca International (Booth 5233) reported last month that Bell Helicopter has received FAA Level 6 Qualification for its Frasca-built 429 flighttraining device. The 429 FTD “is one of many Frasca devices in use by Bell,” Frasca said.


Twirly Birds Meet TonightThe California-based, founded-in-1949 Twirly Birds organization has asimple question: Have you soloed in a helicopter at least twenty yearsago? If so, says the group, you should consider joining, as Twirly Birdsholds its annual meeting at 5pm this evening in Signature Room 1 at the

Rosen Center. “We invite anyone that meets our humble qualifications to join us at ourannual meeting,” says Twirly Birds VP and membership chairman Jim Kettles. “Ourintent, as always, is to see old friends and to meet new ones that share a common link tohelicopters.” Past members include Charles Lindbergh, Igor Sikorsky, Stanley Hiller,Alan Bristow and Wes Lematta. Veteran U.S. Coast Guard Commander Stewart Ross Graham, a founding member of Twirly Birds, will be the honored guest this evening.

Donaldson to Show that Filtration PaysBloomington, Minn.-based Donaldson Aerospace & Defense (Booth 4428)promises to “give helicopter operators the whole scoop on preventing con-taminant damage to valuable engines,” at its first Heli-Expo filtration pres-entation at a seminar this morning, at 10am in Room S.230-E. Donaldson

will reveal data validating the claim that advanced engine protection delivers measurablereturns on investment. The seminar “will cover every aspect of system filtration.”

Able to Save Money? Come See HowArizona’s Able Aerospace Services (Booth 1614) says it “saved customersapproximately $85 million last year alone,and has put into effect plans to increasethat number substantially in 2011.” Thefirm has performed 7,000 approvedrepairs without one in-service failure.Able has a new MRO product called Able Preferred, for Eurocopter AS350 and Bell 206and 407 operators, which it will detail at a seminar here Monday, in Room S.230-F at 1pm. Able also reports plans to upgrade to a 191,000-sq-ft facility, with hangar, in Phoenix.

ADS-B in the Gulf – Tuesday Afternoon If you need to be told that it stands for automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, thenyou should probably attend HAI’s Gulf of Mexico ADS-B Avionics Forum on Tuesdayafternoon, 1-3pm, in Room S230. The forum will include operators, avionics and airframemanufacturers, and the FAA, focused on ADS-B implementation activities in the Gulfof Mexico, including current ADS-B services, the ADS-B Final Rule and avionics compliance, and ADS-B upgrades to helicopters with ADS-B “out” capability.

Conklin & de Decker Seminars HereConklin & de Decker will be holding its Advanced Helicopter Operator course, “an inten-sive, three-day course designed to help experienced managers of civil helicopter opera-tions improve their management skills,” from March 9-11. “This workshop focuses onunderstanding and applying information and techniques that are essential to success intoday’s ever more demanding and complex operating environment,” the firm says. Alongthose lines, Conklin & de Decker is bringing management and maintenance skillstogether in Dallas, as its Helicopter Maintenance Management – Essential Tools for Your NewRole seminar is offered there March 28-29. Conklin & de Decker is at Booth 920.

Robinson Weighs In with R66,Its New Rolls-Powered Turbine,as Recession Inventories Clear

Things are looking up for California’sRobinson Helicopter (Booth 2928), as thefirm’s new R66 turbine won its FAAcertificate, a major expansion of manu-facturing space (to 617,000 sq ft) wascompleted, and inventory from therecession was cleared.

“We’ve definitely seenan upturn in the economyworldwide,” says newpresident Kurt Robinson,who replaced his fatherand company founderFrank Robinson in August.

After selling off inventory for the firsthalf of 2010, Robinson enjoyed “a surgein new sales.” It boosted production asbusiness increased in the third and fourthquarters, and by the end of the year hadaccumulated a backlog of 169 neworders. Production came to 40 R22 and112 R44 piston and 10 R66 turbine heli-copters, for a total of 162 in 2010.

“We have over 125” orders for the$798,000 R66, Robinson says, tellingShowNews that “the big focus rightnow is certification.” While FAA typeand production certificates are in hand,R66 cold weather tests continue and airconditioning remains to be certified, asdo floats and a cargo hook. TransportCanada and EASA approvals will alsobe secured. The first production ship, S/N 0004, was delivered in Novemberto Helistream, a longtime dealer in California. Initial deliveries will center onthe western U.S., Robinson says, allow-ing it to monitor performance.

Robinson Helicopter Company’s R66 turbineand R44 and R22 piston helicopters.

Kurt Robinson.

HE L I -EX P O HA P P E N I N G S



Mark your calendar for these Aviation Week events! To attend or sponsor, visit: www.aviationweek.com/events or call 1 (800) 240-7645 or +1 (212) 904-4483

MRO Military Conference & ExhibitionApril 12-13, 2011Miami Beach Convention Center • Miami, FL

MRO Latin America Conference & ExhibitionApril 12-13, 2011Miami Beach Convention Center • Miami, FL

MRO Americas Conference & ExhibitionApril 12-14, 2011Miami Beach Convention Center • Miami, FL

MRO Europe Conference & ExhibitionSeptember 27-29, 2011IFEMA • Madrid, Spain

MRO Asia Conference & ExhibitionNovember 8-10, 2011CNCC • Beijing, China

NEXTGEN AheadAir Transportation Modernization Conference May 10-12, 2011Washington Marriott at Metro Center • Washington, DC

A&D Cybersecurity ForumMay 24-25, 2011 Washington Marriott • Washington, DC

Affordability Requirements Forum May 17-18, 2011National Press Club • Washington, DC

Inventory & Engine Asset Management Forum May 26-27, 2011Mövenpick Hotel Zurich-Airport • Zurich, Switzerland

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Aviation Week ShowNews Briefing - HAI 2011

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