ain hai convention news 2-12-12

HAIConvention News

Vol. 44 No. 3

2•12•2012

PUBLICATIONS

SUNDAY

Pilot Report: EC175 AD Woes for Bell Industry Outlook Quieter and Smoother Heroism Recognized

AIN Flies Eurocopter’s New TwinEditor-in-Chief Randy Padfield traveled to France last month to visit Eurocopter, where he flew one of two EC175 flight-test prototypes. Page 36

Bell Faces Issues with 206LNearly 700 Bell LongRangers have been grounded by an emergency AD following failures of their main rotor blades. That represents a significant portion of the entire fleet. Page 35

Forecast Is Good News, Bad NewsThe annual market survey from Honeywell is in, and while no one is dancing in the aisles here at Heli-Expo, the news in the report isn’t all bad, either. 1

Sikorsky Tests Rotors with FlapsExpecting improvements in noise, vibration and efficiency, Sikorsky Innovations has completed wind-tunnel testing on a new active rotor system, with a difference. Page 8

Crew Honored for RescueThe Russian crew of a UTAir Mil M18-MTV receives the Sikorsky Humanitarian Award for their 2009 rescue of UN peacekeepers in the Congo. Page 44

< Scan to view AIN’s multimedia coverage of Heli-Expo 2012

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AgustaWestland fattens order book by $398 millionby Kirby J. Harrison

Anglo-Italian helicopter manu-facturer AgustaWestland and Lease Corporation International (LCI) of Dublin, Ireland, have signed an agreement covering the purchase of a fleet of AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopters, a deal which, including options, is valued at more than $398 million.

Deliveries of the helicopters are planned to begin in 2013, starting with

the AW139, followed by the AW189 in 2014 and the AW169 still later, after its certification. LCI has already placed the first three aircraft with customers, according to Crispin Maunder, exec-utive chairman of the Dublin, Ire-land-based leasing firm. The deal, announced here at Heli-Expo 2012 yesterday, also includes aircraft main-tenance and pilot training.

Recession??? What recession?, Heli-Expo asksby James Wynbrandt

It’s another landmark for Heli-Expo. “For the fourth year running, we’ve broken the record of every preceding year [in attendance and exhibitor count]”, HAI President Mat-thew Zuccaro told AIN.

More than 650 exhibitors (up from last year’s 625) have registered, and attendance is

expected to top last year’s 20,000-plus attend-ees, with more than 18,000 pre-registered. Still, the industry faces significant challenges, and HAI and Heli-Expo will tackle them head on, said Zuccaro.

“The primary one is never going to change. It’s always going to be safety,” and Heli-Expo agenda features a “great lineup of safety events,” Zuccaro said. Activities include the HAI Safety Symposium held yesterday morning on fatigue issues. It was led by Dr. Mark Rosekind, NTSB board member and member of HAI’s Safety Com-mittee. The “safety tools” presentation at the International Helicopter Safety Team’s (IHST) symposium is today.

ALL WILL BE REvEALEd...Nearly a decade of speculation surrounding trademark and patent filings,

leaked inter-company memos, and rumors concerning a major new model may be coming to an end for Bell Helicopter. The company is set to make a big announce-ment at its booth (No. 9846) at 11:30 this morning here at Heli-Expo. The mystery was first referred to as “Project X” and later, “Magellan.” One Bell insider char-acterized the topic of the announcement as “a major departure.” Last month Bell CEO John Garrison said that, whatever Magellan is, it will be built at Bell’s plant in Amarillo, Texas. –M.H.

Crispin Maunder, executive chairman and Michael Platt, CEO of Lease Corporation International, signed a major sales deal with AgustaWestland

Every year about this time, the rotary-wing industry gathers to assess the past 12 months and look forward to a brighter future. The faithful arrive in multi-hued steeds of different capabilities, as evi-denced by these touching down in the landing zone behind Dallas Convention Center. � n

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bellhelicopter.com |

Find out at 11:30 a.m. CST on 2.12.12 HELI-EXPO® 2012, Booth #9846

Bell Helicopter Event ScheduleBooth #9846

11:30 – 12:00 Product Unveiling John Garrison – CEO

1:30 – 2:00 Oil & Gas Mission Solutions Mike Suldo

2:15 – 2:45 The Bell Huey II: Doing a Lot More for a Lot Less David Archer

3:00 – 3:30 Aeronautical Accessories /Latest STC’s, Overall Product O� erings Jennifer Lunceford

Sunday, February 12

Time Event Title Presenter

© 2012 Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

10:30 –11:00 HEMS Mission Solutions Jeanne Connor-Osborn

11:15 –11:45 Direct Maintenance Cost Reductions Warren Moseley

12:00 –12:30 Aeronautical Accessories /Latest STC’s, Overall Product O� erings Jennifer Lunceford

12:45-1:15 Parapublic Mission Solutions Carl Crenshaw

1:30 – 2:00 The Bell Huey II: Doing a Lot More for a Lot Less David Archer

2:15 – 2:45 Flight Controls – Next Generation Dave King

3:00 – 3:30 Avionics Evolution Chris Cawelti

Monday, February 13


10:30 –11:00 HEMS Mission Solutions Jeanne Connor-Osborn

11:15 –11:45 Parapublic Mission Solutions Carl Crenshaw

12:00 –12:30 Direct Maintenance Cost Reductions Warren Moseley

12:45-1:15 Bell 429 – Increased Payload/Range Capability Linda O’Brien

Tuesday, February 14


SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO TAKE OFF AND YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS IT!

Sikorsky Aircraft has named 35 sup-pliers participating in an industry-funded effort to build two prototype S-97 Raiders for evaluation by the U.S. military. The Raider is a follow-on to the company’s X2 technology demonstra-tor with coaxial contra-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller.

Sikorsky said it will invest about 75 percent of the Raider program’s expected cost, with suppliers invest-ing 25 percent. Last June, Sikorsky and General Electric signed an agreement under which GE Aviation will provide its CT7-8 engine for the Raider.

The Raider has been advanced as a candidate for the U.S. Army’s Armed Aerial Scout requirement to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. Sikorsky con-tends the new design will provide dra-matic improvements over conventional helicopters in speed, maneuverability, range, endurance, altitude and hover efficiency. The target cruise speed is 220 knots, with dash speeds up to 240 knots. However, last October the U.S. Army said it cannot afford a new-build pro-gram, and would evaluate essentially commercial off-the-shelf offerings for the improved scout helicopter. The service

said its aim is to sustain and modernize its current fleet and invest toward a joint multirole helicopter in 2030.

Doug Shidler, Sikorsky’s Raider program manager, said Sikorsky chose the suppliers (most of them Ameri-can companies) based on the matu-rity of their products and technologies. “Product maturity will enable Sikorsky to demonstrate the Raider helicopter’s flight and aerodynamic performance in a simulated military environment starting in 2014, and ultimately bring X2-designed helicopters to future cus-tomers quickly” and at an affordable price, Shidler said.

The X2 technology demonstrator logged approximately 22 hours in the air, and flew for the last time last July at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach, Fla., flight test center. In September 2010 the X2 achieved a maximum cruise speed of 253 knots in level flight, setting an unofficial helicopter speed record. The X2 was a $50 million effort, which began in 2005.

The single-engine Raider will have a maximum takeoff weight of approxi-mately 11,000 pounds and feature side-by-side seating for two pilots. The aircraft will be capable of hosting a variety of sensors and externally mounted weapons, with the flexibility to carry additional fuel and ammunition for extended mis-sions. In a light utility or special opera-tions configuration, the helicopter’s cabin will carry up to six troops. o

4 HAI Convention News • February 12, 2012 • www.ainonline.com

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Supplier selection propels S-97 Raider program forwardby Bill Carey

Rolls-Royce to put RR500 certification program on holdby Thierry Dubois

Rolls-Royce (Booth No. 9040) has almost completed development of the 475-shp RR500 turboshaft but is still waiting for an aircraft manufac-turer or modifier to spec-ify the engine for a new project.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis-based engine manufacturer has moved into full-rate production with the 300-shp RR300 turboshaft, which powers the Robinson R66 light single. Improvements are also under-way on the M250, to which both of the newer engines trace their roots.

Development of the RR500 (a variant of the RR300) is close to completion, accord-ing to Greg Fedele, Rolls-Royce senior v-p of helicopters. The compressor’s aerodynamic design has been upgraded and the turbine’s airflow has been increased. Also, there is a particular focus on main-tainability, he added.

Recent testing includes a 500-hour endurance run and simulated altitude

trials. The engine will log about 1,000 test hours. Still to be performed is a 1,000-cycle test. Development test-

ing is expected be finished by the end of next month.

“We will then pause the certification program,” Fedele said, and Rolls-

Royce will be “ready to go when the market turns around.”

The RR500’s first application could be for a Bell

206 retrofit by Uniflight (Booth No. 4805). Rolls-Royce is working with

the Grand Prairie, Texas-based company but the retrofit will only go ahead when market conditions improve.

In other news, Rolls-Royce is “very pleased” with the RR300

turboshaft, a deriva-tive of the Model 250. As

of mid-January, 85 aircraft equipped with the RR300 had

been delivered, and had logged more than 10,000 flight hours. From the beginning, the engine performed better than pre-dicted, Fedele said.

The RR300 in-production engine ver-sion is basically identical to the first pro-duction example, with the exception of a few slight modifications on the exterior of the engine, Fedele said. The RR300 is being produced at a rate of several hun-dred per year.

Rolls-Royce is focusing on expand-ing its RR300 aftermarket service net-work. Thirteen RR300 service centers are available around the world, and they are matched to R66 service centers. The num-ber of service centers will grow “accord-ingly to that of fielded aircraft,” said Tim McGrath, v-p of customer business, helicopters.

Other applications for the RR300 are being considered. “We are working with multiple airframers, established ones and start-up companies,” Fedele said. This would be for new aircraft (as opposed to retrofit).

For the venerable 420- to 715-shp M250, Rolls-Royce is launching a value improvement program. The ret-rofit includes upgrades to improve fuel economy and hot-and-high performance.

Rolls-Royce is also developing a dual-channel Fadec for the M250. Approximately 16,000 M250s are cur-rently flying. o

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Service activity boosts Eurocopter’s revenues by Thierry Dubois

Eurocopter unveiled record revenues, with growing service activity offseting sagging heli-copter deliveries. The Mari-gnane, France-based company is once again claiming to be the number one in the civil and parapublic market, thanks to a calculated 43-percent mar-ket share. Several develop-ment programs are under way, notably in the medium-twin segment, including the X4 Dauphin replacement, the EC175 (see pilot report on page 36) and a shorter version of the AS332 Super Puma, for which performance numbers have just been announced.

Eurocopter’s 2011 reve-nues reached a record €5.4 bil-lion ($7 billion), a 12-percent

increase over the previous year, while deliveries totaled 503 heli-copters, down from 527 in 2010. Last year, the manufacturer received 457 net orders, represent-ing €4.7 billion ($6.1 billion), com-pared to 346 net orders in 2010.

According to CEO Lutz Bertling, the civil helicopter market has recovered. He said Eurocopter had only 15 can-cellations last year. In addition, the downturn primarily affected the light segment. The strongest growth was that of the Ecureuil/AStar/TwinStar/EC130/Fennec family, at 238 orders. Other orders include 13 EC120s, 42 EC135s, 104 EC145s (including UH-72A Lakotas), 21 Dauphin/Panthers and 35 Super Puma/Cougars. The first firm order for the EC175

(four examples) was included in Eurocopter’s books.

Civil orders accounted for 68 percent of the total (in units). For these order num-bers, Bertling clarified that some buyers signed multi-year con-tracts for the EC175 and EC225. These will translate into firm orders. Eurocopter is continuing to increase the share of services in its annual sales results. Ser-vices accounted for 38 percent of revenues in 2011 but 43 per-cent of orders (in value). Bertling said that increasing this share improves resilience. One target is to increase marketshare in non-Eurocopter maintenance. He said Eurocopter wants to main-tain its customers’ entire fleet of aircraft, not just Eurocopters.

In a five-year civil mar-ket forecast, Bertling estimated Latin America, Asia and East-ern Europe will experience strong growth. North America, Africa and the Middle East are seen in the medium growth category, while Western Europe is predicted to grow slowly, Bertling said.

In programs, the EC175 is on track for full certification this year. Eurocopter was previously plan-ning a basic type certification late last year, followed by offshore mis-sion equipment certification this year. “We have chosen to combine the certifications and full certifi-cation of the offshore oil-and-gas version will happen by year-end,” Joseph Saporito, Eurocopter’s executive v-p for the global supply chain, told AIN.

Meanwhile, the X4’s develop-ment is progressing. First flight is slated for 2015. An intermedi-ate configuration is to be certified in 2016. A replacement for the AS365 N3e Dauphin and EC155, it will feature a new airframe, new engines and new main gearbox.

A new version of the AS332 Super Puma has appeared in Eurocopter’s civil range brochure. The AS332 C1e is a shorter variant of the AS332 L1e (or an improved version of the C1, which has not been offered for several years). It can seat 17 passengers instead of 19, due to its 28-inch shorter cabin. However, as it is powered by the same engines as the L1e–two 1,877-shp Turbomeca Makila 1A1s–the mtow is the same at 18,960 pounds with an inter-nal load. Maximum cargo sling load, too, is unchanged, at 9,920 pounds. Range, at 346 nm, is below that of the L1e.

Eurocopter has fitted full glass cockpit avionics to the C1e, and the autopilot is that of the EC225. The company is pitching the new variant for heavy sling, logging and power line mainte-nance operations. o


news clips

z Bell Adds 500 Pounds to 429’s Takeoff WeightBell Helicopter received Transport Canada approval for a

500-pound increase for its Model 429, bringing the medium twin’s maximum takeoff weight to 7,500 pounds. The raised limit is an exemption to the Part 27 certification limit of 7,000 pounds. This will enable the 429 to carry additional fuel reserves, increasing both range and loiter times, and enhance its IFR utility, “allowing for a greater safety margin by ensuring the capacity for necessary fuel reserves for the growing number of operations in the IFR environment,” said Bell vice president Larry Roberts. He added that the weight enhancement is especially useful for EMS and law-enforcement customers. The increased mtow can be retrofitted to the existing fleet through the installation of a minimal kit that will be available through Bell Helicopter and its customer support network. The 500 additional pounds will allow operators to add optional equipment such as H-Taws, radar altimeter, cockpit voice/flight data recorder and strobe lights. Bell will issue the necessary changes to the flight manual to correspond with the additional weight capacity. The company said it would immediately use the Transport Canada approval as the basis to seek Part 27 weight limit exemption concurrence approval from the FAA and EASA.

z Simplex Gets STC for Aerial Cleaning SystemSimplex Aerospace (Booth No. 6917) received an FAA

supplemental type certificate for a powerline insulator and windmill cleaning system for the Eurocopter AS350 and AS355 helicopters. Simplex’s Aerial Cleaning system includes a 180-gallon water tank, a nozzled boom that extends past the rotor tips and a power-assisted operator control. “This new system will allow operators to accomplish the powerline and windmill cleaning mission with enhanced productivity and safety,” said Simplex president and CEO Mark Zimmerman.

z CAE Opens Mexico Training CenterCAE opened its newest civil helicopter and business jet

training center at Mexico’s Aeropuerto Internacional de Toluca early last month. The facility includes a Bell 412 simulator qualified to Level D-equivalent standards by Mexico’s DGAC. The Toluca training center is the ninth CAE facility established to provide civil helicopter training. CAE (Booth No. 2100) plans to add helicopter training in São Paulo, Brazil and Zhuhai, China.

z Aero Dynamix Delivers NVG Cockpit UpgradesAero Dynamix delivered certified NVG cockpit upgrades

for two Toll Remote Logistics Bell 412s. Aero Dynamix (Booth No. 9258) modified the 412s with “internal NVIS [night vision imaging system] avionics modifications, edge-lit panels, overlays and all other aircraft illuminated components,” according to the company. “These upgrades are designed to achieve a balanced cockpit that is optimized for both NVIS and daylight readability performance.”

z Tanis Touts Helicopter Preheat SystemsTanis Aircraft Products is highlighting its growing line

of helicopter preheat systems at the company’s Heli-Expo booth (No. 7523). Tanis recently made preheaters available for the AgustaWestland AW119, and both AgustaWestland and Tanis collaborated on the installation of a preheat system on a customer AW119. Another recent installation was on multiple Eurocopter EC155s for a customer of Metro Aviation of Shreveport, La. Metro Aviation worked with Tanis to perform the EC155 installations. LifeFlight of Maine has also installed Tanis preheaters on its fleet of AgustaWestlands. The Tanis preheater includes heating elements that are attached to the engine oil reservoir and sump, hydraulic reservoir, reduction gearbox, accessory case, fuel control unit and any other component requiring preheating. “Each system is designed to protect critical components from cold starts, reduce the likelihood of damage, and to shave critical minutes off time to launch,” according to Tanis.

X3 Demonstrator to Resume Flight Tests

The X3 compound helicopter demonstrator is to resume flights this month. Data analysis from the first two flight-test campaigns has prompted new ques-tions, chief technology officer Jean-Michel Billig told AIN, and the launch of a third test campaign has been scheduled. The testing will explore the behavior of the main rotor at high speed. Some other goals relate to the Fadec and the link between rotor rpm and aircraft speed.

Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling made it clear that Eurocopter also wants to break Sikorsky’s unofficial speed record, 250 knots with the X2 semi-com-pound demonstrator in 2010. Billig added that the next test campaign is pri-marily focused on a better understanding of the compound’s physics. “Speed will be the cherry on top of the cake,” he said. Billig said Eurocopter has found the perfect configuration (the right location for the propellers, for example) and “has patented it.” He predicted the first product using X3 technology may appear in 2020 or 2021. –T.D.

The X3 compound helicopter demonstrator is to resume flights this month. Eurocopter is seeking a better understanding of its physics and a new speed record, above 250 knots.

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Sikorsky tests active rotor system with flapsby Thierry Dubois

Sikorsky Innovations has completed wind-tunnel test-ing of an active rotor system

equipped with “high-author-ity” flaps, thus paving the way for improvements in noise,

vibration–and, marginally, effi-ciency–on future rotorcraft.

The program started in 2008 and culminated with the tri-als, last year, at NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in California. It is part of a broader program that encom-passes leading-edge rotor blade devices. The tested system involved trailing-edge flaps and

a closed-loop control.In the wind tunnel, a pro-

duction 28-foot-diameter S-434 main rotor was fitted with the flaps. The electromechan-ical actuators were designed by Hamilton Sundstrand, and United Technologies’ Research Center (part of the same corpo-ration as Hamilton Sundstrand and Sikorsky) helped design

the modified blades.Sikorsky claims to have a

much higher authority system than the one Eurocopter test-flew in 2005. “We have plus or minus 10-degree deflections and are not limited to low frequen-cies,” Peter Lorber, Sikorsky’s manager of flight sciences, told AIN. In addition, the flap can move up to five times for every rotation of a blade.

Challenging G-forcesA challenge was the cen-

trifugal forces–700 g–that the flaps have to withstand. “We tested the system on a spin rig and redesigned it several times,” Lorber said. The third itera-tion of the flap actuators went into the wind tunnel. There, the system performed extremely well over a variety of forward flight conditions up to 140 knots, according to Sikorsky. Goals were met in reduction of noise (minus 6 dB) and vibra-tion (minus 20 percent). Per-formance was improved, too, with higher maximum load and better efficiency. “Our active flap rotor is more effective on noise and vibration than on cruise efficiency,” explained Russ Gray, chief engineer for advanced programs.

This particular rotor will not be tested in flight, Sikorsky said. However, it does plan to test fly the design. Anticipat-ing future applications, Gray indicated one challenge will be ensuring it has low mainte-nance requirements.

The effort, jointly funded by Sikorsky and the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Tech-nology Directorate, was part of Darpa’s Mission Adaptive Rotor program. Sikorsky offi-cials said the technology is suitable for both civil and mil-itary helicopters, although the design goals would not be the same for the two.

In the near term, said Mark Scott, an engineer in Sikorsky’s Advanced Programs group, “we expect to complete large subscale wind-tunnel testing in the next phase of the pro-gram. We are awaiting a broad area announcement [a notice from the government request-ing scientific or research propos-als from private firms that may lead to contracts] to be released by the Army regarding future reconfigurable rotor research.” Sikorsky plans to respond to the announcement, he said. o

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Hold the champagne, Honeywell sees a mixed forecast for new helosby Kirby J. Harrison

Honeywell’s 14th annual Turbine-Powered Civilian Heli-copter Purchase Outlook report was released yesterday and there was little in it that encourages breaking out the champagne or ordering a new Bentley. In short, it was a mixed review: in general, not so good in the short term, not so bad in the long.

While recent order rates have been healthy and near-term purchase plans remain strong, lingering tight credit conditions and significant inventories of used production models for sale continue to cast a pall on the industry.

Further, the report noted, “Concern over slow economic growth in Western economies has increased the level of uncer-tainty in purchase plans past 2012, leading to a six-point reduction in global purchase plans compared with last year.”

Nevertheless, opined Honey-well’s prognosticators, “Based on the timing of purchase plans in the operator survey and the delivery momentum expected this year and next, the outlook still calls for over-all industry growth for the five-year period 2012 through 2016, compared with the previous five-year period.”

Honeywell points out that global five-year fleet replace-ment and expansion plans decreased to 19 percent in 2012, off six points from 2011. And although total five-year buying plans are lower, “specific pur-chase plans for 2012 remain very strong,” the report contin-ued. Also, relatively lower levels of planned purchases were con-centrated in 2013 and beyond, suggesting that “these plans could strengthen materially over the next few years, should polit-ical and general economic con-ditions improve as projected.”

Looking at specific regional demand, Honeywell said higher purchase plans in Asia helped offset some of the soft-ness in other regions’ survey expectations.

However, purchase plans in major U.S. and European cen-ters of demand declined by five to eight points. Other regions of the world also declined mod-erately compared with 2011, though their purchase plans remain above the world average.

As with other segments in the aviation industry, China is expected to be a strong con-tributor to broader demand for rotorcraft as the country con-tinues to open its airspace and begins production of indige-nously designed civil turbine-powered aircraft.

Global five-year demand for new turbine-powered

helicopters is split almost evenly between the Americas and the rest of the world, said the report, noting also that Latin Amer-ica and Asia have the highest fleet replacement and expan-sion expectations of all regions. In terms of projected regional demand for new helicopters, “Latin America and Asia tied for the world’s largest regional market, following North Amer-ica and Europe.”

There are numerous rea-sons to replace a helicop-ter with a new one within the next five years, but most often cited is the age of the current aircraft or a planned or con-tracted replacement cycle. It is a rationale common to every survey, said Honeywell. Other reasons include lower mainte-nance costs, warranty coverage, parts availability and improved reliability/durability. However, stronger emphasis on mainte-nance, operating costs and war-ranty coverage is a departure from recent surveys.

In terms of operator prefer-ences by class, light single-engine helicopters continue to be the most popular product class for five-year fleet replacement and expansion. In fact, 45 percent of all make/model mentions were for single-engine models in the 2012 survey, though it was down slightly from 49 percent in 2011. The most fre-quently mentioned light-single

models were the AS350B series, Bell 407 and Robinson R66.

Intermediate/medium twins were the second most popu-lar product class with approx-imately 31 percent mentions. The most frequently mentioned models were the AW139, Bell 412, EC145 and Sikorsky S-76 series. Between 40 and 50 per-cent of all make/model men-tions in Asia and Middle East/Africa were for medium twins.

The third most frequently mentioned class was light twins at 21 percent, with the EC135, Bell 429 and A109 series most frequently men-tioned for the five-year pur-chase in this class. In Europe, light-twin models accounted for 28 percent of total men-tions. “Light twins appear to be most popular in Europe and to a lesser extent in the Americas,” said the report.

Heavy multi-engine heli-copters, which typically garner a small share of overall pur-chase plans due to cost and

specialized nature, enjoyed a noticeable increase in interest of a full percent. Within the heavy helicopter class, the most fre-quently mentioned models were the EC225, the Mi-171 and the S-92. Various Russian models accounted for nearly four per-cent of the purchase plans in this class.

Asked in the survey to indi-cate their “current” satisfac-tion over the last year with each model aircraft they operate, the top five models with the highest net scores were the A109 Power, Bell 407, Bell 429, EC130/EC350 class and EC145.

A majority of operators who responded to the survey

reported that they planned to increase utilization of their helicopters this year, as fol-lows: North America, 14 per-cent increasing and 4 percent decreasing; Europe, 18 per-cent increasing and 12 percent decreasing; Latin America, 32 percent increasing and 2 per-cent decreasing; Middle East/Africa, 26 percent increasing and 4 percent decreasing; and Asia, 19 percent increasing and 9 percent decreasing.

The Latin American region reported the highest average uti-lization in 2011. In a reversal of 2010 activity levels, Middle East/African operators reported the lowest average utilization last year.

Examining utilization trends across usage segments, oil and gas had the highest at an average of approximately 600 hours per aircraft, followed by emergency medical services at approxi-mately 445 hours. The lowest average utilization was reported by the corporate segment at less than 300 hours per helicopter.

Honeywell’s civil helicopter outlook is based on the compa-ny’s recently conducted customer expectations survey, an assess-ment of consensus forecasts, a review of factory delivery rates and analysis of future new-heli-copter introductions. It excludes uniformed military demand for civil helicopters, but resulting civil estimates do include govern-ment and security force demand.

This year’s survey queried more than 1,000 chief pilots and flight department managers. o

www.ainonline.com • February 12, 2012 • HAI Convention News 11

World Helicopter Fleet Replacement and Expansion Plans

2012 new helicopter five year purchase plans fell six percentage points on weaker economic growth prospects.

PMA torsion-tension strAPs

for Bell 206 JetrAngers

Airwolf Aerospace of Middlefield, Ohio (Booth No.10243) announced it has received FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for its recently PMA-approved Torsion-Tension-(TT) Straps for Bell 206 JetRanger, 206L LongRanger and OH 58 helicopters, as well as STCs from the Euro-pean Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Brazil’s Agencia Nacional de Aviacao Civil (ANAC) and Transport Canada.

These STCs will allow installation of the straps in regions of the world that do not otherwise permit use of PMA parts for flight critical components.

TT Straps anchor helicopter blades to the mast. Until now, only Bell OEM TT Straps were available for these models. The Airwolf TT Straps cost “about $1,000 less for a pair than the OEM’s TT Straps, which cost about $4,500,” said John Montana, Airwolf’s senior engineer. “Our whole mantra is to lower direct operating costs.”

The Airwolf TT Straps have the same 1,200-hour or 24-calendar-month life as the OEM straps, but Montana said Airwolf hopes to receive approval to increase the calendar life. Montana estimates about 3,000 of these model Bells are in operation.

“We’re the new guys in town,” Montana said. “Bell is all of a sudden talking about life extensions [for the straps]. But nothing you’re hearing from the manufacturers would have occurred without us. We’re helicopter operators ourselves, and we really want to lower operating costs.”

Brett Avants, Bell Helicopter communications leader, customer support and services, said, “Bell Helicopters is always developing new ways to help improve direct operating costs of customers, while also keeping safety at the forefront.” –J.W.

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AgustaWestland civil tiltrotor demos hereby James Wynbrandt

AgustaWestland Tilt Rotor Co. (AWTR) flew an AW609 (née BA609) tiltrotor at Arlington Municipal Airport yesterday. The company also provided an update on the program, which comes in the aftermath of AgustaWest-land’s taking over full ownership of the 609 project when former partner Bell Helicopter relin-quished its half last November.

AgustaWestland established AWTR to complete certification and bring the AW609 to market, with its U.S. headquarters based at AWTR’s new office-hangar complex at the airport.

Though development of the civil tiltrotor has lagged in recent years, the allure of tiltrotor tech-nology remains strong, as it combines the vertical-lift capa-bility of helicopters with the higher speed and longer range of fixed-wing aircraft.

Resembling a half-scale V-22 Osprey, the AW609 is expected to have a maximum take-off weight (mtow) of 16,800

pounds, a maximum cruise speed of 275 knots, a range of 700 nm (with no reserves), a 25,000-foot service ceiling and a climb rate of 2,500 to 3,000 fpm. AWTR plans no change in the performance envelope, but may seek an increase in takeoff weight for short-takeoff perfor-mance, versus the current mtow, which is based on vertical take-off operations.

According to the com-pany, yesterday’s approxi-mately nine-minute flight marked the first public flight demonstration of the AW609 since the Farnborough Air Show in 2008. Experimental test pilot Pietro Venanzi, who commanded the demo flight, showcased N609TR’s maneu-verability in both vertical, hor-izontal and transitional nacelle configurations in the traffic pattern and in maneuvers over the apron in front of onlook-ers. Transition of the nacelles from full vertical to horizontal

appeared seamless with no visible change to the aircraft pitch or flight path. The air-craft was surprisingly quiet in its fixed-wing configuration, with the growl of the two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67A turboshaft engines increasing as the nacelles tilted toward vertical.

The company said it has orders for close to 70 aircraft from 40 customers in 15 coun-tries, though it declined to iden-tify any of the buyers or whether they had paid deposits for their positions. Some of those orders will likely be contingent on the final price, which AWTR has yet to announce.

According to Bell, early in the last decade the 609 was priced at $8 to 10 million adjusted to the

year of delivery. Subsequently, outside estimates on the price have been as high as $30 million. AWTR said it will announce the price 25 months before first delivery.

Clive Scott, program man-ager, said the company is in contact with position holders but has given them little guid-ance on final cost. Nonetheless, officials are bullish on pros-pects, estimating that 450 to 500 AW609s will be built over a 20-year period.

In the executive/transport configuration, the aircraft will carry eight to nine passengers, but AWTR sees many other applications, including oil-and-gas operations, search and rescue and border and maritime patrol. “I’m sure there are many appli-cations out there we haven’t con-ceived of yet, in interesting ways that are yet to be invented,” said Robert LaBelle, AWTR man-aging director. The aircraft will have a digital glass cockpit and avionics suite, though AWTR declined to disclose potential suppliers.

Venanzi said the company is designing a flight-training cur-riculum for prospective pilots, whose recommended qualifica-tions would include extensive rotor-wing experience and some fixed-wing experience, prefer-ably with IFR capability. The company is also working with both the FAA and EASA to establish requirements for Tilt Rotor license requirements.

But Venanzi, a former F-104 fighter pilot in the Italian air

force, noted that he only had about 100 hours of rotor time when he entered test pilot school, and that ease of fly-ing was an aircraft design crite-ria for the 609. As an example, he noted that the controls that manage the tilt of the nacelles have detent stops, making it easy to make changes to nacelle configuration, unlike in the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor

Venanzi said autorotation tests have been conducted at altitude, and that “it doesn’t take much altitude” to achieve a power-off full flare to a sink rate of zero fpm.

Two prototypes are flying. Prototype No. 3 is under assem-bly at the AW facility in Cascina Costa, Italy, with a fourth pro-totype to follow. The third pro-totype will be used for icing and high-and-hot trials, and will be outfitted with both anti-icing and deicing systems (for differ-ent parts of the aircraft).

The two aircraft flying have accumulated about 650 flight hours, and 85 percent of the 609’s flight envelope has been explored. LaBelle said the com-pany has been developing its cer-tification program with the FAA for several years, and FAA certi-fication flight tests are scheduled to begin in 2013. FAA certifica-tion (with simultaneous EASA validation) is anticipated in the first half of 2016, with deliver-ies commencing that same year.

Though their partnership has been dissolved, Bell is continuing to assist in both design and flight testing. o


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The AgustaWestland AW609 civil tiltrotor struts its stuff at Arlington (Texas)Municipal Airport yesterday. Test pilot Pietro Venanzi explains the flight characteristics to journalists.

Spartan interior of the AW609 can only be loved by engineers. After the demo flight at nearby Arlington, the world’s first civil tiltrotor is on display for journalists and invited guests.

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Marenco SwissHelicopter has developed a new high-visibility cockpit for its SKYe SH09 helicopter, but it is not on display here. Instead, the same prototype from last year’s show anchors the SwissHelicopter booth (No. 4417). The helicopter first intrigued 2011 attendees with its modular cabin.

Pushing on down the line

You’ve heard of power to the people. But this is people power to the helicopters. In a relatively constricted land-ing zone, all hands are on deck to manhandle arriving aircraft into the cavernous Dallas Convention Center. For some larger helicopters, more mechanical modes of transportation were needed.� n

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More glass improves view from SKYe SH09by Amy Laboda

Marenco SwissHelicopter announced a new high-visibil-ity cockpit (HVC) for its SKYe SH09 helicopter at Heli-Expo. The new cockpit is highly modi-fied from the original prototype, and includes new avionics.

Unfortunately, the new cockpit option is not on dis-play at the show. Instead the same prototype SKYe SH09 from Heli-Expo 2011 anchors the SwissHelicopter booth (No. 4417). The helicopter first intrigued Heli-Expo 2011 attendees with the initial proto-type’s modular cabin. The flat floor and high ceiling provide

space for multiple seating arrangements. Rear clamshell doors facilitate easy loading for cargo and EMS.

The SKYe SH09 HVC will be equipped with two of Sagem’s 10-inch displays oriented verti-cally on a narrowed instrument console, which provides a signifi-cant increase in forward visibility through a completely retooled, now nearly all-glass nose bowl.

“We’ve completely redesigned the forward cockpit of this air-craft to increase its already good visibility,” said Mathias Sénès, commercial director for the company. “The new doors are

all-glass, too, and bulge slightly as they arc down and under the pilot, deep into the fuselage, so as not to disrupt airflow, as a bubble window might,” he explained. Sénès said that the new doors enhance the pilot’s left/right visual orientation dur-ing external-load operations.

The original design of the SKYe SH09 was expected to have a maximum take-off weight of 6,170 pounds (2,800 kg) and an augmented sling load capacity of 3,300 pounds (1,500 kg). It is designed for hot-and-high operations, where perfor-mance is critical, and should have a low-noise signature. The helicopter is expected to cruise at 140 knots (260 km/h) and has an expected range in excess of 430 nm (800 km). The company currently plans to produce the SKYe SH09 at its engineering center located near Zurich. o

z�IMT Transmitter Provides Secure EncryptionThe SkymasterTX digital video downlink transmitter from

Integrated Microwave Technologies (IMT) should be interesting to military and government purchasers who require secure real-time downloading of video imagery.

IMT, a business unit of the Vitec Group, is at Booth No. 7317 to display and explain the lightweight, full-featured digital video transmitter built to address aircraft secure encryption downlink requirements. The transmitter features ARINC mounting, which allows easy moving of units from one aircraft to another.

The SkymasterTX has a built-in GPS receiver that downlinks aircraft position to a command center. The transmitter can operate in a wide variety of frequency bands to handle high and standard definition video. It is offered with a choice of MPEG-4 or MPEG-2 encoders.

z�Helicopter Buyers Will Focus More on Cost Analyst Brian Foley predicts new and used helicopter sales

will continue their upward trend. But he also said the purchase justification process will require more detailed research as various market segments exercise increasing cost scrutiny.

Foley predicts that this will lengthen the traditional sales cycle, forcing smart sellers and buyers to “plan further ahead.” Foley sees an increased focus on value including the ability to demonstrate decreased costs, increased revenue and additional utility. Maintaining future sales growth will hinge on “the manufacturers’ ability to help customers with all the necessary information and justification needed to make their numbers work,” Foley said.

Foley sees numerous factors driving this increased cost scrutiny including tighter local, state and federal budgets, sharper focus on bottom lines by the private sector and the specter of a massive $600 billion reduction in U.S. military spending over the next decade. “Value will remain the future quest and mantra guiding helicopter purchases,” Foley concluded.

z�Cobham Offers Discount on HeliSASCobham Commercial Systems, at, is offering a discount of

up to $10,500 to Bell 206/407 and Eurocopter AS350/EC130 operators who purchase a HeliSAS autopilot and stability augmentation system before March 16, 2012. For more information visit the Cobham booth (No. 3122).

Cobham also announced that it has partnered with Carson Helicopters to provide updated avionics for Sikorsky S-61, S-76 and UH-60 retrofits. Cobham will supply a highly integrated, comprehensive flight deck featuring large-format synthetic vision, advanced flight management, integrated hazard alerting (terrain, traffic and weather) plus a wide variety of comm and nav radio systems.

Cobham says its primary flight display is the only synthetic vision system in the world certified for IFR helicopter operations.

z�Scott’s Touts Bell Model 47 RefurbScott’s-Bell 47 (Booth No. 5309) will launch a Model 47

upgrade program here at Heli-Expo and is also developing composite replacement main rotor blades with IAC Ltd.

The upgrade gives customers the choice of having their existing Model 47 refurbished or purchasing a completed refurbished/upgraded 47G-2A (narrow body) or 47G-2A-1 directly from Scott’s.

The program covers all Lycoming-powered 47G helicopters. Included are new main rotor blades as well as a new instrument panel, new interior and Texas Helicopter STCs, such as No-Bar, Sprag and Muffler.

Customers can choose an overhaul of the airframe and systems as well as engine and drive train components, and installation of zero-time life limited components.

“The refurbished 47G-2A and 47G-2A-1 will be as close to a new Model 47 as you can get without a new engine or transmission,” said SB47 general manager Neil Marshall. Scott’s expects to begin delivering upgrades late this year.

Mecaer Aviation Group is proud to present MAG Design Studio’s new design creation, the VIP Interior for the AW169 helicopter.

MAG has successfully introduced renowned Italian style and exquisite craftsmanship into highly advanced technology interiors that are fully compliant with the most stringent aviation standards.

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For a wrench jockey, it helps to be double-jointed

Working on any mechanical equipment, but especially on aircraft, it is a big advantage to be flexible, both in body and mind. This scenario was repeated numerous times in the past few days, as OEMs and others labored to show off their wares.� n

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z�Component Control Releases Inventory Tool Component Control (Booth No. 7321) has released

“Remote Inventory,” an inventory management tool for Component Control’s core product, Quantum Control. Its users can set minimum and maximum inventory levels online, then track, manage and bill upon consumption for inventory co-located at any customer facility. The Remote Inventory program accelerates replenishment of stock to keep up with work in progress.

Quantum Control is a software package with purchasing, shipping, sales, repairs and leasing modules to easily track requisitions, stock, shipments and usage. It shows all costs and revenue related to the remote inventory to provide accurate profitability analysis.

z�North Flight Lars Going into Bell 407North Flight Data Systems (Booth No. 7841) has announced it

will integrate and certify its lightweight aircraft recording system (Lars) in the Bell 407. In cooperation with helicopter services giant PHI and Rolls-Royce, North Flight will be integrating its voice, video and flight-data recording systems into a Bell 407 airframe.

The system will not only provide detailed internal AHRS (attitude/heading reference system) data but will interface with the Rolls-Royce M250-C47B Fadec to provide high-fidelity engine information. The Lars package has already been installed in PHI’s EC135 fleet.

z�Columbia Helicopters Opens CH-47 Test CellColumbia Helicopters (Booth No. 7334) has opened a new $4

million engine test cell for the GE T55-714 turbine engine, which is used in military CH-47 “Chinook” helicopters worldwide. The cell is also designed to accept future-design engines. The test cell will enable the company to do “nose-to-tail” maintenance on CH-47s.

Columbia currently operates several copies of a civil variant (Columbia 234) of the CH-47. The test cell gives the company the ability to operate the T55-714 engine at full power following maintenance before it is returned to the customer. Columbia says its new test cell is considerably quieter than the company’s existing test cell.

z�HTC Wins ISO 9001:2008 CertificationCalifornia-based Helicopter Technology Company (HTC,

Booth No. 6802) is an FAA-certified repair station and maker of main-rotor and tail-rotor blades for MD500/600 helicopters. HTC has come to Heli-Expo 2012 with a new certification, ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100C.

“It distinguishes us from everybody else out there,” claimed Gary Burdorf, vice president of engineering and quality assurance for HTC. “In order to do certain kinds of work it is becoming required to have this quality certification,” he explained. “We have always had our FAA approval to produce these products, but to get the ISO certification we had to build another layer of quality management system on top of that.”

For Heli-Expo, HTC’s vice president of operations, Jim Fackler, put together a Powerpoint presentation on the pitfalls and opportunities of installing the company’s blades. HTC produced a manual that the attendees could take with them for future reference.

z�Accord Technologies Shows Its NextNav GPSPhoenix-based Accord Technologies is at Heli-Expo

(Booth No. 7839) to acquaint OEMs, avionics developers and modification centers with its NexNav modular GPS receivers.

The company’s small, low-power receivers are available as circuit card assemblies (CCA) for avionics OEM hosting or as LRUs for aircraft installations. They will support ADS-B, all normal GPS procedures and precision approach requirements.

Accord’s NexNav technology is compatible with Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) including WAAS, European EGNOS, Japan’s MTSAT and GAGAN in India.

LA law firm targets Robinson Helicopterby Mark Huber

The families of the two Colombian men killed in the July 2011 crash of a Robinson R66 have hired the high-pro-file Los Angeles law firm, Baum Hedlund, to represent them. Last month the law firm issued a press release featuring photos of the men with their families and blasting Robinson for placing “profit over passenger safety.”

Baum Hedlund has faced off with Robinson in five pre-vious crashes of R22s and R44s. According to a prelim-inary accident report, wit-nesses saw parts flying off the helicopter prior to the crash. The owner of the Colombian R66, Juan Pablo Gaviria, was the former president of the Colombian Civil Air Patrol; however, his qualification to fly helicopters is unknown. Passenger José Cabrera was a helicopter pilot, but his quali-fication to the fly the R66 also is unknown.

Robinson CEO Kurt Rob-inson declined to comment on any aspect of the Colombian crash, citing the ongoing investi-gation. However, he did say that the company “was very anxious for the final accident report to be released.” He stressed that in the wake of the crash, Robinson had not made any changes to

the R66 and that orders for the helicopter, now more than 380, remain strong.

More than 100 R66s have been delivered to date, and Rob-inson plans to increase the R66 production rate to six per week this year.

Kurt Robinson also strongly disputed the assertion by a

Baum Hedlund attorney that Robinson placed more emphasis on profit than safety.

“It’s absolutely false,” he said. “Frank [Kurt’s father] started this company to grow the [heli-copter] industry. Our mantra has always been to develop safe, reli-able helicopters that everybody could fly and enjoy. We abso-lutely have a great concern for safety for all the people who are flying the aircraft, including our own families and employees.”

Robinson said that it was company policy to defend itself against “meritless claims” includ-ing those involving the R66. o

robinson deliVers 100th r66

Robinson Helicopter (Booth No. 9840) recently delivered its 100th R66 single-engine turbine helicopter to long-time customer and South African-dealer National Airways Corp. Just 14 months after receiving FAA certification, Robinson has received more than 380 orders for the five passenger Rolls-Royce RR300-powered R66, 70 percent of those from the export market.

Customer response to the R66 has exceeded expectations, said Robinson CEO Kurt Robinson. The company is currently busy adding to its list of foreign certifications for the R66 and developing specialized kits, including law-enforcement packages for the helicopter. It also is investigating glass-panel avionics options. An R66 equipped with a law-enforcement package is on display here in the static area at Heli-Expo.

Robinson built 356 helicopters (212 R44s, 88 R66s and 56 R22s) last year, a significant increase from the 162 helicopters it manufactured in 2010. The Torrance, Calif.-based company also booked orders for 360 turbine R66s last year.

It began this year with an order backlog for 400 helicopters, recently expanded its manufacturing facility and announced it is hiring more employees after adding 250 to its payroll last year.

Robinson is currently producing six R44s per week and plans to increase R66 production to six per week from the current three units per week.

Here at Heli-Expo, the company is unveiling several product upgrades for the R44, including LED lighting and restyled seats. –M.H.

Bristow growing in operations and trainingby Dale Smith

What does whale oil have in common with deep-water oil and gas production? If you’re talk-ing about the history of Bristow Group, quite a lot. In 1953, Alan Bristow, a former Royal Navy helicopter pilot, founded a com-pany called Air Whaling, that specialized in spotting whales for company factory ships. His experience landing helicopters on a ship’s aft deck in all kinds of weather gave him a consid-erable advantage as he pursued another promising business opportunity, ferrying men and materials to and from oil rigs in the North Sea. Consequently, in 1955, with a contract to ser-vice Shell Oil’s company rigs, he founded Bristow Helicopters.

Today, Bristow operates a fleet of more than 550 aircraft, has 3,300 employees in 20 coun-tries and in a typical week oper-ates some 6,200 flights and carries more than 37,000 passen-gers. “We operate in all major oil markets around the world, deliv-ering the safest and most reliable service to our clients through a global network of affiliates and nonaffiliates,” explained Mark Duncan, senior vice president, commercial. “We hold the num-ber-one and number-two market positions in the major oil and gas provinces, including the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Australia, West Africa and Brazil.”

While it might seem like Bris-tow’s business is transporting people and equipment offshore, Duncan said that, according to its customers, Bristow is keep-ing oil and gas production plat-forms and rigs operational. “If you look at our global compet-itor, or any local competitor,

we have similar aircraft, similar tenures, etc.,” he said. “What sets Bristow apart is our focus on the three areas valued by our customers, safety, reliabil-ity and service. Our promise to our clients is that we will deliver more accident-free flight hours than anyone else; more uptime than anyone else and a hassle-free level of service.”

Target Zero Safety ProgramDuncan further explained

that the major contributor to the success of Bristow’s safety initiative is its unique “Target Zero” program. “It is a com-prehensive cultural and training system that seeks to achieve zero accidents, zero harm to people and zero harm to the environ-ment across all of our opera-tions areas,” he said.

From the president and CEO to the company’s reception-ists, Bristow has made Target Zero part of every element of its operations. “Our employees and crews are trained on a reg-ular basis, not only in terms of recurrent requirements, but also in the cultural and behavioral aspect of the work they do,” Duncan said. “This part of the training focuses their minds on the decisions they make and the associated risks.

“A simple question we are challenged to ask: If it was your family in the aircraft, would you release it for flight? Would you fly the mission?” he asked. “It is not an expectation that we lose our focus as we pass across the threshold at the end of our shift. We are expected to carry this behavior into our personal lives and of those around us.

We are challenged continuously to look out, listen up, speak up and take action.”

Duncan stressed that Tar-get Zero extends beyond a pure safety initiative. “We have been lauded by our customers for our commitment to global standards, which is a mechanism for identi-fying and distributing best prac-tices in all aspects of our service.” Global standards is part of the company’s focus on lowering cus-tomers’ total cost of operations, while targeting improvements in productivity and efficiency. Poor or unreliable helicopter operations can result in the plat-form or rig being shut down at huge costs, so Bristow’s focus on safety, reliability and service adds value to its customers.

Four Training FacilitiesOf course in the world of heli-

copter operations, especially when flying in some of the most extreme weather our planet has to offer, good pilot training is the founda-tion for the safety of every flight. To help ensure that Bristow–and many of its competitors–would always have a supply of qual-ified pilots, in April 2007, the company acquired Titusville, Fla.-based Helicopter Adventures and formed the Bristow Academy.

“Soon after its creation, the Academy acquired two other helicopter schools. Now we have four training locations–three in the U.S. and one in the UK,” explained Samantha Willen-bacher, director, Bristow Acad-emy. “We are an FAA Part 141 flight training academy with a full range of approved pro-grams from private through the commercial/instrument helicop-ter rating. Our largest campus is here in Titusville, where we have

50 helicopters based. Our other major U.S. location is in New Iberia, Louisiana.”

Bristow Academy also offers specialty programs, including aerial firefighting, external load, mountain operations and night-vision goggle training. “The Academy is also the only JAA-licensed rotary-wing training provider outside of the Euro-pean Union,” according to Greg-ory Popp, business development manager, Bristow Academy.

“Of the pilots flying in Bris-tow’s Norway operations in the North Sea, nearly 50 percent have come from the Academy,” Willenbacher added. “Among all of these graduates, not one has had a serious helicopter acci-dent or incident. There is no bet-ter testimony than that to show how well the Academy prepares pilots for real world operations.”

While much of the aviation industry is in the proverbial tank, thanks to a recent boom in global oil and gas explora-tion and production, Bristow’s future is looking healthy.

“During the next five years we have identified over 400 new opportunities, more than 75 per-cent of which will require new or replacement aircraft,” Duncan added. “PFC energy, our strate-gic consulting partner, has iden-tified that total offshore capital expenditures will recover in 2012 to pre-recession rates at a lower cost base than prior levels. That bodes well for Bristow, and with our recent fleet renewal program we are well positioned to cap-ture that growing market.”

The company is also looking to grow outside the oil and gas industry. “[Helicopter] OEMs are intimating an 18- to 24-month lead time for new airframe avail-ability, with much of the demand being consumed by the deep-water markets in West Africa and Latin America,” Duncan said. “Bristow Academy is also poised to benefit from this uptick. For example, Brazil has strict local content requirements when it comes to crewing of aircraft and we are working to take advantage of that opportunity.” o

Bristow focuses on safety, reliability and service in all of its missions. It operates more than 550 aircraft and has more than 3,300 employees throughout the world.

Bristow’s helicopter fleet ferries people and materials to and from oil rigs, vessels and gas platforms in the world’s major oil markets.

Bristow Academy offers training in mountain rescue, aerial firefighting and night-vision goggle use. Its Target Zero safety initiative provides a comprehensive cultural and training system that seeks to achieve zero accidents, zero harm to people and zero harm to the environment across operational areas.


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Erickson modernizes flight control system on S-64Fby Harry Weisberger

Erickson Air-Crane and Stilwell Baker Inc. (SBI) have jointly devel-oped and certified a modernized auto-matic flight control system (AFCS) for the Sikorsky S-64F heavy-lift helicopter, using an unusual reversal of the all-dig-ital approach to avionics. Erickson has contracted with SBI for the latter to sup-ply production AFCS hardware to equip the 16 S-64s in the Erickson fleet.

Erickson, Central Point, Ore., and SBI of Vancouver, Wash., updated the original analog AFCS in the S-64F using current-generation digital sensors, flight control system components and electronic displays in the existing S-64F system architecture. With stability augmentation system (SAS) redundancy, integrated auto-trim and hardover detection, the AFCS replaces the origi-nal Sikorsky-designed and -built flight control system. Erickson has held the type certificate for the S-64 since 1992.

The unique approach was dictated by launch customer San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) schedule require-ment of 18 months from con-tract to delivery. SBI president Darrel Baker called the project “reverse engineering of a legacy product.” He explained, “Given the tight contract timeframe, we chose to implement all of the control functions in analog for simplicity to avoid software cer-tification issues and complex hardware cer-tification.” The result is a hybrid analog/digital system, following original Sikorsky control paths, with Arinc 429 outputs from a digital air data attitude-heading reference system (ADAHRS) processed through a digital-to-analog converter.

The VFR-only AFCS implements the S-64F’s unique fly-by-wire external load control through a joystick at an aft sta-tion. The Erickson/SBI team has installed the modernized AFCS in two S-64F heli-copters to date: the SDG&E machine and one operated by Erickson.

SBI undertook the electrical and electronic systems design and engineer-ing, while Erickson, as system integra-tor, selected the ADAHRS and EFIS displays, handled contract administra-tion and oversaw FAA supplemental type certification, which was issued in February 2011. First customer delivery took place “18 months to the day from the contract date,” Baker said.

Erickson selected the AHR-150 ADAHRS from Archangel Systems, Auburn, Ala., which is based on micro-elec-tromechanical sensor technology. Weighing just more than three pounds, the system consists of an inertial reference unit and remote-mounted magnetic flux valve head-ing sensor, replacing the Sperry “spinning iron” VG-14 vertical and C-14 directional

gyros in the original S-64F installation. Brian Terhune, Erickson senior project engineer, said removal of the “original complex mechanical gyro system” contrib-uted to a 33-percent reduction in system weight, with “significantly improved air-craft performance and stability, especially for precision placement of external loads.”

Terhune said rising support costs for the legacy AFCS dictated the moderniza-tion. “Parts were getting harder to find, and with these highly specialized aircraft operating all over the globe in critical mis-sions like firefighting and heavy lifting, we needed a long-term solution.” Baker added, “Our customers now have a spare parts supplier and product support pro-

vider through the foreseeable future.” Erickson selected electronic engine

and mode annunciation units from Sandel Avionics (Booth No. 8940), while Rogerson Kratos (Booth No. 8659) pro-vided primary flight and navigation EFIS displays linked to the AFCS.

Working within the framework of existing S-64 control laws, the Erickson/SBI team achieved a 50-percent improve-ment in S-64 AFCS reliability through circuit redesign and component selec-tion, said Baker. The task entailed “a lot of head-scratching and some old-fash-ioned engineering. We had to learn why Sikorsky did what it did, and thoroughly understand each design element. To duplicate functions with current equip-ment required time to become fully famil-iar with the core flight control paths.”

Still, SBI needed just eight months to design and fabricate the first AFCS flight article. Flight test followed to assure the same or better levels of hardover protec-tion and performance. Baker noted that the updated autotrim function earned praise. “The pilots liked that the helicop-ter sticks where they put it.”

He concluded, “The S-61 has a very similar control system, and it would be possible to do a similar solution there, perhaps even a little easier because the S-61 has no fly-by-wire stick in the aft station. It’s technically feasible to achieve a streamlined path to reverse engineering of that legacy system.” o

Erickson Air-Crane and Stilwell Baker have jointly developed a modernized automatic flight control system for the Sikorsky S-64F heavy-lift helicopter using digital sensors and electronic displays.

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Commonality and flexibility spur AgustaWestland growthby Charles Alcock

AgustaWestland has introduced some impressive new aircraft in recent Heli-Expo shows. But its presence at this year’s event here in Dallas is all about the collective strength of its growing family of products. The com-pany is showcasing its New Gener-ation Helicopter Family, consisting of the existing A109 Grand New and AW139 flagships and the in-develop-ment AW169 and AW189 models.

The strategy is clear. AgustaWestland wants to give operators options to build their fleets through the different weight classes it will soon cover. Mindful of the example set in the fixed-wing world by Air-bus, the group’s engineers have been placing a renewed emphasis on offering common technology across the family to give oper-ators greater flexibility and efficiency in both crew training and maintenance. The commonality is particularly apparent in the cockpit, but also in key components such as gearboxes and rotorheads.

At the same time, technological inno-vation–particularly in the cockpit–is to be made more readily available to exist-ing operators through software-enabled upgrades. A prime example of this is new Phase 7 version of Honeywell’s Primus Epic avionics suite for the AW139, which is being introduced here in Dallas this week (see “New Approach to Avionics Built on Flexibility”).

According to AgustaWestland’s new CEO Bruno Spagnolini, the company is keeping development work on sched-ule for both the AW169 and the AW189, while also staying mindful to ensure that these new types deliver their promised per-formance parameters when they enter ser-vice. First to arrive on the market will be the AW189, which is set to complete certifi-cation, in its offshore configuration, during the second half of 2013. The AW169 is set


MRO Command Center Backs Up Operators 24/7A helicopter operating in the North Sea suf-

fers a lightning strike which damages a criti-cal part, forcing the pilots to take refuge on an oil platform, blocking the only landing pad from other movements. Within seconds of the en-gines shutting down, staff at AgustaWestland’s logistics center at Lonate Pozzolo near Milan are aware of the problem and a response plan is swinging into action. Technicians assess the ex-tent of the damage and dispatch a replacement part within a few hours so that the aircraft can return to base. On large screens in a command center reminiscent of NASA’s Mission Control in Houston, support staff can mon-itor and share email traffic on incidents, as well as track an aircraft’s exact

location and view photographs of problems.The new facility went live in mid-2010 as part of AgustaWestland’s drive

to be more involved in its customers’ lives. By the end of 2011, the manu-facturer was supporting some 3,500 helicopters around the world. The ma-jor investment in support infrastructure was justified by the projection that this fleet could increase by 22 percent by 2016 and will then rise at an even faster rate beyond then.

Beneath the impressive command center, a vast warehouse stocks parts that can be quickly dispatched worldwide. AgustaWestland has developed software to trace the use of high-consumption items in great detail to assist in product development.

“Operators now want a dispatch reliability rate of at least 95 percent, almost up to the standard of [fixed-wing] airlines,” said Corrado Martinel-li, who runs AgustaWestland’s Customer Support & Service division. By the end of last year, the average time for closing out a customer service request was 27 hours. Before the new center opened, it stood at around 48 hours.

Also new in AgustaWestland’s customer support armory is an advanced anomaly detection system, which forms part of the company’s new web ser-vices for operators using HUMS (health and usage monitoring systems). Backing this up is a new maintenance implementation team, established in May 2011 to provide operators with a more integrated support experience and to drive down operating costs. By collecting and analyzing more exten-sive helicopter performance data, the specialists are looking to safely extend fatigue limits on parts.

Last year, the manufacturer also opened a new fleet control center in Philadelphia to support the North American market. It added four more au-thorized service centers worldwide in 2011, taking the total to 75 and is evaluating options for adding another 16 new facilities, including overhaul and blade-repair centers. –C.A.

New Approach to Avionics Built on FlexibilityAgustaWestland and Honeywell are in-

troducing a new “Phase 7” version of the Primus Epic avionics suite for the AW139 rotorcraft. The upgrade, which will be avail-able soon for new-build aircraft as well as for retrofit, is about more than modernizing the operating procedures of the avionics, it marks a step-change in the manufacturer’s approach to developing the cockpits of its growing family of aircraft.

According to Dario Ianucci, project lead-er for the new AW189 and AW169 programs, AgustaWestland has taken control of avion-ics integration back in-house so that it can be sure that customers get what they really want. The key principle for cockpit development at the company is maximizing flexibility for oper-ational requirements by using open architec-ture built on the Arinc 664 AFDX high speed data bus. That also permits changes that can be quickly and easily applied via field-load-able software. Also fundamental is the desire to achieve a common avionics platform across the AgustaWestland product family.

Phase 7 introduces a satellite-based LPV approach for a 9-degree slope and 50-knot speed, as well as an RNP approach with a 0.3-nm decision distance. The Primus Epic up-grade, which will be available from the middle of this year, also will feature ADS-B-Out capa-bility and access to TCAS II traffic-avoidance capability, plus a more advanced version of Honeywell’s enhanced ground proximity warn-ing system (EGPWS).

Also in the sites of AgustaWestland’s cockpit commonality is the AW109 Grand New light twin, featuring displays and a flight management system from Chelton, and a Sagem autopilot. Again, the craftwork

of change is software-derived and here the airframer’s developers are pushing to certify LPV approach capability with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The require-ment in this case has largely been driven by EMS operator Rega, which has helped AgustaWestland develop the da Vinci ver-sion of the Grand New.

With such a high degree hardware com-monality, avionics development work for the two new helicopters is progressing efficiently in tandem, explained Ianucci. Software chang-es introduced to the aircraft mission and man-agement system will drive features in the VMS/FMS such as HUMS and a digital map.

“On the avionics side, we have developed and are still developing products in different weight classes with enhanced [operational] effectiveness and reduced costs,” concluded Ianucci. “We’re trying to achieve [across the product range] the same philosophy of mis-sion effectiveness, crew workload, situational awareness and the overall look and feel.”

In his view, the market is endors-ing this approach by investing in multiple AgustaWestland family members. For in-stance, Malaysian offshore operator West-Star recently placed orders for a mix of AW169s and AW189s, having already in-troduced the AW139. Similarly, UK-based Bristow Helicopters–an established AW139 operator–was the launch customer for the AW189, which it will use to replace its fleet of Eurocopter Super Pumas.

Overall, AgustaWestland feels its more proactive and flexible approach to avionics de-velopment has made it more competitive by al-lowing the company to get new products to market more quickly. –C.A.

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AgustaWestland’s logistics center near Milan can analyze problems and launch a response plan anywhere in the world. The new facility went live in mid-2010 as part of the company’s drive to be more involved with customers.

to follow during the second half of 2014.During a visit to AgustaWestland’s

Cascina Costa headquarters in north-ern Italy earlier this month, AIN saw the AW169 starting early evaluation on a dig-ital test bed. “This is more than just an iron bird,” explained Spagnolini. “It is a complete helicopter that is closer to a full prototype. And we will use it to test all rotating components as well as getting an idea of how well the integrated systems are functioning before the aircraft’s first flight this spring.”

Over the past couple of years, exist-ing customers–most notably leading offshore operators–have been helping AgustaWestland to define both new designs, with the manufacturer col-lecting an unspecified number of non-refundable deposits. “The response from the market is quite good,” said Spagnolini, who recently took over as CEO, succeeding Giuseppe Orsi who moved on to lead the company’s par-ent group Finmeccanica. “Custom-ers are saying ‘you are doing what we expected from you’ and like the idea

of a family of helicopters.”In Spagnolini’s view, AgustaWestland

came of age as a helicopter maker with the introduction of the AW139. “It really boosted our credibility, and one of the main lessons we learned for the 189 and the 169 is to develop all the avionics our-selves so that we can develop modifica-tions through software more flexibly and more cheaply,” he commented.

Another lesson learned with the 139 is the importance of being ready with com-plete training packages, including full flight simulators, in time for new models to enter service. This was not achieved for the 139, causing service-entry holdups for operators. But, working with CAE simu-lators for the 189 and 169 are already in the works and should be ready in time for certification.

As part of the certification process, AgustaWestland is working to convince the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) of the high degree of commonality between the new types. Many aspects of the technical publications will be the same and this should be reflected in a high degree of cross-over in

operational requirements and training.“If you want to have a mixed fleet,

you will find that the interiors and much of the equipment are exactly the same [between the 189 and the 169],” Spagnolini told AIN. “For instance, if you want to move from having 12 to 16 passengers with the 189, you can simply exchange some seats from the 169 cabin. It’s a completely modular approach and we believe we are the only manufacturer offering this.”

But the winds of change at the com-pany have had an impact beyond the design of its growing rotorcraft fam-ily. It has also been stepping up its com-mitment to providing a completely

comprehensive level of support through-out the operational life of its aircraft. The aim is that this approach should be evident at every stage in its relationship with clients, from product definition, through the sales process, to aircraft delivery, training, maintenance and spares support.

This more holistic approach based on a more meaningful sense of part-nership with clients was inspired by the more cost-sensitive needs of the larger, more commercially-driven operators who bought the AW139. The company expects to attract more operators like this as it introduces the AW189, offering greater payload and range to sectors such as the oil and gas industry, which is now very much in growth mode. According to Spagnolini, industry sectors such as law enforcement and emergency medical services also are still expanding, despite tough economic conditions in several of the airframer’s traditional markets.

“The need for continuing invest-ment in logistics and product sup-port is now much more fundamental at AgustaWestland, and this wasn’t true 10 years ago,” said Spagnolini. “We have a young and determined group in our cus-tomer-support organization.”

So where next for the AgustaWestland family? When the AW169 and AW189 enter service, the company will turn its attention to renewing the lower end of its product range with planned upgrades to the AW109 light twins. Meanwhile, the company is looking at new-generation engines, including diesel powerplants that would offer reduced fuel burn and emissions. Its engineers are also working on lower profile blades that would gen-erate less noise. o


Academy Expands to Train AW189 and AW169 CrewWith service entry for its new AW189 and AW169 models looming large over the next

couple of years, AgustaWestland is scrambling to ensure that operators can get their flight crew type rated in good time. At its main training academy in Sesto Calende, Italy, a major ex-tension is under construction to house no fewer than nine full-flight simulators and six train-ing devices for the new aircraft.

The new facilities will significantly boost the capacity of a flight academy that last year certified some 4,200 students from 40 countries on 45 separate courses. Its Class D simulators are in ac-tion 20 hours a day, 363 days per year. The center also offers extensive instruction for mechanics.

Last June, AgustaWestland opened a new flight training organization in Frosinone for ab initio pilots, equipped with two Bell 206s and a pair of Swidnik SW-4s. The center is attracting business from countries and operators wanting to develop relatively large groups of students, including a batch of 50 rookies from an undisclosed African government.

Responding to the growing Asian market for rotorcraft, the manufacturer last month opened an-other training academy in Malaysia. According to AgustaWestland, others could follow soon in lo-cations such as Brazil, where the offshore oil and gas industry is set to boom. –C.A.

AgustaWestland Goes it Alone on Tiltrotor

Just down the road from the Dallas Con-vention Center is the Arlington home of the long-awaited AW609 tiltrotor program. Fol-lowing AgustaWestland’s move late last year to complete the full takeover of the pro-gram from former partner Bell Helicopter, the tiltrotor is a full-blown Italian now. While work on the program will continue in the Lone Star state, all roads lead not so much to Rome, as to Agusta’s headquarters at Cascina Costa, just north of Milan.

The first prototype is being constructed in Arlington, but AgustaWestland is running a fully integrated project team from the oth-er side of the Atlantic. The manufacturer es-timates that it will take another four years to complete certification, but CEO Bruno Spag-nolini told AIN that the market will start to see the pace of the program picking up.

“We could move toward greater common-ality in the [AW609] cockpit to our helicop-ters,” he commented. “Conceptually, it fits very well into the product range, especially for roles such as coast guard operations.” –C.A.

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An AgustaWestland AW139 approaches the landing zone at the Dallas Convention Center.

At AgustaWestland’s main training facility in Sesto Calende, Italy, a major expansion will house nine full-flight simulators and six training devices.

12909 G5000H_Ad-OUTLINED-HAI SHow Daily.indd 1 1/26/12 10:28 AM

Eurocopter marks 20th anniversary with a stable of evolving productsby James Wynbrandt

Highlighting the 20th anni-versary of the founding of Eurocopter, the Marignane, France-based company is introducing the latest evolu-tion in its product line here at Heli-Expo’12. Eurocopter

evolved from the 1992 merger of the helicopter divisions of Aero-spatiale of France and Daimler-Benz of Germany.

The new variant leads a list of innovations from the company, and will be unveiled today at

noon at the Eurocopter exhibit (Booth No. 1917), along with an announcement of launch cus-tomers. The ceremony will be led by president and CEO Lutz Bertling.

“Eurocopter is maintaining

its commitment to evolve its product line every year, and 2012 is no exception, as we unveil our latest family evolution at Heli-Expo,” Bertling said.

Additional innovations the company is showcasing here include its Short Range Opti-cal Detection System, which uses inexpensive radar sensors; a hybrid helicopter concept for improved flight safety; a high-efficiency, landing gear aimed at increasing helicopter maxi-mum takeoff weights and reduc-ing maintenance costs; and advanced manufacturing tech-niques for producing lighter weight structures, including friction-stir-welding solid-state joining technology, and pre-form resin-transfer-molding technology.

“Eurocopter has applied creativity and innovation dur-ing the past 20 years to expand and improve its helicopter fam-ily, and this will continue in the next two decades as we provide the best in performance, operat-ing efficiency and cost effective-ness for our customers,” Bertling said.

Helicopters on display at the Eurocopter booth include the EC175, scheduled to enter ser-vice this year (see pilot report on page 36); the new EC145 T2 version of Eurocopter’s popular twin-engine EC145, equipped with the Helionix avi-onics suite and Stylence cabin interior; and the EC135 T2e,

the evolved version of the twin-engine EC135 family.

Eurocopter believes that Helionix, which is stan-dard in the EC145 T2 and EC 175, represents a signifi-cant advance in avionics archi-tecture and human-machine interface. It includes LED dis-plays for improved image qual-ity, crew-alerting capability an on-demand vehicle monitoring system, a four-axis dual-duplex automatic flight control system, and enhanced situational aware-ness with optional digital map, synthetic vision system and elec-tronic flight bag.

Eurocopter is also highlight-ing its strategy to become the industry standard for customer support and service with its dis-play of the EC135/EC145 avion-ics trainer, and demonstrations of the company’s Keycopter on-line customer-service portal.

The emphasis on prod-uct evolution and innova-tion appears likely to pay off. Eurocopter recently announced it expects helicopter deliveries to enter a new growth phase in 2012. “Our assumption is very strong growth in the next years,” Bertling said. The company estimates its own revenues will reach €10 billion ($13 billion) by 2020, up from €5.4 billion ($7 billion) in 2011. o


fearsome afghan vet

The Russian Mil Mi-24 probably first came to the attention of most of the world when it was operated extensively during the Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979-1989), mainly for bombing Mujahadeen guerrillas. No doubt this one is here in Dallas for purely peaceful purposes.� n

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Heli-Expo’12 opens with GA town hall

Matt Zuccaro, president of the Helicopter Association Inter-national (HAI), wants attendees of Heli-Expo to understand up front that he and his association members are team players. “Too often in the past, helicopters were seen as a segment of avi-ation unto itself,” he explained. To help correct that misconcep-tion, Zuccaro invited the leaders of several key aviation associa-tions to an onstage dialogue at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Association leaders who have accepted Zuccaro’s invita-tion include: Aircraft Electron-ics Association’s Paula Derks; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Craig Fuller; Experimental Aircraft Associa-tion’s Rod Hightower; General Aviation Manufacturers Associ-ation’s Pete Bunce; National Air Transportation Association’s James Coyne; National Business

Aviation Association’s Ed Bolen; and Women in Aviation, International’s Peggy Chabrian. Every one of these organizations includes members who are heli-copter pilots, mechanics, owners and operators.

Though it isn’t the first time these leaders have met to discuss key aviation concerns they share, it is novel to see them focus on helicopters during a town hall-style question and answer ses-sion. Questions fielded by the leaders will include refer-ences to the team-lobbying that helped to push through the most recent FAA reauthorization bill, according to Chris Dancy, direc-tor of communications and pub-lic relations for HAI. –A.L.

Scan to watch Eurocopter’s 20th anniversary video

A Eurocopter EC145 approaches the landing zone behind the Dallas Convention Center.

‘Pilot-optional’ K-Max operates in harm’s way

Kaman Helicopters contin-ues to write new chapters in its history, including the un-manned K-Max, subcontract manufacturing and rotor-blade development and production.

At Heli-Expo’12, Kaman is showcasing its products and ser-vices at Booth No. 5222 with executives and technical experts available for the duration of the show.

Two of the unmanned K-Max helicopters, along with three ground control sta-tions, are currently perform-ing cargo resupply missions for the Marine Corps in Afghani-stan. Time Magazine named the K-Max unmanned aerial truck (UAT) one of its “50 Best Inven-tions” for 2011.

According to Salvatore Bordonaro, Kaman Helicop-ters president, “Unmanned or optionally-piloted technologies for military and civil missions are going to drive our industry’s, and Kaman Helicopters’ growth for many years to come.”

Kaman also believes com-mercial versions of the K-Max continue to represent a growth market, particularly for mis-sions such as firefighting and offshore oil exploration and support. “Why put people in harm’s way when it’s not abso-lutely necessary for dull and dangerous operations,” said Kaman director of market-ing and business development Mark Tattershall.

Rotorcraft component fabri-cation and subcontracting has

become a major line of busi-ness for Kaman. The Bloom-field, Conn.-based company’s capabilities include integration,

composite and metallic bonding and final assembly, with an abil-ity to replicate OEM capabilities such as design/analysis, develop-ment, test, large-system integra-tion and manufacturing.

The Helicopters Division Blade Center of Excellence and Subcontracting Product Group offer full-service development and manufacturing ability that

allows Kaman “to respond to vigorous future market growth.”

Kaman also continues to support its SH-2 Seasprite and SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite multi mission maritime helicop-ters. “Beyond our unmanned opportunities,” said Bordon-aro, “we see demand growing for small-ship maritime helicop-ters that provide nations with a

cost-effective capability.” It is a requirement, he continued, that is driven primarily by territorial disputes, anti-piracy operations, threat of submarine activity and drug and other smuggling operations.

Kaman Helicopters is a divi-sion of Kaman Aerospace industry, a subsidiary of Kaman Corp. –K.J.H.


Heli-education: donaldson

Donaldson Aerospace’s presentation “Engine Pro-tection–Realizing Return on Investment Quickly” today at 10 a.m. in Room C-145 plans to cover the care and preservation of your helicop-ter investments, highlighting the benefits of keeping your engine’s internal systems clean.

“Each time your engine starts there is risk of erosive damage to critical compo-nents, or worse,” said Michael Scimone, president of Don-aldson’s St. Louis, Mo. office. The education seminar emphasizes how filtration sys-tems are important. � n

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New tail rotor for Bell 412 and 212 builds on Van Horn’s earlier success

Rotor-blade manufacturer Van Horn Aviation (VHA) of Tempe, Ariz. (Booth No. 9651) is unveiling a proto-type of its new Bell 412/212 tail-rotor blade here at Heli-Expo. Designed by VHA in collaboration with Bell Heli-copter Textron, the new tail-rotor blade is predicted to increase tail-rotor authority while reducing pilot workload and eliminating inspections required by the current blade’s airwor-thiness directive (AD).

“We’re building on the success of the VHA 206B/L tail-rotor blade, using the same NASA-designed lam-inar flow airfoil and a similar swept tip for greater efficiency and reduced noise,” said VHA president James Van Horn. “We’ll also continue our

tradition of doubling the service life compared to the OEM blade to offer the operators a great value in addition to greater performance.”

VHA also announced at Heli-Expo plans to resume flight-testing next month on its newly redesigned com-posite MD 530F main-rotor blades. The company anticipates receiving FAA certification for the blades by the end of this year. VHA recently moved into a larger, renovated facility to facil-itate development and production of the MD 530F main blades.

“The new 23,000-square-foot facility is large enough to accommodate all of our current tail-rotor blade programs, plus current and future main-rotor blade programs,” Van Horn said. o


NASA-designed airfoil and swept tip tail rotor.

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news clipsz Becker Avionics Gains New Contracts

Becker Avionics is in Dallas celebrating several new contracts. The first is to provide DVCS 6100 digital audio and intercom systems to OSF HealthCare, Peoria, Ill. for its four new EC145 air medical helicopters. The German avionics maker will also serve the U.S. Army as part of the UH-72A Lakota mission equipment package (MEP), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) with their new PC-12s.

Completion of the OSF HealthCare EC145s is underway at United Rotorcraft in Denver. Their Becker audio systems manage and control all audio sources in the helicopter with configurable software that allows operational customization. The system manages all transceivers, receivers and audio warning sources with simulcast capability on eight channels, along with a new radio relay feature.

Becker’s DVCS 6100 will continue to help support the Army National Guard security and support mission. To date, more than 200 systems for the Lakota have been installed at the American Eurocopter Columbus, Miss. facility. The first Lakota with the MEP entered service with the Mississippi National Guard in late 2011. The privately-held German company will serve beer at its booth (No. 9058) tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

z Twirly Birds Rendezvous for Annual MeetingIt is most definitely a social event, and one that every pilot

who has soloed a helicopter at least 20 years ago is eligible to attend. The Twirly Birds annual meeting kicks off with a reception at 5 p.m. today in Ballroom A, Section 1 of the Dallas Convention Center. The membership meeting follows, and will include an awards ceremony and silent auction. The group, founded more than 60 years ago, welcomes pilots and helicopter industry notables (associate memberships exist for non-pilots) willing to share their stories and camaraderie.

z Army Extends Collins Sim ContractThe U.S. Army has extended its contract with Rockwell

Collins for additional Transportable Black Hawk [helicopter] Operations Simulators (T-BOS) to meet a growing need for bringing training to where soldiers are operating.

The $35 million extension calls for deliveries through 2015. LeAnn Ridgeway, Rockwell Collins v-p and general manager for simulation and training, said, “T-BOS’s mobile nature saves time and resources by taking training to pilots in the field. It is the only U.S. Army-accredited flight training device for the UH-60M aircraft.”

The air, land sea-transportable flight simulator can be readied for training within eight hours of arrival thanks to integral power and environmental controls. More information is available at the Rockwell Collins Booth (No. 6119.)

z Flight Display Systems Go Hi-DefA high-definition (HD) camera system deserves an HD display

and DVR to fully achieve the sensor’s full capability. So says Atlanta-area-based Flight Display Systems, at Booth No. 2811 to demonstrate its line of HD cockpit monitors. They function with FLIR, L-3 Wescam, Axsys and other camera systems.

Flight Display is also featuring HD touch-screen control for airborne computer mapping systems in screen sizes from seven to 17 inches. The company’s widescreen LCD monitors can also be configured for compatibility with night vision goggles. Hands-on demonstration videos may be viewed on the company website, www.FlightDisplay.com/videos.

z Enstrom Inks Chinese DealershipEnstrom Helicopter (Booth No. 4800) recently signed the

Zuhai Business Aviation Center as its authorized dealer in China. Located in Guandong Province, Zuhai will sell, service and operate Enstroms along with their fixed-wing business aircraft. Zuhai has ordered one 480B and a 280FX to serve as demonstrators. Enstrom first sold helicopters in China in the 1990s, delivering a trio of 480s and two 280FXs helicopters for police duty.

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Able Aerospace builds new HQ at Phoenix-Mesa

Component repair services provider Able Aerospace Ser-vices of Phoenix (Booth No. 2106) is here at Heli-Expo this week celebrating the recent groundbreaking of its new head-quarters at Phoenix-Mesa Gate-way Airport.

With a 191,000-square-foot complex including offices and a purpose-built hangar, Able will become the airport’s largest ten-ant among a roster that includes Boeing, Cessna, Embraer and Hawker Beechcraft.

Able specializes in component

repair and overhaul, and main-tains a large inventory of OEM and approved PMA replace-ment parts.

Despite the downturn in the aerospace market, the company has reported nine consecutive years of 20 percent compound growth, and projects a 27 per-cent increase in 2012.

“This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our company’s growth,” said Able president and CEO Lee Benson.

“The aerospace industry needs good news stories, and

Banner says it all

The sign over this Eurocopter EC 145 being pre-pared for Heli-Expo pretty well describes the rotary-wing industry. Airports are not needed, weather is a minor annoyance and almost any mission can be accom-modated with aplomb. And no doubt, the best is yet to come. n

our story is about as good as they come.”

The company said it chose Mesa for its new headquar-ters because the quality of the local workforce and the favor-able agreements negotiated with the city and the airport.

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, said, “Able will bring hun-dreds of jobs to the area that is becoming known for aerospace research, design and defense.” o

Our commitment to ongoing investment in technology and product development provides Eurocopter customers with innovations in fl ight safety, reduced

operating costs and improved environmental performance.How to make helicopters that work better.

( THINK INNOVATION )

Thinking without limits

VISIT US AT HAIFebruary 11-14, 2012Hall B - Stand 1917

EC-AIN-HeliExpo-InnovationAD-275x352-USA.indd 1 30/01/2012 16:38

Enstrom sales reach record levelsby Kim Rosenlof

Enstrom Helicopter (Booth No. 4810) had its best year on record last year. With 16 helicop-ters delivered during the year–14 of which were Enstrom 480B tur-bine models priced at more than

$1 million each–the Menominee, Mich.-based helicopter manu-facturer earned its highest annual revenue in its 52-year history.

“[It] was our best year ever from a performance standpoint,

including revenue, sales and mar-gin figures,” said Enstrom presi-dent and CEO Jerry Mullins. “Because of [the good year] we were able to invest in new equip-ment to reduce manufacturing

costs.” Mullins said Enstrom is expected to deliver 22 helicop-ters, most of them turbines, this year. The strong international military market is fueling the deliveries.

“People are still cautious about buying,” said Mullins. “Some of the countries are struggling, too, but the mili-tary doesn’t necessarily follow the same trends. The fact that we’re dealing with foreign mili-taries has helped us during the last couple of years.”

In fact, 12 of Enstrom’s 16 deliveries were to foreign mil-itaries. The company deliv-ered two 480Bs to the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force as part of a 30-ship order that extends through 2014. As part of that order, Enstrom is sched-uled to deliver eight 480Bs in 2012, 10 in 2013 and the final 10 in 2014.

Enstrom also delivered ten 480B turbines to the Royal Thai Army last year as part of a 16-ship order that will conclude this year. Used primarily for flight training with some utility roles, the Royal Thai 480Bs were outfit-ted with upgraded military radios and avionics, search lights, cargo hooks and other options that increased each unit’s purchase price to well above the $1.064 mil-lion base price. “The shipment of four highly advanced 480Bs in December 2011 represented the single biggest shipment, dollar-wise, in Enstrom’s history,” Mul-lins said.

Thailand used the helicopters to transport military personnel assisting disaster relief efforts during the floods that claimed more than 600 lives during the region’s monsoon season from July through November. “Our employees took great pride in the news that our helicopters were assisting the people of Thailand and making a differ-ence,” said Mullins.

Enstrom also builds three-seat piston-powered F28F and 280FX training helicopters. Law enforcement variants of the 480B (the Guardian) and the F28F (the Sentinel) are also available. o


Enstrom delivered ten 480Bs last year to the Royal Thai Army. An additional six will be delivered this year.

IT’S TIME FOR A NEW PAIR OF GLASSES

If you’re planning a glass panel upgrade, pair it up with a glass standbythat matches your primary. Certified to the FAA’s highest Level Astandards, the Trilogy Electronic Standby Instrument (ESI) displays allthe vital flight cues on a compact 3.7-inch screen, while its internallithium-ion battery and NVG compatibility assure you’re never in the dark.With the Trilogy ESI, your standby instrument resembles your primaryglass instrument, easing the transition in a crisis.

Visit us at HELI-EXPO, Booth 8056, or online at www.FlyTrilogy.com.

Avionics Systems L-3com.com

AIN Trilogy 2012_Layout 1 1/27/2012 9:53 AM Page 1

Sandel’s WireWatch alert app flying on Agusta A109sby Harry Weisberger

Sandel Avionics is now delivering its production WireWatch wire alert-ing application, a proprietary software feature of the Sandel HeliTaws terrain avoidance and warning system. Wire-Watch is flying on Agusta A109s oper-ated by Robbinsdale, Minn.-based North Memorial Medical Center. MSP Aero of Minneapolis is handling the WireWatch installation for the NMMC fleet.

HeliTaws is available with WireWatch as an OEM standard installation, an all-inclusive onboard wire-strike avoidance

device that alerts pilots to any known energized or inert transmission lines at or above 100 feet agl. WireWatch incorpo-rates an updatable proprietary database built upon input from several sources to provide aural alerts and visual warn-ings of hazard locations on the HeliTaws high-resolution 3-ATI color display.

The WireWatch hazard database, in development for the past two years, cov-ers U.S. and Canadian airspace. Sandel president Gerry Block told AIN that WireWatch databases are being assem-bled for Australia, Western Europe and other areas where adequate information on the location and height of transmis-sion lines is available. HeliTaws with a WireWatch display can be viewed at San-del’s booth (No. 8940).

Any installed HeliTaws unit is upgradeable, making WireWatch avail-able to all HeliTaws operators, Block said. The WireWatch software is included at no charge in new HeliTaws systems being delivered to Sandel distributors and customers, he added.

WireWatch operating software can be retrofitted to currently installed HeliTaws systems at no cost to operators. Block indicated that it is also possible for oper-ators to perform hazard-data download-ing and updating, but they may incur nominal service fees if Sandel distribu-tors perform those tasks.

When WireWatch software is being ret-rofitted into installed ST3400H HeliTaws units, said Jerry Henry, Sandel director of

sales, “All that needs to be purchased and uploaded is a wire hazard database spe-cific to the helicopter’s operating region. Just like terrain, obstacle and airport data, a customer may simply purchase and install this data in the field.” The ST3400H HeliTaws has a mini-USB port on the front bezel to accommodate software and data-base uploads from a Windows computer. A data loader cable is supplied with each unit shipped from Sandel.

“We are considering the cost of data-base loads and the frequency of updates, based upon the data source for each coun-try where we offer it,” Henry added. “We chose to make the WireWatch application a standard feature since it is so important to the overall safety of our HeliTaws sys-tem owners.”

“We had previously determined that as the only such system that operates at typical mission altitudes without nui-sance alerts, the Sandel HeliTaws was the best terrain avoidance solution,” said Jon Ness, MSP Aero’s business development director. “Adding WireWatch technology makes us confident that our client’s heli-copters are also protected from known wires, and that their pilots will be flying with even greater situational awareness.”

HeliTaws is a multi-hazard avoid-ance system for helicopters and pro-tects against terrain, wires and obstacles. The system is certified for nuisance-free operation below en route altitudes, which eliminates annoying terrain warn-ings during normal helicopter opera-tions using Sandel’s proprietary TruAlert technology. TruAlert enables pilots to safely take off, cruise, hover and land at off-airport locations without triggering nuisance alerts while receiving Class-A terrain and obstacle warnings during the entire flight.

Privately held Sandel Avionics, Vista, Calif., also manufactures 3-ATI and 4-ATI retrofit primary displays and Class-A fixed-wing Taws. o


News NoteHelijet has selected Max-Viz EVS-1500 infrared enhanced vision sys-tems for three Sikorsky S-76s used in EMS operations. “Air Ambulance flight crews are reporting that not only can they see terrain features and man-made structures at night, but they are see-ing fog and cloud formations and con-centrations of precipitation during the day enabling them to pick safer routes ahead,” said Helijet chief pilot Bren-dan McCormick. According to Max-Viz (Booth No. 2909), “the systems use infra-red sensors, signal processing and a cockpit display to show terrain, runways, taxiways, aircraft and other obstacles through poor visibility conditions includ-ing light fog, haze, smoke, brown/white-out, light precipitation and darkness.” n

Sandel’s WireWatch application for HeliTaws highlights wires in red to warn of potential hazards. It is flying on a fleet of EMS Agusta A109s.

[email protected] BLRaerospace.com/4801 | 425.405.4801

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Mecaer unveils new AW169 cabin mockupby Kirby J. Harrison

Borgomanero, Italy-based Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG) will introduce a new cabin design for AgustaWestland AW169 helicopters this morn-ing at Heli-Expo.

The six-seat cabin mockup

on display at the Mecaer booth (No. 5924) was developed with a vision toward passenger comfort, noise reduction and inclusion of a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system. The design allows for a variety

of cabin layouts, including one that accommodates an addi-tional passenger.

The new cabin will be equipped with the Silens Sys-tem, MAG’s proprietary cabin noise and vibration reduction

system. Silens is already certi-fied and flying in the AW139 and the company expects it to be certified in Eurocop-ter’s EC145 special-edition Mercedes Benz model later this month or in early March. The interior was also cre-ated to accommodate MAG’s IFeel cabin electronics pack-age, which includes a custom-ized cabin management and in-flight entertainment system.

Armando Sassoli, MAG co-general manager said the new

mockup “represents a further confirmation of our philosophy of working closely with OEMs from the very beginning of a new project.”

Alessandra Pasqua, head of the MAG Design Studio, said the AW169 interior “fea-tures exquisite materials, refined woods and sophisticated ambi-ent cabin lighting.

“We try our best to trans-late customer’s emotions, desires and expectations through an integrated design process,” she added. “With this AW169 inte-rior, we believe we have reached this goal.”

Mecaer Aviation Group is an international provider of air-craft flight controls and landing gear, as well as interior comple-tions and MRO services for the helicopter, business and general aviation markets.

AgustaWestland’s AW169 is expected to make its first flight this year and accord-ing to the OEM, the company “has already logged a signifi-cant number of firm orders worldwide.” o


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If it flies, the Bruzzones can ship it anywhereby Amy Laboda

Generally speaking, helicop-ters don’t fly across the Pacific Ocean–and rarely even the Atlantic. For that reason, man-ufacturers and dealers alike rely on shipping companies, such as Victor Bruzzone’s Helicopter International Shipping Services (HISS), to move the rotorcraft safely and efficiently from one side of the globe to the other.

“As a freight-forwarding company, we don’t own the ships or the airplanes, trucks or trains that do the transport-ing, but we coordinate the entire affair, and our people are on hand to supervise the process throughout,” Bruzzone told AIN. His customers include manufacturers AgustaWestland and Sikorsky, as well as used aircraft dealers and individuals who simply want their helicop-ters to be available to them as they travel the globe.

HISS (Booth No. 7844)

manages the movement of the air-craft, including customs export/import paperwork to disassembly and reassembly, essentially ensur-ing the customer has an airwor-thy, ready-to-fly product at the end of the shipping process.

Helicopters, however, are not shaped well for your standard ocean-going shipping container (with the exception of the dimin-utive Robinson line), according to Bruzzone, who co-owns HISS with his brother Fred.

“Depending on the aircraft, we will probably remove certain components and pack those sep-arately, or, if it is small enough, such as with a Robinson, it might just make it into a standard ship-ping container, if packed prop-erly,” Bruzzone said. “Then we’ll put it on a ship.

“Predominately, the bigger helicopters will go onto a roll-on, roll-off vessel,” he explained. These ocean-going freighters

are specifically designed to han-dle shipments that are too large or oddly shaped to be crated or contained. The helicopters–rotors stowed, are simply towed onboard and chained down for the voyage.

But some helicopters abso-lutely must be delivered in short order, in which case the only via-ble option is air freight. HISS specializes in these more com-plicated shipping situations, for example having recently stuffed a Sikorsky S-76 into the belly of a Boeing 747 freighter, and, more Houdini-like, managed (with Sikorsky’s help), to wedge three Sikorsky S-92s, weighing 15,500 pounds (7,030 kg) each, into the belly of the behemoth Antonov An-124.

Though the company spe-cializes in moving helicopters, it is willing to take on the task of supervising shipping for fixed-wing aircraft as well. “We remove the wings from the smaller ones and pack the fuselage into a con-tainer with them. When it comes to jets, we become the handler in helping you clear your new pur-chase through customs–and we handle all the paperwork,” he said. o

Victor Bruzzone’s Helicopter International Shipping Services loads a Blackhawk into an Antonov An-124 (top) and a Sikorsky S-76 into a B-747 freighter. Helicopters will not fit into standard ocean-going shipping containers.

Mecaer Aviation Group will introduce the full-scale AW169 cabin mockup this morning at Heli-Expo 2012 here in Dallas.


Bell ‘working on’ 206L blade replacements by Mark Huber

A Bell Helicopter spokes-man said the company is “work-ing on” solutions to deal with the aftermath of an FAA Emer-gency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) that could impact 697 of its 206L series helicopters on the FAA registry.

On February 1, the FAA issued an Emergency Air-worthiness Directive (2012-02-51) that mandates the immediate replacement of main rotor blades on select Bell 206L, L-1, L-3 and L-4 helicopters after 1,400 hours, as opposed to the current 3,600-hour time-in-service limit, due to concerns about fatigue cracking.

Special flight permits are pro-hibited under this EAD, poten-tially grounding a significant number of helicopters, although not all Bell 206L models are covered. The EAD resulted from the discovery of undetect-able cracks in main-rotor blades manufactured by a Bell supplier, which Bell declined to iden-tify. Bell blames the cracks on a defect in the manufacturing pro-cess that it says has since been corrected.

Bell issued Alert Service Bul-letin No. 206L-09-159 Revision A, on Nov. 13, 2009 (ASB 206L-09-159), which describes pro-cedures to identify and mark

the affected main rotor blades. It requires a “recurring wipe check” and a one-time radio-graphic inspection with the results to be determined by Bell. The EAD lists the serial num-bers of the blades affected.

The FAA estimates the cost of compliance at $45,638 per helicopter. A Bell spokesman told AIN that the company “is working with our customers” to “support the affected air-craft and minimize downtime” but as of yesterday could not offer specifics on any likely pro-rated warranty or replacement program.

The EAD comes in the wake of one issued by Transport Can-ada following the November 2, 2011 fatal crash of a 206L near Kapuskasing, Ontario, that a preliminary investigation attrib-uted to main-rotor blade failure.

Main-rotor blade defects in Bell 206Ls had been under the microscope since the fatal crash of a Bell 206L-1 near Greens-burg, Ind., on Aug. 31, 2008. That helicopter was operated by helicopter EMS provider Air Evac, the largest fleet opera-tor of 206L-series aircraft in the U.S. with 105 in service.

The NTSB determined that the Air Evac crash occurred due to “the in-flight separation of the

main-rotor blade due to a fatigue failure of the blade spar, render-ing the helicopter uncontrollable, and the manufacturer’s produc-tion of main-rotor blades with latent manufacturing defects, which precipitated the fatigue failure of the blade spar.”

NTSB metallurgical analy-sis of the failed blade in the Air Evac crash revealed that the ori-gin of the fatigue crack “coin-cided with a large void between

the blade spar and an inter-nal lead weight. Further analy-sis determined that the presence of residual stresses in the spar from the manufacturing pro-cess, in combination with exces-sive voids between the spar and the lead weight, likely resulted in the fatigue failure of the blade.”

The Canadian crash “brought back a lot of bad memories,” said Dan Sweeza, Air Evac vice president of operations. “We

made the decision to voluntarily replace all of our (main rotor) blades with the affected serial numbers,” Sweeza said. “At no point in the process did we dis-trust Bell, but this was just some-thing proactive we decided to do on our own.”

Sweeza said Air Evac com-pleted the new blade installa-tions last month. Other large 206L-series fleet operators did not return calls. o


RotaRy wings oveR the Big D

A Eurocopter EC135-7 wings its way over Dallas en route to Heli-Expo 2012. More than 680 have been delivered since the helicopter entered service in 1996 with a German air rescue company. The standard version carries the pilot and six or seven passengers. The EC135 is flown by more than 100 customers in 27 countries.

moDel pResentation

Fred Griffin (left) of Griffin Aerospace Models sets up his display stand of rotorcraft of all shapes and sizes. The Fort Worth-based company claims to be the world's premier custom model manufacturer.� n

Air Comm presenting HVAC fundamentals

Air Comm Corp. (ACC), a specialist in the design, pro-duction and support of envi-ronmental control systems for rotorcraft, is presenting “The Ultimate Guide To Helicop-ter Environmental Control Systems” today at 10 a.m. in Room C-148. The program is of interest to rotorcraft own-ers, operators and maintenance personnel.

At the session, Air Comm technicians plan to cover the fundamentals of rotorcraft heat-ing and air conditioning, instal-lation and maintenance of systems, trouble-shooting tips and advice for buyers who want maximum returns in efficiency and mission capability from their investment. Time will also

be set aside for a question-and-answer period.

The Boulder, Colo.-based firm will also discuss its new testing facility in Carroll-ton, Texas, where it expects to improve products and services through simulated environ-ments that will more accurately measure the performance of heating and air conditioning systems.

At its booth here (No. 9743), Air Comm is featuring its most advanced technologies and at the same time celebrating its 25th anniversary. The company was founded in 1987 by exec-utive v-p Norm Steiner, who was designing cabin heater and air conditioning systems in the basement of his home.

From its new 5,000-square-foot facility, Air Comm now handles both civil and military industries and has become a $15.5 million enterprise.

“ACC enjoyed record sales last year,” said president Keith Steiner. “We posted a 17-percent revenue increase over 2010.”

A major factor in the com-pany’s sales growth was a near-doubling of air condi-tioning-system orders for the Eurocopter AS350 AStar to 46 units, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff Aero Bureau’s entire fleet of 12 AS350s.

Another “significant” devel-opment was winning a contract from the U.S. Army to develop a cockpit heater and windshield defroster for its OH-58D Kiowa Warrior fleet. Approximately one-third of the company’s total revenue comes from mili-tary customers.

ACC is forecasting 12 per-cent growth in 2012. –K.J.H

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Alain Di Bianca, chief test pilot of the Eurocopter EC175 program, and Michel Oswald, flight engineer, made it clear to me before our demonstra-tion flight in January that the aircraft we would be flying is a prototype, in fact, the first of two EC175 prototypes. There-fore, it is not fully compliant with the production EC175s, two of which are in final assem-bly at Eurocopter’s Marignane, France facility. Certification of

the new model in its configura-tion for the oil and gas market is pegged for the end of this year.

Di Bianca and Oswald explained that several compo-nents of prototype PT1 are not representative of the production aircraft, and they warned me it might suffer some failures during the flight, particularly with the autopilot. This proved prophetic.

Then Di Bianca asked me to sign a document that released Eurocopter of all liability in case of an accident. “It is standard procedure for any non-Euro-copter pilots,” he said. I signed without hesitation. The two pro-totypes had logged some 270 hours since the first one made its initial flight on Dec. 4, 2009. I was sure PT1, which had accrued 190 of these hours, was safe.

Earlier that day, EC175 mar-keting manager François de Bray told me the new model’s main markets are the oil and

gas industry, search-and-rescue (SAR) and VIP transport, in that order, but the most impor-tant is oil and gas. SAR is a dual market, for stand-alone SAR operations and for oil-and-gas operators who need to provide quick-change SAR services for their customers.

A seven-metric-ton-class air-craft, the estimated 16,500-pound EC175 fills an empty niche in Eurocopter’s prod-uct line between the Dau-phin series (AS365N3+ and EC155B1) and the Super Puma series (AS332L1 and EC225). Its main competitors are the 14,000-pound AgustaWestland AW139 (in production) and 17,500-pound AW189 (planned for first deliveries in 2014), as well as a new helicopter, which Bell is expected to launch here at Heli-Expo. One could also add the larger Super Puma and Sikorsky S-92, many of which

are already in the fleets of opera-tors who constitute the EC175’s target customers.

With these markets in mind and feedback from current Dau-phin and Super Puma customers, Eurocopter engineers set about designing a medium-class off-shore helicopter that could also perform SAR or be purpose-built for other missions, includ-ing VIP and law enforcement. Safety, comfort, reliability and performance better than current offerings were the main goals. Eurocopter has not publicly announced prices for the EC175.

Information DisplayOn our demo flight the safety

aspect, particularly from the pilot’s perspective, was evident from the engine start. The EC175 cockpit borrows heavily from the EC225, and includes several improvements and features to simplify the pilot’s job while pro-tecting the passengers, crew and components, particularly the sin-gle largest-cost item, the helicop-ter’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67E turboshaft engines.

Eurocopter is taking a bold step in how it presents informa-tion to the pilots. The goal is to reduce pilot workload by show-ing information about systems

only when they warrant atten-tion, and in a graphically clear manner. This is made possible by providing a greater degree of automatic control by the air-craft’s many systems, primarily the avionics, autopilots and full-authority digital engine con-trols (Fadecs). If you want a fictional example, think of Hal in the book and movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, but in a nicer way. Eurocopter calls this new system Helionix.

Take the oil and hydraulic


Alain Di Bianca, chief test pilot for the Eurocopter EC175. The two prototypes of the helicopter have more than 270 flight hours.

Eurocopter EC175

Pilot Report:

by R. Randall Padfield

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EC175 Development and Certification

Eurocopter, a division of EADS (Booth J23), is developing the EC175 in cooperation with Avicopter, a subsidiary of Avic, in China. Avicopter is the sole-source provider of the fuselage. Eurocopter is the technical lead and sys-tems integrator and has responsibility for the MGB, tail rotor, avionics, auto-pilot, hydraulic and electrical systems, doors and windows.

Avicopter’s version of the helicopter is the Z-15, which is being produced by Avic’s Harbin Aviation Industry Group (Haig). Haig is responsible for the airframe, tail and intermediate gearboxes, main rotor, fuel system, flight con-trols and landing gear.

Eurocopter expects to obtain EASA certification for the EC175 before the end of this year and deliver the first aircraft to the launch customer soon after.

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F-WWPB is the first EC175 prototype (PT1). The medium twin features a new-generation Spheriflex five-blade main rotor and three-blade tail rotror.

Eurocopter launched its medium-

class EC175 four years ago at

the Heli-Expo show in Hous-

ton, Texas, showing a fuselage

mockup of the new helicopter. Last month,

AIN editor-in-chief Randy Padfield had the

opportunity to fly one of the EC175 proto-

types at Eurocopter’s main facility on Mar-

seille Provence Airport in France. This is his

report of that flight.

temperatures and pressures as an example. None of these, except when misbehaving, is shown on the multifunc-tion displays (MFDs), called “flight navigation displays” (FNDs), in front of each pilot, because the FNDs show all the parameters required for flight management, but only these parameters. However, the non-critical information is avail-able for the pilots to view on the vehicle management display (VMD) page on a second MFD in front of each pilot, which is used during most of the flight as a mission display. This MFD also displays a digital map, heli-copter terrain awareness and warning system (H-Taws), for-ward-looking infrared (Flir) and electronic flight bag.

All systems’ parameters are constantly monitored by the Helionix system. If the main gearbox (MGB) oil pressure decreases, for example, an alert appears in the “Master List” at the bottom of the FND. This Master List color-codes items by severity and lists them by pri-ority. If the severity of the con-dition warrants a red alert, an

automated voice announces the warning to the pilots. The MGB, by the way, has already proved it can run for more than 30 min-utes after losing lubrication.

Redundancy in the Helionix system works such that pilots can access all information on a single monitor, if need be.

Helionix goes beyond the way information is displayed (or not) and uses the dual flight man-agement system (FMS) with GPS, four-axis automatic flight control system (AFCS, from the EC225) and dual-channel Fadecs to provide flight-enve-lope protection as well. H-Taws and Tcas II (traffic alert colli-sion avoidance system) are also included. A complete rendering of this philosophy as it applies to the EC175 would require a much longer article, but a few exam-ples will show how it is applied.

The VMD page is used for engine start. During the start, the dual redundant Fadecs keep engine rpm and temperature within limits, and shut down the engine automatically if neces-sary. Engine starts are done with the rotor brake off, so the rotor begins to turn as soon as an

engine speeds up enough to turn the connection to the MGB. The pilots need only monitor the VMD page for any warnings as the engine and rotor speeds increase to idle. For the rest of the flight, the VMD page stays out of view and the secondary MFD is used to display multi-ple mission functions, including digital map, H-Taws, Flir, elec-tronic flight bag and more.

For our engine start, Di Bianca demonstrated use of the optional “declutch” fea-ture that is available for the left (number-one) engine only. The design objective is to provide electrical power without add-ing the cost and weight of an aircraft auxiliary power unit or the need to engage the MGB and turn the rotors when an external power unit is unavail-able. One of the main reasons to have electrical power is to run the displays, hydraulics and radios and the heater or air con-ditioner for either the cockpit or the cabin. Interestingly, the customer must choose which one when selecting this option. SAR operators may want the cockpit heated or cooled, while VIP aircraft operators would probably select the cabin.

Before starting the left engine, the crew must select the declutch switch. Then the engine is started, but it remains declutched from the MGB, turning only a generator, and the rotors don’t move. When it is time to go, the pilot starts the right engine, which engages

the MGB and turns the rotors. The Fadecs bring the rotor rpm to idle. After the pilot switches off the declutch switch, the Fadecs gently accelerate the left engine so it engages the MGB as the power turbine speed (Nf) increases to idle.

After the start, Di Bianca taxied PT1 from the Eurocopter ramp on Marseilles Provence Airport, which held several other helicopters awaiting test flights or delivery, to a spot where we could hover. Oswald was sitting behind me at a flight-test console in the cabin, just behind the copilot’s seat. In this position, he could see Di Bianca in the pilot’s seat, but would

have to look around the con-sole to see me. Flight-test equip-ment filled much of the rest of the prototype’s cabin.

The EC175 was designed to accommodate 16 passengers for oil and gas operations. With this number of passengers, the heli-copter has a radius of action of 135 nm. Eurocopter recently introduced an 18-seat cabin con-figuration, which cuts the radius of action to 100 nm.

The cabin length, from the back of the pilots’ seats to the beginning of the shelf that defines the storage compart-ment, is 12.8 feet (3.9 meters); the height of the cabin is 4.6


EC175 Dimensions and WeightsFuselage width 7.4 ft (2.25 m)

Main rotor diameter 48.6 ft (14.8 m)

Length from main rotor tip to tail rotor tip 59.3 ft (18.06 m)

Height from ground to top of tail rotor 7.5 ft (5.34 m)

Clearance from ground to tail rotor 17.5 ft (2.3 m)

Clearance from ground to bottom of fuselage 1.3 ft (0.4 m)

Cabin

Length: 12.8 ft (3.9 m)

Width: 7 ft (2.13 m)

Height: 4.6 ft (1.4 m)

Volume: 434 cu ft (12.3 cu m)

Cargo compartment volume 95.3 cu ft (2.7 cu m)

Approximate maximum weight 16,500 lb (7.5 metric tons)

Maximum fuel4,660 lb (2,590 liters) gravity refueling

4,710 lb (2,710 liters) pressure refueling

External cargo hook limit 6,600 lb (3,000 kg)

EC175 Performance and MaintenanceMaximum speed (Vne) 175 kts

Best range speed 140 kts

Best endurance speed Not yet defined

Radius of action, offshore configuration

6 pax 135 nm

18 pax 100 nm

12 pax 190 nm

Engines (two) P&WC PT6C-67E, with dual-channel Fadec

Maximum power about 2,000 shp each

Power ratingsOEI 30 seconds, OEI 2 minutes, MTOP allowed

50 minutes

Estimated fuel consumption 1,035 pph (470 kph)

Engine TBO 5,000 hours

MGB TBO 5,000 hours

Main and tail rotors “on condition”

EC175 Additional Features• New-generation Spheriflex, five-blade main rotor

• New-generation Spheriflex, three-blade tail rotor

• Five-tank fuel system complying with latest crashworthiness requirements

• 18-person life rafts and personal locator beacons in the steps

• Automatically deployable emergency locator transmitter (floating) on tail boom

• Emergency locator transmitter in cockpit next to copilot

• Emergency flotation certified to sea state 6

• Cockpit video camera

• Tail-fin video camera showing on MFD in cockpit

• Ice-protection development to come in 2012

(L to r) Alain Di Bianca, EC175 test pilot, Michel Oswald, flight engineer, Francois de Bray (standing), EC175 marketing manager, Mickael Melaye, senior operational marketing manager (oil and gas applications), and the author. Left, the flight engineer’s console, behind the copilot, takes up a large part of PT1’s passenger cabin.

Continued on next page u


feet (1.4 meters) and its width is 7 feet (2.13 meters). In both the 16- and 18-seat configura-tions, most seats face forward, except for the front row, which faces back to make club seating with the first and second rows.

No passenger is more than one seat away from an egress door or window, all of which pop out. The seats comply with the latest crashworthy require-ments. Eurocopter officials said the size of the storage area had been checked by filling it with 18 bags of the size typically car-ried by offshore oil workers.

With the autopilots in the three-axis mode (Eurocopter uses “autopilot” interchangeably with “AFCS”), Di Bianca showed how one can hover just about hands off, at least in the no-wind condition we had at the moment. Then he made a standard takeoff and climbed to the northeast. In cruise flight, Helionix holds rotor rpm at 97 percent when below 1,000 feet agl to reduce the 175’s noise footprint.

In the area of flight-envelope protection, Helionix safeguards the engines and MGB in both all-engines operating (AEO) and one-engine inoperative

(OEI) conditions. The Pratt turboshafts have three OEI rat-ings, including “super emer-gency power,” which is the 30-second OEI rating. So if one engine had failed on our take-off, the AFCS would have put the aircraft into the correct atti-tude to obtain and hold Vy (the optimum OEI speed) and the Fadecs would have increased the engine power to the 30-sec-ond OEI rating. If needed, the pilot could pull the collective past maximum power. Every-thing would have been clearly annunciated in the “Master List” on the FND and audio warnings provided.

During normal flight and with the autopilots in the three-axis mode, Helionix maintains airspeed between 60 knots and Vne and will automatically activate control of the collec-tive axis (thus adding the fourth axis) when airspeed decreases to 60 knots. In addition, protec-tion from controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) is facilitated by automatic engagement of alti-tude hold when the helicopter descends to 200 feet above the ground and airspeed hold main-tains 65 knots. And at low for-ward airspeeds and in hover, Helionix limits vertical descent to 300 feet per minute as a way to avoid settling with power (also known as vortex ring state).

When we reached a safe

practice area, Di Bianca demon-strated another example of the EC175’s flight-envelope protec-tion. Eurocopter has designed the helicopter to be flown hands off using four-axis autopilot control, but pilots can also eas-ily fly it without engaging any of the autopilot’s higher hold func-tions (altitude, heading, naviga-tion, airspeed, glideslope and so on). Regardless of the autopilot modes engaged, if the 175 enters into a flight attitude in which the pilot feels unsafe, he or she can depress a designated button on the cyclic twice in quick suc-cession and the autopilot will immediately take control to level the helicopter and hold heading, altitude and airspeed steady.

Di Bianca did this dur-ing a climbing right turn that skimmed the bottom of a ragged overcast. Then he let me try the function while in a descending left turn. In both examples, the AFCS took control immedi-ately and we were quickly flying straight, level and safely. Sweet.

However, shortly after this demonstration, both autopilots

Helionix places two interchangeable, multifunction displays in front of each pilot. Eurocopter kept a caution/warning panel in the center to ease the EC175’s certification. The instruments above the glare shield are for flight testing only. Right, pilots can control many Helionix functions using the cyclic.

When opened, the sliding cabin doors do not block the baggage compartment doors on each side of the EC175, nor the pressure refueling port on the right side. All windows qualify for emergency egress by occupants.

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dropped off line. I was still fly-ing. Di Bianca noted the advisory messages on the NFD and said something in French to Oswald. I was still getting comfortable with both the cockpit displays and feel of the aircraft, which did seem a bit touchier than before, but not alarmingly so. Then I saw the indication about the autopilots. Di Bianca called this a “degraded SAS mode,” because the proto-type has a rudimentary stability

augmentation system instead of the more capable back-up auto-pilot of the production aircraft. Nevertheless, PT1 still seemed fairly stable to me, about the same as flying a typical SAS in a light helicopter.

At that point in the flight I had maybe 15 minutes of stick time in the aircraft, so I half expected Di Bianca to take control. This was a dual autopilot failure, after all. But he let me continue

flying all the way to touchdown at Aix les Milles, a small general aviation airport about 10 min-utes away. After we landed, he tried resetting the two autopilots again, but only the number-one system came on. However, only one system is needed to engage the higher AP functions, had we wanted to use them.

Hovering did seem more sta-ble with the autopilot back on. I did pedal turns in both direc-tions and Di Bianca showed a max-rate pedal turn, which was much beyond passenger comfort, as well as my own. He demonstrated 50-knot side-ways flight down an empty taxi-way, after which I did the same at a much slower speed, add-ing a couple of 360-degree hov-ering turns as we glided back to takeoff spot. There was no wind, so I did not have to con-tend with cross and tail winds. I was quickly becoming comfort-able with this helicopter.

I asked to see an out-of-ground-effect hover at 1,000 feet, thinking I’d take off, climb and then slow to zero airspeed. But Di Bianca took over, got clearance from the tower and quickly climbed straight up to 1,000 feet. From our high perch, I could not detect any drift over the ground. Granted, the helicopter was well below the prototype’s max takeoff weight of about 7.5 metric tons

(16,500 pounds). We had taken off weighing just under seven

tons and flown for about 45 to 50 minutes, which gave us a weight of about 14,500 pounds. So we were medium weight, but that vertical climb was impres-sive nonetheless.

Di Bianca gave the controls back to me. I nudged the cyclic forward and lowered collective to gain airspeed in a dive. I was hard pressed to feel any change in vibrations as the aircraft moved through translational lift, and was reminded that I had not noticed an increase in vibra-tions on my approach to a hover at Aix les Milles either.

De Bray, the marketing man-ager, had said earlier that the EC155’s vibration level was the engineers’ benchmark for the 175. I have not flown that model, but Di Bianca claimed that cus-tomer pilots who have flown both agreed that the vibration levels of the two models are sim-ilar. Because vibration has been optimized at the source, using the MGB mounts and a torque-absorbing, flexible mounting plate inherited from the Super Puma, the 175 does not need an active-vibration control system, as many other helicopters do, de Bray had said.

As I flew back to Marseille Provence Airport, we passed over an uninhabited plateau. Di Bianca took the controls again, banked steeply, allowed the nose to drop and did a reasonable imitation of a strafing run before he banked into a hard right turn, pulling some more gs. Test pilots are fun to fly with. Some hik-ers below looked up and waved. Eurocopter, with around 8,500 employees in the area, is appar-ently well liked around Marseille.

The control tower directed us into the pattern behind an air-liner as we flew over the Etang de Berre, a large, freshwater lake into which Runway 13L/31R protrudes. I made the approach and then ended at about 50 knots in a high hover-taxi down the 11,483-foot runway until I turned into the taxiway that fronts the Eurocopter facil-ity. Our photographer waited

near the landing pad, so I made the touchdown as carefully as I could. The EC175 lifts off slightly nose up, with the right wheel coming up just before the left one, so when landing, the left wheel touches down first, just before the right one, and then the nosewheel.

Di Bianca had taxied out for our takeoff from Marseille, so this was my first chance to ground taxi. Under his instruc-tion, I held the cyclic in a neu-tral position and pulled an inch or two of collective to get us roll-ing. Gentle application of tail rotor pedals kept us in the right direction and the brakes worked equally well. Ground taxiing the Super Puma can be a real bear, but the 175 was a piece of cake.

The new model’s landing gear, by the way, retracts such that it still hangs low enough below the fuselage to permit a landing without the bottom of the fuse-lage touching the ground, a cus-tomer request, Mickael Melaye, operational marketing manager, had said during another briefing earlier in the day.

Shutdown went so quickly I almost missed it. I saw that Di Bianca had engaged the rotor brake only after I saw the main rotor blades slowing. Our one-hour, five-minute flight was over. o

About the authorRandy Padfield, AIN’s Editor-in-Chief,

has some 9,000 hours flying helicopters

in USAF rescue, North Sea offshore,

Part 135 and corporate operations.

Eurocopter recommends that pilots elevate their seats in the EC175 to provide the best possible field of vision over the glare shield. The placement and size of the Helionix multifunction displays facilitate a good cross check from this position.


The EC-175s wide footprint gives it good stability during ground taxi. The landing gear retracts only partially up, so that the helicopter could be landed gear-up without the fuselage touching the ground.

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LCI expects to benefit from the commonality in design across the AgustaWestland helicopter fam-ily. All three helicopters noted in the agreement share a common cockpit layout, design philosophy and maintenance concepts that will allow fleet operations in air-craft weight classes from four to 8.5 metric tons.

The acquisitions allow LCI to expand its already rapid growth in the narrow- and widebody fixed-wing leasing market. The company, part of the Libra Group, plans to offer helicopter operators “an attractive alterna-tive to buying and financing the purchase of helicopters,” in par-ticular in the offshore, search and rescue, law enforcement, border patrol and aeromedical fields.

According to Emilio Dal-masso, AgustaWestland senior v-p for commercial business, the agreement adds “a brand new kind of customer to our list of clients.” And he added that LCI’s

decision to enter the helicopter business by investing in the latest generation of rotorcraft technol-ogy “highlights its confidence in the opportunities offered by the commercial helicopter market in years to come.”

“Now is the time to make this move, given the high level of unfulfilled demand for new-generation helicopters,” con-cluded Maunder.

LCI CEO Michael Platt also made it clear that the move into helicopters is long term. “There will be other orders from other OEMs,” he explained, “and we also plan to offer a buy and lease-back program for current owners and operators.”

Platt further foresees a heli-copter market explosion in Asia, where a somewhat limited air-port infrastructure holds back even greater growth in fixed-wing transport. “The helicopter doesn’t need that kind of infra-structure,” he explained. o

AgustaWestland hauls in big orderContinued from page 1

what’s taken apart must be put back together

A technician reinstalls the main rotor blades on this Bell 407 after they were removed to allow the aircrraft to be moved inside of the convention center. On Tuesday, the whole maintenance ballet will have to be reversed so that all of the exhibitors can return to the home barn. � n

As part of the focus on safety, Zuccaro expressed dis-appointment that the FAA’s recent NPRM for Air Ambu-lance and Commercial Heli-copter Operations failed to mandate night-vision goggles or enhanced-visions systems.

“We want to see that back in the bill,” Zuccaro said, acknowl-edging there is a cost for com-pliance. “We do not want to be known as a trade association that spits out the party line,” he said. “We are truly commit-ted to safety initiatives. If they include an economic impact on

operators, but in the end prevent accidents, that’s an unbelievably good return on investment.”

From a legislative and regu-latory standpoint, HAI’s biggest concern is Sen. Charles Schum-er’s (D-N.Y.) ongoing efforts “to control helicopters and autho-rize and mandate the FAA to respond to noise complaints and compel operators to use dedi-cated helicopter-only routes” in New York City.

“This has nothing to do with safety or efficient use of air-space, which is the FAA’s prime mandate,” Zuccaro said. “This a major issue for us. It’s extremely dangerous to mandate the FAA to react to noise complaints, and this is propagating itself in other parts of the country.

[Public officials] think if this goes through, they can just pick up the phone and control heli-copter flights.”

The industry is also facing a growing deficit of new pilots and maintenance technicians, exacer-bated by the retirement of large numbers of Vietnam-era person-nel. “We’re taking initiatives to work with all the schools at the university level, and the flight training schools, to promote [heli-copter industry] careers for young people,” Zuccaro said.

At Heli-Expo, efforts in this area include a career fair, a career day, and seminars on mentoring, where industry leaders will address pilots and maintenance professionals. As part of this effort, for the first time, HAI is co-sponsoring the Heli-Success Career Develop-ment Seminar.

Air tour operators’ access to airspace over National Parks also remains an issue. “[The National Parks Service] seems determined and focused on elim-inating air tours over National Parks, no matter what they say,” Zuccaro said. “That battle con-tinues to go on.”

HAI’s efforts on behalf of the industry are made possi-ble in great part by Heli-Expo’s staunch supporters, Zuccaro said. “As always, we extend our sincere appreciation to the show’s exhibitors.” o

Heli-Expo shucks recession bluesContinued from page 1

HAI president Matt Zuccaro says industry will tackle challenges head on.

All Metal MS puts mechanic safety first

All Metal MS (Booth No. 5217) has been providing main-tenance stands to the aviation industry for more than a decade.

“We specialize in the design and manufacturing of Safety First maintenance stands, main-tenance support equipment and hangar equipment for all heli-copter applications,” John Bus-cena, president and CEO, told AIN here at Heli-Expo 2012. “We focus on working with custom-ers to design customized products that enhance and improve aircraft maintenance.”

All Metal MS maintenance stands are the invention of heli-copter mechanic Bill McNiff, who began the company

designing and building cus-tom-fit maintenance stands for helicopters, with the goal of improving the safety and effectiveness of maintenance personnel. The platforms are constructed from high-strength steel with anti-slip and anti-bounce safety tread.

In recent years, according to Buscena, the company began to mass-produce a range of stands for different helicopters. It is cur-rently working on a set of stands for U.S. Coast Guard HH-65A Dolphin helicopter engines, transmission and tail rotor.

At its booth the company is also showing its innovative Flir holder, the Gird, which

allows a single tech-nician to mount or remove heavy, unwieldy gimbal-mount cameras and searchlights on helicopters. It also is displaying a new lightweight, transportable hoist, which is designed to break down into a manageable box for deployment in the field for emergency maintenance. –A.L.

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The All Metal Gird allows a single technician to mount heavy gimbal-mount Flir and searchlights with ease.

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That’s why technicians at our authorized Customer Service Facilities have been trained at Bell Helicopter’s industry-leading training academy. As factory-trained maintenance technicians, they are dedicated to providing you with the highest level of service using Bell Helicopter’s rigorous standards of quality. With more than 100 Customer Service Facilities across 35 countries, you’ll get the best support in the industry.

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Turbomeca CEO anticipates strong hybrid engine marketby Thierry Dubois

Olivier Andriès, who has been the CEO of Turbomeca since June, pre-dicts that helicopter engines will become fuel-electric hybrids around 2030. He also predicted that, in about 20 years,

conventional turbine engine performance will be close to an asymptote. By that, he meant further improvement of turbine technology will be enormously difficult and expensive, if not impossible. So the

next step will be hybridization, he said. “We will see integrated propulsion systems using ther-modynamic and electric solu-tions,” he told AIN.

Turbomeca (part of the Sarfran group) has not been involved in Eurocopter’s dem-onstration of a partly hybrid AS350 Ecureuil/AStar single but “this is the direction we are going in,” Andriès noted. The turboshaft maker counts on the expertise it can draw from subsidiary Microturbo and sis-ter company Safran Power in electric power generation and distribution.

In around 2020, he said, helicopter engines will still be “very conventional” in their archi-tecture, but there will be innovations in components. “We are walking down a parallel road to that of CFM’s Leap-X turbofan for airliners, with new technologies and the usual layout,” Andriès said.

Andriès said the Pau, France-based turboshaft manufacturer is busy with shorter term research-and-develop-ment programs, notably developing demonstrators in a wide power range. Turbomeca is working simultaneously on several demonstrators, with the goal of being ready to launch a pro-gram. “When a helicopter manufac-turer needs an engine, we’ll just have to push a button to launch the devel-opment,” Andriès explained. His ambi-tion is to reduce a development cycle from the usual five or six years to three years starting in 2015.

One demonstrator, the Tech 600, is focused on the 600- to 900-shp power range, while the Tech 800 is geared to the 1,000- to 2,000-shp bracket. “We are con-sidering a demonstrator in the 2,000- to 3,000-shp range,” Andriès added. This full range of demonstrators would cover the entire helicopter spectrum, from light turbine singles to models with 27,000-pound mtow, that is, helicopters greater than the size of the Eurocopter EC225.

Turbomeca draws one third of its revenues from new engine sales, while

product support accounts for the other two thirds. After a dip in 2010, he said, production is growing again, and he expects the company will manufacture about 1,100 engines this year.

Turbomeca is increasing its research-and-development spending by 25 percent, even as it transitions some prototypes to production status. “This will represent 15 percent of our revenues,” Andriès said.

The top evolution criterion, after safety and reliability, is the power-to-weight ratio. “The Arriel engine has gained about 50 percent in 30 years,” the CEO said. In addition, it has achieved a reduction in direct operating costs. Andriès wants to see specific fuel con-sumption decreasing by one percent per year, and he is also aiming at cutting maintenance costs.

As for production, 2010 was the year when the downturn had an impact, espe-cially for light helicopters. Turbomeca manufactured only 800 turboshaft engines in 2010. Last year, this grew to 1,000, and the number should grow to an expected 1,100 this year. Andriès anticipates pro-duction to hit 1,200 engines in 2013.

Turbomeca’s workforce stands at 6,000, including Microturbo. The company is now recruiting for new engineer profiles, which reflects new technology trends. For example, Andriès said, “we are looking for specialists in electric system integra-tion and power electronics specification.”

Some 1,500 employees work out-side France. There are the two U.S. sites (Dallas, Texas, and Monroe, N.C.). There are also assembly or repair activ-ities in Australia, the UK, Brazil and South Africa. One of Andriès’ priorities is to find growth opportunities in emerg-ing countries. The idea is to create part-nerships to help indigenous programs.

Although a very close relationship still exists between Turbomeca and Eurocopter, the two companies tend to be more independent. Eurocopter tapped Pratt & Whitney Canada, for instance, to power its EC175 medium twin, and Turbomeca has added some brands to its portfolio of applications, for exam-ple, Russian Helicopters (the Kamov Ka-226T light single and Ka-62 medium twin) and Avicopter (the AC352, the Chinese version of the EC175). o

Oliver Andriès,

From Ministries To Industry

Olivier Andriès, now Turbomeca chair-man and CEO, has the typical résumé of a French executive. He graduated from a top engineering school, Polytechnique, and started a career as an adviser for the Coun-cil of Ministers. Andriès left for industry in 1995 and worked for Matra, Airbus and EADS in various roles pertaining to strate-gy and new programs. In March 2008, he joined the Safran group as executive vice-president of strategy and development, be-fore leading the defense and security branch and eventually taking the helm at Turbomeca on June 1, 2011. –T.D.

Olivier Andriès, Turbomeca chairman and CEO

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JSfirm releases results of hiring trends surveyby Kim Rosenlof

According to online avia-tion job distribution network JSfirm (Booth No. 7244), the first two quarters of this year should be a good time to find a job in the aviation industry. The Fort Worth, Texas-based company released the results of its latest Aviation Indus-try Hiring Trends survey here at Heli-Expo. The survey indi-cates that companies across the aviation spectrum hired

more people than they cut last year and expect to hire addi-tional personnel this year.

“Eight-five percent of com-panies surveyed expect to hire in 2012,” said JSfirm man-ager Jeff Richards. The survey spanned various aviation sec-tors including rotorcraft, gen-eral aviation, corporate and commercial aviation. About 41 percent of respondents repre-sented small firms employing

30 people or fewer, while 92 respondents represented large companies employing more than 501 people.

Exactly 461 of 671 respon-dents indicated that they cut zero jobs in 2011, but only 77 respondents indicated that their firm didn’t hire any new employees. Of the remain-ing 594 respondents, 275 hired one to five people, while 47

respondents indicated that their company hired more than 201 new employees in 2011.

“These positive results sup-port the fact that more com-panies are advertising job vacancies and searching resumes on JSfirm.com than ever before,” said Richards, who expects this trend to continue this year. The survey showed 272 companies expect to hire one to five peo-ple in 2012, while 40 companies indicated that they expect to hire more than 201 people this year. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they expected to hire in this year’s first quarter, and almost 30 percent expect to hire in the second quarter.

Avionics and maintenance jobs will be the most in demand, according to the JSfirm sur-vey. More than 350 respondents said they would be hiring main-tenance personnel in 2012, while 204 respondents indicated they would be hiring avionics per-sonnel. Pilots came in third with 220 respondents. More than 100 respondents said they would be hiring engineers, quality assur-ance personnel, customer service representatives, administration and/or sales/marketing personnel.

More than 270 respondents indicated that candidates’ lack of experience is the biggest chal-lenge companies face in find-ing qualified aviation talent. A close second was “candidate pay expectations too high,” with 158 respondents indicating this as the biggest challenge. Approx-imately 14 percent of respon-dents said they had no problem finding qualified personnel.

Of the 670-plus companies participating in the survey, 444 indicated they use aviation-spe-cific websites such as JSfirm, pilotjobs.com, avianation and others to find aviation-spe-cific talent. Other highly rated sources include non-aviation websites such as monster.com and careerbuilder.com, profes-sional and social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn, local newspapers, aviation schools and word of mouth. o



How many people did your company hire/will hire?

2011 2012

None 11.48% 40.36%

1-5 40.98% 9.94%

6-10 11.48% 8.46%

11-20 10.43% 9.05%

21-50 8.05% 5.93%

51-100 6.71% 5.04%

101-200 3.87% 5.93%

201+ 7.00% 15.28%

When do you expect your company to hire?

1st Quarter 2012 (Jan - March) 27.08%

2nd Quarter 2012 (April - June) 29.91%

3rd Quarter 2012 (July - Sept) 17.74%

4th Quarter 2012 (Oct - Dec) 12.60%

N/A 12.68%

What is the biggest challenge you have finding qualified aviation talent?

Lack of experience 28.60%

Candidate pay expectations are too high 16.61%

Our location 15.88%

No problem 14.09%

Finding effective resources 8.94%

Other 5.57%

Our company pay is below standard 4.31%

No time to actually recruit 4.00%

Lack of feedback from hiring managers 2.00%

Avoid, don’t cut.

Visit us at HAI – Booth #1112

Powerline Detection2012 POWERLINE HAI_HAI 2012 1/6/12 11:40 AM Page 1


UTAir crew honored for rescuing UN peacekeepersby Mark Huber

A UTAir crew will be honored tomorrow night with the Sikorsky Humanitarian Award for rescuing UN peacekeepers from enemy fire in the Congo. The honor is “presented to the person(s) who best demonstrate(s) the

value of helicopters to society by sav-ing lives, protecting property and aiding those in distress.”

On Nov. 29, 2009, UNO-838, a UTAir Aviation Mil MI8-MTV helicopter landed at Congo’s Dongo Airport after

performing a liaison flight for the UN mission there. Shortly after landing and shutdown, the helicopter came under fire. Several UN peacekeepers were seriously injured. While still under fire, pilot Ser-gey Ignatov and his crew–copilot Yuriy Chigaev, flight engineer Vyacheslav Alberti and load master Dmitriy Shmidt–wasted no time restarting the helicopter and getting 23 peacekeepers, as well as the wounded, back onto the helicopter. Ignatov lifted off with the Mil still taking fire, including two shots to the fuel tanks. Leaking fuel, the crew safely flew to, and landed at, another airfield.

In recognition of the flight, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev awarded Ignatov the Order of Courage and the remainder of the crew Medals of Nest-erov. Instituted by the Russian Federation in 1994, the Medal of Nesterov is awarded to members of the Russian Air Force and civilian aviation workers for acts of cour-age or merit. Ignatov was also awarded the Russian Helicopter Industry Associa-tion Pilot of the Year Award in 2010.

Russia’s UTAir is the largest contract supplier of helicopter and fixed-wing flight services to the United Nations, flying more than 50 helicopters on UN missions in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sudan, Chad and the Congo. UTAir operates one of the largest civil rotary-wing fleets in the world, with 330 aircraft, including a wide variety of mostly Russian-built models, ranging from the heavy-lift Mi-26 to the coaxial utility Ka-32.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second-largest country in Africa and one of the most violent places on Earth. Civil wars and ongoing guerilla actions are part of the deadly, dangerous, daily life. More than 5.4 million people have been killed in Congo since the start of the 1998 war that involved nine nations and more than 20 armed groups. The bulk of the deaths came from diseases and mal-nutrition spread by refugee conditions.

The Sikorsky Humanitaran award will be presented at tomorrow’s Salute to Excellence Awards banquet. o

IS-BAO SAfety cOde rewrItten fOr helO OpS

Four industry operator organizations have written comprehensive amendments to the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), to facilitate implementation of the safety standard by helicopter operators.

International Business Aviation Coun-cil (IBAC) representatives are offering two seminars during Heli-Expo to introduce operators to IS-BAO parameters. The seminars–Introduction to IS-BAO and the IS-BAO Auditor Accreditation Workshop–are available at the Helicopter Association International (HAI) Booth (No. 8632).

In 2010 representatives of the European Helicopter Association (EHA), British Heli-copter Association (BHA), HAI and IBAC agreed to amend the safety standard to make it applicable to the helicopter commu-nity. IS-BAO’s performance-based standards have a safety management system (SMS) as the cornerstone, addressing operations, maintenance, training and related issues. The standards also provide links to regula-tions, standards and recommended practices specified by national authorities and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

“The amended standard teaches

helicopter operators to promote safe oper-ations and compare their policies and procedures to a collection of best practices developed by their industry peers,” said HAI president Matt Zuccaro.

Added Brian Humphries, chairman of the British Helicopter Association, “It is vital we reach out to our small and medium-size companies if we are to deliver the reduction in rotorcraft accidents we all seek under the leadership of the Interna-tional Helicopter Safety Team [IHST].”

IBAC director general Donald Spruston said, “Completion of the integration of heli-copter provisions into the IS-BAO is another industry milestone action to continuously improve operational safety.”

Bob Sheffield (Shell Aircraft), Stan Rose (HAI) and Ray Rohr (IBAC), with represen-tation from around the world including the IHST and the European Helicopter Safety Team, reviewed extensive material before recommending changes.

The helicopter provision amendments are available in the January 2012 edition of IS-BAO. Copies can be purchased from any IBAC member association or from the part-nering helicopter associations. –H.W.

Sikorsky Humanitarian Award

(L to r) UTAir flight engineer Vyacheslav Alberti; flight attendant Dmitriy Shmidt; copilot Yuriy Chigaev; and pilot-in-command Sergey Ignatov will receive the Sikorksy Humanitarian Award at tomorrow’s banquet.

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Heli Asset offers range of financial options to clientsby Kim Rosenlof

Spun off from European aircraft broker Regourd Aviation in June 2011 to focus exclusively on helicop-ter sales and acquisition transactions, Paris-based Heli Asset (Booth No. 4605) is making its debut at this year’s Heli-Expo. Initially created to focus on the utility helicopter segment, Heli Asset has already brokered five deals, four involving VIP Eurocopters.

“With Eurocopter in our back-yard, we know everybody there, and most of their worldwide agents are French,” Heli Asset president Emmanuel Dupuy told AIN. “So it’s just nat-ural for us to specialize in Agustas and Euro-copters. But [as part of Regourd Aviation] we have also dealt recently on a Sikorsky S-76, and we occasionally deal with Bells.”

Dupuy, who still retains a position in air-craft sales at Regourd

Aviation, has completed aircraft closings in excess of $135 million since joining Regourd in 2004. He said that the ability to capitalize on Regourd’s 35-plus years of aircraft transaction experience–and conse-quently tap into its global network with agents, representatives and affiliates in eight countries on five

continents–is one of Heli Asset’s greatest strengths.

“You have to be strong in the market,” said Dupuy. “The relationships that we

leverage to fulfill a particular goal for a client are important.

Relationships are the big-gest deal generators, and they are also great facil-itators when working

in remote countries. It’s always a plus

if you have key contacts in local administrations or

have local techni-cal expertise.”

Heli Asset’s focus on relation-ships is so important that it main-tains a multilingual staff, with most sales directors fluent in at least three languages and one who is fluent in five. Amongst this staff is a team of experienced data analysts who gather and interpret market data that Heli Asset then passes on to its clients. “We present updated mar-ket data in a way that enables clients to make extremely informed deci-sions,” said Dupuy. “Our position in the market enables us to gauge who’s active, who’s not and who to avoid. When you’re strong and active in a market, you know what’s going on.”

Regourd Aviation’s backing and financial relationships allow Heli Asset to offer a range of finan-cial options to clients. Under cer-tain circumstances, Heli Asset will purchase a trade-in aircraft or can negotiate a leaseback transaction through a network of partners.

“We try to offer as much flex-ibility to our clients as possi-ble, and we’re very resourceful,” Dupuy said. “We partner on the sale or acquisition of the client’s asset and we only get paid if the job closes. So in essence we are a risk-sharing partner. And I think this maintains a very dynamic rela-tionship with clients.” o


Heli Asset president Emmanuel Dupuy

Mx seminar focuses on training, skills

Conklin & de Decker’s first 2012 Helicopter Main-tenance Management Seminar will be held June 4 to 6 at the Doubletree Hotel in Irving, Texas, just north of DFW Airport.

Topics at the event will focus on two basic manage-ment questions:• “While every maintenance technician has the appro-

priate tools to maintain aircraft, which tools do maintenance managers have for daily management duties?”

• “Do maintenance managers have the necessary skills to manage maintenance department personnel, interact with other departments, consume the organization’s resources efficiently and comply with regulations?”

Brandon Battles and Gary Potochnik will be the presenters. “The skill sets required of a main-tenance technician are quite different from those needed to manage a maintenance organization,” Bat-tles explained. “Technicians work with their hands on routine tasks, while managers work through and with people for a variety of objectives. The maintenance manager’s role has them dealing with various aspects of a company’s entire operations.”

The seminar will focus on the structure of an orga-nization, the four principles of management, mainte-nance budgets, inventory control and how information systems help with decision-making. Those interested can register at the Conklin & de Decker booth (No. 6928). The registration fee is $995. –H.W.

R egardless of your mission, your equipment or the size of your operation, one topic tops your agenda: safety. It’s at the top of our agenda, too. We offer a wide range of programs designed to help you maximize your safety initiatives. Our new online safety training initiative, Performance Vector, delivers particular value for turbine helicopter operators. Our new director of aviation safety programs, Paul Ratté, puts his expertise to work for you, coordinating products and services tailored to your exact needs. Make us part of your team. Contact your aviation insurance professional and discover the advantages of USAIG coverage and service.

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SRT Helicopters offers unique training programby Kim Rosenlof

Bakersfield, Calif.-based specialized response and flight training company SRT Heli-copters (Booth No. 6808) is justifiably proud of its student practical examination record. According to company owner Christian Gadbois, SRT Heli-copters boasts a 100-percent first-time pass rate for all stu-dents taking all levels of FAA practical flight exams over the eight years of the Part 61 flight school’s existence.

“Our pass record is huge for us,” Gadbois told AIN. “We don’t have an [FAA] examiner on staff, so our students take their checkrides with various examiners, and all of them have

passed their practical exams on the first try, even up through ATP [airline transport pilot].”

SRT Helicopters’ exemplary pass record may be due in part to its owner’s experience and unique spin on helicopter train-ing. A full-time contract EMS and fire department pilot with more than 30 years of aviation experience, including 20 years in U.S. Army aviation and Special Operations divisions, Gadbois transfers real-world experience to his students and hires instruc-tors with the same kind of background so they can do the same. The result: whether they are teaching seasoned aviation professionals the finer points of technical rescue or a new pilot how to hover, the instruc-tors ensure the students receive enough practical training to excel in real-world situations.

One nonintuitive, but effec-tive, example of providing real-world experience is SRT Helicopters’ philosophy of encouraging new private heli-copter pilots to immediately earn a fixed-wing rating and per-form all instrument training in the airplane before moving on to the advanced rotorcraft ratings.

For a fixed-wing platform, SRT Helicopters keeps a Cessna 172 in its fleet, which also includes Schweizer 300 and a variety of Bell utility helicopters.

“One of the reasons for [this philosophy] is that there is not a

training helicopter made that you can go out and get actual instru-ment time in,” said Gadbois. “It’s all under the hood. Whereas with the Cessna, we will do a bunch of cross-country trips to San Fran-cisco or Oakland, not only get-ting [the students] in really busy airspace but they’ll end up having 20 to 30 hours of actual instru-ment time in their logbooks.”

Gadbois said most of his stu-dents opt for this unorthodox training regimen, especially when they learn about the cost-effec-tiveness (approximately $50,000 to $60,000 for a dual-rated CFII) and the higher marketability of being dual-rated.

A current member of HAI’s Flight Training Committee, Gad-bois said he prefers to train new helicopter pilots in the Schweizer 300 rather than the ubiquitous Robinson R22. He describes the Schweizer as a “very stable plat-form,” and said he sleeps better at night knowing that his students are flying Schweizers.

“A student can get behind in a 300 and the 300 will give him plenty of time to catch up,” Gadbois said. “The R22 is not a forgiving aircraft. I think there are some bad habits in the way [students flying Robin-sons] are taught, such as auto-rotation. Every autorotation you practice should be done with the thought that you’re going to do it all the way to the ground. Most of the Robinson students who come to us trans-fer a bad habit of leveling off at 30 to 50 feet; if they were to do that in the real world, they would probably be dead.”

In addition to primary flight training, Gadbois and his instructors offer training in disaster preparedness and response, technical rescue, water operations and tactical oper-ations through SRT Helicop-ters’ sister company, Specialized

Response and Training (SRT), also owned by Gadbois. On this technical training side, the SRT staff transfer their honed skills and decades of EMS, firefighting, rescue and special operations experience to other aviation professionals.

“We’re not retraining them about how to fly,” said Gadbois. “We set up an advanced team to assess the client and iden-tify issues that could cause them grief in an actual incident. We’re training them for the way they are going to work or fight.”

SRT’s specialized train-ing courses are generally con-ducted in the customers’ aircraft and in their own environment. For example, SRT recently conducted advanced search-and-rescue training for 24 heli-copter pilots in various regions of China for the country’s Min-istry of Transportation.

“Approximately 35 to 40 per-cent of our specialized training work is overseas,” said Gadbois. “We can watch them fly in their home environment, give them suggestions about how to improve the way they do things now. Obvi-ously they have been flying for a while, we just give them tools to put in their toolbox.” o


Strom Aviation sees boom in aviation hiring

Strom Aviation has launched a staffing division to help match companies with employees. “The aviation industry is on the rebound, and hiring will become a critical issue in 2012. It actually could become very difficult for businesses to fill key posi-tions,” said Raymond Stebler, director of opera-tions for Strom Direct Aviation Staffing.

Dallas-based Strom Aviation is a first-time Heli-Expo exhibitor and representatives are on hand at the show (Booth No. 8447) to discuss its services.

“Strom Direct works with clients to determine their needs, and then we find the best experienced, qualified and skilled professional candidates for these positions, with particular emphasis on corpo-rate fixed-wing and helicopter [segments],” Stebler

said. “With the new division we decided to address corporate [aviation] and helicopters as promising markets for our placement services.”

Heli-Expo, Stebler added, seems an ideal venue to introduce Strom Direct. “We didn’t see any placement services focusing on the helicopter seg-ment, where we expect significant growth, and we wanted to be the first in. The corporate segment is definitely about to take an upturn, and there’s going to be a lot of activity in the offshore market as more leases become active.”

Boon Richards, Strom Direct’s permanent placements director, noted, “Aviation companies often don’t have the time, resources or experience to deal with their upcoming hiring needs.”

Strom Aviation has been providing contract technical labor for aerospace companies dur-ing the past 20 years, specializing in mechanics and engineers. The new Strom Direct division expands the company’s capabilities, with direct placement services for all aviation segments, complementing Strom Aviation’s other services, including payroll solutions, compliance services and benefits and insurance options such as work-er’s compensation and liability. –H.W.

SRT Helicopters recently conducted advanced search-and-rescue training for helicopter pilots in China for the country’s Ministry of Transportation, above. SRT’s sister company, Specialized Response and Training, offers training in disaster preparedness and response and water rescue operations.

SRT instructors ensure the students receive enough hands-on practical training to excel in real-world situations.

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Documents

heliexpo agenda

hai safety symposium

bell helicopter

safety tools presentation

bell faces issues

bell longrangers

great lineup of safety

bell industry outlook