November 2013

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3NOVEMBER 2013 | ROTOR & WING MAGAZINE

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EDITORIALAndrew Parker Editor-in-Chief, [email protected]

Andrew Drwiega International Bureau Chief/Consultant, [email protected]

Ernie Stephens Editor-at-Large, [email protected]

Claudio Agostini Latin America Bureau Chief

Contributing Writers: Rick Adams; Chris Baur; Lee Benson; Igor Bozinovski; Keith Brown; Keith Cianfrani; Steve Colby; Dan Deutermann; Peter Donaldson; Ian Frain; Pat Gray; Emma Kelly; Frank Lombardi; Elena Malova; Vicki McConnell; Robert Moor-man; Douglas Nelms; Mark Robins; Dale Smith; Terry Terrell; Richard Whittle.

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4 W W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O MROTOR & WING MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2013

By Andrew Parker

Join the Conversation:10,000 and Counting

The Rotor & Wing Facebook page (www.facebook.com/

rotorandwing) recently topped 10,000 fans. As a sign

of appreciation to those who have made this milestone possible, I’d like to dedicate this column to sharing some of my favorite comments to two recent questions that garnered a high number of responses. Feel free to join us as well on Twitter (twitter.com/rotorandwing) and LinkedIn, with more than 2,300 group mem-bers: www.linkedin.com/groups/

Rotor-Wing-3788071

Question 1: What is your favorite

childhood memory involving a

helicopter?

Lindy DeMunbrun: Flying below the rim at Grand Canyon delivering medical supplies, mail and groceries then picking up the other kids for school. And the early Flight for Life program out of Vegas always came out and gave the park service kids rides and fly-outs for birthdays.

Sirajuddin Kamaruddin: S-61 landed in front of my balcony when I was just five years old. What an experience!

Arthur C. Fisher: I recall watching the TV flutter roll in during the evening as the signal of our antenna being disturbed by Sikorsky aircraft returning from their Stratford home base. No cable back then.

Cathie Opland: Reading about the history of helicopters at the library and thinking how incredible the idea was. Best invention EVER! I’ve had dreams of flying ever since I can remember.

James McCaffrey: When you work with helicopters, you never need to grow up, so all memories are childhood memories.

Josh Michael: Getting up at 3:00 am on Saturday mornings for “Fed-Ex” patrol with my dad. He operated Sterling Helicopter in Philadelphia, and we’d take the LongRanger, fly to the airport, land next to the FedEx Boeing 747 and load priority packages into the 206-L. Then land at hotel heliports around N.J. and Philly to meet FedEx trucks.

Aaron Osgood: Riding in a Bell 47 being used for aerial pesticide and herbicide application on the family potato farm in northern Maine (late 70’s, early 80’s).

Rorique A Vernon II: As a military brat, I remember my parent’s medical squadron picnic in Germany. We had to clear the helipad for a UH-60 to drop off a patient part of the way through.

Mike Nolan: My father worked for the post office in the 50’s. One of his duties was to meet an LA Airways S-55 when it landed at the Victory-Vanowen Park heliport in north Hollywood. He would take the mail they brought from Terminal Annex. I loved going with him to watch them land. That spot is now the 170 Hollywood Freeway.

Mohd Arief: My dad is a helicopter pilot and I liked to follow him for a maintenance ground run for an S-61N during the night time. That’s a sweet memory for me until today.

Thomas Varg: I was 12. A police helicopter landed in the area that I lived in when I was young. I went crazy for helicopters after that.

Ryan Potter: My first ride in an MD530!

Mark Sales: A number of flights to/from Kuparuk Oil Camp and Pingok Island, Alaska in 1985, to include a Grizzly

bear up close, set the hook. Actually I was hooked from the first hover. I’ve always thought I’d meet up with that unknown pilot somewhere.

Question 2: How and why did you fall in love with helicopters?John Lovell: Because they are the proverbial magic carpet.

Philippe Boulay: I was eight, and saw a H-21 of French ALAT landing in the pasture owned by my father behind our house, in a village in the center of France. It was an extraordinary experience: the wind, the noise. An engine problem had occurred and the crew had to phone to their base. They phoned at our home and after they showed the machine to us. Fabulous From that moment, I was an addict!

Juan Gutierrez: Always wanted to fly, helicopters are more interesting and challenging than fixed-wing aircraft, and the things that I have done in a helicopter you can never do in a plane. That is why I love them!

Troy Peterson: Not sure – only that my parents told me that even when I was toddler I was fascinated with them. I am 50 this month and even though I can pretty much name the model by only sound, I still run outside to look in the sky at them as they fly by anywhere I may be. I am a maintainer and not a pilot. Still have a lifelong dream of flying them though, just never the means to do so!

Bruce Couillard: I fell in love with the collective.

What’s your favorite childhood memory involving a helicopter? How did you get involved with the rotorcraft industry? Send responses to: [email protected]

[email protected]

Editor’s Notebook

©2013 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

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Public ServiceMilitaryCommercialPersonal|Corporate

THIS MONTH FROM

12

FEATURES28 ■ Heli-Union Training Builds on New Tech First-hand look at Heli-Union Training Center’s operations in

Angouleme, France. By Thierry Dubois

34 ■ Software Meeting New Technology Needs As next generation software becomes ever more sophisticated, the

software industry is rising to meet the maintenance challenge. By Douglas Nelms

COVER STORY

38 ■ ADAC Brings Together HEMS Operators ADAC HEMS Academy hosted an EC145/145T2 networking event in

Germany. By Andrew Drwiega, International Bureau Chief

40 ■ JMR: Proceed with Caution The U.S. Army’s selection of two coaxial and two tiltrotor competitors

for the JMR TD Phase 1 could be a shrewd move toward the eventual development of Future Vertical Lift. By Andrew Drwiega

On the Print Edition Cover: Inside one of the ADAC HEMS Academy full flight simulators showing crew

visual HEMS. Photo courtesy of ADAC

Digital Edition Cover: Heli-Union Training Center full flight simulator. Photo courtesy of Heli-Union

(Above) EC725 during a test of a Brazilian-made countermeasures

system, by Anthony Pecchi. (Bottom) MQ-8C ground tests, courtesy

of Northrop Grumman. (Right) AVX JMR design, courtesy AVX.

DEPARTMENTS12 Rotorcraft Report

20 People

21 Coming Events

27 Hot Products

45 Classified Ads

47 Ad Index

COLUMNS 4 Editor’s Notebook

8 Feedback

10 Meet the Contributors

46 Public Service

48 Law Enforcement

50 Military Insider

25

7W W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O M NOVEMBER 2013 | ROTOR & WING MAGAZINE

ServicesProductsTrainingPublic Service

©2013 by Access Intelligence, LLC. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without written permission.

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STORIES & PHOTOS ON THE WEB• Go to rotorandwing.com to see more photos and read some of the stories that

didn’t make it into this month’s print edition, for example:

• Turbomeca to Repair Makila Engines for Netherlands Air Force

• Lynx Vital to Counter Drug Trafficking Operations in the Caribbean

• Elbit Helmet Mounted Display Confirmed for South Korea’s Surion

• Eurocopter Foundation and NGO Support Storm Victims in Mexico

• Russian Helicopters Delivers Mi-171E to Kazakstan Ministry

• Initial Production AgustaWestland AW189 Completes Maiden Flight

• Erickson Inks $60 Million Deal to Support Australia’s NAFC

DIRECT TO YOUR DESKTOP: CHECK YOUR E-MAILWEEK OF NOVEMBER 1:

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web links makes navigating through the pages of Rotor & Wing easier than ever.

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 11:

• HOT PRODUCTS for Helicopter Operators—Latest in equipment upgrades, performance

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Vol. 47 | No. 11 November 2013

The editors welcome new product information and other industry news. All editorial inquiries should be directed to Rotor & Wing magazine, 4 Choke Cherry Rd., 2nd Floor, Rockville, Md. 20850, USA; 1-301-354-1839; fax 1-301-762-8965. E-mail: [email protected]. Rotor & Wing (ISSN-1066-8098) is published monthly by Access Intelligence, 4 Choke Cherry Rd., 2nd Floor, Rockville, Md. 20850, USA. Periodical postage paid at Rockville, Md. and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: Free to qualified individuals directly involved in the helicopter industry. All other subscriptions, U.S.: one year $89; two years $178. Canada: one year $99; two years $198; Foreign: one year $129; two years $258.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rotor & Wing, P.O. Box 3089, Northbrook, Ill. 60065-3089, USA. Change of address two to eight weeks notice requested. Send both new and old address, including mailing label to Attn: Rotor & Wing magazine, Customer Services, P.O. Box 3089, Northbrook, Ill. 60065-3089, USA or call 1-847-559-7314. E-mail: [email protected]. Canada Post 40612608. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

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40

8 ROTOR & WING MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2013

Do you have comments on the rotorcraft industry or recent articles and viewpoints we’ve published? Send them to Editor, Rotor & Wing, 4 Choke Cherry Road, Second Floor, Rockville, Md. 20850, USA, fax us at 1-301-354-1809 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Please include a city and state or province with your name and ratings. We reserve the right to edit all submitted material.

ServicesProductsTrainingPublic ServiceMilitaryCommercial Personal|Corporate

Feedback

W W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O M

EC135 LIFESTAR Model

I was very excited to see the Univer-sity of Tennessee Medical Center LIFESTAR Eurocopter EC135 on the front cover of the October issue. As this helicopter is only 40 minutes from my home, I’m pleased to see the UT medical system chosen as your feature article. What is more exciting is that the helicopter is shown prominently on the front cover.

I’m currently building a 1/6 flying replica of the UT LIFESTAR EC135. This is an electrically powered (12S, 44V 5000mAh powered setup) heli-copter weighing in at 26 lbs. I’ve put some photos on the web to update the progress.

David Lyons

Poor Decision-MakingThe question in the October 2013 issue was: What more needs to be done to improve the safety record of HEMS oper-ations?

I’m an EMS pilot for a major carrier and have been for the previous seven years, I live in northeastern Kentucky and hold a commercial pilot license. I have about 3,000 total hours, 2,000 in the U.S. Army, and another 1,000 flying EMS. I have a bachelor’s degree in gen-eral aviation topics and am about two classes shy of completing my master’s degree in aviation safety.

In my opinion, almost every single accident has been due to poor pilot decision-making. Be it running out of fuel or taking off or continuing in poor weather conditions. So if we know what the problem is, what can we do to fix it and reduce the mishaps?

Well first and foremost we need to develop a training program that teaches pilots from an early stage what a good

decision really means. The climate for safety needs to be such that there is no question about what the right deci-sion should be, and no pressure to fly. I believe we have enough rules on the books to keep us safe, what we need is pilots that execute the rules in a man-ner that results in almost zero accidents (recognizing that absolutely zero acci-dents is an unachievable goal). The FAA and other organizations have given pilots all the tools we need. Goggles, ter-rain avoidance, traffic avoidance, weath-er, synthetic vision, autopilot (in some aircraft), ASAP and the list goes on. All these tools will not save another aircraft and crew if the pilots flying continue to push the limits and ignore obvious cues for mission abort. Those cues might include, fuel less than required to com-plete the leg, approaching the low-fuel light quantity, weather within one mile or 100 feet of established minimums, to just name a few. HEMS operations are a dynamic environment and it takes pilots and medical crew that are not willing to accept pushing minimums to get the job done. If it appears that conditions are approaching the limit that no longer supports safe flight, then we simply end the flight, even if that means landing in some field with no access to civilization. Medical crewmembers need to know what these minimums are and have a voice in the go/no go decision-making.

It is ironic that as helicopter pilots

we fly in a machine that can essentially land anywhere, yet instead of simply landing in a field somewhere we choose to continue in deteriorating conditions.

Why is that? Is it a company or cus-tomer induced climate that does not support pilots ending flights? Or is it a self-induced climate brought on by the crew themselves? In either case, the climate must support the most conser-vative response to safe flight operations. To me, its really just that simple.

Mike Ojeda

CorrectionThe captions were incorrectly labeled for two photos on page 32 of the Sep-tember 2013 issue as part of “Not Just Folding Wings and Tails,” a story about marinized helicopters. The images show a Kaman Seasprite photographed after decades sitting in a boneyard, and not after exposure to a realistic mari-time environment.

The SH-2G Super Seasprite fleet has accumulated more than 1 million mari-time flight hours, and has been proven in the field by operators worldwide. It is the only helicopter designed from incep-tion specifically to operate in a marine environment, according to Kaman.

Any implication that Seasprites experience corrosion or damage in a maritime environment was inaccurate and unintentional. We sincerely regret the error.

▶ R&W’s Question of the Month

What is your favorite child-

hood memory involving a heli-

copter? Why and how did you

fall in love with helicopters?Let us know, and look for responses in a future issue.

You’ll find contact information below.

EC135 model.

David

Lyo

ns

www.aero-access.com | [email protected] | 1-800-251-7094

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vibration-related maintenance issues. The result is improved uptime, lower operating costs,

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FRANK LOMBARDI, an ATP with both

fixed-wing and rotar y-wing ratings,

began his f lying career in 1991 after

graduating with a bachelor’s of science

in aerospace engineering, working on

various airplane and helicopter programs as a flight test

engineer for Grumman Aerospace Corp. Frank became a

police officer for a major East Coast police department in

1995, and has been flying helicopters in the department’s

aviation section since 2000. He remains active in test

and evaluation, and holds a master’s degree in aviation

systems-flight testing from the University of Tennessee

Space Institute.

DOUGLAS NELMS has more than 30 years

of experience as an aviation journalist and

currently works as a freelance writer. He

has served as managing editor of Rotor &

Wing. A former U.S. Army helicopter pilot,

Nelms specializes in writing about helicopters.

DALE SMITH has been an aviation jour-

nalist for 24 years specializing in business

aviation. He is currently a contributing

writer for Rotor & Wing and other leading

aviation magazines. He has been a licensed

pilot since 1974 and has flown 35 different types of general

aviation, business and WWII vintage aircraft.

ERNIE STEPHENS, Editor-at-Large, spent

27 years with a major county police

department, retiring as a decorated ser-

geant and chief pilot of its aviation sec-

tion in 2006. He began his flying career in

the late 1980s when he earned his rotorcraft license and

incorporated a small aviation company as a sideline to

his law enforcement career. Ernie holds a B.S. in Manage-

ment of Technical Operations and an M.S. in Aeronauti-

cal Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univer-

sity, where he is also a professor and former director of

academics for one of the school’s satellite campuses. He

has been writing features and columns for Rotor & Wing

since 2003, and has performed evaluation flights in some

of the latest, most technologically advanced rotorcraft in

the world.

LEE BENSON is a retired senior pilot for

the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Before he was named senior pilot, Lee ran

the aviation section’s safety and training

programs, including organizing the sec-

tion’s yearly safety meeting with other public agencies and

the press.

PETER DONALDSON has more than 25

years of experience as a journalist and writer

covering aerospace and defence technology

and operations. Subjects he has written about

include: engines and power transmission

systems for helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned vehicles

of all kinds, ships, submarines and ground vehicles. He has also

covered electronics and mission management systems for these

vehicles, military command, control, communications, intel-

ligence, surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance systems in

addition to guided weapons, guns and ammunition. Peter has

also been involved in shaping conferences covering such top-

ics as civil and military helicopters, electronic warfare systems,

night vision systems, search and rescue.

ANDREW DRWIEGA, International Bureau

Chief, is a senior defense/aviation journal-

ist with a specialization in international

military rotorcraft. Based in London, he

has reported from Iraq and Afghanistan

on numerous occasions on attachment with American and

British helicopter forces. Andrew is a member of the Army

Aviation Association of America, the Royal United Ser-

vices Institute, the Air Power Association and is an associate

member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He has a BA

(Hons) degree in War Studies. Andrew covers defense and

global rotorcraft markets.

PAT GRAY is our “Offshore Notebook”

contributor, having flown in Gulf of Mexi-

co helicopter operations for 20-plus years.

Prior to that, he was in Vietnam in 1958 as

a young paratrooper. He retired from the

Army Reserve as a chief warrant officer 4, with more than

30 years active and reserve service. Gray’s civil helicopter

experience covers crop dusting and Alaska bush, corporate,

pipeline and offshore flying.

Meet the Contributors

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ServicesProductsTrainingPublic ServiceMilitaryCommercial Personal|Corporate

12 ROTOR & WING MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2013 W W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O M

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that it will review

North Sea helicopter operations together with the Norwegian CAA and the

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). According to the CAA statement,

the review “will study current operations, previous incidents and accidents and

offshore helicopter flying in other countries to make recommendations aimed at

improving the safety of offshore flying.”

CAA’s head of flight operations, Capt. Bob Jones, will lead the review, work-

ing closely with Geir Hamre, head of helicopter safety for the Norwegian CAA

and will be supported by industry experts and independents. The review will

focus on operator decision-making and internal management; the protection of

passengers and crew; pilot training and performance; and helicopter airworthi-

ness. The review will be published in early 2014.

The CAA announcement came a day before Avincis Group, Bristow Group

and CHC unveiled plans to work together to review procedures, share best prac-

tices and improve safety. The joint review will examine processes, safety, training

and flight operations, focusing first on Europe. Other areas will include automa-

tion, emergency equipment and response, human factors, manufacturing, safety

communication and training.

■ TRAINING | SAFETY

CAA and EASA Start Offshore Review as Avincis, Bristow and CHC Team on Safety

■ PRODUCTS | AVIONICS

Bell’s Short Light Single to Feature Garmin G1000H

During Helitech International 2013 in

London, Bell Helicopter formalized a

contract with Garmin International

to supply its G1000H integrated

avionics suite for the as-of-now-named

Short Light Single (SLS). The move

furthers the relationship between the

helicopter OEM and the Olathe, Kan.-

based avionics specialist, as Garmin

introduced the G1000H on the 407GX

and is providing the G5000H for

Bell’s 525 Relentless on the larger end

of the spectrum (the 525 is intended

primarily for the offshore market).

Turbomeca’s Arrius 2R will power

the SLS, which seeks to compete with

the Robinson R66 and Eurocopter

EC120. The G1000H supplies flight

instrumentation, communication, nav-

igation, diagnostics, terrain, conflicting

traffic, maintenance and weather data

on high-resolution LCD screens. Bell’s

SLS performance targets are a speed

of 125 knots with a range of 360 to 420

nm and a useful load of 1,500 lbs.

■ COMMERCIAL | TECHNOLOGY

Helicopter OEMs to Assist with NASA Advanced Composites Research

Experts from NASA, FAA and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory have chosen six

companies to participate in the Advanced Composites Project from a list of 20 proposals.

The project falls under the Integrated Systems Research Program at NASA’s Aeronautics

Research Mission Directorate.

The companies are Bell Helicopter/Textron; Boeing Research & Technology in St.

Louis; Cincinnati-based GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics of Palmdale, Calif.;

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, Calif.; and United Tech-

nologies Corp. (UTC), as well as its Pratt & Whitney subsidiary in Hartford, Conn.

The panel chose the half-dozen companies for the government/industry project due

to their “technical expertise, willingness and ability to share in costs, certification experi-

ence with government agencies, focused technology areas and partnership histories,”

according to NASA.

Developing “articles of collaboration” and figuring out how the partnership will work is the

first assignment. NASA hasn’t ruled out adding more companies into the partnership.

Example of the Garmin G1000H panel for

the Bell short light single (SLS).

Bell

Helic

op

ter

Rotorcraft Report

13NOVEMBER 2013 | ROTOR & WING MAGAZINEW W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O M

According to Dr. Andrew Black,

director and head of analysis at Hawk

Intelligence Source Management,

Russian manufacturers will produce

the largest number of heavy helicopters

between 2013 and 2022, followed by

Sikorsky, Boeing and NH Industries.

Black also warned that established

western companies’ market share

could also come under threat from new

entrants to the world market, including

India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

(HAL) and China’s AVIC, with the light

military sector providing them with

early opportunities.

In a mildly pessimistic presenta-

tion on the outlook for the rotorcraft

sector – upcoming opportunities and

challenges – Black also told Helitech

International 2013 conference attend-

ees that the light civil aircraft sector has

the brightest prospects over the 10-year

forecast period, followed by the mili-

tary medium/heavy sector, although

even this will be weaker as the wars in

south west Asia wind down. Demand

for medium/heavy aircraft in the civil

sector will continue to be affected by

the recession, he said.

However, the industry panel took

issue with some of these generaliza-

tions. Roberto Garavaglia, AgustaWest-

land’s senior vice president for strategy

and business development, argued that

the company’s more detailed model

showed that the rapid change in the oil

and gas support business, for example,

with rigs moving up to 300 nm off-

shore, would drive the market for more

capable aircraft.

Bell’s director of marketing and sales

support, Chuck Evans, argued that the

need to replace 10,000 to 12,000 first

generation five-seat turbine helicopters

is a big opportunity for its new Short

Light Single (SLS).

Eurocopter UK’s managing director,

Markus Steinke, said that the helicopter

market today is where the fixed-wing

market was 50 years ago, focused on

special missions and the rich.

Alluding to the development of

hybrids, he said that helicopters of the

future will be fundamentally different

mass market aircraft. “Beyond that

10-year outlook, you will all be sur-

prised.” —By Peter Donaldson

■ COMMERCIAL | AIRFRAMES

Analyst: New Entrants Could Capture Market Share

Sikorsky has started final

assembly on the S-97 Raider

prototype after receiving

the fuselage structure from

Aurora Flight Services on

September 20.

The composite fuselage

structure – which includes a

cockpit, cabin and tail cone

– is undergoing completions

at Sikorsky’s Development

Flight Center in West Palm

Beach, Fla.

Sikorsky plans to convert

the fuselage, which is 36 feet

long and weighs 11,000 lbs,

into the S-97 Raider proto-

type. Demonstration flights

are targeted in 2015 for U.S.

military and other potential

buyers.

Sikorsky launched the S-97 Raider

program in late 2010 as the first off-

shoot of its X2 Technology demon-

strator, choosing 36 industry partners

in 2011. Sikorsky and Boeing are

submitting a version of the X2/S-

97 as one of the competitors in the

U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role (JMR)

technology demonstrator, which leads

into the Future Vertical Lift program

(medium variant).

■ PRODUCTS | AIRFRAMES

Aurora-Built S-97 Fuselage Arrives at Sikorsky Flight Center

S-97 fuselage arrived at Sikorsky on September 20.

Sikorsky


Rotorcraft Report

■ MILITARY | AIRFRAMES

MD Sells Dozen MD530Fs, MD902 Pair to KurdistanThe Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has placed

orders for a total of 14 new helicopters from MD as the

Middle Eastern nation looks to add to its VIP transport and

law enforcement fleet of helicopters. The order includes

12 new MD530Fs and a pair of MD902 Explorers. KRG

plans to use the 530F fleet for airborne law enforcement

and firefighting operations, and the 902 Explorer fleet for

transporting senior government officials.

The UK’s Defence Science and

Technology Laboratory (dstl) is

requesting industry assistance as it

searches to develop systems to help keep

helicopter crews from being hit by man-

operated hostile ground fire.

Locating and avoiding ground fire

is one of the biggest challenges any heli-

copter crew can face when flying above

an operational environment. Training

synthetically, either in a laboratory or

in the air with simulated live fire, must

reflect the qualities of real engagements.

“We are looking for a two-stage

approach: a simulated approach in a

laboratory environment and then a live

flight environment using a simulated

weapons system,” states dstl’s Ian Poth-

ecary, a member of the Countermeasure

Concepts team.

From the threat operator’s perspec-

tive, the system needs to simulate weap-

on characteristics including a rapid rate

of fire and effects such muzzle flash,

vibration, smoke and tracer.

Representing the aircrew’s perspec-

tive, Royal Air Force Squadron Leader

James Birtwistle explained that the

importance of simulation is that it is

cheap, easy to repeat and you have full

control. But he did not ignore the very

necessary need to conduct live flying

training as well.

The main requirement is to repro-

duce the human performance reactions

of flightcrew as well as that of the threat

operator. What dstl needs is a way of

simulating the weapon effect and fus-

ing that data with that of the aircraft. In

other words, “replicating these interac-

tions in simulation, coupled with Defen-

sive Aid Suite (DAS), in order to develop

countermeasures.”

Dstl’s hostile fire research is con-

ducted at Porton Down in southern

England, one of three sites where dstl is

located. The organization provides sci-

ence and technology (S&T) research for

the UK Ministry of Defence and is run

along commercial lines. —By Andrew

Drwiega, International Bureau Chief

■ MILITARY | MISSION EQUIPMENT

Industry to Assist with UK Hostile Fire Systems Development

With three manufacturers who are developing high-speed

rotorcraft represented on the panel, the Helitech International

2013 Conference provided an opportunity to gauge the

differences in emphasis between the AgustaWestland

AW609, Sikorsky’s X2 and Eurocopter’s X3 and their likely

effects on the civil market.

Roberto Garavaglia, AgustaWestland’s senior vice presi-

dent for strategy and business development, pointed to the

AW609’s combination of 270-knot speed, 700 nm range and

pressurized cabin that allows it to fly above the weather at

25,000 feet, calling it “a phenomenal way of developing the

civil market into areas where today there is no possibility to

operate.” Hinting at future Arctic operations, he talked of

operating to rigs “which are further away and maybe even in

the north of the planet.”

Significantly, Sikorsky’s sales director for Europe, Alex

Sharp, did not conjure visions of X2 Technology compound

coaxial helicopters serving distant rigs. “We see at least the

initial market being almost totally military,” he said. “What we

are really seeing driving the offshore market,” he continued,

“is a focus on range as opposed to speed… So we tend to focus

on that area and not so much on what X2 gives us, which is

a lot of speed and performance at altitude and in really hot

climates, where we see the military operating. We are going

to let the military side develop the technology and then see

where the application is on the civil side.”

In contrast, Eurocopter UK CEO Markus Steinke said

that the X3 compound helicopter concept demonstrator was

aimed directly at the civil market. “It is about productivity;

we deliver more output in a given time for a given amount

of money,” he said. “And I think what you have in front of you

is various ways into the future – proof that the future will

change.” —By Peter Donaldson

■ COMMERCIAL | TECHNOLOGY

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Rotorcraft Report

Eurocopter invited Rotor & Wing to

participate in the demonstrations to

customers of its EC130 T2 and EC145

T2 helicopters just prior to the Helitech

exhibition in late September at ExCel in

London’s docklands.

The first helicopter was the EC130

T2, flown by experimental test pilot

Olivier Gensse. He has flown every

Eurocopter variant in the company

inventory with the exception of the

Tiger attack helicopter. With wiring

still evident on this pre-certification

aircraft, he nevertheless took four pas-

sengers into the surprisingly spacious

cockpit with two seats to spare (three

front and four back).

Following takeoff, we conducted

a few maneuvers within the airport

perimeter in ground effect, including

an effortless glide sideways at 40 knots.

Gensse said the climb rate was around

2,500 feet per minute. After further

demonstrations, we learned the full

understanding of the power delivered

by the Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine

as Gensse first climbed the helicopter

vertically then did a stall turn. This was

followed by another vertical climb with

him pushing over at the top of the climb

into a stable hover. From there the only

way was down – which is exactly what

we did, as Gensse pushed the nose

forward into a vertical descent with a

180-degree turn on the way down and

a recovery back to level flight. With

five onboard, including the valuable

cargo of MD Steinke, the power point

was proven without doubt. Needless

to say, with such a large amount of glass

surrounding both pilot and passengers,

visibility is excellent.

Flying in the twin engine EC145

T2 with test pilot Diethelm Berndt

was a more orderly affair with him

demonstrating over 30 minutes the

handling capability of the four-axis

autopilot and dual-channel FADEC.

The one-engine operative demon-

stration was carried out virtually

seamlessly from the passenger point

of view. Internally the six passenger

seats installed for the demonstration

were easily located in the cabin, and

the rear clamshell door design gives

visibility out of the rear of the aircraft

for aircrew.

Th e f l i g ht s w e re s ch e d u l e d

from Eurocopter UK’s home base at

Oxford airport and at Denham aero-

drome, a small airfield to the west of

London but within the M25. There

were up to 100 invites sourced from

utility operators, police air support

representatives and those directly

■ PRODUCTS | AIRFRAMES

Eurocopter Demos T2 Variant EC130, EC145 at Helitech

(Below) EC145T2. (Below right) A pair of Squirrels – AS350 taking off with AS355 in the

background. (Above left) Experimental test pilot Olivier Gensse at the controls of the EC130

T2 above the Oxfordshire countryside, before exhibiting the engine ‘grunt’ through a brief

but impressive aerobatic demonstration. (Above right) EC145 T2 glass cockpit.

Pho

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Rotorcraft Report


including performance-based services, consulting solutions through its Dublin-

based subsidiary, demonstrations of its online information services such as e-Tech

publications and other aspects of support.

“Our main goal is first and foremost keeping customer satisfaction at the heart of

Eurocopter’s strategy,” explained Guillaume Faury, Eurocopter president and CEO.

“This means offering not only the best products and evolutions but also efficient and

modern service solutions, tailored to the diverse needs of operators.” —By Andrew

Drwiega, International Bureau Chief

involved in providing helicopter

emergency medical services.

Said Markus Steinke, managing

director of Eurocopter UK: “Bringing

these rotorcraft to the UK enables

a broad section of the user commu-

nity to fully appreciate their latest

technology for enhanced mission

capability and flexibility.”

Eurocopter’s EC130 T2 is the

latest version of the lightweight

single-engine Ecureuil product line.

According to the company, around

70 percent of the EC130 T2’s air-

frame structure has been modified,

including the incorporation of a

more powerful Turbomeca Arriel

2D turboshaft engine and upgraded

main gearbox.

The twin-engine EC145 T2 also

incorporates new Arriel 2E engines

as well as a Fenestron shrouded tail

rotor; upgraded main and tail rotor

gearboxes; and new digital avionics

suite with four-axis autopilot.

Once the Helitech opens on

Tuesday, Eurocopter will exhibit a

full-scale mock-up of its EC175 in

corporate configuration along with

two model other variants: the EC130

T2 Stylence and the EC145 T2, both

shown as passenger carrying aircraft.

In addition, an EC120 together with

an EC145 in firefighting version will

be displayed on the outdoor helipad,

exhibiting their mission versatility.

The company’s range of services

initiatives will also be highlighted


Rotorcraft Report

■ SERVICES | MAINTENANCE

Guimbal Details Maintenance Numbers for the Costs to Operate Cabri G2

French manufacturer Helicopteres

Guimbal has unveiled numbers

on the cost of a Cabri G2 overhaul.

The first examples of the two-seater

were overhauled last summer at the

Guimbal factory in Aix-en-Provence,

after 2,200 flight hours.

For each of the two 2010 Cabris

operated by Jonkoping, Sweden-

based flying school Northern Heli-

copters, the downtime was six weeks,

according to the airframer. “In 2,200

flight hours, each of these Cabris generated revenues in the amount of about

three times its selling price,” founder and CEO Bruno Guimbal said. Then, the

overhaul cost 25 percent of this price, he went on.

A Cabri G2, in its baseline version, today sells for €293,000 (around $395,000).

By contrast, a Robinson R22 sells for $276,000. But an R22 overhaul costs twice

that of a Cabri, according to Guimbal.

“Thanks to its reduced maintenance needs, infinite fatigue life for all com-

ponents (including the main rotor and the composite airframe) and absence

of hard-time limits, the Cabri G2 is proving it is the most cost-efficient training

helicopter on the market,” Guimbal asserted.

The EASA recently granted the company a Part 145 approval for maintenance

and overhaul of the helicopter and its systems. Over 50 Cabri G2s are flying in

Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Helicopteres Guimbal now has 36 employ-

ees. —By Theirry Dubois

■ TRAINING | AIRFRAMES

Aviamarket Flies R66 Around the GlobeA pair of Robinson R66 turbine helicopters completed a six-week around-the-world

flight on Sept. 15, an expedition organized by Moscow-based Robinson dealer

Aviamarket.

The company organized the flight in an effort to test the newly Russian type certi-

fied R66. The flight took the helicopters from Russia and across Europe before cross-

ing the North Atlantic Ocean heading west over Canada, with a passage through

Alaska and finally crossing the North Pacific Ocean to Siberia and back to Moscow.

Crossing the Atlantic presented the biggest challenge of the trip, as it featured the

longest stretches over

water, the longest

being 490 miles.

A team of four

pilots flew about 620

miles per day in the

R66s which were out-

fitted with auxiliary

fuel tanks to extend

their range.

■ MILITARY | OPERATORS

Lynx Departure Signals End of British Military Flying in GermanyBritish military flying in Germany

came to a close October 4 with

the departure of the last Westland

Lynx Mk9A of 1 Regiment Army

Air Corps (1AAC) from Gütersloh

airfield in northern Germany.

The AAC departure marks the

end of British military flying in

Germany since the end of World

War II, as well as bringing to a

close 1AAC’s residency in Güter-

sloh that began in 1993. Initially

both Lynx and Gazelle helicop-

ters were operated from the base

but the Gazelles left for good on

March 31, 2000. In 2002, the Lynx

Mk7 lost its tube-launched TOW

missiles but was replaced by the

Lynx Mk9 in 2005, then the Lynx

Mk9A by the end of 2011.

Once back in the UK, 1 Regi-

ment AAC will begin to merge

with 9 Regiment AAC as a result

of the Ministry of Defense’s Army

2020 plan. This should be com-

pleted by 2015 with the new unit

shedding its Lynx Mk9As for the

new AgustaWestland Wildcat

helicopters, all under a single

headquarters located at Yeovilton,

Somerset. They will become part

of the newly formed Aviation

Reconnaissance Force.

The Regiment has deployed

helicopters 17 times on opera-

tions away from its home base,

including Operation Protego

(London Olympic Games) and

Operation Herrick (Afghanistan).

During its last deployment to

Afghanistan, 661 Squadron flew

more than 1,000 hours and in

40 deliberate missions in sup-

port of International Security

Assistance Force (ISAF) troops.

—By Andrew Drwiega

Cabri G2 in flight.

Helic

op

tere

s G

uim

bal

Part of the around-

the-world flight of

the Robinson R66.

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Rotorcraft Report

PEOPLE

T h e b o a r d o f

directors of Russian

H e l i c o p t e r s

h a s p r o m o t e d

A l e x a n d e r

Mikheev to CEO.

He replaces Dmitry Petrov, who will

take a role within Rostec State Corp.

Russian Helicopters is a subsidiary of

Oboronprom, which is part of Rostec.

Mikheev is the former deputy CEO

of Rosoboronexport, a division of

conglomerate Russian Helicopters.

Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov

noted in a statement that the strat-

egy for Russian Helicopters “targets an

increase in global market share to 18-20

percent from the current 14 percent

by 2020, including by expanding its

presence in the CIS, China, India, the

Middle East, Africa and Latin Ameri-

ca.” That includes a goal of producing

470 helicopters annually by 2020, with

revenue projected at around 240 billion

rubles.

Mike Atwood

r e c e i v e d t h e

NIGHTCON Life-

time Achievement

Award at this year’s

convention in Dal-

las, Texas. Atwood, who is CEO of

Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU),

was nominated for his work in helping

to develop and advance the use of civil

night vision goggles in civil aviation.

“Mike truly has pioneered the use of

NVGs in the civilian world not only in

North America, but also throughout

the world,” said ASU President Jim

Winkel.

R e b t e c h h a s

hired Curtis Ar-

nold as comple-

tions manager based

in Bedford, Texas.

Arnold has more

than 21 years of aviation experience,

holding an A&P maintenance certificate

with IA authorization and a commercial

pilot certificate with single and multi-

engine instrument airplane ratings.

Bristow Group has appointed Steve

Predmore as vice president and chief

safety officer for the company’s global

operations regarding safety, safety

auditing, health and environmental

issues. Predmore has 11 years of avia-

tion industry experience with JetBlue

Airways as vice president and chief

safety officer, and a further six as direc-

tor safety performance and quality

with Delta Air Lines. His last position

was senior vice president of safety

for MV Transportation. He has also

served with the National Transporta-

tion Safety Board (NTSB) and the

Management Advisory Committee to

the FAA administrator.

Waypoint Leasing (Ireland) has

appointed six people to its manage-

ment team: Robert Van de Vuurst,

general counsel; Peter Dahm, strate-

gic accounts executive; Dave Gorsky,

vice president of operations and tech-

nical; Ken Dowling, vice president

of financial reporting and business

planning; Marc Schechter, vice presi-

dent of risk and analytics; and Todd

Wolynski, vice president of legal and

associate general counsel.

Peter Bull has joined the advisory

board of helicopter leasing organiza-

tion Milestone Aviation Group. Bull

has more than 30 years of experience

in a variety of posts covering aircraft

maintenance, leasing, asset manage-

ment, risk consulting and continuing

airworthiness. He arrives from Air-

claims, where he was executive director

responsible for worldwide aviation risk

and asset management. He is a Fellow

of the Royal Aeronautical Society, the

Institute of Directors and the Char-

tered Management Institute.

EADS has made three further senior

nominations for its future Defense &

Space division. They are: Pilar Albiac-

Murillo, who becomes executive vice

president operations and will lead the

transformation of Airbus Defense

& Space; Christian Scherer who

takes the post of executive vice presi-

dent sales and marketing; and Lars

Immisch, who will be the division’s

executive vice president for HR.

Aubrey Point has replaced Peter

Dahm as vice president helicopters

at Avinco. Point has been with the

company since 2006, before which he

gained management experience in

sales and support with Eurocopter in

Thailand, Hong Kong and China.

Lease Corpora-

tion International

(LCI) is looking to

newly appointed

Mark Kelly to lead

its marketing across

the EMEA. Kelly’s

title is vice president of marketing and

he will be based in Dublin, Ireland. An

experienced helicopter pilot, Kelly will

address both marketing and business

development issues. His previous posi-

tion was managing director of CHC,

Ireland, where his main responsibil-

ity was the safe, efficient and compli-

ant operation of the search & rescue

service for the Irish Coast Guard. As a

SAR commander, Kelly flew over 250

missions including receiving an award

for his part in one rescue mission.

Circor Aerospace Products has

promoted Daniel Godin to vice presi-

dent of operations for North Ameri-

ca. Godin has been general manager

for the New York and Ohio facilities

since 2008, where he was responsible

for business and financial profitabil-

ity, operations, supply chain and team

management, as well as driving strate-

gic growth initiatives.

Rockwell Collins president Kelly

Ortberg has been given the addi-

tional role of CEO by the organization’s

board of directors. He has also been

appointed to the board and to the

board’s Executive Committee. Ortberg

succeeds Clay Jones, 64, who retired

as CEO after nearly 34 years with the

company. Jones will continue as non-

executive chairman. Ortberg joined

Rockwell Collins in 1987 and became

president in September 2012.

Bell Helicopter has made additions

Rotorcraft Report


Dec. 2–5: Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and

Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, Fla. Contact I/

ITSEC, phone 1-703-247-2569 and 1-703-247-9840 or visit www.

iitsec.org

2014:Feb. 24–27, 2014: Helicopter Association International (HAI)

Heli-Expo 2014, Anaheim, Calif. Contact HAI, phone 1-703-

683-4646 or visit www.rotor.org

March 12-15: HAircraft Electronics Association (AEA)

International Convention and Trade Show, Nashville, Tenn.

Contact AEA, phone 1-816-347-8400 or visit www.aea.net

May 4–6: Quad-A Annual Convention, Gaylord Opryland

Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. Contact HAI, phone 1-203-268-2450 or

visit www.quad-a.org

July 19–20: Farnborough International Airshow, Farnborough,

UK. Visit www.farnborough.com

Sept. 17–19: ATC Global, Beijing, China. Contact ATC Global,

phone +44 (0) 207 921 8149 or visit www.atcglobalhub.com

com

ing

even

ts

Post your resume on Aviation Today’s Job Board and sit back while the jobs come to you!

Post your resume or job today at www.aviationtoday.com/aviationjobs

to its executive leadership team. Gun-

nar Kleveland becomes senior vice

president of integrated operations; Dr.

Cathy Ferrie will serve as senior vice

president of engineering; and Matt

Hasik is senior vice president for com-

mercial programs. Kleveland, Ferrie

and Hasik will succeed Pete Riley and

Jeff Lowinger.

The Alliance for Aviation Across

America has appointed Mark Baker

as the new president of the Aircraft

Operators and Pilots Association

(AOPA). Baker replaces Craig Fuller,

outgoing president of AOPA, who has

led the organization for the last five

years. Baker is a pilot and has been

president of several companies.

EagleMed has named Chuck

Welch as national director of new

business development. He reports

to EagleMed president Larry Bugg.

Welch will be responsible for manag-

ing the company’s fixed-wing and

rotor wing business development

activities throughout the United

States.


Rotorcraft Report

London-based Avincis Group made a splash during Helitech

International 2013 in late September. In addition to teaming

with Bristow Group and CHC to examine safety practices

following a CAA review into North Sea offshore operations,

the company has reached agreements with helicopter makers

AgustaWestland, Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter, as well as

engine manufacturer Turbomeca.

Avincis has placed an order for up to 20 helicopters from

Bell, consisting of the 429, 412 and 412EPI. The company plans

to use the Bell variants in air medical/life and rescue operations.

The operator has also purchased five helicopters from

AgustaWestland. The order includes two AW189s intended for

offshore missions in the UK’s North Sea with Avincis subsidiary

Bond Aviation. The other three helicopters – one AW139 and a

pair of AW169s – will support EMS operations in Italy.

According to the com-

panies, the preliminary

agreements” for the five

helicopters are part of a

wider arrangement for

up to 16 helicopters from

the AW139, AW169 and

AW189 family. The heli-

copters will serve in vari-

ous roles, including offshore, EMS, utility and SAR, mainly in

the UK and Italy.

Eurocopter purchased three EC225s for Avincis subsidiary

Bond Helicopters Australia. Bond will use the aircraft to sup-

port PTTEP Australasia’s activities in the Timor Sea (PTTEP

Australasia is part of Thailand’s national petroleum exploration

and production company).

According to Eurocopter executive vice president of global

business and services, Dominique Maudet “over 75 percent

of the EC225s worldwide are now back in service.” Further

emphasizing Eurocopter’s pushback on the recent incidents,

he added that “the EC225 will be a benchmark in oil and gas

operations for years to come.” Avincis Group director of fleet

and engineering Martin Whittaker said that his company was

looking forward to deploying the aircraft and adding them to

their existing Eurocopter fleet of around 170 helicopters (out of

a global fleet of 350 helicopters).

Safran Group subsidiary Turbomeca has inked a global

support contract with Avincis, covering engines in operation

with Australian Helicopters, Bond Air Services, Bond Offshore

Helicopters and Inaer. The contract, which totals around 180

engines on 14 different helicopter types, includes Turbomeca’s

Support by the Hour (SBH) program for the Bond and Inaer

fleets.

■ COMMERCIAL | EVENT COVERAGE

Helitech’s Move to London Results in Attendance BoostAccording to Reed Exhibitions,

organizers of Helitech International

2013, the move from rural Duxford

airfield to ExCel in London resulted in a

12 percent increase in attendance.

More than 5,600 people came to the

three-day event in late September, with

more than 220 exhibitors (70 of which

for the first time at the UK-based show).

According to estimates, the event was

around 30 percent larger than Helitech

2011, with the proportion of interna-

tional attendees rising 20 percent. Reed

hosted Helitech 2013 in col-

laboration with the European

Helicopter Association, and

OEM partners included AgustaWest-

land, Bell Helicopter, Eurocopter, Rus-

sian Helicopters and Sikorsky.

Read more about Helitech Inter-

national in Rotor & Wing’s Post-Show

Wrap: http://accessintelligence.

imirus.com/Mpowered/book/

vheli13/i2/p1

■ SERVICES | OFFSHORE

Avincis Reaches Agreements with AgustaWestland, Bell, Eurocopter and Turbomeca During Helitech

Interior view on the show floor of

Helitech International 2013 at ExCel.

Avincis CEO James Drummond and

AgustaWestland CEO Daniele Romiti.

AgustaWetland displayed a number of

helicopters during Helitech. Ag

usta

Westlan

d

Ag

usta

Westland

Reed

Exh

ibitio

ns

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Rotorcraft Report

■ TRAINING | MAINTENANCE

Sikorsky Picks Kratos for CH-53K Maintenance TrainingSikorsky Aircraft has

granted an $8.5-million

contract to Kratos Defense

& S e curity S olutions

related to maintenance

training systems for the

CH-53K. The agreement

involves a Maintenance

Training Device Suite

(MTDS) and a Helicopter

Emulation Maintenance

Trainer (HEMT) that will

be based at the U.S. Marine

Corps Air Station in New

River, N.C. The CH-53K

is USMC ’s heav y l i f t

helicopter program that is scheduled to enter service in 2019.

The MTDS will supply a “true-to-life environment” for evaluating multiple

subsystems on the CH-53K, supporting

maintenance training and remove-and-

replace training for avionics, electrical

and hydraulic systems, according to

Kratos. HEMT will use a 3D virtual

platform to train aircrew and mainte-

nance personnel on topics such as fault

isolation, troubleshooting, functional

tests and removal/installation of 27

subsystems.

■ COMMERCIAL | FORECASTING

Teal Group 10-Year Outlook Puts Helicopter Market at $193 BillionCivil and military rotorcraft operators will require 16,126 new helicopters worth

$193.1 billion over the next decade, according to the Teal Group’s annual world

rotorcraft review released September 24 at the Helitech International 2013

conference in London.

The 10-year forecast projects civil users will require 10,308 rotorcraft worth

$60.3 billion and the military will require 5,818 new helicopters worth $132.8

billion through 2022. AgustaWestland, Bell, Boeing, Eurocopter and Sikorsky are

expected to account for 96 percent of sales of new rotorcraft over the next decade,

according to the Teal Group. Richard Aboulafia, vice president of the Teal Group,

said his company’s forecast does not account for “heavy upgrade activity” that will

be required to maintain aging fleets.

Boeing and Sikorsky will continue to dominate the military market, while

Eurocopter and AgustaWestland will battle to dominate the civil market, the Teal

Group said in its forecast. Besides the five major rotorcraft airframe manufactur-

ers mentioned in their report, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is expected to be

the only company to establish new market presence.

■ MILITARY | MISSION EQUIPMENT

Elbit Obtains HMD Contract for South Korea Surions

Elbit Systems has received a follow-

on contract to supply its Helmet

Mounted Display (HMD) systems

for the Republic of Korea Army’s

Surion helicopter. The Korean Utility

Helicopter (KUH), otherwise known

as the Surion, is a joint venture between

Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) and

Eurocopter along a 51/49 percent split,

respectively. The Korean Army has

ordered around 200 Surions to replace

its aged fleet of MD500 and UH-1H

helicopters, while 40 additional KUHs

will go to the Korean Marine Corps

for amphibious duties. Deliveries have

already begun and should be completed

by 2022, with Marine deliveries taking a

year longer to complete.

Yoram Shmuely, general manager of

Elbit Systems’ Aerospace Division, said

that his organization was considering

involving the recently formed local

company, Sharp Elbit Systems Aero-

space, in the project. The HMD system

was chosen by KAI in 2009 as part of

the initial Korean Helicopter Program

(KHP).

■ SERVICES | REPAIRS

Vertical Aviation Approved for Robinson R66 ServicesScottsdale, Ariz .-based Vertical

Aviation has received approval from

Robinson Helicopter to serve as an

R66 service center. The location is

also a service center for the Rolls-

Royce RR300, which powers the R66.

Vertical Aviation is a sales and service

center for Eurocopter, Turbomeca,

Rolls-Royce and a dealer for Guardian

automated f light following (AFF)

and flight data monitoring (FDM)

systems.

CH-53K graphic.

Kratos HEMT.

Kratos MTDS.

Imag

es c

ou

rtesy K

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s

Rotorcraft Report


PRODUCTS | AIRFRAMES

Bell Launches Upgrade on 412EPIBell Helicopter has initiated an

upgrade program for the 412EPI,

with a focus on improving the

helicopter’s Category A certification

and increased operational flexibility

for Category A Part B procedures.

Danny Maldonado, executive vice

president for sales and marketing at

Bell, calls the 412EPI that “backbone

o f m i ss i o n - c r i t i c a l h el i co p te r

operations,” and says the upgrades

will increase operational flexibility

for operators. The upgrade program

will begin in November, with the first

completion scheduled for the first

quarter of 2014.

■ MILITARY | UNMANNED

Navy Wraps Up MQ-8C Ground TestingThe U.S. Navy’s first MQ-8C Fire Scout

unmanned helicopter has completed

ground testing and engine runs during its

initial testing at Naval Base Ventura Country

Point Mugu, Calif.

Northrop Grumman engineers pow-

ered up the aircraft’s rotor blades for the

first time Friday, as the company looked to

collect enough data to ensure the Scout’s

systems are functioning properly ahead of its

upcoming first flight.

“Completion of these tests signifies our

steady progress toward the first flight of the MQ-8C Fire Scout,” said George Vard-

oulakis, vice president of medium range tactical systems at Northrop Grumman.

The Navy currently has the company under contract to produce an MQ-8C for

deployment beginning next year. According to a spokesperson for Northrop Grum-

man, the first flight of the MQ-8C is scheduled for October.

A range of international operators at Helitech agreed

that the certification process stipulated by authorities to

allow helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS)

operators to use night vision goggles (NVGs) in Europe

needs to be quicker and more streamlined.

While all confirmed that safety had to be the main

consideration whether operators were conducting day

or night missions, it was unanimously agreed night

operations using NVGs were always safer than not

using them.

During the conference those speaking included rep-

resentatives from the East Anglian Air Ambulance (with

support provider Bond Air Services), Spanish operator

Inaer, DRF Luftrettung from Germany and the Norwe-

gian Air Ambulance.

“Flying with NVGs is much better than flying with-

out,” said Erik Normann, manager of flight operations

for Norwegian Air Ambulance. In 2012, Normann

said that his organization had flown 7,757 flight hours,

or which 1,716 were at night (22 percent) and 1,158

(15 percent) on NVGs. In Norway, particularly taking

into account is position in the Northern Hemisphere,

darkness is always a factor in providing a service to the

population. Because of the rugged geography in some

parts of the country, what is only a 15-minute flight be

helicopter can be up to seven hours by car.

In terms of crew resource management (CRM), Nor-

mann said that both the pilot and HEMS crewmember

in the cockpit had NVGs and that even the doctor in the

back was given a hand-held device: “During a landing –

all eyes count,” he said.

While the Norwegians have been operating with

NVGs since 2002, the East Anglian Air Ambulance

became the first UK HEMS operator to certified to use

NVGs earlier this year. Bond Air Services director of

flight operations Capt. Pete Cummings said: “East Anglia

have been the first to really push for night HEMS. The

CAA were supportive within their regulatory frame-

work – and always erring on the side of caution.” With

the application process beginning in November 2011,

a list of considerations to gain approval was received

from the CAA a month later. The CAA eventually pub-

lished its safety directive in July 2012 – which included

the requirement to illuminate the final approach area

with white light from a height of 500 feet. This required

the fitting of a Trakka 800 light onto the front left

hand skid. Eventually, all points were satisfied and the

first night HEMS flight took place on May 13, 2013.

—By Andrew Drwiega

Read the Full Story at www.rotorandwing.com

■ SERVICES | CERTIFICATION

Operators: Speed Up NVG Certification Process

MQ-8C ground tests.

No

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rop

Gru

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an


Rotorcraft Report

■ PRODUCTS | MISSION EQUIPMENT

Thommen, Trakka in the SpotlightNew competitors have recently enlivened a market dominated by Boeing’s

Spectrolab, and Helitech 2013 provided Rotor & Wing with an opportunity to

examine Thommen’s HSL-1600 and Trakka Corp.’s Trakkabeam A800 – two

very different solutions to the same set of problems.

The HSL-1600 looks the more conventional of the two with its large diam-

eter parabolic reflector that forms the output of the 1,600-watt short arc xenon

bulb into a beam. A self-contained unit, it has no separate components except

the hand control unit and associated cabling. Stepper motors move it in eleva-

tion and azimuth and digital control enables faster movement in all directions,

“keep out” zones to protect heat-sensitive aircraft equipment such as antennas

and precise coordination with camera pods. It can also be removed and rein-

stalled without realignment, says the company.

Its other party trick is an integral IR filter that slides around the bulb hous-

ing on command, the whole mechanism remaining inside the searchlight

housing.

The Trakkabeam A800 is slimmer in profile, a clue to a different operating

principle. Instead of a large diameter reflector, it shines the short arc xenon

bulb’s light through a system of lenses. This, says European sales manager

Christian Steward, provides a much more uniform distribution of light within

the beam, eliminating the dark spot at the center and the peripheral fade asso-

ciated with reflector searchlights.

Another unique feature of the A800 is its small diameter filter wheel that

contains, in addition to an IR filter, an amber filter to improve penetration of

fog and a visible red filter. The latter eliminates the vertigo sensation that look-

ing up at white light can induce in people working underneath the helicopter

and having to look up at it, according to Mick Rennie, key account and service

support manager for Europe. —By Peter Donaldson

Read the Full Story at www.rotorandwing.com

■ COMMERCIAL | AIRFRAMES

First Bell 429 Operational in UK, 407GX in Switzerland

Adding to a

string of recent

regional firsts,

the Bell 407GX

has entered

service with its

first operator

b a s e d i n

Switzerland.

The handover

comes shortly after the first Bell 429 took

flight as part of a UK-based fleet with

National Grid, as well as the first 429 in

VIP configuration with TJ Morris Ltd.

Inspection and maintenance of

power lines is the primary role of the

National Grid 429. Bell’s European head-

quarters in Spain added EASA-certified

equipment to the helicopter, including

an operator workstation with SkyQuest

20-inch display, L-3 Wescam MX-10

control unit and Nano Flash recorder.

Bell gave the VIP 429 keys to TJ Mor-

ris during a September 21 ceremony

that marked the opening of a new com-

plex for Heli-Charter, the manufac-

turer’s Independent Representative and

Customer Service Facility in the UK.

Next on the docket is a 429 delivery to

Starspeed, a helicopter management

company that will use the VIP aircraft

for a private operator, as well as corpo-

rate charter flights.

Alpinlift Helikopter will deploy the

407GX to utility missions in Switzer-

land. Sascha Kempf, Alpinlift manag-

ing director, noted the safety features

of the 407GX, including the Garmin

G1000H avionics and synthetic vision,

as part of the reason for purchasing

the Bell variant.

■ SERVICES | REPAIRS

Gulf Helicopters and QAI Team on Component RepairsQuality Aviation Instruments (QAI)

and Gulf Helicopters have agreed to

establish a component repair facility

in Doha, Qatar. The joint venture will

cover component repairs for helicopter

accessories, avionics and instruments.

The companies intend to open in the

repair center in late 2013 or early 2014

following a certification process with

FAA and EASA. The site will provide

repairs for the AgustaWestland AW139,

other AgustaWestland types and

various Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter

platforms.

National Grid Bell 429.

Gulf Helicopters

AW139.

Bell

Helic

op

ter

Ag

usta

Westland

National Grid Bell 429.


for Helicopter Operators

Max-Viz EVS System from AstronicsAn Astronics Max-Viz EVS system can increase safety and mission success

in both rotary and fixed-wing EMS fleets for approximately half the cost

of night vision goggles (NVGs) with no need for costly flight deck lighting

modifications and hours of expensive initial and recurrent flight crew

training and currency.

Max-Viz EVS can give your pilots and aircraft capability no night vision

goggles can. Unlike NVGs, Max-Viz allows your flight crew to see through

smoke, haze and light fog. Day or Night. They can accurately see terrain,

tree lines, landmarks, landing zones and obstructions. Situational aware-

ness and spatial orientation are improved dramatically. Stress and fatigue

are reduced. And the ability to more effectively discriminate between MVFR and IFR conditions can minimize or even elimi-

nate the chances of IIMC.

Max-Viz is certified on 16 different helicopters and over 200 fixed-wing aircraft. Let us show you how we can help with col-

laborative STC development and special needs for aircraft installations not currently available. Interested in preserving your

assets? See Max-Viz in action. For more information, visit www.max-viz.com/solutions/ems

GDC64 Tablet Aircraft Interface Unit Available from DAC InternationalMany developers are writing apps that can use aircraft position,

weather info, and/or discretes from the aircraft. Applications for

weight and balance information, OOOI reports, data recording

and reporting, and many other apps that can be developed and

tailored for the user.

DAC International’s GDC64 Tablet Aircraft Interface Unit

(TAIU) GDC64 is specifically designed as an aircraft interface

device to feed aircraft data to an iPad® without additional costly

Wi-Fi devices. This unique interface product routes data from

aircraft sensors and systems to the iPad enabling a wide range of

incremental functionality for the flight crew. You simply plug your

iPad into connector conveniently located in the cockpit to get data

and power to keep the iPad fully charged during flight.

With this product in the cockpit, operators will be able to fully leverage the benefits of using today’s apps as well as future ones

being developed to reduce cockpit workload and increase crew information and situational awareness. To find out more call DAC

International at 1-512-331-5323 or visit www.dacint.com

True Blue Power Releases Lithium-Ion Batteries for Business and GA UseMid-Continent Instrument subsidiary True Blue Power has introduced two

advanced lithium-ion batteries for business and general aviation applications. The

TB17 and TB44 feature A123 Systems’ Nanophosphate lithium-ion chemistry.

The TB17 weighs 16 pounds, offering a 45 percent weight savings compared to

older, lead-acid and nickel-cadmium alternatives, according to True Blue. The

larger TB44 weighs 53 pounds, offering a 40 percent weight savings. It is designed

for the turbine market, including fixed-wing and rotorcraft applications. These

next-generation battery systems are engineered to provide an overall lower cost

of ownership with 50 to 75 percent less scheduled maintenance cost. Find out

more at www.truebluepowerusa.com


TRAINING | SIMULATORS

Heli-Union’s Traini

Builds on New Tech

Rotor & Wing was invited to get a

first-hand look at the operator’s

training center in Angouleme, France.

By Thierry Dubois

Pho

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Hel i-Union is growing uti-

lization of its Angouleme,

France-based pilot training

center thanks to the adoption

of the latest tools available – a Thales/

Eurocopter Dauphin full flight simulator

(FFS) and Guimbal Cabri G2 light piston

singles. In addition to answering Heli-

Union’s in-house needs, the Heli-Union

Training Center (HUTC) is increasingly

looking for third-party customers for

both its ab-initio and recurrent training

programs. During a visit to HUTC in

October, Rotor & Wing could see first-

hand team efforts to reach and maintain

student pilot proficiency, especially in

offshore oil-and-gas operations.

With its offshore experience, Heli-

Union a few years ago identified a niche

in Eurocopter AS365 N3/N3+ Dauphin

pilot training.

“The authorities were increasingly

demanding in recurrent training and we

wanted to offer our customers a consis-

tent, high-level standard in oil-and-gas

training,” Jean-Baptiste Olry, head of

HU TC ’s business development, told

Rotor & Wing. In 2009, HUTC ordered

the first FFS for the type and inaugurated

it in 2012. Rotor & Wing understands

there are only two in service around the

world, the other one is based in Singa-

pore.

HUTC’s FFS Level B/flight training

device Level 3, under European regula-

tions, also meets the FAA Part 60 Level 6

standard. “An FFS Level D is much more

expensive but is only slightly more real-

istic and brings little more possibilities,”

Olry said. The same recurrent training

can be performed on an FFS Level B,

he summarized. The only difference is

for type rating, as the student will have

to be trained an extra two hours on the

real aircraft. Inside the simulator, a few

differences appear – some flight instru-

ments are not physically the same as

those of the real aircraft, while buffeting

vibration cannot be felt.

Heli-Union Training

of the latest tools available – a Thales/

(FFS) and Guimbal Cabri G2 light piston

singles. In addition to answering Heli-

looking for third-party customers for

both its ab-initio and recurrent training

programs. During a visit to HUTC in

October, Rotor & Wing

hand team efforts to reach and maintain

offshore oil-and-gas operations.

With its offshore experience, Heli-

ing Center

chnologies

Full-flight simulator at Heli-

Union’s Training Center.


HUTC’s FFS offers a 210 x 70-de-

gree field of view. It has six degrees

of motion freedom. Actuators are

electric with pneumatic assistance.

This makes maintenance much easi-

er, compared to previous-generation

hydraulic technology. The simula-

tion data package – algorithms that

link pilot inputs to aircraft outputs

– is Eurocopter’s original. The reac-

tion time of HUTC’s FFS is 60 mil-

liseconds, which is equivalent to a

Level D.

Three cockpit configurations

are available. They use either a con-

ventional “steam gauge” instrument

layout or more modern electronic

displays ; and one of two autopi-

lots – three-axis or four-axis. On

top of the baseline configuration,

equipment has been added as part

of the offshore standard – TCAS,

EGPWS, AVAD (automatic voice

alert device) and ADELT (automati-

cally deployable emergency locator

transmitter), Olry explained.

The instructor can choose from

two geographic databases. One,

with a resolution in the order of a

few feet, represents the southeast

quarter of France. Then, the world-

wide database has a 50-foot resolu-

tion. It allows simulating the off-

shore environment with oil rigs and

vessels in day or night conditions.

Particular attention was given to

helideck realism, in line with CAP

437 rules, Olry said.

Simulated navigation aids are

updated regularly to be consistent

with the real world. Atmospheric

conditions can be recreated, such

as pressure, temperature, humidity

and wind. Lighting conditions can

be recreated, too – sun and moon,

dusk and dawn, clouds etc.

While the benefits of simula-

tors are well known to the airline


Guimbal Cabri in the Heli-Union training fleet.

Ph

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by T

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...connecting people to

lung cancer survivorship

through research, education

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www.LUNGevity.org

1 in 14 Americans

will be diagnosed with lung cancer—

60% will be never or former smokers.


industry, they are still relatively new

for civil helicopter pilots, instruc-

tors and operating companies. First,

to train for offshore landings, the

student and his instructor do not

have to spend time f lying to the

platform. In one click of a mouse at

the instructor observation station,

the helicopter and the crew find

themselves in approach.

Some failures are never trained

in flight, like an engine shutdown

on a platform. In a simulator, such

a failure can be introduced for the

student to deal with it from A to Z,

Olry said.

When simulating a ditching ,

the student will actually pull all the

handles that release the liferafts,

chief instructor Thierry Vermeersch

added. The risk of accident or inci-

dent is nil. In addition, the simula-

tor suppresses external constraints

such as air traffic control, weather,

pilot duty time etc. Moreover, a

representative of an oil company

can attend a simulator session to see

how pilots of his transport service

provider behave. Finally, one “flight”

hour on a simulator is roughly 50

percent cheaper than one real flight

hour on the same type.

Vermeersch is a highly experi-

enced offshore pilot who regularly

goes back in the field during the

year. This is the key of Heli-Union’s

approach to training – being as close

as possible to real-life conditions.

“Our flight documents are used in

operation,” Olry emphasized. He

added Heli-Union has reworked the

platforms available in Thales’ soft-

ware, for better realism and compli-

ance to lighting standards.

HU TC instructors are consis-

tently endeavoring to improve their

training methods. Accident and

incident reports inspire training


Flight navigation procedure trainer (FNPT) at the Heli-Union

Training Center in France.

Pho

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scenarios, Vermeersch said. The Air

France 447 crash in 2009 prompted

him to have his students train-

ing for pitot airspeed probe icing.

Sharing experience is valued – a

student pilot in recurrent training

can describe a particular manner to

apply a procedure at his company.

This can lead the chief instructor to

reconsider his own habits.

W hen Rotor & Wing v is i te d

HUTC, a debate was going on about

filming student pilots with a small

camera installed inside the simula-

tor. The hoped-for teaching benefit

was when a student pilot challenges

the instructor. Watching the video

enables the instructor to clearly

show why he deemed the perfor-

mance substandard. A difficulty

was seen, however, in the time to be

spent finding the relevant segments

in a long video.

The FFS will operate for some

1,700 hours this year, which trans-

lates into 250 student pilots. Olry is

aiming for 2,000 hours in 2014. Of

these, Heli-Union’s in-house needs

account for a constant 1,000 hours.

FFS customers , mainly from

overseas, include oil-and-gas, emer-

gency medical service and corporate

operators. Several foreign air forces

have chosen HUTC for its ab-initio

program, which brings students

with zero flight time experience to

fully qualified IFR pilots, Olry said

What about the bottom l ine

of using a simulator, versus real

aircraft, for recurrent training? As

an operator, Heli-Union is already

seeing a difference. The chief pilot

has noticed his Dauphin crews have

improved their piloting skills since

they have begun using the simulator,

according to Olry.

The FFS is HUTC’s flagship but

is not the company’s only tool at

Angouleme Cognac airport. Another

one is an AS365N Dauphin, now

undergoing a cockpit upgrade. In light

singles, a Schweizer 300 is still flying

but will soon be phased out. Two

Cabri G2s are replacing it. The first

one was delivered in February and the

second one in September. They are

mainly used for ab-initio training.

Olry explained that the type was

chosen against the ubiquitous Robin-

son R22/R44 for its easier autorota-

tion procedure, crashworthiness and

design philosophy. With its shrouded

tailrotor and modern cockpit, it is

closer to the helicopter types the

students will fly eventually, he said.

According to Guimbal’s numbers,

the higher acquisition cost will be

recouped in a few years, thanks to

much cheaper maintenance.

Last, but not least, is the flight

navigation procedure trainer (FNPT

II). Although not a moving device,

it is valuable for basic helicopter

handling and navigation (including

IFR) learning. Based on a Eurocop-

ter AS355 N Ecureuil light twin,

HUTC’s FNPT II offers a 180° x 45°

field of view.

In 2012, HUTC trained 392 stu-

dent pilots, for a combined 2,879

hours .

Heli-Union Key Facts

The Heli-Union Training Center,

founded in 2002, is a subsidiary

of Heli-Union. The parent com-

pany is an offshore oil-and-gas

transport specialist with opera-

tions in Africa, Asia-Pacific and

South America. The fleet is made

of 35 helicopters – Eurocopter

AS365N/N3 Dauphins, AS332 L1

and EC225 Super Pumas, EC145s,

and Sikorsky S-76C++s. It will be

one of the first operators of the

soon-to-be-certified Eurocopter

EC175, with an order for four.

Héli-Union f l ies about 17,000

hours per year.

Heli-Union Training

Jean-Baptiste Olry, head of HUTC’s business development, with a Cabri.

Ph

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by T

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It still takes a good mechanic with

the right set of tools on the main-

tenance floor to get a helicopter

out of the hangar and back in the

air, regardless of how sophisticated the

aircraft’s technology is. However, the

way he or she approaches the repair is

being dramatically changed by the intro-

duction of increasingly sophisticated

information technology – or commonly

known as IT.

Specifically, it is the growing impor-

tance of IT software being designed

to make aviation maintenance more

efficient, cost effective and error free…

while meeting the challenge of advanc-

ing technology. Key to that development

is a rapidly improving seamless aircraft

operations and maintenance process.

“In the future, aviation maintenance

software should promote seamless,

integrated flow of information among

OEMs, regulatory agencies, operators

and maintenance provides, a virtual

single system,” said Jack Demeis, presi-

dent of Continuum Applied Technology.

“Standardization of information – in for-

mat, as well as content – will have critical

impact on efficiency, safety, cost of own-

ership and aircraft uptime.”

The need to incorporate mainte-

nance operations into the virtual single

system is what is now driving software

companies to develop programs that

provide seamless maintenance opera-

tions—from routine maintenance and

squawk reporting to return to service

and final invoicing, he said.

“The problem today is that there are

SERVICES | MAINTENANCE

As next generation rotorcraft become ever

more sophisticated, the software industry is rising

to meet the maintenance challenge.

By Douglas Nelms

NEW TECHNOLOGY NEEDS G ING TINETIETEEE MEE MRE MARWAOFTOFW SOW SEW SNE FTW INN TWEW S E MARA NG TINTIETEETE MEEE MERE MARE MWARFTWOFW SOW SEW SNEW SN

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disparate, duplicate sources of data and

disconnected systems. This produces

inefficiency, errors and expense.”

Through its program called COR-

RIDOR, Continuum Applied Technol-

ogy is taking those packages of data,

using 25 modules broken up by tradi-

tional responsibilities within the sup-

port organization, then taking a holistic

approach to develop a fully integrated

real time system linking everything

together, he said. “The unique thing is

how information flows between these

informational areas within the mainte-

nance organization and to other third-

party systems.”

For instance, a part requisition gets

routed to the appropriate person in

procurement, while simultaneously

and automatically being routed to the

appropriate folks for technical and/or

regulatory approvals. “While all this

is going on, the entire process is being

communicated to the appropriate

technicians responsible for making the

repair on the helicopter so they don’t

have to be constantly checking to see

what the status of the parts is.”

The company is releasing Version

11 of CORRIDOR, which includes

additional modules such as planning

and scheduling, tool crib and calibra-

tion management that ensures the

right tools are available and accurately

calibrated for the job. It also includes

personnel training management to

ensure that the mechanics doing the

repairs have both the qualifications and

certifications to do the repairs.

CORRIDOR tracks the job through

to the very end, Demeis added. “Once

the job is done, a single button push

American Eurocopter’s distribution

center at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW).

Operators are able to order parts online

through the Keycopter system and the

parts are packaged and ready for shipping

in less than four hours.


SERVICES | MAINTENANCE

creates an invoice for the customer.

Everything involving the job – account-

ing, invoicing and regulatory – is done

automatically. It’s a seamless operation.”

The OEMs have already started

working toward making seamless main-

tenance support a part of their customer

support programs. Last December,

Eurocopter added an eTech capability to

its Keycopter support program, allowing

operators to simply download main-

tenance publications onto an iPad or

jump drive, according to Ericka Wright,

American Eurocopter’s e-Commerce

business manager.

“Previously we just had the IPC (inter-

process communication—the method of

exchanging data among shared memo-

ry) available (on Keycopter). The eTech

system is web-based, so the customer

just logs into the URL, then logs into

Keycopter where all of their publications

are stored on the server. They can access

it from anywhere in the world that has

Internet access.”

Eurocopter started with one model

in December, but has now added all of its

models to the eTech capability.

Keycopter is American Eurocopter’s

E-Commerce customer service portal.

Along with allowing a customer to man-

age his account activities with Eurocop-

ter, it allows the ability to order parts and

spares, find alternate part information,

check technical publications and carry

out repair and overhaul tracking.

Eurocopter has also signed an agree-

ment with Ramco Aviation to serve as

the maintenance tracking tool, Wright

said. With the Ramco system, every

helicopter in the fleet will have its data

captured and stored in a data base,

allowing operators to track trends and

problems in the aircraft, “which will be a

huge safety benefit,” she said.

The Keycopter program is also used

for spares management, with over 80

percent of spares now ordered through

that system…up from only 30 percent

three years ago, she said. “When a part

is ordered from the spares warehouse

at DFW, it can be taken down, given an

air waybill number and out the door in

four hours.”

Ramco CEO Virender Aggarwal said

that maintenance providers “want to

offer one-stop shopping to their custom-

ers. They are looking for software which

can address much more to the fleet… to

meet the needs of operators of small and

medium helicopter clients.”

He noted that software must be

developed to “deal squarely with con-

stant changes in configuration, differing

maintenance philosophies and increased

maintenance activities to adapt to the

differing mission types.” It also needs to

be able to control the key aspects of the

maintenance business, to include the

supply chain, technical documents, costs

and licenses – all in a single system.

The Ramco system is cloud-based,

“which makes it user friendly for small

and large operators,” said P.R. Vende-

trama Raja, RAMCO’s vice chairman

and managing director.

With tens of thousands of parts

in an aircraft, tracking and manag-

ing each stage of maintenance work

would become unmanageable without

a user friendly and comprehensive

M&E/MRO solution, he said. “The

Ramco-Eurocopter cloud-based MRO

software addresses the unique needs of

smaller operators, MROs and CAMOs,

which until now had to either run on

disparate point solutions or operate

manually using paper/excel to track

maintenance and manage safety and

regulatory compliance.”

As more operators buy into a cloud-

based environment, cloud is rapidly

becoming a method of choice for fun-

neling information from data centers to

the user. It is a method in which users

can access the data they need from

remote servers via the Internet rather

than having to be connected to a local

server. They simply lease the service

from third-party providers, which gives

them not only access to the data they

need for repairs or upgrades, but also

provides a fixed cost that can be pro-

grammed into the overall cost of their

maintenance program.

Obviously, Eurocopter is not the

only OEM offering improved software

packages for maintenance support of

its family of helicopters. Sikorsky uses

the HELOTRAC 2X software system,

“a web-based program that records,

manages and reports essential informa-

tion for enhanced fleet management

operations,” said Lawrence Varholak,

chief engineer and director of analytics,

technology and engineering for Sikorsky

Aerospace Services (SAS), the sup-

port arm for Sikorsky Aircraft. This is a

“sophisticated, yet low cost maintenance

tool” that eliminates the need for down-

loads or software installations, providing

“easily and quickly access (to customers’)

fleet information anytime, anywhere,”

he added.

It offers instant links to Sikorsky

service bulletins and FAA airworthiness

directives, as well providing scheduled

and unscheduled maintenance tracking.

“It also monitors and reports Mainte-

nance Due Projections, History Log and

Archival system (while) offering direct

interface to interactive Electronic Tech-

nical Manuals,” he noted.

HELOTRAC 2X can be integrated

directly into those Sikorsky helicopters

equipped with health and usage moni-

toring systems (HUMS) “providing real-

time aircraft status,” Varholak said.

He noted that a “new and improved

Oracle software platform” is being devel-

oped for the S-76D “that will further

enhance its capabilities.”

New software is also being devel-

oped for program-specific maintenance.

StandardAero recently released its Pow-

erCheck 4.9 engine monitoring package

that computerizes engine power checks

for all airframes using the Rolls-Royce

M250 turbine engine.

Previously, maintenance engineers

would take engine readings such as N1,

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N2, and torque based on an aircraft flown

at specific parameters such as outside air

temperature, pressure altitude, density

altitude, barometric pressure, etc., and

line the figures up in the aircraft manual

charts using pen and ruler to compute

power efficiency of the engine.

With PowerCheck 4.9, the figures are

simply put into the computer program to

generate the power margins remaining

within the engine.

“This makes it easier for the opera-

tors, who now don’t have to work with

the charts,” said Shannon Barylink, Stan-

dardAero performance engineer. “It also

cuts down on possible errors, and allows

the operator to save the data and look at

trends over time. This allows him to see

when he starts having degradation so

he can work out a schedule for further

maintenance. It also allows a power

check after the maintenance is done so

he can see the ‘before and after’ readings.

It gives the operator a good overview

and allows him to watch trends over his

entire fleet.”

A new piece of hardware that is help-

ing helicopter fleet maintenance is the

LiveAero transmitter/receiver. OpenPort

Aero was designed by Iridium Commu-

nications and built by and rebranded as

LiveAero by LiveTV, a major provider of

in-flight entertainment. It is distributed

by Greenwich AeroGroup.

This provides a broadband wi-fi

bi-directional signal to and from the heli-

copter with a guaranteed 134 kilobytes

per second, with speeds up to 300 kbps

with network optimization. More spe-

cifically, it can transmit under the rotors

rather than through them, “so there is

no loss going through the rotor,” said

Mark Fisher, Greenwich director, MRO

aviation programs. The system sends

and receives from 66 satellites “that are

constantly moving, so you are picking up

the signal on the horizon to allow it to go

under the rotors.”

Value of the new system is that it

allows direct, real time aircraft HUMS

information to be transmitted in-flight

back to the operator’s maintenance

facility. This means that if a helicopter

is having any kind of trouble en route to

an oil rig as much as 200 miles offshore,

the aircraft’s HUMS will transmit the

problem back to the maintenance facil-

ity, allowing the maintenance people to

figure out what the problem is before the

pilot even calls them. They can then have

a maintenance helicopter en route to the

rig to fix the problem even before the

initial helicopter lands, he said. “Today,

HUMS is already being transmitted over

the Iridium network, but it transmits at

2.4 kbps. So they have to break it up into

data packages and send out a package

ever so often. What you can do with the

134 kbps, since you can actually com-

press it, is send a whole packet of data

every so many seconds. You can send a

megabyte in less than 60 seconds, so you

can send all of the HUMS data at one

time if needed.”

Along with being the worldwide

distributor, Greenwich does all the

testing, integration and STC certifica-

tion requirements for the system. It is

currently working on an STC for the

AW139, “and looking at the Eurocopter

Super Puma, and Sikorsky S76 and S92,”

Fisher said. “We’re also looking at other

(helicopters) that are on our roadmap, as

well as working with multiple helicopter

OEMs to provide LiveAero for future

production deliveries.”

A major item currently impacting

on helicopter avionics maintenance

is ARINC 661. This is the standard by

which avionics “black boxes” are basically

made generic to allow LIUs (LAN inter-

face units) between multiple systems,

according to Matt Jackson, product

manager for Presagis, a provider of com-

mercial off-the-shelf software programs.

Although ARINC 661 has been

around for about a decade, the intro-

duction of the avionics standard “is

starting to pick up quite quickly in the

rotary wing industry because it gives

airframe manufacturers the ability to

make customizations to their custom-

ers very, very quickly without too much

overhead for certification,” he said.

“They can deliver a customized heli-

copter to the customer with minimized

certification cost.”

ARINC 661 “defines how boxes talk

to the rest of the avionics,” Jackson said.

“So our tools allow [the user] to generate

that software load to be compliant to

ARINC 661, which then allows the com-

panies to build these generic boxes.”

Since ARINC 661 provides for com-

mon boxes throughout the cockpit, it

allows ground maintenance crews to

switch out a box that has failed. In flight,

a second box can take over because it

has the same capacity, he said.

“With ARINC 661, people can have

common units and share them. There

are aircraft around now that have the

same box in the rear of the cabin as in the

front of the cabin. The ground crew can

just switch them around if one fails.”

Presagis is now building the soft-

ware tool “to allow our customers to

prototype, build and deploy the actual

glass cockpit. We generate the software

that fits inside those boxes.”

Presagis also ensures that the code

used to develop the software is correct

to DO-178B standards, which provides

the guidelines for developing aviation

software that complies with accepted

airworthiness requirements.

Graphic showing how various elements interact using Corridor.

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The 2nd annual ADAC HEMS

(Helicopter Emergency Medi-

cal Service) Academy network-

ing event for EC145 and EC145

T2 operators took place September 5-6

at the Bonn-Hangelar airfield near the

city of Bonn in northern Germany.

The ADAC HEMS Academy,

established in July 2009, was formed

to help integrate the training of air-

crew and medical specialists who fly

together on HEMS missions. The

training center comprises a simula-

tor hall and media equipped training

rooms for individual, computer-based

and group sessions for pilots, doc-

tors and paramedics. The simulator

hall has EC135 and EC145 full flight

simulators (FFS Level A to JAR-FSTD

H). There is also a Christopher Sim

medical simulator and trauma room

training facility.

Talking about the reasons behind

the establishment of the event, Thomas

Gassmann, the academy’s director of

business development and sales, stated

that “in the rapidly evolving role for small

helicopters in HEMS, law enforcement,

offshore energy and VIP transportation,

the clustering of knowledge becomes

paramount in order to ensure the best

training for pilots and crews.”

The networking event this year

brought together flight operations man-

agers and heads of training from EC145

operators spread over 15 countries,

mostly from Europe but also from places

like Australia, Japan and Brazil.

The first day began with a night vision

goggle/night vision imaging system

(NVG/NVIS) European status update

with individual presentations from five

operators: ADAC-Germany, HDM-

Germany, Rega-Switzerland, INAER-

Spain and the U.S. Army Falcon Team

– JMRC from Hohenfels/Germany.

Largely operators discussed their dif-

ferent approaches to NVG use in terms

of crew composition, training, and

infrastructure limitations or enhance-

ments. Said Gassmann: “The variety

of different angles being employed to

reach the same goal was astonishing,

even impressing the most experienced

of operators present.”

DRF Luftrettung is a large rotorcraft

operator with an extensive fleet of rotary

and fixed-wing aircraft: 16 EC135s;

seven EC145s; 25 BK117s; four Bell

412s; and three Bombardier Learjet 35.

PUBLIC SERVICE | TRAINING

ADAC Academy Networks EC145 HEMS Operators

Reviewing the recently held EC145/EC145T2 networking

event staged by ADAC HEMS Academy in Germany.By Andrew Drwiega, International Bureau Chief


Those aircraft operate from 28 bases in

Germany and two in Austria. In total

the personnel comprise: 180 pilots; 300

HEMS crewmen; 500 emergency doc-

tors and 70 technicians.

HDM Luftrettung is a subsidiary

of DRF founded in 1972, and currently

operates NVIS services from three of

its five HEMS bases at Munich (2009),

Regensburg (2010) and Berlin (2011). It

has five EC145s (which are NVIS certi-

fied by EASA) as well as four Bell 412

HP/EPs (which have no NVIS certifica-

tion) with NVIS equipment. The NVGs

being used are ITT 4949s and Nogalight

NL 93s (with the XR5 tube).

According to HDM’s Volker

Schreiber, all helicopters and pilots are

IFR certified with dual-pilot missions

conducted for night and IFR missions.

Both pilots use helmet-mounted NVGs

and they are used for takeoff, during

flight and landing (as required). How-

ever, rescue forces on the ground must

prepare remote sites, including lighting

the landing area and illuminating imme-

diate hazards.

U.S. Army Capt. Nathan Stewart

made the point that NVG operators

need to understand how their equip-

ment’s performance characteristics

were affected by the environment in

which a mission was being flown, such

as the level of illumination, the terrain,

different seasons, the moon light/angle

among others: “Remember, perfor-

mance specifications and capabilities

change. Accurate today, may not be

accurate tomorrow!”

Carlos de la Cruz Caravaca, a base

manager with Spanish HEMS opera-

tor INAER, said that the nightly flights

recording by his crews hit an average of

1.539 flight hours per night during July

2013. He told delegates that 25 percent

of his organization’s flights took place at

night (170 from 660 hours per helicop-

ter.) He is based in the Castilla la Mancha

with four Eurocopter aircraft (two each

of EC135 and EC145) virtually covering

the area of operations during the night

with a 30-minute response time. Night

operations began in 2006 and through a

process of infrastructure build up there

would be around 225 identifiable and

usable night helipads by the end of 2013.

Swiss operator Rega has been flying

NVIS operations since 1988. Flying 1,250

sorties per year, Lukas Kistler stated that

the reason for NVG use was to “enhance

safety, rather than the mission envelope.”

He added that Rega’s “rule of thumb”

for NVG operation was to use them

when they would prove better than the

eye in movements such as climbing,

cruising, landing site reconnaissance

and approach-to-landing. He concurred

with other speakers that hover, take-

off, landing and maneuvering close to

obstacles were usually better performed

off NVGs.

Quoting U.S. Army statistics, he said

that 95 percent of all incidents happen

on NVG when the helicopter is being

hovered close to the ground.

Rega’s crew concept was to have a

single pilot with NVG training using hel-

met-mounted NVGs. The HEMS crew-

member would also be NVG trained,

but would use a hand-held NVG device.

The medical doctor onboard would

not be NVG trained or equipped. He

added that communication was very

important, even just to say “on goggles”

or “naked eye” or “below goggles.”

Later in the day, Gassmann said that

Mark Wentink, chief technology officer

of Desdemona, Netherlands, gave a

report on disorientation training in the

impressive Desdemona device from

Austrian company AMST (discussed

online in March 2011 and Decem-

ber 2012 of www.aviationtoday.com).

Wentink highlighted the brownout

training in Afghanistan, as well as invert-

ed deep-stall training for F-16 pilots and

stall recovery for airline pilots.

Wentink said it was important for

Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF)

pilots to understand and be aware of the

dangers of “seat-of-your-pants” flying.

Part of the advanced training that they

received revolved around real-life, stress-

ful scenarios involved looking at drift and

wind effects, particularly over un-even

terrain. On NVGs, pilots had to be mind-

ful of the effect that a smaller field-of-

view would have over visual references.

He raised the issues of false horizons dur-

ing the hover, the experience of reduced

contrast when landing into (runway)

lights, and the danger of speed/height

perceptions in low-level flight.

Toward the end of the day, CueSim’s

Andy Rowe demonstrated several new

visual features for the latest flight simula-

tors including “improved volumetric

clouds, SpeedTrees, automatic runways

and high-density traffic.” Finally, the fun

element to the event saw all participants

trying their skills on a Segway parkour to

test their balance and handling skills.

The second day was focused on

customer experience and began with

reports from two pilots, Masahiro Naka-

mura from Aero Asahi, Japan, and Peter

Howe who flies with CHC-Australia.

Aero Asahi had experience no HEMS

accidents since 2001 said Nakamura,

despite a national average of around 350

HEMS mission per base. Aircraft used

by the organization include the EC135,

BK117C2 (EC145), MD900, Bell 429 and

AgustaWestland AW109. Japan’s HEMS

experience has included providing ser-

vices post earthquake and tsunami.

Nakamura added that the medical staff ’s

favorite aircraft remained the BK117

due to its internal space and the added

bonus that over 100 kg of medical equip-

ment was regularly carried. However, he

said that the performance of the EC145

was making a significant difference

when it came to improving vertical

takeoff limits.

Finally, ADAC Luftrettung’s deci-

sion to go forward with the purchase of

14 EC145T2 was explained by Thomas

Hutsch of ADAC Luftfahrttechnik and

Stefan Brade from ADAC Luftrettung.

From the simulation perspective, the

process and timeline needed to make

changes in the simulator composition

toward the development of an additional

EC145T2 simulator at the academy

were explained, and an offer made to all

EC145T2 clients to become involved in

this new development.

Thomas Gassmann concluded by

revealing that the networking event

would be run again next year from Sept.

4-5, 2014.

ADAC HEMS

HEMS crewmen; 500 emergency doc-

has five EC145s (which are NVIS certi-

HP/EPs (which have no NVIS certifica-


MILITARY | TECHNOLOGY

The U.S. Army’s selection of two coaxial and two tiltrotor

competitors for the JMR TD Phase 1 – two Davids and

two Goliaths – could be a shrewd move toward the

eventual development of Future Vertical Lift.

By Andrew Drwiega, International Bureau Chief

PROCEED WITH

The U.S. Army’s selection of two coaxial and two tiltrotor

two Goliaths – could be a shrewd move toward the

eventual development of Future Vertical Lift.

CAUTION

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JMR Tech Demo

As soon as the U.S. Army’s

Av i a t i o n a n d M i s s i l e

Research, Development

and Engineering Center

(A MRDEC) awarded four Tech-

nology Investment agreements in

respect of the Joint Multi-Role (JMR)

technology demonstrator (TD) Phase

1, the main question on industry

observer’s lips was: Where the heck

did Karem Aircraft come from?

That the Sikorsky/Boeing joint

venture/teaming/buddyship (they

had not the official name at time of

writing) received an agreement was

as certain as that granted to Bell Heli-

copter. AVX Aircraft has been making

itself known on the periphery for a

while now, but with the absence of the

big European players of AgustaWest-

land and EADS (Eurocopter), it might

have been a reasonable to assume that

perhaps the Piasecki Aircraft would

have been invited to the party with its

compound vectored-thrust ducted

propeller (VTDP). But Karem Aircraft

came out “straight out of left field” for

many observers.

It is worth remembering that, in

the eyes of the Department of Defense,

“Future Vertical Lift (FVL) is an initia-

tive; not yet a solution.” It is borne out

of the determination to develop a sci-

ence and technology (S&T) plan based

on capability assessment. DoD issued

“The Future Vertical Lift Initiative: A

Strategic Plan for United States Depart-

ment of Defense Vertical Lift Aircraft”

in October 2011.

Herein lies the reason for the inclu-

sion of AVX Aircraft and Karem Air-

craft, two “blue sky” research compa-

nies who may not have the industrial

muscle of Bell, Boeing and Sikorsky, but

could well offer the kind of unfettered,

non-corporate way of thinking that

the big boys sometimes find hard to

deliver – at least deliver quickly. And it

is not beyond the wit of man to see that

both of these fresh approach choices

will provide alternatives and angles

on coaxial and tiltrotor development.

DoD is virtually, unofficially teaming

two Davids with two Goliaths.

Looking for a RoadmapWhat the DoD is looking for is a much

more focused roadmap for rotorcraft

capability development than it has had.

The initiative defines vertical lift as

“controlled vertical takeoff and vertical

Av i a t i o n a n d M i s s i l e

and Engineering Center

(A MRDEC) awarded four Tech-

did Karem Aircraft come from?

as certain as that granted to Bell Heli-

Karem Aircraft is designing its TR36

technology demonstrator for the U.S.

Army’s Joint Multi-Role competition.


landing with a mission payload.’”

The inclusion of AVX and Karem

are deliberate attempts by the DoD, the

author believes, to introduce an ele-

ment of friction and competition into

this S&T process. The need to develop

an S&T plan that moves a good dis-

tance away from what has been stan-

dard policy in the past.

In a way, this has been reflected in

the process to identify a successor to

the U.S. Army’s existing reconnaissance

platform, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.

After the failures of the Boeing/Sikor-

sky RAH-66 Comanche (maiden flight

1996) and the Bell ARH-70 Arapaho

(maiden flight 2006), the new Armed

Aerial Scout (AAS) competition called

for all interested companies to take part

last summer in a technology demon-

stration event where they brought what

they had to the table. This included

Bell’s OH-58D Block 2, the MD540F,

Boeing’s AH-6, EADS North America’s

AAS-72X and the AW139 (flying to

represent the AW169). Sikorsky did not

participate as it was in the early stages

of developing its S-97 Raider. But when

Lt. Gen. William Phillips stated that

none of the aircraft displayed could

meet the Army’s requirements, he was

in fact sealing the fate of a commercial-

off-the-shelf (COTS) aircraft. This pro-

vided industry with some confusion, as

the message from Program Executive

Office chief Maj. Gen. William (Tim)

Crosby in 2011 had been to find out if a

COTS solution could get close to what

the Army needed.

In fact the original Request for

Information (RfI) published on April

25, 2012 from the Armed Scout Heli-

copter Program Management Office

specifically sought information on

“commercial, commercial-modified,

military and conceptual air vehicle

technologies” and asked industry for

“voluntary flight demonstrations of

their existing air vehicles to display the

state of the art in regard to helicopter

systems and subsystem(s) technolo-

gies.” The government estimate of the

unit cost was $12-15 million. This must

be viewed remembering that talk at

the time was of cutting back and doing

more with less.

But if the AAS is not to be a COTS

solution without further improvement,

as Gen. Phillips stated, then the devel-

opment of the FVL seemingly needs

to break out of the “one OEM; one

solution” mold of previous acquisitions.

However, having been there once with

Comanche, the “old firm” of Sikorsky/

Boeing is set to try again. How much

of the legacy breakthroughs from the

stealthy RAH-66 have made their way

into Sikorsky’s X2 development is not

precisely known, but its decision to

forge ahead and onward toward the

S-97 Raider.

But AMRDEC has apparently intro-

duced the “honest brokers” of AVX and

Karem to keep the big corporate OEMs

focused. Interestingly AVX’s Com-

pound Coaxial Helicopter (CCH) has

been under design since 2009 through

the JMR Configuration Trades and

Analysis (CTA) program. According

to the company, results achieved by

the end of the JMR TD Phase 1 “will be

used to inform the Future Vertical Lift

effort regarding promising vehicle con-

figurations, the maturity of enabling

technologies, obtainable performance

capabilities, and will highlight the

affordable technical solutions required

to achieve those capabilities while

reducing program risk.”

According to the company, the

AVX CCH TD will be a three-quarter

scale version of the JMR objective air-

craft. But does it really have a chance

of progressing to the down-select stage

where AMRDEC is to nominate a max-

imum of two TDs to progress to actual


AVX Aircraft’s JMR design concept.

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build and flight testing, which has been

scheduled to take place between from

2017 through 2019?

Likewise Karem Aircraft leans on its

founder, Abraham Karem, for much of

its reputation. He founded the firm to

examine advanced tiltrotor aircraft but

by circumstance has a past that is inter-

twined with Boeing. Karem’s compa-

nies were behind the development the

GNAT 750 (a forerunner of the UAS

MQ-1 Predator) and another UAS, the

A180 Hummingbird Optimum Speed

Rotor from Frontier Aircraft (now

owned by Boeing). In fact Frontier Air-

craft was then absorbed into Boeing’s

own prototyping and secretive devel-

opment center, Phantom Works.

So now Karem Aircraft is taking

tiltrotor technology (remember the

Bell-Boeing partnership over the V-22

Osprey) and pitching it against Bell

Helicopter. It’s a curious world isn’t it?

Karem’s website focuses on Joint

Heavy Lift and Joint Future Theater Lift

(JFTL) aircraft, together with a civil ver-

sion powered by an Optimum Speed

Tilt Rotor (OSTR). A statement from

Karem revealed nine years of private

investment in OSTR civil transports,

although the backers were not identi-

fied. In a release after the AMRDEC

award (but not on the website), Karem

announced that its JMR offer would be

a TR36TD design featuring OSTR and

would provide a “leap ahead” in terms

of vertical lift. It would be powered

with twin 36-foot-diameter variable-

speed rotors and existing turboshaft

engines. The speed would be around

360 knots (414 mph) – fast compared

to the 280 kts predicted by Bell for its

V-280 and a leap ahead of the 230 kts

predicted by AVX and Sikorsky/Boe-

ing for their coaxial.

Speaking to the director of Inte-

grated Systems, Ben Tigner, Rotor &

Wing asked how the U.S. Army had

been persuaded that a company with

only a small number of employees had

come to be one of the four chosen for

the JMR TD award. His answer was to

point to the work already done by the

company over the FHL. He also said

that the company’s “extensive portfolio

of patents and patents pending” indi-

cates its understanding of the tiltrotor

concept and how it was being devel-

oped. The company has 30 patents

or patents pending include: tilt actua-

tion for a rotorcraft (2009); rotorcraft

JMR Tech Demo

V-280 mock-up.

Mock-up of the Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor from the side (above) and front.

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engine and rotor speed synchroniza-

tion (2010); and anhedral tip blades for

tiltrotor aircraft (2011).

Of Abe Karem, Tigner said: “Abe

is our company founder and provides

the guiding vision behind much of

our technology.” But outside that he

had little to add to statements already

publically made about the company,

and nothing regarding where or how

the technology demonstrator would

be made, or which companies Karem

would partner with. Lockheed Martin

has been a partner already. When

Karem designed its TR75 as a Joint

Heavy Lift (JHL), Lockheed added the

capabilities offered by its OSTR during

the 2007-2010 Concept Design and

Analysis program extension.

Bell Announces Team Valor PartnersIn the run-up to AUSA Bell Helicopter

began revealing a string of industry

partnerships on the V-280, the biggest

of which was with Lockheed Martin

announced on September 9. Lockheed

has already offered to provide a mission

equipment package to all contenders,

although Bell was the first to accept.

When asked if this debarred it from

working with the other teams, Lock-

heed Martin spokesperson Keith Little

would only comment that the com-

pany was “willing to support all OEMs

as they create their air vehicles for the

JMR phase.”

On October 16, GE Aviation was

announced as the engine supplier.

Talking of the tie-up, Jean Lydon-Rod-

gers, vice president and general man-

ager, GE Aviation Military Systems

Operation said: “GE is proud to team

with Bell on the V-280 Valor with a

proven propulsion system to support

this technology demonstration. GE

continues to invest in next generation

propulsion technology through the

Future Affordable Turbine Engine

(FATE) program.” The V-280’s V-tail

and ‘ruddervators’ will be designed

and manufactured by GKN Aero-

space. Kevin Cummings, CEO, GKN

Aerospace North America said that his

company’s “expertise across metal and

composite design and manufacture”

was what Bell wanted for the aircraft.

In mid-October Moog was added

to Team Valor. Moog will design,

manufacture and qualify the V-280’s

integrated flight control system. In

addition, AGC Composites has agreed

to provide the over wing fairing for the

V-280.

Eyes on the HorizonThe DoD’s strategic plan is to provide

a foundation for future rotorcraft

design “by shaping the development

of vertical lift aircraft for the next 25 to

40 years.” With the rotorcraft industry

straining to get its teeth into the cor-

porate financial security that a winning

design would bring, AMRDEC’s timely

reminder that “80 percent of decision

points for the DoD vertical lift fleet to

either extend the life, retire, or replace

with a new solution occur in the next

8-10 years” will focus minds even

more.

The next nine months will pass by

quickly for the four chosen organiza-

tions now pouring their knowledge

into their individual JMR TD projects.

Only two will then be selected to prog-

ress, but will the remaining two then be

in a position to sub-contract or even

team with the winners?

Dr. William Lewis, director of the

AMRDEC’s Aviation Development

Directorate, retains the strategic per-

spective of the challenge in hand: “We

must continue to push implementa-

tion of the FVL Strategic Plan which

will positively impact Vertical Lift Avi-

ation operations for the next 50-plus

years. Absolutely, that is what JMR is all

about.” He talks about mitigating risk

and the results of JMR TD Phase 1 as a

starting point for the future.

There seems to be a determina-

tion by AMRDEC not to rush into

prototyping too early. There is a warn-

ing that “the JMR TD program is

not building prototypes of the FVL

solution nor a pre-selection program

for FVL.” The discoveries made and

results that emerge are covered by

words of restraint for industry: “prom-

ising vehicle configurations, the matu-

rity of enabling technologies, attain-

able performance and capabilities,

and highlight the affordable technical

solutions required to achieve those

capabilities.”

While industry will want to get to

the job of what it does best – build-

ing airframes – sequestration is still

driving the mindset of those looking

for this future rotorcraft program. A

leap into the future may be the aim,

but these first “new born” steps are still

swaddled in caution.


Graphic showing the rear ramp of the AVX Aircraft Joint Multi-Role design.

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45NOVEMBER 2013 | ROTOR & WING MAGAZINEW W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O M 45NOVEMBER 2013 | ROTOR & WING MAGAZINEW W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O M


This is being written during

the fifth day of the U.S. Fed-

eral government shutdown

and our politicians are at 110

percent of N1 political spin mode. My

personal politics are somewhat to the

right of Attila the Hun, but I hope that

my prejudice does not seep into this

message. A political pundit stated the

other day that “I do not understand

the political right’s (conservative)

complaint that the U.S. government

is too big, after all the number of U.S.

federal workers has dropped over the

last few years.”

When I first heard that, my inher-

ent prejudice about the size and scope

of government caused me to say No

Way. Upon looking at the stats avail-

able on some government and other

websites, a reasonable person would

not argue the point. Then I looked

at the number of regulations written

that will have an economic impact

worth more than $100 million. Sure

enough, that figure has been on the

rise over the last five years. But, is

that really causing the feeling in the

country that the federal government

is too big, or is it something else? So

I thought about the helicopter com-

munity. Most of us would assume

that the helicopter community is

more conservative than the general

population. Certainly there is a liberal

element, but that viewpoint is not

widely expressed. So what would

cause this culture to adopt a more

conservative viewpoint? I think I

know the answer. When a person

decides that helicopters will be their

life’s work, whether as an engineer,

technician or pilot, they understand

that people’s lives – including their

own – will be affected by their com-

petency. So we share a culture of like-

minded people who believe in them-

selves and accept the responsibility of

our work product being safe, not only

for ourselves but others as well.

So if my fellow travelers in the heli-

copter world live in a fairly competent

world, what is it that is causing the

consternation among us? Number one,

we are not being governed well at all. I

think the clearest example of this is the

abrogation of the U.S. Congress in its

responsibility to pass laws that are well

written and do what they are intended

to do. What I see is that Congress is

shirking the hard work of understand-

ing the issues and instead they are

passing a framework or general notion

of what the law should be. Then with

Congressional blessings, the federal

bureaucrats are actually writing the

detail of the law and we all know the

devil is in the details. At some level, rely-

ing on subject manner experts within

the federal bureaucracy to have input

on rules and regulations is an appropri-

ate solution. We passed appropriate

a long time ago. The legislators from

both sides have neglected their respon-

sibilities and the regulators are working

in a vacuum. Unfortunately, it appears

to me that in this vacuum, the worst

kind of power-hungry bureaucrats at

all levels realize that this vacuum will

let them get away with whatever their

agenda is, and off they go.

Some examples: a good friend of

mine owns a company that provides

heavy equipment to coal mining oper-

ations, bulldozers and earthmovers,

etc. An EPA inspector found a can of

WD40 where the markings on the can

wore off from rolling around in a tool-

box in the service unit for the heavy

equipment. He closed the mine down.

Another friend is an FAA Designat-

ed Engineering Representative (DER).

He recently submitted a proposed

modification to his local FAA Aircraft

Certification Office (ACO) to include

a currently produced Mil-Spec wiring

harness for the purposes of the modi-

fication. He was ordered to conduct a

burn test on a harness. I repeat, this is

a harness with a Mil-Spec cert that is

used for another similar application in

production aircraft.

The list goes on, there are many

better examples of plain stupidity

within the federal and state bureau-

cracy. The purpose of this column

is to encourage all of us not to get

mad at the regulator. Next time you

see this kind of stupidity, write your

legislator at the appropriate level and

tell him or her that this is a symptom

of their work product and that you

will be supporting candidates that

understand the need to stop the slide

toward being ruled by unelected

bureaucrats rather than our elected

representatives.

Unelected Bureaucrats Writing the Rules

Public ServicePublic ServiceBy Lee Benson

TRAINING | REGULATIONS


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Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only) 1. Publication Title: Rotor&Wing 2. Publication Number: 1066-8098 3. Filing Date: 10/8/13 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 6. Annual Sub-scription Price 89. Complete Mailing Address of Known Of ce of Publication: Access In-telligence, 4 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD 20850-4024 Contact: George Severine Telephone: 301-354-1706 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Of ce Publisher: Access Intelligence, C, 4 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd Floor, Rock-ville, MD 20850-4024 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Maging Editor: Publisher: Randy Jones, 4 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD 20850-4024 Editor: Andrew Parker, 4 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD 20850-4024 10. Owner if the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock: Veronis Suhler Stevenson, 55 East 52nd Street, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10055 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or other Securities: None 12. Non-pro t organi ation: not applicable. 13. Publica-tion: Rotor&Wing 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: September 2013. Average No. of No. Copies of 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Copies Each Issue Single issue During Preceding Nearest to 12 Months Filing Datea. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 20,516 21,396b. egitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 18,217 17,992 (2) Inside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 0 0 (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors Counter Sales and Other Distribution Outside USPS 448 576 (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes 27 27c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 18,692 18,595d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies 354 361 (2) Inside-County Nonrequested Copies 0 0 (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail 0 0 (4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms, and Other Sources) 910 1,945e. Total Norequested Distribution 1,264 2,306 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 19,956 20,901g. Copies not Distributed (Of ce, Returns, Spoilage, Unused) 560 495 h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) 20,516 21,396i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 93.67% 88.97%16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2013 issue of this publication17. Signature of Ful llment Manager: George Severine Date: 10/7/13 PS Form 3526-R, August 2012


By Ernie Stephens

Upon my arrival at the Air-

borne Law Enforcement

Association (ALEA) exhi-

bition hall in Orlando a

couple months ago, I got a big surprise.

It was the appearance of a helicopter

from an agency I know.

It was move-in day, which is when

the exhibitors set up their booths, and

the various helicopters that will be on

display are wheeled inside. I was there

to get the Rotor & Wing booth ready

when I saw a helicopter belonging to a

department I’m familiar with. I won’t

identify the specific agency, or the

particular villain in this story, but there

isn’t a law enforcement aviator on this

planet who hasn’t seen the same thing

at least once.

The reason the presence of this

particular aircraft and crew surprised

me was because for nearly 10 years the

commander of that unit had kept the

operation bound, gagged, and kept in

what amounted to a state of exile. You

see, for him, the standard operating

procedure could be summed up by a

little statue of the “See-No-Evil, Hear-

No-Evil, Speak-No-Evil” monkeys he

kept on his desk. He felt that the best

way to keep his job from being compli-

cated was to see nothing, listen to noth-

ing, and say nothing – and to make sure

nobody under him did. “Look,” he once

told me. “The less people there are and

the less flying they do, the less chances

there are of something happening.”

So, for far more years than it should

have been, this individual kept the avia-

tion unit off the radar, which included

trashing letters of commendation,

because those had to be forwarded

up the chain; keeping requisitions to a

minimum, because that requires writ-

ing justifications; and rejecting all invi-

tations to display their aircraft at ALEA,

because it draws outside attention.

Most air unit bosses are excellent.

They’re motivated to learn, and want

to see the operation run properly. But

there are a few leaders want to keep a

low profile for no other reason than

they’re ashamed of how little knowl-

edge they have. They’ve discovered

that the way they used to run other

units just doesn’t work when it comes

to a section as specialized as aviation.

So, they slouch down in the back of

the classroom, and pray that nobody

calls on them to say or do something.

The guy who was hamstringing the

agency I’m focusing on today may

have had some of that in him. But from

the conversations I’ve had with him

that were borderline confessions of

embezzlement, he was just trying to

do as little as possible without being

caught by his bosses.

The good news is that an incoming

chain of command realized that he was

dead weight, and drop-kicked him to a

more conspicuous assignment where

he couldn’t be dead weight anymore.

He tendered his resignation papers a

few months after that, but not soon

enough for me to win the bet I had

that said he’d be gone within two pay

periods.

Back at the hangar, a new com-

mander had come in, and discovered

an aviation unit that had not progressed

one step in years. The equipment was

outdated, the staff had been woefully

neglected, and – worst of all – there

was plenty of money on the books that

could have fixed all of that years ago,

had the bad guy been about the busi-

ness of running the place properly, or

at least willing to delegate tasks to any

one of the fine, capable people he had

under him.

Things are great at the unit, now.

The atmosphere improved overnight.

The helicopters received badly needed

upgrades, the crews got some things

they needed, and they’re in the air

catching bad guys and finding lost chil-

dren the way they’ve been wanting to

for the past decade. And yes, they were

in attendance at ALEA, along with

several high-ranking members of their

department who had come to show

their full support.

What saddens and angers me is that

the agency I’m referring to is not the

only one that has been on such a ride.

As I talk to my law enforcement avia-

tion buddies across the country, they

say they have been through the same

ups and downs, or at least know some

folks who have. It’s hard to see an oth-

erwise effective unit trying to do their

jobs with a concrete-block-of-a-leader

chained around their necks. And we all

know that bucking the chain of com-

mand to get help can be the third rail of

a paramilitary organization, right?

Perhaps the lesson to be learned

from these cases is that the winds of

change can blow in both directions,

and often come between the lines of a

transfer list – or maybe even general

election results, depending upon the

level of the problem child. So, I suppose

it’s all about riding out the hard times,

and hoping the good times will return

before the only attractive solutions left

are those that can lead to a stretch in the

state penitentiary.

Out with the Bad... Finally

PUBLIC SERVICE | POLICE

Law Enforcement


Operator Profiles: Special Double Fea-ture—We sent Editor-at-Large Ernie Stephens to fly with a handful of operators and compile an Opera-tor’s Report from various segments of the industry. Among them is Canada’s Cougar Helicopters in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The section will also include highlights of what operators tell us are the most vital pieces of equipment and services that support their flight operations.

Sikorsky S-92 Rig Approach—Pat Gray, our

Offshore Notebook columnist, witnesses the first

run of Sikorsky’s new IFR rig approach for the S-92

along with offshore operator PHI. The FAA-approved

approach is set to help offshore operators perform

autonomous landings to rigs and platforms.

Year in Review—We’ll examine the biggest sto-

ries in the helicopter industry from 2013, with an eye

on the potential impact on 2014 and beyond. What’s

your favorite helicopter story from 2013 and why?

Send your feedback to [email protected]

Columns—Leading Edge by Frank Lombardi;

Safety Watch by Terry Terrell; Training News; and Mili-

tary Insider by Andrew Drwiega

Annual Reports—As we approach the start of

each new year, Rotor & Wing surveys its advertisers,

key vendors and suppliers in the helicopter mar-

ketplace, and we ask them to provide our readers

with an updated profile of their company and oper-

ations. We ask them to tell us how they are doing,

what important changes they’ve made in the past

year, and to provide an update on what new prod-

ucts, initiatives or innovations we might expect to

see from them in the coming months. After all, in

the turbulent marketplace and world economy we

live in today, the one true constant is change!

2014 Rotorcraft Outlook Panel—We take a

different approach this year by having our contribut-

ing writers interview each one of the executives that

take part in the Annual Reports profiles and compile

a story about what CEOs and other company leaders

see in the crystal ball. The feature story will lead off a

section that includes answers from executives about

industry trends and what to expect in the future.

Columns—Public Service by Lee Benson; Law

Enforcement Notebook by Ernie Stephens; and Mili-

tary Insider by Andrew Drwiega

December 2013:

January 2014:

Bonus Distribution: December 3-5, Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Confer-ence (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, Fla.


By Andrew Drwiega

MILITARY | PROCUREMENT

The long-running and painful (to

both sides) Canadian Maritime

Replacement Program may

be heading toward a solution

after the Canadian government took

the drastic step of bringing to a meeting

those involved – and rivals – to try and

force an answer. According to The Cana-

dian Press, a meeting was staged at the

beginning of October between Cana-

dian Defense and Public Works offi-

cials and representatives from CH-148

Cyclone manufacturer Sikorsky – as well

as industry rival OEMs AgustaWest-

land and NH Industries. The meeting,

which has been reported widely in the

Canadian media, was allegedly staged

to find a workable alternative (a Plan

B) to the Cyclone helicopter should

the government wish to change course

and abandon its procurement. Options

reportedly under examination include

NH Industries’ NH-90, Sikorsky’s own

MH-60 Sea Hawk, as well as the AW159

and AW101 from AgustaWestland. The

AW101 was the original aircraft selected

to replace the Sea Kings in the 1990s

but the decision was overturned after a

Liberal government was elected in 1993.

Coincidentally, the AW101 been in ser-

vice with the Canadian Air Force for 11

years as the CH-149 Cormorant. Its first

operational flight took place in July 2002.

Of course should the government

take the step of bringing to an end the

Cyclone procurement, then long-run-

ning legal battles are sure to ensue, unless

the alternative identified ended up being

the MH-60 Sea Hawk.

Sikorsky President Mick Maurer said

earlier this summer at the Paris Air Show

that dealing with two Canadian govern-

ment departments of Defense and Pub-

lic Works had made the procurement

more complicated than it might have

been. But Sikorsky has until now been

insistent that it can deliver the remaining

24 CH-148s (four are already with Cana-

dian Forces for evaluation).

Political delay and mission creep

blight many defense procurement pro-

grams, but the whole campaign has

been generally agreed as a nightmare by

all sides. The contract for 28 CH-148s

(Canada’s military version of the MH-92)

was signed in November 2004 with the

aircraft intended to replace the existing

Sea King. Canadian crews have being in

trained for the aircraft and Sikorsky has

tried the tactic of asking the Canadian’s

to accept an interim aircraft solution on

a rolling acceptance basis. However, in

June this year the Canadian government

stated that it would not accept “non-

compliant” aircraft.

Bravo Bears into Battle“The Chinook pedals in the cockpit of

any CH-47 still say Vertol,” explained

David Pitchforth, managing director of

Boeing Defence UK, during his presenta-

tion to members and guests at the Royal

Aeronautical Society’s Cierva Lecture on

October 1. The Cierva lecture, so named

to remember Juan de la Cierva’s autogyro

of 1923, is an annual event staged by the

Society’s rotorcraft group. A senior figure

connected to the rotorcraft industry is usu-

ally invited to give a lecture with Pitchforth

this year addressing “Boeing Rotorcraft:

History and Continuous Innovation.”

This history snippet harks back to

1960 when Boeing bought Vertol Air-

craft Corp. The venerable ‘Dakota’ of

the helicopter world has clocked-up five

million flight hours to date and is still

going strong. Chinook crews flying one

particular aircraft – Bravo November

ZA718B – have won four Distinguished

Flying Cross (DFC) medals, Pitchforth

noted. The last recipient was Flight Lt.

Ian Fortune in 2010 but the list goes

back to Flight Lt. Craig Wilson in June

2006 (both of these DFCs were won in

Afghanistan), Squadron Leader Steve

Carr in Iraq in 2003, to the first winner

Squadron Leader Dick Langworthy dur-

ing the Falklands War in 1982. Accord-

ing to the Royal Air Force, “over the last

10 years the Chinook force has received

17 DFCs and five Air Force Crosses.”

Currently there is an ongoing push

to modify British Chinooks to Mk4

and Mk5 configurations. Project Julius

involves Thales as the main subcon-

tractor for the mission display system

upgrade, which will include four MFDs.

“Project Julius will touch every wire

in the cockpit,” Pitchforth explained.

Sixteen of the aircraft had already been

modified, he continued, with all modifi-

cations on the RAF’s Chinook fleet due

for completion by the end of 2016. The

first Chinook Mk4 aircraft was delivered

to 7 Squadron, RAF in February 2013.

Switching to the Apache aircraft,

Pitchforth stated that it takes only five

minutes to “pulse” the AH-64 produc-

tion line at Mesa, Ariz., meaning to move

all the production aircraft to the next

bay. He added that the total wiring now

incorporated into each Apache Guardian

(AH-64E) helicopter had been reduced

from 11 miles down to nine. He could

not give any indication on the path that

the Army Air Corps was likely to take as

they ponder how to take forward their

own Westland (now AgustaWestland)-

built Apache fleet.

Canadian Conundrum Searches for Contingency

Military Insider

51OCTOBER 2011 | ROTOR & WING MAGAZINEW W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O M

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November 2013

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