HAI Convention News 03_06_11

An independent publication, solely owned by The Convention News Co., Inc., Midland Park, N.J.

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A PUBLICATION OF

Orlando MARCH 6, 2011 Vol. 43 No. 4

•��G500H�demo�shows�synthetic-viz�horizonsGarmin’s G500H consolidates a num-ber of instruments with a synthetic-vision view of the outside world, moving-map navigation, terrain, traffic and weather information. Page 4

•��Honeywell�predicts� better�times�aheadGrowth in key international markets will boost global deliveries over the next five years by 5 percent, to between 4,200 and 4,400 helicopters through 2015. Page 10

•��Thales�enhances� S-76�TopDeck�suiteBased on feedback from potential S-76 operators, the avionics maker is adding four new functions to the TopDeck avionics suite. Page 14

•��Fewer�helicopter��accidents�in�2010The number of helicopter accidents declined slightly last year compared with the previous year, but the number of fatalities increased, according to safety analyst Robert E. Breiling Associates. Page 22

•��Turbomeca�sees� opportunity�in�ChinaAs it waits for the sleeping giant to awaken with an appetite for aircraft, the French engine maker predicts rapid growth in helicopter deliveries. Page 34

•��Wireless�HUMS� could�reduce�mx�costsMicroStrain is experimenting with a wireless health and usage monitoring system that it says could reduce costs by extending the life of parts. Page 38

HAIConvention News®

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Marenco unveils SKYeby Mark Huber

A Swiss engineering firm is pro-posing to build an ambitious new carbon-fiber, single-engine helicop-ter, the SKYe SH09, and will reveal a full-scale mock-up of it this morn-ing at Heli-Expo 2011.

Marenco Swisshelicopter (Booth No. 5120) plans to fly a prototype of the 5,200-pound single next year and begin customer deliveries in 2015. The $2.6 million (2011 dollars) heli-copter will be powered by a single Fadec-controlled Honeywell HTS900 engine, be equipped with Sagem glass

panel avionics, cruise at 145 knots and have a range of 430 nm. Targeted useful load is 2,800 pounds (internal, 3,300 pounds external).

The SKYe SH09 will feature a quiet five-blade main rotor system, a large shrouded tail rotor, passen-ger seating for six to eight, a flat-floor cabin designed to be reconfigured quickly and clamshell doors. It also is designed with a floor window for managing sling loads. Martin Stucki, Marenco CEO, said the development

In debut, new AW169 twin sure to impress heli-crowd by Kirby J. Harrison

AgustaWestland’s AW169, intro-duced last summer at the Farnbor-ough airshow, makes its Heli-Expo debut this year and the Finmeccanica company says the program “is pro-gressing as planned.”

The new multipurpose twin will be certified in accordance with the latest amendment of JAR/FAR 29 and JAR-OPS 3, according to the Milan-based helicopter manu-facturer. In particular, it will meet requirements for Category A, Class 1 operations and IFR single- and dual-pilot operations.

New technology is prevalent

throughout the AW169, from the rotors to the engines to the transmis-sion, but in particular in the avionics suite. The package introduces a full digital NVG-compatible cockpit with three, 8-inch by 10-inch displays and enhanced graphics. A four-axis digi-tal automatic flight control system with dual flight management system is intended to minimize crew work-load and allows for single/dual pilot approval in VFR/IFR conditions.

The avionics suite also complies with satellite-based navigation, communi-cation and surveillance requirements

AS350B3e:�Eurocopter’s�“E”�class�has�arrived�by Nigel Moll

To signify their continuing evolution, Eurocop-ter is applying an “e” suffix to the latest variants of its helicopters. One of these evolved products, the AS350B3e, is making its debut at Heli-Expo 2011 and is on display during the show at Eurocopter’s booth. This latest version of the European man-ufacturer’s highly successful workhorse turbine single, the Ecureuil, has a Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine with Fadec and an engine-data recorder for condition monitoring. The B3e also comes with an improved interior design, as well as tail-rotor mods for “additional ease of piloting.” The B3e’s engine can be operated at max takeoff power for 30 minutes and can be equipped with optional filters for added protection against sand and snow with no weight penalty. Eurocopter intends to have the AS350B3e certified this sum-mer, with deliveries beginning before year-end.

At 11:30 a.m. this morning, Eurocopter will take the wraps off a new helicopter here at its Heli-Expo exhibit (Booth No. 4637) in a ceremony led by president and CEO Lutz Bertling. o

veil of the valkyries

A new product offering from Bell Helicop-ter stands shrouded in secrecy on the Heli-Expo convention floor. The drape comes down at 11:30 a.m. today, when Bell is expected to make several significant announcements it hopes will rocket sales. � n

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The SKYe SH09, a carbon-fiber light single helicopter from new entrant Marenco, is making its debut here at Heli-Expo 2011.

D20428-1BLHBC1017470BELL-00065AD-MagazinePark Prepress

HAI Show Daily Tabloid Spread - Day 1 - 429

A. KopczykN/AN/A

P. HopersbergerN/A

NA26.625"x 13.875" .125"4C

300100%100%RFTC00332_C108550_Bro

Harper/HalasN/ADuerrN/A

C. CocozzoliN/AN/AJ. Grosfi eld

MaasRichardsN/AN/A

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7 1 2/18/11

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

Bell Helicopter is where you want to land at HELI-EXPO® 2011. From the introduction of helicopters

with new technology, to the integration of our support and services, we’re not just prepared to bring you into our

exhibit—we’re on a mission to bring you into our brand. Visit us at booth #237. On a Mission.

Bell Helicopter Event ScheduleBooth #237

Sunday, March 6Time Event Title Presenter

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

Seeing Clear: The Future of12:00 – 12:30 Avionics Applications Peter Elliott

Product Performance: Extending the Capability of12:30 – 1:00 the Bell 412 Ernie Senn, Jr.

More Up Time, Less Cost: Reducing Direct Maintenance1:00 – 1:30 Costs Warren Moseley

Classic Aircraft, Classic Missions: Operating More1:30 – 2:00 with Less Ross Johnson

Transforming Customer Service: One Stop for2:00 – 2:30 Seamless Support Jay Ortiz

Evolution: The Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Carl Crenshaw and2:30 – 3:00 Market Mike Milhorn

Past, Present and Future Demands in the Off shore Oil Mike Suldo and3:00 – 3:30 and Gas Market Dan Pope

Monday, March 7Time Event Title Presenter

Integrated Training Solutions for the Next-Generation Pilot10:30 – 11:00 and Maintainer Trey Wade

Enhancing Your 206L Mission: Increase Gross Weight an11:00 – 11:30 Additional 300 lbs. Mark Kocurek

WAAS: Applying Global Navigation11:30 – 12:00 Systems to Helicopter Operations Will Fulton

Raising the Stakes: Addressing Future Challenges in Corporate Jeanette Eaton and12:00 – 12:30 Transport Dan Pope





More Up Time, Less Cost: Reducing Direct2:30 – 3:00 Maintenance Costs Warren Moseley

Call of Duty: Advancements in Carl Crenshaw and3:00 – 3:30 the Parapublic Mission Dan Berndt

Tuesday, March 8Time Event Title Presenter







BELL00065_D204281_429_Sprd_R07.indd 1 2/25/11 2:44 PM

D20428-1BLHBC1017470BELL-00065AD-MagazinePark Prepress

HAI Show Daily Tabloid Spread - Day 1 - 429

A. KopczykN/AN/A

P. HopersbergerN/A

NA26.625"x 13.875" .125"4C

300100%100%RFTC00332_C108550_Bro


C. CocozzoliN/AN/AJ. Grosfi eld

MaasRichardsN/AN/A

N/ABollin

7 1 2/18/11

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

Bell Helicopter is where you want to land at HELI-EXPO® 2011. From the introduction of helicopters

with new technology, to the integration of our support and services, we’re not just prepared to bring you into our

exhibit—we’re on a mission to bring you into our brand. Visit us at booth #237. On a Mission.

Bell Helicopter Event ScheduleBooth #237

Sunday, March 6Time Event Title Presenter

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



More Up Time, Less Cost: Reducing Direct Maintenance1:00 – 1:30 Costs Warren Moseley





Monday, March 7Time Event Title Presenter



WAAS: Applying Global Navigation11:30 – 12:00 Systems to Helicopter Operations Will Fulton






More Up Time, Less Cost: Reducing Direct2:30 – 3:00 Maintenance Costs Warren Moseley


Tuesday, March 8Time Event Title Presenter







BELL00065_D204281_429_Sprd_R07.indd 1 2/25/11 2:44 PM

G500H synthetic-viz demo shows new helo horizonsby Matt Thurber

Garmin’s G500H glass cockpit in the Bell 206 fits two 6.5-inch screens snugly into the panel, without distracting from the view outside. The G500H consolidates a bunch of instruments and a synthetic-vision view of the outside world, mov-ing-map navigation, terrain, traffic and weather information into a pilot flight dis-play (PFD) and multi-function display (MFD). Most pilots of light helicopters probably aren’t used to having this much information available, but they will likely come to appreciate it after flying with the G500H, especially during inadvertent IMC encounters, at night and when flying near obstacles and high terrain.

During a demo flight in Garmin’s Bell 206 in mid-February, I saw the ben-efits of the system, especially its helicop-ter synthetic-vision technology (HSVT), on a typically rainy and cloudy mid-winter Portland day. The ceiling at Port-land International Airport was 4,000 feet, but nearby mountains and ridges were obscured. We flew east at 1,000 feet into the Columbia River Gorge and got a first-hand look at how the HVST and HTAWS systems make flying around mountains and weather in a helicopter much more comfortable.

The G500H is designed for Part 27 (VFR) helicopters and requires an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) for installation. STCs are currently available for the Bell 206 and 407 and Eurocopter AS350B2, -B3 and EC130. Garmin is working on other G500H STCs and plans to announce those shortly. “Demand is clearly there,” said Sean Doyle, a Garmin engineer and test pilot at the company’s Salem, Ore. facility.

Garmin derived the G500H from the fixed-wing G500/600 glass panels, and this is the company’s first integrated offer-ing for rotorcraft. A high number of

helicopter controlled-flight-into-terrain accidents a few years ago made it clear that “we’ve got something that could help,” Doyle explained.

Modified AHRS for HelosTo adapt the system for helicopters

the most demanding change was modi-fying the attitude heading reference sys-tem (AHRS) for helicopter vibration and dynamics, such as the ability to fly back-ward and sideways. The air data com-puter (ADC) had to be modified to work in low-airspeed conditions. One helicop-ter change for the PFD is the airspeed tape. In the fixed-wing application, the airspeed jumps alive at 20 knots. “In a helicopter it was quite distracting,” Doyle said. “We set the tape in motion below 20 knots so you get the feeling of movement.”

Supplemental data is where the G500H offers so much more than traditional avi-onics. This includes the optional HSVT and HTAWS and also the ability to dis-play NTSC and PAL video, either by itself on the upper two thirds of the MFD or as a split-screen with the video on top and map on the bottom.

Another useful feature is the position-reporting interface, which uses an Iridium satcom to send position reports via data-link. The G500H also supports Iridium voice and display of international weather data. For weather in the U.S., XM Satellite Weather is the data provider. Other features include wind vector display, traffic display, minimums alerting and geo-referenced Garmin SafeTaxi airport charts, which show own-ship position on airports, as well as geo-referenced approach plates.

HSVT is the most prominent feature of the G500H, adding a synthetic view of the outside world to the PFD. Add HTAWS, and the safety benefits multiply. During our flight around the Portland

area, we could easily see on the HVST what lay behind the clouds obscuring higher terrain. As we flew near the sides of the Columbia River Gorge, the HVST painted the terrain view on the PFD with yellow and red overlays to alert us to proximity to terrain. Towers and man-made obstacles were clearly visible dur-ing our approach and landing to the Portland Downtown Heliport.

Reduced Protection Mode Both HTAWS and HSVT offer a

“reduced protection” mode so the pilot can lower the alerting level and avoid nuisance alerts but still have protection from terrain and obstacles, according to Garmin. This also makes it easier to land off-airport and not be bothered with alerts.

An improvement for helicopters in the HTAWS software is the addition of all obstacles reported to the FAA. Garmin’s fixed-wing database includes obstacles at 200 feet and higher, while the HTAWS database now has 50,000 obstacles as well as 5,000 heliports, making it easier for G500H users to navigate to heliports.

HTAWS and HSVT work together when installed together, but HTAW–certified to TSO C-194 standards–takes priority. HTAWS is installed on the navi-gator that provides GPS, LOC/VOR and communications functions (Garmin’s GNS 430W or 530W) and displays on those products’ screens and on the MFD.

HTAWS predicts potential hazards with a forward-looking terrain avoidance (FLTA) capability, which provides pilots more time to avoid obstacles. FLTA warns “caution, obstacle, obstacle” and “warning, terrain, terrain.” In reduced protection mode, the caution is skipped but warning retained. The HSVT terrain proximity feature still provides an easy-to-see indication of proximity to ter-rain using color shading, whether or not reduced protection mode is selected.

The base retail price of the G500H is $24,995. Optional HSVT is $8,000 and HTAWS (which runs on a separate GNS 430W or 530W navigator) is about $8,000. Some 90 percent of G500H buy-ers are opting for HSVT, Doyle said. “Garmin is paying attention to the heli-copter market,” he concluded. o

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The synthetic-vision view on the right-side PFD illustrates the benefits of Garmin’s new G500H glass cockpit for helicopters, with obstacles highlighted in red and the “outside view” in the background.

Preparing to land at Portland International Airport, the two-display Garmin G500H shows the moving-map on the left-side MFD (with the route highlighted in magenta) and the synthetic-vision technology view on the right-side PFD, which matches the position of the runway seen from the right windshield.

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Exceeding Expectations

BLR’s FastFin gives Bell 412EP a boostby Mark Huber

The BLR Aerospace FastFin is a major part of Bell’s recently announced enhancements for the 412EP medium-twin. Fast-Fin will be standard on all new 412s and available via retrofit on existing aircraft. More than 600 are in service on the UH-1, 205/206 and 212/412, according to Dave Marone, BLR vice pres-ident. Those aircraft have logged more than one million flight hours with the system.

The $75,000 system (unin-stalled) consists of a new re-sculpted carbon-fiber vertical fin and a pair of parallel five-pound aluminum tailboom strakes that enhance aircraft performance.

Marone said FastFin gives the aircraft an additional 1,250 pounds of IGE hover capabil-ity. “That translates into up to 90 percent of the useful load,” he

said. “You have anywhere from 7.5-percent increase at sea level or 1,000 msl on a warm day to over 90 percent at 6,000- to 8,000-feet.

“Even a guy operating at sea level in the Gulf of Mexico is going to get additional utility from that,” Marone said. “In the Gulf you can get up to 2,000 feet density altitude on a hot sum-mer day. With the system, you are going to get 300 pounds of additional IGE hover capabil-ity plus 10 to 15 knots of criti-cal wind azimuth tolerance, so operational flexibility and safety is enhanced quite a bit.”

BLR estimates the system will pay for itself in one to two years for operators flying 400 hours annually.

The strakes work by taking the accelerated main rotorwash airflow around the tailboom

and stalling it on the left side, creating low pressure on the right and higher pressure on the left so the boom naturally moves in the direction of the applied tailrotor thrust. The fin relo-cates approximately one third of the vertical surface area to the aft tailcone, which is below the thrust arc of the tailrotor.

BLR (Booth No. 1814) is accepting orders to retrofit the system on Bell 412s for opera-tors of nine or fewer aircraft, while Bell’s Aeronautical Acces-sories affiliate is accepting orders from operators of 10 or more aircraft. Marone estimates it would require six business days for experienced shops to com-plete the retrofit.

FastFin is part of an upgrade package for all 412EPs. It includes Pratt & Whitney Can-ada PT6T-9 engines that yield a 15-percent power increase, and glass-panel avionics akin to those onboard Bell’s new 429 better onboard communications and a new tailrotor. The 2,143-shp PT6T-9 will replace the 1,800-shp PT6T-3D, yielding a 15-per-cent-shp increase, improved OEI and high/hot performance, and electronic engine control.

The upgrade will yield a 10- to 12-percent increase in Cat A/PC1 and PC2 performance and a path to increased payload and range. STC approval is expected later this year, with customer installations to begin in 2012. o


z Simplex Spray System Wins STC in China Simplex Manufacturing of Portland, Ore. (Booth No. 3617),

has been granted a validation of supplemental type certificate (VSTC) from the Peoples Republic of China for its agricultural spray system for the Robinson R44. The VSTC makes the Simplex system the only helicopter spray system approved for use in China, according to the company. The CAAC gave its approval on Dec. 31, 2010, and Simplex has already shipped one R44 package. Plans are to deliver several more shipsets to China this year.

According to Simplex president and CEO Mark Zimmerman, the Model 244 spray system for the R44 has gained wide acceptance throughout the world primarily because “the light weight, chemical-resistant tank and attaching spray boom assembly provides operators quick installation using field-maintainable components.”

z Columbia Helicopters Certified to EN/AS9110Columbia Helicopters has been certified to the aerospace

quality standard of EN/AS9110 by international risk management firm Det Norske Veritas. The certification is an industry quality standard benchmark for a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility and is recognized in the U.S. and Europe.

Company president Michael Fahey told AIN, “This certification will mean a higher level of comfort for any end user, knowing that our work met or exceeded the manufacturer’s specifications and was performed to the highest quality standard.”

The certification means Columbia Helicopters (Booth No. 1017) will have access to additional repair work, Fahey said. According to the company, many aerospace OEMs increasingly require MROs to be AS9110 certified by a third-party registrar. Columbia is one of less than 350 companies worldwide that have been certified to the AS9110 standard, fewer than 100 of which are located in the U.S.

In addition to meeting the quality system requirements of EN/AS9110, Columbia Helicopters is also ISO 9001:2008 and EN/JISQ/AN9100:2004 certified.

z EMS Intros Aspire Portable AirMailEMS Aviation (Booth No. 3414) has introduced its Aspire

Portable AirMail System, a device used to send and receive text e-mail in flight that doesn’t need to be permanently installed.

The three-pound system is not installed on the aircraft but can be carried on as required and connected to an aircraft’s existing Iridium antenna. Once connected, up to four passengers can send and receive e-mail, and because permanent installation is not required, an operator can switch the device from airplane to airplane, retaining connectivity on each flight, as long as the pilot-in-command approves its use.

Aspire is designed to take advantage of low-bandwidth devices, such as BlackBerrys and iPhones, said EMS v-p and general manager John Jarrell. The system is to become available in the second quarter of this year at a retail price of $15,995.

z Seminar Designed for Helo Mx Managers Conklin & de Decker (Booth No. 920) has announced it will

offer a seminar entitled “Helicopter Maintenance Management–Essential Tools for Your New Role” as an independent program for the first time in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on March 28 and 29. The program formerly was presented through the HAI. “We are planning to offer the seminar annually at different locations to make it more accessible,” Brandon Battles, vice president, told AIN. “We’re also currently working with the FAA to get IA credit approval.”

The two-day seminar focuses on providing helicopter maintenance managers the tools necessary to work in a management position. “So often in our industry, technicians are promoted to management positions because they’re good technicians,” Battles said. “Rarely do they have exposure to the business side of the operation. We look at budgeting, managing inventory, developing information systems to help manage, people management skills and helping students see their role as it relates to the overall organization.” Registration fee is $800.

news clips

BLR’s upgrade package for the 412EP consists of a new carbon fiber vertical fin and a pair of tailboom strakes. It will be standard on all new 412s and available for retrofit application.

EVS-NVG combo a winnerby Harry Weisberger

Adopting infrared imaging enhanced vision systems (EVS) in rotary-wing applications has been slow because of a miscon-ception that night safety is an “either/or” choice between EVS and night-vision goggles (NVG), said Chuck Crompton, business development director for Lexa-via Integrated Systems, Pensac-ola, Fla. Crompton added that using both technologies in com-bination may provide the best of both worlds.

Lexavia (Booth No. 3333), rel-atively new to the EVS market-place, and Max-Viz (Booth No. 4408), a pioneer in lower-cost EVS with uncooled IR cameras, are at Heli-Expo championing comple-mentary use of EVS and NVG for night helicopter operations.

Many fleet operators, espe-cially in HEMS and offshore work, have an “NVG first” pol-icy, Crompton said. However, starting a new NVG program takes much time and training before new civilian-trained pilots

equal the capabilities of ex-mili-tary pilots. EVS supporters tout the intuitive nature of gaining fast proficiency with infrared imagery, but Crompton said EVS operation does not require FAA oversight of initial pilot training and certification and proficiency tracking as does NVG and that, in most cases, an EVS project can be implemented for less cost than an NVG commitment.

Military pilots with extensive night experience using both tech-nologies, he said, almost univer-sally say, “The best capability is to have both.”

Bob Yerex, Max-Viz v-p of sales, added, “Both [EVS and NVG] by themselves are very good; used together they’re the biggest piece of the silver bullet that I’ve ever seen for unmasking unrecognized risks.”

Yerex compares EVS and NVG to HTAWS, a solution that NTSB favors. “The HTAWS is an IFR environment system that doesn’t show the real world and

may not reveal all the obstruc-tions out there. The ability to detect something visually gives you the ability to avoid it.” Max-Viz and Night Flight Concepts (Booth No. 3428), a provider of NVG equipment, lighting and training, have entered a strategic alignment to put together joint applications of NVG and EVS.

These different technologies operate synergistically, Cromp-ton said. “Heads-up” NVGs intensify visible light frequen-cies but do not provide images in total darkness. “Heads-down” EVS creates video images from long-wave infrared energy, even in low/no light situations. “EVS systems work great when some-one in the cockpit actually has time to look at them,” he said.

Many helicopter operators, Crompton added, have asked the EVS industry if it can “build an EVS that we can use to pro-file the landing zone before we get there, when we have time to look at the EVS display?” One answer, he said, may be coming from Lexavia, which is offering EVS products to give pilots the ability to view landing zones at longer stand-off distance. o

See our newest innovation at a special unveiling event.

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

We Just Sharpened the Cutting-Edge.

Eurocopter 1P AIN SD.indd 1 2/12/11 4:00 PM

Bell may develop 412 offshore siblingby Mark Huber

Bell Helicopter announced the launch of the Magellan pro-gram in a company memo circu-lated to its employees January 19. The new helicopter widely is believed to be a medium-twin

replacement for the venerable 412–a basic airframe design that dates back to the early 1960s–and is to be aimed primarily at the superheated deepwater off-shore oil and gas market.

The memo said the Magellan is a follow-on to “Project X.” It also is believed that it will have civil and military applications, but Bell declined to comment on the memo, sent by Jeff Lowinger,

vice president of engineering, and Larry Roberts, senior vice president for commercial pro-grams. A Bell spokeswoman said the company will not be releas-ing further details on the pro-gram here at Heli-Expo.

While giving few details, the memo said the Magellan is part of a strategy to provide customers with a “comprehensive product

line-up that best meets or exceeds their operational requirements.” It also disclosed that a customer advisory panel for the Magel-lan had been formed and that Larry Thimmesch, vice presi-dent of commercial programs, will lead the development team.

The memo further stated that the Magellan would differenti-ate itself from the competition “by applying an intensive effort of listening and meeting our customers’ needs into the prod-uct definition.”

If it is a medium-twin, the Magellan would be Bell’s sec-ond attempt at fielding a replace-ment for the 412. In 1998 the company formed a joint venture with AgustaWestland to develop what is now the AW139, but was forced to recuse itself from that project to meet the resource demands of the military V-22 Osprey tiltrotor program. Sub-sequently, the AW139 has grown into an unchallenged commercial success, with more than 300 deliv-ered and nearly 500 ordered. o


Airwolf offering bell 206 TT sTrAps

Airwolf Aerospace has de-veloped a new tension-torsion (TT) strap for Bell 206 JetRanger and 206L LongRanger heli-copters and military variants, including the OH-58 Kiowa. The straps, manufactured un-der FAA parts manufacturer approval (PMA) regulations are on display here at the Airwolf booth (No. 3561).

The TT straps anchor each rotor blade to the mast while accommodating the multi-direc tional forces inherent in rotorcraft flight.

According to Airwolf senior engineer John Montana, “The development of Airwolf’s new torsion-tension straps is the re-sult of more than seven years of research and development.” The straps can be installed in the field by a licensed me-chanic or repair station.

Montana described the price as “significantly lower” than that of the original Bell parts. “For years the only op-tion was no option at all,” he said. “Now, there’s a much more affordable and FAA-ap-proved alternative.”

Exact pricing and infor-mation regarding use and installation is available at the Airwolf booth. The Mid-dlefield, Ohio manufacturer expects to begin shipping its TT straps in April. –K.J.H.

Making helicopter history…again.

See the X2 Technology ™ Demonstrator

on display at HELI-EXPO 2011 booth #2737.

On September 15, 2010, the X2 Technology™ Demonstrator attained another aviation milestone by reaching 250 knots in level flight.

X2 Technology has the potential to transform vertical flight by enabling an aircraft to fly vertically and also reach speeds twice that of current helicopters. This achievement was made possible by the dedicated team of aerospace professionals at Sikorsky Innovations.

Sikorsky Innovations. Tackling the toughest challenges in vertical flight.

www.sikorsky.com

Sikorsky 1P AINsd 20090213.indd 10 2/24/11 10:00 AM


Honeywell sees better times ahead for industryby Nigel Moll

It’s Heli-Expo, and that means it’s also Honeywell forecast time. The 13th edition of the diver-sified aerospace manufactur-er’s best estimate on what the rotorcraft industry can expect in the next five years predicts that global deliveries of new civilian-use turbine-powered helicop-ters will lie somewhere between 4,200 and 4,400 through 2015, and that represents a 5-percent gain over the delivery tally from 2006 to 2010.

“Improved economic growth prospects in key markets, com-bined with new models offering increased customer value, are key variables driving purchase expectations,” say the report’s authors. “In the short term, lin-gering tight credit conditions combined with high invento-ries of used current produc-tion models for sale continue to dampen order intake.”

In another echo of the out-look for turbine-powered air-planes, Honeywell says, “the China market could be a strong contributor to broader demand for rotorcraft as the country opens its airspace to civil heli-copter operation and begins production of indigenously designed civil turbine helicop-ters.” Helicopters are already playing a prominent role in the first signs of the country loos-ening its airspace access restric-tions below 3,000 feet.

The formal name of the

Honeywell crystal-ball session is the “Turbine-powered Civilian Helicopter Purchase Outlook Report,” and in that specific vein the company notes that global five-year replacement and expansion plans climbed to 25.4 percent this year, up from 24.9 percent last year. “Although modest, the increase concludes a two-year period of declining demand, indicat-ing the beginnings of a market recovery. Substantially higher

purchase mentions in Europe drove the increase in total sur-vey expectations. Purchase plans in major U.S. and Asian cen-ters of demand remained steady during the same period.” Other regions declined modestly com-pared with 2010, though their purchase plans remain above the world average rate.

“Although specific purchase plans for 2011 remain sub-dued, expectations for new air-craft ordering in 2012 and 2013 increased 40 percent over 2011 levels, suggesting the recov-ery will gain momentum start-ing next year.” Global five-year demand for new turbine-pow-ered helicopters is split almost 50-50 between the Americas and Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. “Latin America has the highest fleet replacement and expansion expectations of all world regions. In terms of demand for new helicopters, this region is the world’s third larg-est, following North America and Europe.”

Reasons for ReplacementAs in past surveys, the key

motivators for replacing a cur-rently owned helicopter are its age or “normal planned replace-ment cycle,” followed by a desire for higher speed, newer technol-ogy and bigger cabins. Greater useful load, lower maintenance costs and improved reliability/durability also warranted fre-quent mention.

Light singles continue to be numerically the most popular class, accounting for 45 per-cent of helicopter make/model mentions in this year’s survey versus 49 percent last year. Sin-gles mentioned most frequently

z Conklin & de Decker Offers Heli-Expo SavingsConklin & de Decker (Booth No. 920) is offering a special Heli-

Expo 2011 show discount of 15 percent on its family of products, providing performance and cost data for aircraft, as well as aircraft-related tax guides. The limited-time product discounts apply to the: Aircraft Cost Evaluator; Aircraft Performance Comparator; Life Cycle Cost Volume I; and the 2011 State Tax Guide. Visitors to the Conklin & de Decker exhibit can also register to win a new netbook mini laptop computer loaded with helicopter databases, including the Cost Evaluator, Performance Comparator and the 2011 Life Cycle Cost, Volume I. The winner will be drawn at 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 8, and he or she must be present to win.

z Vector Hails 2010 as Banner YearVector Aerospace Helicopter Services-North America

(Booth No. 2137), a subsidiary of Vector Aerospace, came into Heli-Expo 2011 on the heels of “another banner year.” The Canadian MRO specialist saw the 2010 opening of new facilities in Huntsville, Ala.; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Lanseria, South Africa. Vector also expanded its service and product portfolio through the addition of repair and overhaul for the Turbomeca Arriel 2 and Honeywell ALF502 and LF507 engines and received FAA supplemental type certificate approval for development and integration for glass cockpits on the Bell 205 and Eurocopter AS355.

z Onboard Systems Is Hooked On CargoOnboard Systems (Booth No. 1832) is at Heli-Expo 2011

with a complete array of cargo hooks and related equipment. The Vancouver, Wash.-based manufacturer has an extensive range of external load equipment, including electric swivels to improve external-load performance and prevent damage to electrical cables. Onboard Systems also offers an improved and lighter suspension system for the AgustaWestland AW109 and AW119 that has a keeperless hydraulic hook, improved ground clearance, built-in travel limits and optional onboard weighing system. Also at the Onboard Systems booth, visitors can register to win a 64 GB iPad package that includes a $50 iTunes card and iPad case.

z Spectrum Creates Med Stand for LAFD HelosThe Los Angeles Fire Department’s air operations section

has contracted with Spectrum Aeromed (Booth No. 1659) to design, engineer and install a custom carry-on medical device stand for its AgustaWestland AW139 multi-mission helicopters.The Spectrum design and engineering team collaborated with the LAFD’s special missions staff to create the quick-release, modular floor-to-ceiling stand.

“We expect our multi-mission aircraft to perform in any situation and in any environment,” said LAFD chief Joseph Foley. “This means our advanced medical equipment needs to be versatile, meet the aircraft mission requirements and be functional for the pilots and aeromedical crew. Spectrum Aeromed communicated with us step-by-step through the design concept, purchase order, prototype development, critical design review, project updates, certification and final delivery. We needed a custom product to fit our needs and now we have it.”

z Aviall To Provide Lift for Rotorcraft LeasingAviall (Booth No. 2228) will supply helicopter parts to

Broussard, La.-based Rotorcraft Leasing’s 12 bases in Louisiana, Texas, Florida and California. Founded in 1990, Rotorcraft Leasing lays claim to being the largest privately held Part 135 operator in the Gulf of Mexico. Dallas-based Aviall, owned by Boeing, has 40 locations worldwide and distributes parts for 235 manufacturers. The agreement gives Rotorcraft Leasing access to Aviall’s Lift (logistics and inventory flight team) program. Among the features of Lift are forecasting the need for special long-lead-time parts, local stocking and 24/7 access to technical publications.

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Helicopter Market Deliveries and Demand

by Segment

in purchase plans this year are the Eurocopter AS350B, Bell 407 and the Robinson R66 (the attractively priced new-comer to the segment). Buy-ers in the Americas are fonder of light singles than those in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and India, where in some cases the regulatory environment or intended mis-sion favors multiple engines.

Light twins are the second most popular category men-tioned, accounting for 23 percent of purchase expectations. Models mentioned most frequently were the Bell 429, EC135 and AW109, and the highest concentrations of demand were in Europe and Asia.

Medium twins such as the AW139, Bell 412 and S-76 are most popular in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and India, where between 50 and 60 percent of all make/model mentions were for this cate-gory–twice the less than 30-per-cent tally in North America, Europe and Latin America.

Tell a FriendFor the first time this

year, Honeywell’s researchers quizzed the survey’s targets

(“more than 1,000 chief pilots and flight-department man-agers of companies operat-ing some 2,150 helicopters worldwide”) to indicate their “current” satisfaction over the last year with each model of helicopter they operate by asking them, “How likely is it that you would recom-mend this model to a friend or colleague?” In alphabetical order, the top picks were the AW109 Grand, AS350B series, AW139, Bell 407 and EC145. These five models account for almost 50 percent of all sur-vey make/model mentions and Honeywell suggests that “they can be considered the bench-marks of current-production helicopters in terms of cus-tomer satisfaction and likeli-hood to promote.”

Utilization on the UpOperators in all but one

region plan to use their heli-copters more this year. In order of increased utilization are Africa and the Middle East (up 23 percent to 560 hours per helicopter), North America (up 18 percent), Latin Amer-ica (up 10 percent), Europe

(up 7 percent) and Asia (down 6 percent). Oil and gas explo-ration and support operators work their rotorcraft the hard-est, averaging 822 hours per year per helicopter, followed by law enforcement at 598 hours and EMS at 577 hours. Corporate operations log the fewest hours per year, at 350 hours per helicopter.

Honeywell assembles its outlook report from “the 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. The 2011 outlook excludes uniformed military demand for civil heli-copters, but resulting civil esti-mates do include government and security force demand.” The report notes that the recent sudden outbreak of political instability in the Mid-dle East and its effects on oil prices and supply uncertainties were not factored into the cur-rent survey and forecast results. “Demand for civil rotorcraft is potentially sensitive to fuel price volatility and possible supply disruptions.” o

www.ainonline.com • March 6, 2011 • HAI Convention Newsaa11

touchdown!

Looking like a cross between an insect and a lunar lander, an Erickson S-64F Skycrane settles outside the convention center on Wednesday morning. The iconic heavy lifter, with its distinctive bright orange livery, is one of the largest rotorcraft on display this week at Heli-Expo.� n�

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z Night Flight Concepts Offers Course on Laser StrikesNight Flight Concepts (Booth No. 3428) has announced an

online course to educate flight crews about the growing threat from laser strikes. According to the FAA, the number of laser strikes directed at aircraft cockpits continues to increase, causing loss of situational awareness, flash blindness and retinal damage.

The Laser Eye Protection Program (LEPP), developed in cooperation with aerospace physiology consulting firm Delta P, is designed to teach aircrews the capabilities, limitations and preventative and evasive measures required to respond to laser strikes and how to mitigate their impact. Night Flight Concepts president Adam Aldous stressed that all flight crews should receive baseline retinal scans to assess vision performance and a way to measure damage from any laser strike.

z Naasco Marks 25 Years at Heli ExpoNaasco Northeast (Booth No. 4551), provider of repair and

overhaul services for starter-generators and other engine components, marks 25 years of attendance at Heli-Expo this year with a completely redesigned booth. The updated display forms the backdrop for Naasco’s presentation of its newest capabilities in starter-generator repair and overhaul and parts made under FAA Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) regulations. This includes the company’s ETR-20 and ETR-25 Mercury Mod improvement program and its Sil-Met repair technology that can transform consumable parts (primarily in power relays) into repairable parts, according to Naasco. The company’s proprietary repairs are approved for engines used in AgustaWestland, Bell, Eurocopter, MD, Schweizer and Sikorsky rotorcraft. Shirley, N.Y.-based Naasco also manufactures numerous PMA replacement parts for starter generators, relays, actuators and pumps.

z Enstrom Delivers First Trainer to JapanDays before Heli-Expo 2011, Enstrom Helicopter (Booth No.

3321) delivered the first of 30 TH-480B turbine training helicopters ordered by the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF), and the company is still hovering a little above the ground in the afterglow of the late February delivery ceremony in Japan.

“The 480B was originally designed as a training helicopter,” noted Enstrom president and CEO Jerry Mullins. “To be chosen by a highly regarded organization such as the JGSDF is verification of what we started out to do with the aircraft.”

The TH-480B is the JGSDF designation for the Enstrom 480B light turbine helicopter. Enstrom was awarded the contract for the training helicopters a year ago following a competitive bidding process. Enstrom’s Japanese representative, Aero Facility, has expanded its facility and contracted with Japan-based maintenance provider Jamco to support the JGSDF fleet of TH-480Bs.

z Cadorath creates new Bell Support TeamCadorath Aerospace (Booth No. 3212) has established

a technical support team to work as a liaison between Bell operators and its engineering division and thereby “establish hundreds of new Bell product offerings,” according to president and CEO Gerry Cadorath. “In addition, we now offer Bell rework out of our Lafayette, Louisiana facility,” he noted, augmenting the capability already offered at the company’s headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Cadorath Plating has been renamed Cadorath Coating, following the company’s purchase of National Coating Technologies. Cadorath Coating now has thermal spray equipment for plasma, powder and wire flame and arc wire applications, and it has also acquired equipment for cold spray, “the newest technology in the field of thermal spray coating.” The company also added both a powder coating and wet paint line to its zinc department, which can process more than 40,000 pounds of metal per shift. “With these additions, we are now the only company in North America offering 50 coating process options to AMS and OEM specifications,” said Cadorath.

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Two new certifications expand AW139 opsby Kirby J. Harrison

AgustaWestland has an-nounced a further expansion of its AW139 medium twin he-licopter’s capabilities through the addition of two new certifications.

The Finmeccanica com-pany (Booth No. 381) recently won certification for offshore takeoff and landing proce-dures for operations according to Performance Class 1 (PC1) and PC2e (enhanced) require-ments as defined by the strin-gent JAR OPS 3 rules. This permits takeoffs and landings from helidecks with a mini-mum diameter of 15 meters (less than the overall length of the helicopter) and also certi-fied at maximum gross weights of more than 14,080 pounds.

In addition, the AW139 was recently certified to oper-ate in sea state six conditions, providing the helicopter with unique capabilities in its class, thanks to a special emergency flotation system.

Since entry into service in 2003, the AW139’s capabilities

have grown steadily, the result of “a range of specific and tai-lored equipment,” according to AgustaWestland. A max gross weight increase to 14,960 pounds is achieved by addition of an optional kit. The 880-pound increase allows a maximum range of more than 500 nm. According to AgustaWestland, the additional range targets the long-range offshore transport market currently met by larger, 19-seat helicopter models.

The earlier introduction of an advanced four-axis auto-matic flight control system with search-and-rescue (SAR) mode enables the AW139 to partic-ipate in the most demanding SAR operations. Development of a full icing protection sys-tem allows flights into known-icing conditions.

AgustaWestland claims to have sold more than 500 AW139s to more than 140 owners and operators in more than 50 countries, with over a third of sales into the world off-shore market. o

AgustaWestland’s AW139 medium twin, operated by CHC Helicopter Group, is the first to reach the

50,000-flight-hour milestone. CHC has 25 AW139s in service and an undisclosed number of aircraft on order.

A beAutiful dAy for A flightA Waas-equipped Eurocopter EC145 (formerly a BK-117C2) soars above Orlando’s massive convention center. The medium twin is one of several helicopters slated to be used for demonstration flights during the show.

JetNet sees down for heli market challenges

Corporate aviation market analysis provider JetNet (Booth No. 3621) has released its Jan-uary 2011 pre-owned aircraft results, and the news is a bit glum for the helicopter industry.

The pre-owned business jet seg-ment showed a shift down in inven-tory for sale, from 15.9 percent of the total used fleet in January 2010 to 14.6 percent in January 2011. The pre-owned helicopter seg-ment, however, showed an increase in the portion of the used fleet for sale, from 6.9 percent in January 2010 to 7 percent in January 2011.

“A buyer’s market in the heli-copter world is when the per-centage of helicopters for sale exceeds 5 percent of the fleet,” according to JetNet.

The number of pre-owned tur-bine helicopter sale transactions declined by 46.6 percent in Jan-uary 2011, compared with Janu-ary 2010. And the average days on market for turbine helicopters was 340, three less than in 2010. How-ever, the average asking price fell by 29.3 percent. The average ask-ing price for a piston helicopter was down 5.3 percent for a comparable period, and the number of full-sale transactions dropped 38.8 percent.

“We continue to witness stub-bornly high levels of for-sale inventories as we remain in a buy-er’s market,” said the analysis. And while the report noted that the helicopter market is on the right track, “the reality is that the current business down-cycle will last lon-ger than the industry would like.” o

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Garmin reveals new digital audio panel

Garmin has unveiled the GMA 350 series digital audio panel for helicopters and fixed-wing applications, with two unique new features for aviation, voice-recognition controls and 3D audio. The new GMA 350 series fits in a box that is pin-compatible with Garmin’s GMA 340 series and also audio panels made by other manufacturers. The GMA 350H and 350 are similar, but the helicopter unit includes support for a third com, NVG-compatible green annunciation and new split-com modes.

The new features, said Garmin engineer and test pilot Sean Doyle, “are all about reducing pilot workload and improving safety.” The 3D audio function mimics the way humans process audio, deliver-ing a more natural-sounding result to ste-reo headphones. Based on research done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 3D audio spatially separates two different audio inputs. With current audio panels, if a pilot is listening to ATC on one radio and ATIS or weather on another, it is difficult

to separate the two audio streams. With 3D audio, each channel is separated and piped toward opposite sides of the headphones.

During a demonstration of the GMA 350H, I found that 3D audio is much more like hearing multiple conversations and being able to pick out which one I wanted to hear. Switching back to ordinary 2D audio highlighted the differences. And back on 3D audio, I was easily able to pick out which audio stream to focus on and which one to ignore, but they weren’t stepping over each other like in 2D audio.

“It’s kind of subtle,” Doyle said. Garmin has demonstrated 3D audio with three audio streams, he added, “and that’s incred-ibly impressive because you really can listen to any one of those three conversations.”

Voice-recognition technology allows the pilot to control all of the GMA 350 audio panel’s functions with voice commands instead of pushing buttons on the panel. To let the panel know that a voice com-mand is coming, the pilot first has to click a trigger switch, which will likely be on the yoke or cyclic, then speak the command.

Another new GMA 350 feature is “blue mode,” which allows for independent rout-ing of audio to passengers or pilots and also independent control of volume levels for each audio source. An LED volume indi-cator bar graphically shows volume levels, so if a back-seat passenger asks for a little bit more volume on the intercom, the pilot

can easily see how much to add. The GMA 350 also allows passengers to control their intercom isolation state. This eliminates the need for a passenger to ask the pilot to turn on the passenger’s intercom channel.

Split-com lets the front-seaters select which com each person can use, adding flexibility to the cockpit. With a three-com radio setup, for example, the pilot can select com 1 and 3 and the copilot

com 2 or pilot com 1 and copilot com 2 and 3. The GMA 350 also offers audio-leveling. As ambient noise increases, the audio panel automatically boosts the sound like the systems on car stereos that play louder as a car speeds up and gener-ates more ambient noise.

Retail price of the GMA 350 is $2,395, and the GMA 350H with helicopter-spe-cific features is $2,695. –M.T.


Birdies, eagles and one rotary-winged Bird

The Helicopter Foundation International hosted its annual scholarship golf tournament on Friday. The event attracted 100 competitors along with 35 sponsor or donating companies.

No Limits. No Boundaries. No Excuses. No Limits. No Boundaries. No Excuses.

MD 500 Support

www.PhoenixHeliParts.com • +1 480-985-7994

AvionicsSheet metalIn-House EngineeringInteriorsCustom CompletionsAircraft Painting24/7 Field and Tech supportComposites Engine ManagementParts Sales STC/PMA Program MD 500 & UH-1 specialistsHeli-Expo

Booth1006

Whatever You Need. Wherever You Are. Whatever It Takes.Whatever You Need. Wherever You Are. Whatever It Takes.

Thales adds new features to S-76D TopDeck suiteby Charles Alcock

Thales is adding four new functions to the TopDeck avi-onics suite it has developed for Sikorsky’s new S-76D. The ini-tial version of the cockpit will complete certification in the next few months, ahead of the heli-copter’s anticipated approval by the end of 2011, and additional options should be ready for ser-vice-entry next year.

The new functionality cov-ers the following four elements: localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) GPS approaches, XM Weather (on-screen, real-time satellite weather services), a flight following system (FFS) and ADS-B out (automatic dependent surveillance--broad-cast, transmission from aircraft to ground stations). These are being added through enhance-ments to the iFMS 200 flight management system, the Top-Star 200 GPS receiver and the automatic flight control system

to ensure compatibility with new GPS SBAS (satellite-based aug-mentation system) precision approaches. The cost of these options is as yet unspecified.

Thales has responsibil-ity for the full design author-ity and systems integration for the S-76D’s cockpit, including the avionics display architec-ture, autopilot and all associ-ated software. The aircraft made its first flight two years ago and, according to Yves Jonanic, vice president of Thales’s helicop-ter activities, most elements of the cockpit now have their TSO approval and certification of the complete system is on track.

“We saw that it was necessary to address some specific function-ality requested by [S-76D] custom-ers,” explained Jonanic. “TopDeck architecture always intended to be open and so it is possible to add functionality by plugging it into the avionics suite and making

changes to the software.”LPV capability is useful when

a helicopter needs to do steep approaches with a quick descent, enabling pilots to do this safely down to a decision height of just 50 feet. The flight crew can use an augmented GPS signal to gener-ate the correct approach slope.

The FFS is mainly useful for fleet operators, such as those flying to and from offshore plat-forms. It allows real-time data on numerous aircraft’s positions to be reported via the Internet for use by both ground personnel and pilots.

ADS-B out capability will be mandatory under FAA’s NextGen air traffic manage-ment system from 2020. In the meantime, it has an additional benefit of being used to trans-mit data relating to the aircraft’s maintenance condition to an operator’s ground stations.

Thales is also laying plans to add further functionalities to the S-76D cockpit, including a ter-rain awareness warning system (TAWS) and a synthetic vision system (SVS). Jonanic said that the SVS is quite challenging

because the integrity of the sys-tem is dependent on the ability to reliably refresh the database from which the synthetic view of outside conditions is gener-ated. He said that Thales may be required to fit additional sen-sors to complement information from the database.

TopDeck is based on Thales’s Icube-S concept, which the com-pany claims maximizes intuitive use, interactivity, integration and safety. Jonanic told AIN that the system has a higher degree of interaction with pilots through

Thales expects certification for its TopDeck avionics suite for the Sikorsky S-76D around the middle of the year. The new system for the S-76D has added functionality with vertical guidance GPS approaches, XM Weather, flight following and ADS-B out.

JET-CARE.COM ANALYSIS SERVICES DRIVEN BY QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE

1 973 292 9597

Come and visit the Jet-Care Team at Heli-Expo 2011Booth 4442

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the use of devices such as a track ball similar to that used on a per-sonal computer. He said that it is more intuitive in the sense that it is more straightforward for pilots to operate and so decreases their workload, allowing them to focus on flying and the mission at hand. For instance, TopDeck prompts pilots with possible options in any given situation.Various menus are presented on TopDeck’s six- by eight-inch dis-plays, which Thales says makes it easier to find what pilots need. For instance, Jonanic said that the process for changing route during a flight has been greatly simplified. The integrated sys-tem includes its own sensors.

Here at Heli-Expo, Thales (Booth No. 4038) is displaying a complete example of the Top-Deck cockpit for the S-76D. Also being exhibited is the integrated electronic standby instrument selected last year by Eurocopter for its current production helicop-ter family, as well as for the new EC175 model. The system will be standard equipment on new-build EC135, 145 and 155 helicopters and will also be available to exist-ing operators for retrofit. o

Movin’ on in

A Eurocopter AS350 is about to be swallowed by the convention center’s cavernous loading doors while rolling onto the show floor. The AStar, owned by Texas-based Copters in Agriculture, is one of five of the type making an appearance at this year’s Heli-Expo.� n

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Heli-expo 2011: Twirly Birds

MeeTing on sunday

If you soloed in a helicopter at least 20 years ago, con-sider joining the Twirly Birds at their annual meeting here today in Signature Room 1 at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 5 p.m. The meeting will include presentation of the Les Morris award and announcement of a new membership category for the group.

According to Steve Sullivan, Twirly Birds membership pres-ident and v-p, “Our intent as always is to see old friends and to meet new ones who share a common link to helicopters, whether it is civil or military, professional or recreational.”

The group was founded more than 60 years ago from a small group of pilots who met to share stories and the common experiences of flying helicopters. Notable members include Charles Lindbergh, Igor Sikorsky, Stanley Hiller, Alan Bristow and Wes Lematta.� n

JET-CARE.COM ANALYSIS SERVICES DRIVEN BY QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE

1 973 292 9597

Come and visit the Jet-Care Team at Heli-Expo 2011Booth 4442

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MDH shows off slew of modifications by James Wynbrandt

MD Helicopters (MDH) of Mesa, Ariz., has arrived at Heli-Expo with three display aircraft (an MD500E, MD530F and MD902 Explorer) and a handful of product develop-ment announcements. Infor-mation on 2010 sales figures and 2011 orders will likely be divulged by CEO Lynn Tilton at the company’s press conference scheduled for 4 p.m. today, but there is plenty to see and talk about beforehand.

MDH has unveiled a new composite main rotor blade for the MD500F, co-devel-oped with Van Horn Aviation of Tempe, Ariz. (Booth No. 1521). The blade is projected to increase internal gross weight from 3,100 pounds to at least 3,350 pounds, lower operating

costs, reduce acoustical noise signature, decrease fuel burn and almost triple the life of the blade from the metal blade cur-rently certified for the aircraft, from 3,430 to 10,000 hours. Flight testing of the new blade is expected to commence this month, and FAA supplemental type certification is anticipated in the fourth quarter of this year. Certification for instal-lation on the MD520N and a shorter version of the blade for the MD500D and MD500E are expected to follow.

The MD530F on display at the company’s booth (No. 1618) is outfitted with a Sagem ICGS glass cockpit from Dallas-based Sagem Avionics (Booth No. 1637). Currently undergoing certification for installation on

MD500 series helicopters, the dual Sagem ICDS-8 displays interface with the aircraft sys-tems to provide a centralized display of all flight and engine performance data.

In the MD500 configuration, the displays provide the pilot with primary flight display, a multifunction display for navi-gation and video information, and engine instrument and crew alerting system information, replacing virtually all the analog instrumentation of the original aircraft. Certification of the sys-tem is expected the second quar-ter of this year.

The MD500E on display is outfitted with Garmin’s G500H dual-screen glass cockpit, which was certified for installation on the MD500E last year. (The G500H is also being demoed at the Garmin International booth, (No. 1632).

Both the MD530F and MD902 at the MDH booth are outfitted with LED exte-rior lighting (dual mode anti-collision lights, position lights, and tail lights) by Emteq. MDH announced at the convention its selection of Emteq to sup-ply LED exterior lighting for MD900, MD500 and MD600 series production helicopters.

The new lights use “chip-on-board” LED technology,

allowing low-profile design. The exterior lights will also be available for aftermarket instal-lation and will require little wiring modification for retrofit-ting. (The lights are also on dis-play at the Emteq booth, No. 1711.) Flight tests on the lights are complete and MDH expects them to be available for new pro-duction and aftermarket sales by the second quarter of 2011.

The MD902 on display sports a VIP interior featuring energy attenuating business seats from Fischer+Entwicklungen, a video monitor finished in birds’ eye maple, noise-reducing acoustic insulation, DVD/CD player and wool carpeting.

MDH also announced the

sale of an MD530F to Switzer-land-based Fuchs Helicopter, which will deliver the aircraft to a corporate customer. The first 530F operated in Swit-zerland, this model is a vari-ant of the 500E optimized for high-and-hot operations. It has a tail boom eight inches lon-ger than the 500E’s and length-ened tail rotor blades, providing increased thrust and directional control at high altitude.

MDH further announced that an MD Explorer operated by the West Yorkshire Police in England recently became the highest time aircraft in the Explorer fleet, surpassing 13,000 flight hours in just under 10 years of service. o

SPARKLING CLEAN

In the waning hours before the start of Heli-Expo, Joel Tittles, an Orlando resident and employee of professional aircraft detailer The Allen Groupe, strives to present a clean machine as he carefully polishes the vast expanse of windshield on a Robinson R44, one of several on the show floor.

Van Horn Expands Blade Facilities

Concurrent with unveiling its new composite blades for the MD500 series, Van Horn Aviation (VHA) president Jim Van Horn announced the company is in the process of purchasing a 23,000-sq-ft facility in Tempe, Ariz., in which to manufacture the new blades once the building is occupied this summer.

VHA’s current facility houses three machining centers, an automated fabric cutter, water jet, clean room, paint booth, inspection center, autoclave and industrial oven; the new facility will allow VHA to run simultaneous tail- and main-rotor production lines while also working on new products. “We have a long list of blade programs we intend to tackle over the next 10 years, and this new facility will provide a good launch pad for new developments far into the future,” said Dean Rosenlof, VHA general manager.

“With in-house manufacturing of 206 and UH-1 tailrotor blades, while also designing and prototyping composite main rotor blades, we’ve out-grown our current leased facility,” said Van Horn. “Over the past six months VHA has added staff and equipment to meet increased demands for our tail-rotor blades, and we obtained a 25-foot autoclave to accommodate main rotor blades.” –N.M.

Survey says aviation jobs poised for takeoff

Hiring in the aviation indus-try is poised for an uptick in 2011, according to the annual Aviation Hiring Trends Sur-vey just released by JSfirm (Booth 2543), an online aviation employment agency.

The job market “is better than people may think,” said Sam Scanlon, managing part-ner of the Dallas-based com-pany. “The report indicates exactly what we are seeing on our site. There are more jobs being posted every day.”

More than 325 aviation com-panies spanning all sectors of the industry participated in the survey, with respondents includ-ing human resources person-nel, managers and executives. Almost half the respondents (48 percent) plan to hire from one to 10 employees, while 8 per-cent expect to add more than 200 jobs.

Some of the hiring activ-ity may occur here at the Heli-Expo Job Fair taking place today from 1:30 to 5 pm in room N220 in the North Concourse. The more than two-dozen participating com-panies include AgustaWestland North America, Bell Heli-copter, Flight Safety Interna-tional, Sikorsky and the U.S. Department of State Office of Aviation. Job openings include engineers, mechanics, pilots and managers.

This is the second year of the

hiring survey, and JSfirm added a few new questions.

“We asked people, ‘What is the biggest challenge in find-ing aviation talent?’” said Jeff Richards, the company’s busi-ness development director. Lack of experience (26 percent) and unrealistic pay expectations (19 percent) were the leading answers. The survey also asked what resources respondents used for finding employees, and aviation Web sites (22 percent) and word of mouth (19 percent) were the top responses.

Founded in 1999, JSfirm posts jobs and résumés and has a database of some 125,000 avia-tion professionals. According to Richards, the site just surpassed 10 million hits per month. The service is free to job seekers, and provides online tools for creat-ing résumés and free access to job postings. But Richards said even though its an online ser-vice, JSfirm is a brick and mor-tar company.

“We have real people in a real office. You call the number, somebody answers the phone. These past couple of months we’ve been getting a lot of thank you calls, such as, ‘I finally got home to Michigan and got my dream job.’ We share that in the office. It’s really motivating. A couple of years ago we got, ‘I’m going to lose my house, what can you do for me?’ Now we’re getting the flip side.” –J.W.

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The inventor of the modern chronograph A chronograph specialist since its founding in 1884, Breitling played a crucial role in the development of this type of instrument. In 1915, as a pioneer in the fi eld of wrist chronographs, the fi rm invented the fi rst independent pushpiece. In 1923, it separated the stop/start and reset functions, thus enabling the addition of several successive times. In 1934, Breitling set the fi nal touch to the modern face of the chronograph by creating the second independent pushpiece – a decisive innovation that was soon adopted by all competitors. In 1969, the brand presented the fi rst selfwinding chronograph.

The master of top-fl ight performances Having learned the hard way in the demanding fi eld of aviation, where safety is of vital importance, Breitling displays the same obsession for quality in all its 100% Swiss-made “instruments for professionals”. Breitling is the world’s only major watch brand to equip all its models with chronometer-certifi ed movements representing the ultimate token of precision and reliability. Its engineers once again made their mark on chronograph history by creating Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01 – the finest selfwinding chronograph movement. A cult object for pilots and aviation enthusiasts, the Navitimer combines a legendary design with this high-performance “engine”. You simply don’t choose a Breitling by chance.

The authentic partner of aviation Breitling has shared all the fi nest hours in the conquest of the skies. Its famous onboard chronographs equipped World War II fi ghter planes and subsequently the airliners of the main manufacturers and

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legendary Navitimer, with a slide rule intended for airborne navigation. In 1962, a Navitimer accompanied

Scott Carpenter in his orbital fl ight, thus becoming the fi rst spacegoing wrist chronograph. Today, Breitling perpetuates these special and authentic ties by cooperating with elite pilots, operating several exceptional flight teams, and associating with the greatest air shows worldwide.

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BREITLING.COMBREITLING.COM

The inventor of the modern chronograph A chronograph specialist since its founding in 1884, Breitling played a crucial role in the development of this type of instrument. In 1915, as a pioneer in the fi eld of wrist chronographs, the fi rm invented the fi rst independent pushpiece. In 1923, it separated the stop/start and reset functions, thus enabling the addition of several successive times. In 1934, Breitling set the fi nal touch to the modern face of the chronograph by creating the second independent pushpiece – a decisive innovation that was soon adopted by all competitors. In 1969, the brand presented the fi rst selfwinding chronograph.

The master of top-fl ight performances Having learned the hard way in the demanding fi eld of aviation, where safety is of vital importance, Breitling displays the same obsession for quality in all its 100% Swiss-made “instruments for professionals”. Breitling is the world’s only major watch brand to equip all its models with chronometer-certifi ed movements representing the ultimate token of precision and reliability. Its engineers once again made their mark on chronograph history by creating Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01 – the finest selfwinding chronograph movement. A cult object for pilots and aviation enthusiasts, the Navitimer combines a legendary design with this high-performance “engine”. You simply don’t choose a Breitling by chance.

The authentic partner of aviation Breitling has shared all the fi nest hours in the conquest of the skies. Its famous onboard chronographs equipped World War II fi ghter planes and subsequently the airliners of the main manufacturers and

companies, making the fi rm the “offi cial supplier to world aviation”. 1952 brought the birth of the

legendary Navitimer, with a slide rule intended for airborne navigation. In 1962, a Navitimer accompanied

Scott Carpenter in his orbital fl ight, thus becoming the fi rst spacegoing wrist chronograph. Today, Breitling perpetuates these special and authentic ties by cooperating with elite pilots, operating several exceptional flight teams, and associating with the greatest air shows worldwide.

You simply don’t become offi cial supplier to world aviation by chance.

CA102571_NavitimerCorpo_563x359_Convention.indd 1-2 02.03.11 17:44

Spidertracks spins web for operator data captureby James Wynbrandt

Whether for safety, econ-omy or to meet ICAO Flight Operational Quality Assurance

(FOQA) standards, helicop-ter operators are showing increased interest in capturing

and analyzing flight data. Spi-dertracks (Booth No. 4854), based in Palmerstown North, New Zealand, offers a global satellite-based system for fleet operators that tracks equipped aircraft in real time and records movements and flight data for later analysis. A simple, low-cost system, Spidertracks consists of an onboard “spider” unit and an

Internet-based client interface for accessing data.

“We have a number of fleet operators using the system to manage their aircraft efficiently in real time, and they’re also pur-chasing it for safety,” said Rachel Donald, who handles the North American market for Spider-tracks from the company’s Boul-der, Colo. office. “We have found

a niche with tourism operators, flight schools and various orga-nizations with contracts with government agencies.”

The “spider” unit uploads the vehicle’s GPS coordinates, speed, direction and altitude via the Irid-ium satellite system at customer-selected intervals of distance or time (as frequently as one update per minute). The data “translates into a breadcrumb trail, which clients see in real time over the Internet,” according to Donald. “The operations manager can see where all the aircraft are on one screen.” If the unit fails to update for two consecutive reporting intervals, an SOS alert is sent to designated message recipients. The data is stored on a secure server maintained by Spider-tracks. Flight and tracking data can be accessed via any autho-rized computer with broadband Internet access. Flight tracks are displayed on Google Maps and can be superimposed on custom-ized maps supplied by customers. Raw tracking data can also be delivered in table format. Spider-tracks, founded in 2007, has more than 1,000 clients in 50 countries.

Transmitting the data Donald noted that many cur-

rent tracking systems use cell-phone networks to upload data, adding to cost of operation and rendering them incapable of continuous tracking due to limitations in cellphone cover-age. Current satellite-based sys-tems typically require satellite phones, which adds to buy-in and operating costs.

Spidertracks offers two mod-els: the S2 ($995) and more robust Bluetooth-enabled S3 ($1,795). The “spider” units weigh 10.5 ounces, require no external antennas and are affixed inside the vehicle using adhe-sives, eliminating installation costs. Power is supplied from the vehicle’s electrical system. An optional plug in keyboard allows sending of pre-programmed text messages. Donald estimates the operational cost for a fleet heli-copter operating 100 hours per year is between 60 cents and $2 per hour, based on the reporting interval selected.

In addition to enhancing effi-ciency and safety, tracking sys-tems can also reduce operating costs because flight crews are more likely to hew to mission objectives at all times. “Pilots tend to start behaving better because they know someone can see what they’re up to,” said Donald. “We hear back anec-dotally from customers that they notice a change in attitude that occurs.” o


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HUMS on tap for midsize helicoptersby Charles Alcock

Sikorsky’s new S-76D is the latest application for the Vigor health usage and management system (HUMS) developed by Goodrich’s Sensors and Inte-grated Systems division.

Having been conceived in the 1990s as a safety tool, HUMS technology is now set to play its part in new-generation naviga-tion systems, such as ADS-B out capability, (automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast, transmis-sion from aircraft to ground sta-tions) which will be mandatory as part of FAA’s NextGen air traffic management system from 2020.

HUMS is already manda-tory for operators serving the offshore energy industries and across the board by Canadian authorities. While Goodrich does not favor extending the requirement onshore, the com-pany feels the case for voluntary adoption of HUMS is prov-ing increasingly compelling for functions such as maintenance and training.

“What is starting to drive the market in the commercial world are the benefits that the U.S. military is getting,” said Marc Brodeur, director of business development. “They are finding that [using HUMS to monitor the actual condition of aircraft] they don’t have to have standby back up aircraft to make flights.”

Goodrich is working on a HUMS demonstrator to install on the U.S. Army’s LUH-72 Lakota helicopters and this is due to be ready during the sec-ond half of next year. The sys-tem’s use on a military version of the Eurocopter EC145 could pave the way for further civil applications of Vigor.

Vigor equipment is already in service on Sikorsky’s larger S-92, which marked the first time HUMS was provided as standard equipment on a commercially operated helicopter. Goodrich’s goal is to make it viable for mid-size models such as the S-76D, which is due to complete certifi-cation by the end of this year.

“The Army is seeing signif-icant reductions in flight-hour costs [on aircraft including Sikorsky’s UH-60 Black Hawk],” Brodeur told AIN. “The OEMs are seeing benefits for their power-by-the-hour programs and the operators are becoming bet-ter fleet managers with HUMS.”

According to Goodrich (Booth

No. 2142), Vigor is delivering the credible, usable data that could give OEMs the confidence to improve key procedures such as rotor track and balance.

Gathering the DataNow, Goodrich is working

to integrate the HUMS ground stations with the company’s electronic flight bag product in a move that will support ADS-B out capability–without the need to install additional equipment. The same approach could be taken by integrating HUMS with the TERPROM terrain avoidance system developed by Goodrich’s new Atlantic Iner-tial Systems subsidiary.

The technology also has the potential to serve as the flight data acquisition unit for cock-pit voice and data monitors,

through integration with the mission data recorders from another Goodrich subsidiary, TEAC Aerospace Technolo-gies. According to Goodrich, Vigor is the only HUMS that uses software qualified to the DO178 standards that are required for more advanced applications like this.

Vigor monitors the entire helicopter mechanical drive train from the engines to the rotor sys-tem, flight manual exceedances and hundreds of aircraft system signals. “Goodrich’s HUMS uses more sensors and collects more data than competing sys-tems,” claimed Brodeur. “And while this is great, it’s not about the data; it’s about how our algorithms digest and use the data. The two combined enable us to truly understand the state of the helicopter. We now have better mechanical diagnostics, so we can predict further out with fewer false alarms. We want to give an operator a hundred hours of advance notice on a pending failure, not five hours,” he said. o

BIG KITTY

This Cougar Helicopters S-92A was one of the show’s early arrivals on Wednesday. The 19 passenger twin-turbine rotorcraft is one of the newest deliveries to the Canadian lift provider's fleet. Specializing in offshore transport, the multi-mission S-92, the top of Sikorsky’s line, has a range of 750 nm and can cruise at more than 150 knots.�

U.S. TUrBIne HelIcopTer AccIdenTS/IncIdenTS 2010 vS 2009

Category

Twin Engine Single Engine

Accidents Fatal Accidents

Nonfatal Accidents Fatalities Accidents Fatal

AccidentsNonfatal Accidents Fatalities

2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010

Air Taxi-Pax/Cargo/Ferry 4 3 1 1 3 2 8 2 10 7 1 2 9 5 1 5

EMS 1 3 0 0 1 3 0 0 7 8 2 5 5 3 6 14

Offshore 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 3 2 0 0

FireFight, External Load 4 1 1 1 3 0 1 1 6 4 2 2 4 2 2 2

Photo-TV, Survey 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 5 0 1 2 4 0 1

Training 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 4 2 2 0

Aerial Application 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 7 0 0 4 7 0 0

Corporate/Executive 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 8 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

Private/Business 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 3 2 0 0 3 2 0 0

Public, Gov’t/Police 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 10 6 0 2 10 4 0 5

Manufacturer 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sightseeing 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 2 1 6 0

Total 15 12 3 4 12 8 11 11 54 50 8 12 47 38 17 27

Fewer HelIcopTer AccIdenTS BUT More FATAlITIeS In 2010

While the overall number of turbine helicopter accidents in the U.S. declined last year to 62 from 69 in 2009, those accidents were more costly in terms of human life, according to statistics released by Boca Raton-based industry safety analyst Robert E. Breiling Associates.

The rotorcraft industry experienced 38 deaths in 2009, 10 more than in the previous year. The EMS segment saw the worst erosion in terms of safety, with 14 fatalities (resulting from five single-engine rotorcraft crashes) in 2010 compared with six deaths from two fatal crashes in the previous year.

In the twin-engine category, while the total number of accidents decreased from 15 to 12 year-over-year, 2010 saw one more fatal acci-dent than in 2009. The total number of fatalities remained static at 11 each year. The corporate/executive twin-engine segment experienced two fatal

crashes resulting in eight deaths, after seeing no accidents in 2009, while the photo/TV segment, which recorded no accidents in 2009, saw two non-fatal accidents last year.

Single-engine turbine helicopters saw an increase in the number of fatal accidents from eight to 12 year-over-year, despite a reduction in the total num-ber of accidents. EMS operations had three additional fatal crashes with more than double the number of casualties experienced by the segment in 2009.

Government- and police-operated single-engine helicopters saw the total number of accidents decline from 10 (none fatal) in 2009 to six last year, two of which resulted in five deaths. The single-engine training segment saw the most improvement. In 2009, training operations resulted in six crashes including two fatal, while last year saw just two nonfatal accidents. –C.E.

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P&WC sees investment in its futureby Kirby J. Harrison

Pratt & Whitney Canada landed at Heli-Expo 2011 (Booth No. 421) with two new engines to display and $1 billion in research and development funds available to invest over the next five years.

“We plan to stay number one,” said Raffaele Virgili, v-p of customer service, “and to do that, we need to invest in the future.”

To that end, $300 million of that invest-ment, announced in December, comes in the form of a repay-able contribution from the Canadian government under the Strategic Aero-space and Defense Initiative program.

P&WC is recruiting engi-neers, bringing in some 200 more to support development programs and pushing the total engineering workforce to more than 1,500 in Canada.

According to Virgili, P&WC continues to invest in its proven

PT6 variants, the latest being the PT6C-67C for AgustaWest-land’s AW139. The engine has also been selected for Eurocop-ter’s EC175. The PT6C-67E model, producing 1,700 shp at takeoff, is expected to be certi-fied this year. “And we are con-tinuing to invest in other PT6

variants,” said Virgili.Also new is the

PW210 Twin-Pac, a 1,000-shp package P&WC describes as “setting the stage for a new era of advanced helicopter engines [and] “helping shape a new generation of sin-gle- and twin-engine helicopters.”

The PW210 has been picked by Sikorsky for its new S-76D, scheduled to go into service in 2012. The engine was also selected last July for AgustaWestland’s AW169, for which deliveries are expected to begin in 2015.

Some of P&WC’s goals

in engine development are expected: compact architecture, better power-to-weight ratio, greater reliability, improved fuel consumption and lower harm-ful gas emissions.

According to Virgili, a strong fourth quarter made 2010 “a good year” for P&WC,

although the 2,800 engine deliv-eries was slightly below 2009 delivery totals. And he added that while 2011 deliveries are expected to be about the same as 2010, “We see things improv-ing. The order book remains a bit flat, but there is a lot of dis-cussion of new platforms, and we are well positioned to take advantage of an improving economy. You can only win if you have something to show.”

P&WC, a United Technologies

company, added Virgili, is build-ing a proven track record. “Since 1970,” he said, “Pratt & Whitney Canada has produced 12,000 engines [comprising] a total of 31 engine models on 25 aircraft models, with a cumulative total of 43 million flying hours.”

As for Heli-Expo 2011, Virgili sees it as a springboard. “I expect a lot more activity; a much more positive show than last year, and much stronger attendance.” o

Stop by AViIT’s Heli-Expo booth (No. 2662) to see the company’s eMan Solution soft-ware for a chance to win a $250 Best Buy gift card. AviIT is of-fering live demonstrations of the eMan Solution, including its wireless capabilities, which allow access to a complete technical library from any Inter-net connection. The eMan soft-ware facilitates distribution and management of maintenance publications. v

AT THE BOOTHS P&WC Schedules PW200 and PT6 M&O Sessions

Pratt & Whitney Canada invites owners, operators and maintenance personnel of its PW200, PT6B and PT6C-67C to attend special maintenance and overhaul sessions at Heli-Expo 2011.

The sessions are part of P&WC’s “Customer Reach Out” initiative. “We will offer one-hour sessions dedicated to these en-gine,” said Raffaele Virgili, v-p of customer service. “During that time we will provide updates on the latest news on P&WC support, offer insights into P&WC maintenance recom-mendations and answer customer questions.”

The sessions are scheduled for today, March 6 at the convention center: 1-2 p.m., PW200; 2-3 p.m., PT6C; 3-4 p.m. PT6C-67C. For additional details, stop by the Pratt & Whitney Canada exhibit (Booth No. 421). –K.J.H.

P&WC PT6C-67

Raffaele Virgili

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Air Comm runs hot and coldAir Comm (Booth No. 1649)

is unveiling its Comfort+ pro-gram, which it describes as “advanced technology heating and air-conditioning systems for helicopters [which deliver] a complete experience based on

the belief that cabin comfort is mission critical.”

“Heating and air-conditioning are often overlooked,” claimed Air Comm president Keith Steiner. “Until it quits working. A comfortable environment is

not a luxury,” he added, citing a number of studies that draw a direct relationship between crew efficiency and cabin comfort.”

In the past year or more, Air Comm has been gaining a sub-stantial foothold in the military

market, including a contract for 1,000 cabin heaters for the Army’s Black Hawk.

Air Comm recently received a commendation from the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne. The divi-sion was flying Black Hawks in the harsh Afghanistan winter and the commendation credited Air Comm’s heating system as instru-mental in keeping injured soldiers

alive during medevac transport.Steiner said Air Comm also

recently won a competition to develop a heating system for the Army’s OH-58 Kiowa War-rior and has been asked by Bell to develop a digital cabin envi-ronment control system similar to that found in high-end automobiles.

For civil helicopter owners and operators in the northern hemisphere, Air Comm is sug-gesting that early preparation for this coming summer’s heat is better sooner than later. “Even the most rugged and capable air conditioners require checks to ensure that cabins cool off when passengers want the systems to run quickly and effectively after months of inactivity.”

Air Comm offers a variety of kits and services to ensure that air-conditioning systems work as advertised, regardless of the type of system installed. The Boulder, Colo.-based company also has an extensive parts catalog and its customer support service orga-nization is available to fill any emergency need during system inspections and tune-ups. –K.J.H.


SkyTrac intros mobile data app

Satcom solutions provider Sky-Trac Systems (Booth No. 4106) is launching SkyWeb Mobile for iPhone, Blackberry and Android smartphones at Heli-Expo 2011.

SkyWeb Mobile enables one-touch voice dial and e-mail direct to the cockpit, facilitat-ing communication with the air-craft anywhere and any time. The application also allows the user to control bandwidth demands when operating on mobile networks. In addition, SkyWeb Mobile displays cur-rent position and flight data for aircraft equipped with one of SkyTrac’s tracking systems. An auto refresh feature allows con-tinual feedback on the aircraft’s movement and updates its posi-tion on a moving map, while the log is updated as new reports are sent from the aircraft.

“Flight operations personnel can now have fleet situational awareness in their pocket,” said Steve Fuhr, the company’s vice president and director of busi-ness development.

SkyTrac’s equipment is cur-rently installed aboard rotorcraft manufactured by AgustaWestland, Eurocopter, Bell and Sikorsky, as well as fixed-wing aircraft. –J.W.

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FLIGHTSAFETY HELI NO CHARGE TRAINING AD - AIN CONVENTION NEWS - HELI EXPO 2011 - Bleed: 11-1/16” x 14-1/8” Trim: 10-13/16” x 13-7/8” PDF/X-1a COLOR VERIS PROOF

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Bell 206 n Bell 212 n Bell 407 n Bell 412 n Bell 430 n Eurocopter EC135 n Eurocopter AS350 n Sikorsky S-70

Sikorsky S-76A n Sikorsky S-76B n Sikorsky S-76C n Sikorsky S-76C+ n Sikorsky S-76C++ n Sikorsky S-92

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New engine display an option in Soloy AS350B2 conversion by Harry Weisberger

A shiny red-and-white Eurocopter AS350B2, newly converted to Honeywell LTS101-700D2 turbine power, dom-inates Soloy Aviation’s exhibit here at Heli-Expo 2011 (Booth No. 1628). Inside is an operating example of a new electronic engine display soon to be added as an option to the already STC’d Soloy conversion kit for replacing the original Turbomeca Arriel B2 with the Honeywell engine.

The 6-inch by 9-inch Ultra Auracle color display combines symbology for-merly presented on six electromechani-cal “steam gauge” analog indicators plus fuel quantity, starter-generator status and OAT. Soloy CEO Dave Stauffer points out that the instrument, supplied by Ultra Electronics Flightline Systems of Victor, N.Y., can be switched with a twist of a knob to show an array of engine opera-tional data including cycles, accumulated operating and revenue times

This unit also replaces the VEMD (vehicle engine monitoring display) that is original equipment in late-model AS350B2 rotorcraft. Stauffer notes that software incompatibili-ties prevent the VEMD, designed to work with the Arriel turboshaft, from accepting and presenting Honeywell engine data. For now the Turbomeca-to-Honeywell conversion in late model -B2s has included substituting analog electromechanical instruments for the Thales-built VEMD.

Soloy expects the Ultra Auracle dis-play to be approved with an amendment to the LTS101-700D2 conversion STC by the third quarter of 2011. Stauffer said the display will complement the operational cost-saving benefits of the engine change, which accrue from lower fuel consumption and mainte-nance costs. The LTS101 and the Arriel it replaces have the same rated power, but unlike the Arriel, the Honeywell engine is not Ng limited.

Staffer noted, “We saw a real need to replace and simplify a multitude of

old engine instruments we were work-ing with while doing the conversions. We are replacing several instruments made by multiple companies (often foreign based) and combining them into one instrument supported by a single U.S. company, Soloy.”

A Quick UpgradeThe price of the Arriel B2 to LTS101-

700D2 conversion kit, including installa-tion at Soloy’s Olympia, Wash., facility, is about $600,000, after trade-in credits for equipment removed from the customer’s helicopter, Stauffer said. Soloy estimates that installing the Auracle engine display in the panel of AS350s already con-verted to LTS101 power will not exceed a week, compared to weeks or even sometimes months of downtime while awaiting replacement indicators during an engine conversion.

The Auracle display will be readily available and its installation will involve no added downtime during an engine conversion, Stauffer predicted. Kit price is targeted in the $25,000 range, with final pricing to be available soon.

Another item on display, less flashy but also advantageous to operators, is a newly approved 200-amp starter-gener-ator unit for the LTS101-700D2. Given the multiplicity of current-consum-ing systems being added to helicop-ter equipment lists, electrical demands call for a higher capacity generator, Stauffer said.

The Skurka Aerospace 200-amp unit is approved as an option for the stan-dard 150-amp generator that is part of the present Soloy engine conver-sion STC. He said some operators have stated that electrical load requirements are barely being met with the existing 150-amp generator.

The Skurka generator will not only meet that need but will increase generator service life and reduce early removals of starter-generators that are regularly sub-jected to high loads. o

Revue Thommen demonstrates integrated helicopter searchlight

Revue Thommen, based in Walden-burg, Switzerland, is demonstrating its new HSL-1600 helicopter searchlight here at Heli-Expo. First production deliv-eries are slated for the second quarter.

Among the HSL-1600’s claims to fame is its totally integrated software, including the software that allows the searchlight to be slaved to infrared and CCTV cameras and mission displays. Thommen says that other searchlights require separate electronic components to be mounted in the aircraft avionics bay to accomplish slaving. Visitors to the company’s Heli-Expo booth will be able to see slaving commands delivered to the HSL-1600 from a laptop, simulat-ing the performance of the searchlight under mission conditions.

“All current helicopter searchlight systems are a composite of multiple components: the searchlight, power sup-plies, junction boxes, slaving software interfaces and so on,” said Rudolf Iten, Thommen’s vice chairman and director of sales and marketing. “The HSL-1600 system is totally integrated within the searchlight itself, simplifying installation and operation.”

A patent-pending infrared filter incorporated within the light assembly allows deployment at mission airspeed and provides IR visibility up to 1,000 meters using the 4- to 20-degree beam focus capability. Other 1,600-watt infrared searchlights employ an exter-nal IR filter flap that flips down over the main searchlight lens to achieve night-vision capability, he explained. This arrangement demands that the helicopter slow down during deploy-ment of the filter, thus interrupting the

pace of the mission until the filter is in place. “Ours can go from white light to infrared without slowing down,” said Iten. “It’s just a matter of turning on the filter electronically.

“In this industry, in which technol-ogy advancements have been limited, we have reason to believe that our search-light design will revolutionize the busi-ness,” noted Iten. Thommen has plans to incorporate the advantages of the HSL-1600 in a lighter-weight model, the HSL-800, intended for single-engine helicopters in the U.S. law-enforce-ment market. The HSL-800 is still in the development phase and Thommen anticipates availability in the first quar-ter of next year.

Thommen has appointed Addison, Texas-based Instrument Tech as its authorized service center in North Amer-ica for its line of helicopter searchlights.

The HSL-1600 system weighs about 65 pounds, according to Iten, which is less than competing products when all components are included. Another advantage of the HSL-1600 is that it is entirely removable, so during daytime operations, the 65 pounds is added back to the helicopter’s payload, unlike other systems that leave behind components that can weigh up to half the total searchlight system weight with the searchlight portion removed.

Revue Thommen (Booth No. 4108)announced here yesterday that the base price for the HSL-1600 is $37,313; the IR filter costs $9,938, camera slaving $9,950 and the IR hand controller $2,450. No price has been announced yet for the HSL-800. –N.M.

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Crystal Clear

On the eve of the show opening, PHI’s Earl Johnson applies the finishing touches to a canary-yellow AgustaWestland AW139 on the exhibition floor.

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On exhibition at Soloy Aviation’s booth, the AS350B2 Turbomeca- to-Honeywell engine conversion features a compact panel-mounted electronic engine data display that replaces six separate discrete analog indicators.

IT’S TIME FOR A NEW PAIR OF GLASSES

If you’re planning a glass panel upgrade, pair it up with a glass standby that

matches your primary. Certified to Level A, the FAA’s highest standard, the

Trilogy Electronic Standby Instrument (ESI) displays all the vital flight cues on

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never in the dark. With the Trilogy ESI, your standby instrument resembles

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Visit us at HELI-EXPO Booth #1211 or online at www.FlyTrilogy.com.

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AIN Trilogy 2011_Layout 1 2/16/2011 10:33 AM Page 1

Counter-vibration technology could deliver jet-smooth ridesby Thierry Dubois

Sikorsky (Booth Nos. 2737-2743) has completed rig testing of an active coun-ter-vibration system that could make a helicopter ride “jet smooth,” thanks to hub-mounted actuators that coun-ter loads at their source, the company

claims. The hub-mounted vibration sup-pression system (HMVS) is expected to yield improvements in comfort, weight and durability, and, the company said, it could be in service in 2015.

The HMVS was one of the key

subsystems on the X2 compound demon-strator, enabling it to reach its vibration goal last year. At 250 knots, the vibration level was said to be similar to that of the Black Hawk military transport at its 140-knot cruise speed. Sikorsky plans to cer-tify the HMVS for production helicopters.

Lord Corp. of Cary, N.C., has teamed with Sikorsky and the U.S. Army’s Avi-ation Applied Technology Directorate on the HMVS. The equipment manufac-turer describes the dual-frequency system as “motorized imbalanced rotors that rotate at the blade-pass frequency to cre-ate centrifugal forces.” According to the company, the magnitude and orienta-tion of the centrifugal forces can cancel lateral hub vibration through phasing of the two rotors. The force generator, con-troller, sensors and power electronics are contained in a single unit, and vibratory loads come from blade movement asym-metry and blade-vortex interaction.

Bill Welsh, chief of Sikorsky’s dynam-ics and internal acoustics group, told AIN that the HMVS is adaptive. “It learns how the helicopter reacts to dynamic load inputs and applies a sample load from each actuator and analyzes echoes. The algo-rithm determines what command to apply so that the HMVS load suppresses loads coming from the main rotor,” he explained.

Current passive systems use springs and loads, he said. The springs are tuned to the worst vibration frequency in the helicopter. There usually are five devices per helicop-ter located in various places: for example,

the rotor head, cabin, nose and cockpit.The system suppresses vibration

throughout the fuselage. Typically, heli-copter vibrations are in the 0.1- to 0.15-g range, Welsh said, adding that the HMVS will cut this down to “0.03 g or below–virtually undetectable vibration.”

The company also hopes the HMVS will yield a weight savings. Current pas-sive systems comprise about 0.2 per-cent of the aircraft’s empty weight, and the HMVS will cut this to 0.1 percent, according to Welsh. In terms of durabil-ity improvement, he said, “It is debatable but one can expect the system to enable a 10-percent reduction in parts removal.”

The HMVS will be slightly more expensive than current systems, Welsh said, “because of its electronic content.” However, upfront cost should be offset by savings from weight and durability improvements.

The flying testbed for the HMVS will be an H-60 Black Hawk, scheduled to fly late this year or early in 2012. The main remaining job is designing the actual con-nection to the aircraft, Welsh said, add-ing that the company is planning 10 to 15 flight test hours.

A major certification challenge will be demonstrating a degraded mode where the helicopter remains safe with one actu-ator failed, Walsh said. In November, he predicted seeing the HMVS in service “in about five years.” He also said Sikorsky plans to integrate an HMVS into all its helicopters. o


Skywork’S k-max takeS over when crane iS bogged down

The Kaman K-Max Aerial Truck (Booth No. 2521) lived up to its name recently as a K-Max flown by Skywork Helicopters of Warkworth, New Zealand, hoisted six sections of an electrical transmission tower, some weighing more than 4,800 pounds, into place near Brisbane, Australia.

Skywork’s K-Max was called into service when a heavy crane that had been retained for the job became bogged down in soggy ground saturated by days of pouring rain. The medium-lift K-Max was flown 581 miles from Skywork’s facility in Wollo- gong to erect the tower, part of a major construc-tion project installing a new 8.5-mile powerline.

The helicopter, with twin intermeshing rotors, hovered up to 30 minutes with each tower section while riggers bolted the sections together.

“I was quite impressed with the performance of the K-Max,” said site construction manager Trevor Carroll. “Personally, I have worked under other heavy lift helicopters in the past and must say that down-draft and engine noise from the K-Max was very minimal in comparison to some others.”

According to Bob Manaskie, general manager for the Kaman Helicopters aftermarket group, the K-Max is often requested for such jobs, “where its low rotor wash and noise levels reduce the risk to personnel perched on structures.” –K.J.H.

Sikorsky’s hub-mounted active counter-vibration system helped the X2 compound demonstrator reach vibration goals at its 250-knot top speed.

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Honeywell offers two engine upgradesby Thierry Dubois

Honeywell is here at Booth No. 3021 highlighting engine upgrades for the Eurocopter BK117 and the Bell 407. It has partnered with Airwork New Zealand (ANZ) to offer

the LTS101-850B-2 engine to upgrade the BK117-B2 light twin to a BK117-850D2.

ANZ received an STC from New Zealand’s civil aviation authorities last May. At last

count, Honeywell had shipped 12 engines for six aircraft.

The upgrade provides an economical way to meet new category-A requirements, with improved performance.

Compared with the LTS101-750B-1, the beefier engine enables the helicopter to take off with four passengers and two pilots, maximum fuel and 660 pounds of equipment (instead of no passengers with the -750B-1) at ISA+20 deg C at sea level. This performance is claimed to be even better than that of the EC145, the latest iteration of the BK117 in Euro-copter’s lineup.

Another version of the LTS101, the -700D-2, is power-ing the Avicopter AC311 light single, which began flight testing last November in Tianjin, China.

On the Bell 407 light sin-gle, Honeywell has partnered with Eagle Copters of Calgary, Canada, to develop an HTS900 engine upgrade. Eagle Copters is leading the upgrade program and is displaying the HTS900-powered 407 here at Heli-Expo. A Honeywell spokesperson told AIN that “the engineering work necessary to integrate the HTS900 into the Bell 407” is complete and flight testing is to begin “this year.” The HTS900 is already FAA-certified.

Honeywell is also working on demonstrator programs which, although contracted by the U.S. Army, could have civil applica-tions. For the advanced afford-able turbine engine (AATE) program, in which Honeywell is partnered with Pratt & Whitney, the two have formed a joint ven-ture called ATEC, which is devel-oping a 3,000-shp turboshaft engine–the HPW3000. The OEM also completed testing in the small heavy fuel engine (SHFE) program and is “finaliz-ing reports with the U.S. Army,” a spokesperson told AIN. o


Honeywell partnered with

Canada’s Eagle Copters on the HTS900 engine

upgrade for the Bell 407. The OEM also rolled out

uprated engines for the BK117 (below).

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Turbomeca: challenge and opportunity abound in Chinaby Matt Thurber

Turbomeca chairman and CEO Pierre Fabre knows that for his company to grow and prosper, it is not only necessary to sell engines to helicopter manufacturers that deliver all over the world but also to allow engines to be built in countries like China.

But it is naïve to think, Fabre said, that there is no risk of losing control of intellectual property when engines are manufactured by non-Turbomeca-owned entities. On the other hand, he said, there is a French say-ing: “Fear doesn’t protect from danger.”

“There is risk,” Fabre admitted. “Of course, we try to protect what we have. And the best [plan] is to continue to invest in research and technology to make sure that what we have protected and that is copied is going to be obsolete.” Huge technical progress is made every year in the indus-try. “By continuing to invest, we have the best protection,” said Fabre. “We spend 10 percent of sales on research and technol-ogy. We do that because we are convinced that the world needs more efficient air-craft.” But this R&D also limits the conse-quences of lack of property control.

China alone represents a great oppor-tunity. Today in China there are fewer than 10 percent of the number of heli-copters in the U.S. Yet there are five times more people in China, he noted. “There is huge potential and it’s going to hap-pen. Every time we go to China, people talk about the opening of the sky. They’re starting to work on it seriously.”

China needs helicopters for police, security, medical and transportation needs, he said, “the same reasons the rest of the world has. The need will be huge. They need to buy something like 10,000 helicopters, based on GDP and popula-tion. Today the world’s manufacturers make about 1,500 helicopters, and China will double the yearly need.”

Turbomeca is not new to China and has about 400 engines operating there, since the early 1980s, according to Fabre.

This year, he expects to deliver about 100 engines, 10 percent of the company’s annual production. “It’s a beginning,” he said. And to prepare for the future, Turbomeca is co-developing the Ardiden 3C, a new engine for the seven- to eight-ton helicopter market, to power China’s Z15, under development in cooperation with Eurocopter.

On the service side, Turbomeca is debating an increased presence in China, to supplement its module maintenance facility in Shenzhen with additional heavy repair sites. If growth occurs as expected, “we will have to build more,” he said. “The idea is to have helicopter flight. Engines sitting on the shelf are not doing well.”

Turbine engine efficiency has been improving at an average of one percent per year, but, said Fabre, “We need 1.5 to 2 percent per year. Gas turbines will con-tinue to improve. Long term we have to think differently. How do we size a gas turbine to its efficient point? The helicop-ter is designed for emergency cases, like a twin. The dream would be if we could store emergency power somewhere like a battery, then size the gas turbine to the design. It’s easy to say, but much more complicated to implement. The future will be in some kind of hybrid between gas turbines and fuel cells. We’re just in the beginning of thinking about it. Our kids will do it.” o


early bird

Rotorcraft watchers congregate as a landing Bell 206B hovers in front of the “venetian blind”-like backdrop of the Orange County Convention Center. The JetRanger owned by Andy Petree Racing was one of this year’s first static display arrivals on Wednesday morning.� n

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Aspen Avionics grows its glass cockpit heli marketby Matt Thurber

Aspen Avionics has moved aggres-sively into the helicopter marketplace and is displaying its Evolution flight display glass cockpit systems in three helicop-ters at the Heli-Expo static display, a Sch-weizer 300C, Robinson R44 and Enstrom 480B. Aspen’s Evolution systems include the EFD1000H pilot flight display (PFD) and moving-map MFD1000H and MFD500H multifunction dis-plays (MFDs), with features designed specifically for heli-copters, including a redesigned air data attitude heading refer-ence system (ADAHRS).

“In 2009 we embarked on development to improve the core AHRS algorithms to address the dynamics of the helicopter market,” said Aspen co-founder and vice president of product development Peter Lyons. Aspen worked with a helicopter operator to flight test the new algorithms in a variety of dynamic maneuvers unique to helicopters, he said, and last year Aspen began selling the rotorcraft-specific variant of the fixed-wing PFD1000. The algorithms needed to be optimized for helicopter flight dynamics to ensure stable AHRS output during hover, transition to hover, quick acceleration to flying speeds and sideways flight, “making sure those maneuvers did not upset the AHRS solu-tion,” he said. Other changes included new symbology and larger fonts on the HSI and tailoring terrain thresholds on the MFD for the helicopter operating environment. Aspen’s helicopter displays also feature

rotorcraft-specific vibration mounting. Aspen is planning to offer NVG- com-

patible helicopter displays, according to Anson Gray, helicopter program manager. “We have in process several solutions for NVG,” he said. “They’re internal modifica-tions, but transparent, and the pilot can’t tell the difference until he puts goggles on. We’re not going in the direction of filters.

We have extremely good-look-ing units in NVG land.”

Aspen displays are installed in nearly 200 helicopters, mostly public-service ships, and the company is working with partners to develop supple-mental type certificates (STCs) for additional installations. The Bell 206 was the first to receive an Aspen STC, and others should be awarded soon (or may have already been granted by the time this is published) for the Robinson R22 and R44, Bell 407, Eurocopter AS350, Enstrom 480B and Schweizer 300 series. Future approvals will include the AgustaWestland A109, Eurocopter BK117 and

MD Helicopters 500. STCs are done under Part 27 VFR regulations.

Aspen PFDs and MFDs are uniquely suited to single or multiple installa-tions. Both the PFD1000H ($14,995) and MFD1000H ($11,995) include ADAHRS and they can thus offer full reversionary capability in case one fails. If a second ADAHRS isn’t needed, the MFD500H with moving-map, terrain, traffic, weather display and other MFD functions, costs less at $7,495. o

Cleared for landing

A sharp-looking Bell LongRanger makes its approach to the parking lot helipad at Orlando’s Orange County convention center Thursday afternoon. Approximately 60 helicopters are expected to be displayed at this year’s Heli-Expo. � n

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Aspen’s EFD1000H will be offered in an NVG-compatible format.

The most important thing we build is trust.

© 2011 Cobham. All rights reserved.

HeliSAS® Autopilot andStability Augmentation System

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ICAO to consider RAeS’s helo flight simulator advice

If there is a symbol of success, Matt Jennings’ smile was it yesterday as he pre-sented a briefing at Heli-Expo 2011 on the Royal Aeronauti-cal Society’s successful development of new cri-teria for the classifica-tion of civil helicopter flight simulation train-ing devices (FSTDs) and announced that it is now in the hands of the Inter-national Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Jennings is co-chair-man of the Society’s He-licopter-International Working Group (H-IWG), which has been working on the project since 2005. He noted the steady increase in helicopter accident rates since 2000.

One of the principal aims of the work is to improve accessibility to synthetic training across the helicopter industry and thus improve safety. It is the first time that helicopter simulation has been exclusively

considered as a subject by ICAO.The group described its efforts as “part

of the largest harmonization effort ever attempted in the history of the flight simulation industry.” And it added in a statement to the media, “It is anticipated that achieving an interna-tionally accepted defini-tion of helicopter FSTDs will have significant ben-efits across the industry.”

Among the benefits are the reduction of the administration burden by stakeholders, a more consistent approach by simulator manufacturers and a clear expression of the suitability for using specific FSTDs for train-

ing tasks associated with licenses, ratings, checks and so on for training organiza-tions and operators.

The working group’s final draft was presented to ICAO just three days ago. It is hoped by the document’s authors that it

will result in publication by ICAO of a new volume, dedicated to helicopters, of the “Manual of Criteria for the Qualification of FSTDs” (Document 9625), and its sub-sequent adoption as regulation by national civil aviation authorities worldwide.

“Ultimately, [implementation of the document’s recommendations] will improve access to flight simulation and thus qual-ity of training and provide a welcome improvement in aviation safety,” concluded the working group in announcing delivery of the document to ICAO. –K.J.H.

Aero Products Component Services is here at Heli-Expo showing its inventory of Bell Helicopter products. In addition to a variety of aeronautical accessories, the FAA- and JAA-approved facility offers a complete line of Bell spares, component overhauls and exchanges. The company has moved its Heli-Expo location and is occupying Booth No. 5010, not No. 233, as it is indicated in the “Heli-Expo 2011 Official Program and Exhibit Guide.” v

AT THE BOOTHS

TUrning nighT inTo dayThe EC120 displayed by the Seminole County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Dept. features a NightSun searchlight.

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Matt Jennings, a principal consultant in the RAeS’s development of new criteria for helicopter simulators.

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Rebuild firm makes Heli-Expo debutHeliworks (Booth No. 3417) of Pensac-

ola, Fla., specialists in repairs and rebuilds of Bell helicopters, announced comple-tion of two rotorcraft rebuilds for the U.S. Army at this year’s Heli-Expo show, the company’s debut Heli-Expo appearance.

The rebuilds for the Army involved two TH-67 (Bell 206B3) helicopters and were aided by enterprise resource plan-ning (ERP) software from Component Control (Booth No. 3417), based in San Diego. Heliworks implemented the Quan-tum Control aviation ERP solution from Component Control midway through completion of the second TH-67, which streamlined purchasing and other rebuild-ing operations on the aircraft.

“We purposely waited for the Quan-tum Control installation to buy the bulk of the 400 line items needed for the sec-ond TH-67,” said Stephen Simpson, Heliworks president. “What would have previously taken up to a week to pro-cure took literally just a few keystrokes in Quantum. The quoting system was so much easier than our previous system, and with Quantum, everything is linked together, so shipping and receiving was streamlined as well.”

The aviation-specific ERP platform combines MRO, aircraft services, han-gar management, inventory management, accounting, E-commerce, sales and invoic-ing and other business functions into one integrated software suite.

Simpson said the efficiencies gained from Quantum have led to an increase in Heli-works’ rebuild capacity to one helicopter per month in 2011, in addition to its upgrade work converting several Bell 206L1s to

206L4s and other airframe repairs. “Before Quantum, we were losing track

of man-hours because there was no check-and-balance system,” Simpson said. Now mechanics barcode the beginning and end of each step, and as a result, “We know exactly how long it takes to complete each work order, allowing us to more accurately quote customer projects.” –J.W.

Dart earns Transport Canada nod for new utility basketby Kirby J. Harrison

Dart Helicopter Services affiliate Dart Aerospace (Booth No. 4628) has received Transport Canada approval for its quick-release helicopter utility basket for the Bell 407 and multiple models of the Bell 206. Approvals from the FAA

and EASA are pending.The patented Heli-Utility Baskets

feature a patent-pending mounting sys-tem that allows one person to install or remove the basket in less than one minute, without the need for tools after the initial

installation. It has quick-release mounting provi-sions and for enhanced safety, replacement cross-tube saddles.

The flat bottom of the square-shaped basket eas-ily accommodates many types of cargo, including skiis. Two lid options are available: sturdy expanded stainless steel, creating a work platform, or a weight-saving fabric mesh. Additional mounting kits are available that will allow baskets to be quickly moved to other aircraft.

According to Hawkesbury, Ontario-based Dart Aerospace, the new baskets are larger than the original Dart baskets for light Bell helicopters and offer the greatest cargo capacity currently avail-able. The baskets also do not impede passenger egress and do not require

installation of push-out windows.Dart also offers custom modifications

for specialty requirements such as sur-veying, GPS, aerial photography, Lidar, mapping equipment, radiation detec-tion, fire-fighting or additional equip-ment transport. o


Dart’s quick-release helicopter utility basket has received

certification in Canada.


Visit us at Heli-Expo Booth 4028

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38aaHAI Convention News • March 6, 2011 • www.ainonline.

Wireless HUMS could reduce helo health costs

Wireless health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) are flying in four U.S. military rotorcraft on an experimental basis. If the system proves suc-cessful, it could one day be stan-dard equipment on all military and civilian helicopters for a price that is an estimated 90 percent less than current wired systems, which cost up to $200,000 each.

Past success with wired sys-tems used to measure structural loading on Navy F-18 fighters suggest that a wireless HUMS could double an aircraft’s useful life and provide significant ongo-ing maintenance and operational cost savings. It also could be used as a training tool for pilots and to report an aircraft’s condition, including exceedances, in real time to an operations center.

The premise is simple, said Steve Arms, president of MicroStrain, the Williston, Vt. company that has developed the technology. “You can extend the life of rotating parts if you track them more accurately.”

Arms said the current sys-tem of using slip rings and wired strain gages on a few test helicopters, generally dur-ing certification of airframes and follow-on components, is a poor predictor of part health and life on individual helicop-ters. The process is called regime recognition. “You have the pilot do different maneuvers and fly different regimes and then

record the worst-case scenarios to estimate usage,” said Arms, who called the process “a rela-tively coarse way of lifing parts. The same pilot can fly a simi-lar regime on the same aircraft and get vastly different loads on rotating structures.”

The system can be used to measure strain and vibration on rotating parts and vibration on nonrotating parts.

Arms said a wireless system is the best way to track, and thereby extend the service life, of rotating parts on an entire fleet. “It has to be wireless. The parts are spinning and no one is going to fly sliprings on an entire fleet and string wires on everything.”

Simply outfitting test helicop-ters with slip rings, wires and strain gages can take six to nine months per helicopter, Arms said. The time required to install a MicroStrain wireless HUMS system? One day.

The system is installed on three Sikorskys: a Navy MH-60S at Air Station Patuxent River, Mary-land; and two Army H-60s, one at Fort Eustis, Va., and the other at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif. It also is flying on a Marine Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor based at Cherry Point, N.C.

The guts of the system are small and lightweight. Strain sen-sors are connected to a tiny wire-less node about half the size of a credit card that is powered by an energy harvester, in this case, an Infinite Power Solutions Thinergy

rechargeable micro energy cell that is tuned to the helicopter’s predominant frequencies. The cell generates power by tapping into the helicopter’s natural vibration. “When it undergoes cyclic load-ing, it generates energy,” Arms explained. A tuned energy har-vester can generate approximately 3 milliwatts. “You not only get rids of wires, you get rid of bat-tery maintenance,” he added.

Sensor data is then transmit-ted to a “WSDA box,” or wireless sensor data aggregator, a hand-sized device that is basically a sin-gle-board computer running on the Linux operating system. The WSDA includes Ethernet, USB and Arinc 1553 connectivity as well as wireless IEEE802.15.4 in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band. Commercial WSDAs use a GSM cell phone that pushes data to the cloud where it is hosted on a secure server.

The WSDA also features an embedded inertial sensing suite that provides vehicle pitch, roll and yaw data as well as triaxial accelerations and triaxial angular rates. It uses temperature-com-pensated, commercial micro-elec-tromechanical (MEMS) inertial and magnetic sensors that are sim-ilar to those found on the stability systems of modern automobiles.

The system would eventually allow users to track aircraft param-eters and performance from any-where in the world in real time, he added. Exceedance levels can be programmed into the system, with automatic e-mails or text messages dispatched when levels are crossed. Pilots will be able to see quantita-tively how their inputs influence air-craft loads and longevity. –M.H.

CAE’s new sim brings virtual life to AS350 by Matt Thurber

CAE’s new 3000-series heli-copter simulator brings an extraordinary amount of real-ism into what is essentially a computer-driven replica of a Eurocopter AS350B2 cockpit capable of simulating a vari-ety of real-world training expe-riences. With the Tropos-6000 visual display projecting the view outside the cockpit onto screens that wrap around the cockpit’s chin windows, the simulator closely mimics flying a real heli-copter. The visual system covers a field of view 220 degrees hor-izontal and 80 degrees vertical.

AS350 instructor Joe Ugulano flew left seat during the dem-onstration of the simulator’s capabilities during a visit to CAE’s training facility inside the USAirways Training Center in Phoenix. The CAE 3000 AS350 light helicopter flight and mission simulator has a three-degree-of-vibration motion plat-form, and a full-motion system is under development. The goal of the simulator is to rep-licate, as realistically as pos-sible, real-world missions like offshore, EMS, law enforce-ment, long line, high-altitude and other scenarios.

During the demo flight, Ugu-lano landed on a simulated oil platform, which displayed the high level of detail provided by the Tropos-6000. Ocean waves and whitecaps looked authentic, as did the ropes of the helideck net and flames from outgassing stacks. The CAE 3000 incorpo-rates artificial intelligence that puts random workers onto the helideck and pops up helicopters flying near the platform and other elements like ground vehicles that might take a pilot by surprise in the real world. Ugulano swapped the industrial world of the oil

platform for a dense urban set-ting to demo an EMS pickup in a tight spot in Newark, N.J. Again, the simulator inserted people into the scene, including EMS person-nel who wheeled a stretcher to the helicopter after we landed. These scenarios clearly provide a huge training benefit, and the addition of random intrusions helps keep the training fresh.

After some practice hovering and flying the AS350 simulator around Teterboro Airport, Ugu-lano had me try some emergen-cies, including hydraulic failure, tailrotor failure and a stuck tail-rotor control. Ugulano, who has more than 24,000 hours of heli-copter flight time, said that the simulator accurately replicates the AS350’s flying characteristics, including the hover and landing. The best part about flying the simulator is that it feels extraor-dinarily realistic–compared to real helicopters that I have flown–thanks to the vibration platform and wraparound visual system.

The AS350 simulator was qual-ified by the FAA for Level 7 flight training device credits last Sep-tember. Upcoming ICAO Type III standards could allow pilots to use the CAE 3000 simulator for 100

percent of training tasks for the instrument rating, air transport pilot, type rating, recurrency and operator-specific training plus up to 50 percent of training-to-pro-ficiency tasks, according to CAE. The simulator is designed to meet the emerging ICAO standards.

CAE also has helicopter full-flight simulators (FFS) based in Bangalore, India (Bell 412); Dubai (Bell 412); Sesto Calende, Italy (AgustaWestland A109 and AW139); Morristown, N.J. (AW139 and Sikorsky S76); and the company is planning to deploy a Bell 412 FFS in Mexico. o

A bug’s eye view

Handlers secure a recently landed Bell 407 under blue skies on Wednesday, in preparation for towing onto the Heli-Expo show floor at the Orange County Convention Center. The helicopter is one of several 407s on display.

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The Tropos-6000 visual display in CAE’s 3000 simulator provides trainees with realistic images. The system’s artificial intelligence can generate random events for pilots to deal with.

Conklin & de Decker issues life cycle cost software update

Aviation research, consulting and edu-cation specialist Conklin & de Decker has released the latest of its Life Cycle Cost 2011 software tools. Life Cycle Cost pro-vides owners, operators, flight depart-ment managers and aircraft consultants with extensive ownership and operating cost data for more than 380 jets, turbo-props, helicopters and piston aircraft.

The software is part of a family of air-craft operating and acquisition products developed by the Orleans, Mass.-based firm and it puts all cost aspects of owning and

operating an aircraft into a single program.New features to enhance and make the

budgeting process more complete include: 100 percent bonus depreciation tax calcu-lation; updated fuel surcharges that make charter projections more accurate; 12 addi-tional aircraft added to the database; and updated fuel and maintenance costs, as well as aircraft acquisition prices. Other features include the ability to edit mainte-nance costs or add data, show managed air-craft with or without supplemental charter, name your own “other” cost-per-hour and

“other” cost-per-year categories.Prices for the Life Cycle Cost soft-

ware (delivered in the U.S. and Can-ada) are $695 for the jets database, $550 for turboprops or helicopters and $450 for the piston database. Users can spec-ify from one to five aircraft and pay for

only those aircraft that they need. Pricing is $225 for the first aircraft with a 20-per-cent discount when ordering more than one aircraft.

Conklin & de Decker is demonstrating its newest Life Cycle Cost program here at its booth (No. 920). –K.J.H.

Dart deals R44 luggage podDart Helicopter Services (Booth No.

4628) of Oceanside, Calif., has completed an exclusive agreement with Aviatech Technical Service for global distribution of Aviatech’s Ample Pod Luggage Carrier for the Robinson R44 Raven and Raven II.

Aviatech (Booth No. 4340), based in Trois-Riv-ieres, Quebec (Canada), designed the luggage pod to carry up to 150 pounds in a 15-cu-ft volume, and the wide door provides easy access for large items like golf bags.

The pod weighs 35 pounds and is available in white or, for additional cost, in colors to match other R44 finishes. The pod is certified in Can-ada, with pending STCs for the U.S. and

Europe. It can be configured for the right or left side, or two carriers can be installed, one adjacent to each skid. Initial installa-tion, according to Dart, requires just two hours; thereafter pods can be removed and reattached in minutes. –K.J.H.


Aviatech’s Ample Pod Luggage Carrier for the Robinson R44 Raven and Raven II can carry 150 pounds of additional cargo in each 35 pound pod.

Era SEES Big SavingS with aviit’S E-tEch puBS

Era Helicopters will be implementing AviIT’s eMan Solution (Booth No. 2662), an Internet-based, centralized technical publi-cations management and delivery system, at all of its bases. The company’s v-p of main-tenance, Stewart Stavley, said the system should reduce the number of paper subscrip-tions and the manpower required to update and distribute the paper documentation.

“We operate about 180 aircraft at probably 35 different locations and we’re spending $202,000 on maintenance publi-cations annually. The eMan Solution [should] reduce our annual cost to about $114,000,” Stavley told AIN. He did say there are some other costs, such as the requirement for a few additional computers and printers.

Before implementing the eMan sys-tem for grounded helicopters Era had to fax all the applicable maintenance doc-uments to mechanics at the AOG ship’s location. “Now [employees] can get it on the Internet,” he said. “It also serves as an audit and compliance tool in that we can monitor if the techs are using the manuals to do the work.” � n

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and is capable of performing sat-ellite-based IFR localizer per-formance with vertical guidance approaches. Safety-enhancing avi-onics such as terrain awareness warning, airborne collision avoid-ance and the Guardian obstacle detection device can be added to the standard configuration.

Powering the AW169 are two Fadec-controlled Pratt & Whit-ney Canada PW210 engines. The

helicopter will carry up to 10 pas-sengers and can be configured for two stretchers in a cabin accessible by two sliding cabin doors.

The AW169 also offers addi-tional safety margins with high rotor clearance, one-engine-out capability in all flight phases, engine burst containment and a 30-minute main gearbox run-dry capability. The helicopter has been engineered, according to AgustaWestland, with high time-between-overhaul intervals for the powerplant and main components and a reduced num-ber of life-limited parts.”

AgustaWestland has also designed the AW169 with environ-mental friendliness in mind. The PW210 turboshaft engines provide maximum efficiency/low emissions. Advanced rotor aerodynamics, new blade design and an improved rotor system combine to produce a very low external noise signature, “well below regulatory limits,” according to the company.

The AW169’s first flight is expected in 2012 and entry into service is anticipated in 2014. AgustaWestland forecasts a poten-tial market for nearly 1,000 aircraft over approximately 20 years. o

phase of the program is “com-pletely funded.”

Stucki said the helicop-ter is aimed at customers who want the cabin space of a twin with the operating economics of a single, and good high/hot performance. He said the lat-ter would make the helicopter a natural choice for parapublic mountain rescue organizations and air ambulances.

Marenco commercial direc-tor Mathias Senes said the market is ready for a new big single in the absence of fresh

production offerings from estab-lished OEMs. “There hasn’t been a truly brand-new sin-gle-engine helicopter developed since the 1970s,” he said. “They are all evolutions from original designs. We started with a blank sheet of paper. We have the same ergonomics, and in some cases better, as what has been devel-oped for the twin-engine mar-ket.” Senes said the helicopter’s design incorporates automotive industry innovations. “We’ve integrated a lot of automotive concepts. [For example], our railed flooring system is modu-lar and flexible.”

Stucki said this flexibility will make the SH09 a true multi-mis-sion helicopter. “Because you can

use this helicopter for different missions on the same day, it was important to design a cabin that you could reconfigure very fast.”

Marenco is a contract mechanical engineering firm, and Stucki is a veteran helicop-ter pilot. The company employs a team of 30 engineers. Stucki said the firm plans to rely heav-ily on suppliers to provide major assemblies, and final assembly will be done at a former Swiss military airfield near Zurich. The company is negotiating for additional land adjacent to the site. The helicopter was designed extensively with computational fluid dynamics, but wind tun-nel testing will be done later this year in South Africa. o


Computer renderings of the SH09, show off its planned floor window (l.), intended to help pilots manage external loads. The single-engine helicopter will feature a reconfigurable cabin and clamshell doors. It is expected to sell for $2.6 million, beginning in 2015.

AW169 twin sure to impressuContinued from page 1

Marenco unveils SKYeuContinued from page 1

Phoenix firm Able to offer big savingsby Harry Weisberger

Able Aerospace, a Phoe-nix-based specialist in overhaul and repair of rotorcraft parts and components, explained how PHI achieved significant savings using Able Aerospace parts and services. PHI saved a total of $1.3 million in 2010, $110,000 by purchasing 95 Able Aero-space-manufactured parts plus another $800,000 through repair of components, rather than buy-ing new OEM items, according to Bob DesRosiers, PHI head of procurement.

Of Able Aerospace’s 8,000 FAA-approved repairs and 400 FAA-approved PMA (parts manufacturer approval) items, “Not one has failed in ser-vice,” Able Group president Lee Benson said. Last year was the company’s most successful year to date.

The keystone of Able’s plans for 300 percent growth over the next five years is a new 191,000-sq-ft repair, overhaul

and production facility with its own hangar at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Construction is slated to begin in 2012. Able Aerospace (Booth No. 1614) presently employs 840 at a plant immediately south of Sky Har-bor International Airport.

A key to reducing costs and aircraft downtime is Able’s “captive shop” strat-egy to keep all work in-house, with little or no outsourcing, according to J.A. Saenz, Able Aerospace president.

“We maintain control over every aspect of the pro-cess, from start to delivery,” Saenz explained. The com-pany recently initiated its Able Preferred overhaul programs for Eurocopter AS350 and Bell 206/407 components, fea-turing equipment exchanges and streamlined procedures to reduce costs and turnaround time, which Able says can save operators up to 70 percent. o

AgustaWestland’s AW169 makes its first Heli-Expo appearance in the form of a

mock up. The multipurpose twin will carry up to ten passengers or two stretchers.

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Hillsboro builds on China experienceby Mark Huber

Hillsboro Aviation (Booth No. 1350) continues to grow its business in China. The company currently has more than 100 Chinese airplane and helicop-ter student pilots training at its Hillsboro, Ore., facility and is the only Civil Aviation Administra-tion of China (CAAC) approved school for both airplane and helicopter training in the U.S.

Hillsboro’s relationship with China began more than 30 years ago. In the early 1990s the company was contracted to maintain and provide pilot ser-vice for the first Robinson R22 helicopter in China.

The company is expanding its physical plant to accommodate the growth of its Chinese and other business. A new four-acre facility features a new office and warehouse facility. Hillsboro also is finalizing an agreement to

lease 10 additional acres to facil-itate even more future growth. In addition to training, Hills-boro offers helicopter avionics installation and repair and char-ter services.

Hillsboro is offering flight demonstrations of the TrueView enhanced vision system to qual-ified customers during Heli-Expo 2011. o

Aero Dynamix (Booth No. 1337) is nearly tripling its Euless, Texas, facility to accommo-date the growth of its busi-ness. Sales and marketing man-ager Mike Guinn cited the growth of the company’s night-vision goggle business as the primary driver of the expansion. The new facility will be 24,300 sq ft. The company is displaying a client Bell 206 in its booth at Heli-Expo 2011. The helicopter is owned by former Nascar crew chief and current ESPN sports analyst Andy Petree. Petree is the former crew chief for Nascar legends Harry Gant and Dale Earnhardt. v

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Turbomeca preps four t’shaftsby Thierry Dubois

Turbomeca (Booth No. 1637) is actively developing four demonstrators to prepare the next generation of turboshafts, aiming at a 15-percent cut in fuel consumption. At the same time, the French company’s international cooperations are growing in importance: it has joined Avic Engine, its Chinese counterpart, to develop an Ardiden derivative for medium twins; it has launched a major investment in Brazil; and it is progressing with several ventures in Russia, although they are moving more slowly than it had hoped.

With regard to the demonstrators, the first–the Tech 600–targets an Arrius suc-cessor (the 600 represents 600 kilowatts, or about 800 shp). Turbomeca engineers are endeavoring to reduce maintenance costs and fuel burn and to that end are increasing the pressure ratio in the com-pressor. The turbine will be tested this June, followed by the combustor early next year and the exploratory engine ground testing shortly thereafter.

The second demonstrator, the Tech 800, is aiming at the 800-kilowatt (1,100-shp) power class. It could give birth to a new engine generation in the Arriel class. The first test is scheduled for mid-2012.

The third, the Tech 2000 (2,000 kilo-watt, or 2,700 shp), is targeting a power range up to 3,000 shp. This could trans-late into a more powerful replacement for the Makila 2, which is in the 2,100-shp class. Engineers are starting Tech 2000 design work this year and are shooting for a first test in late 2014.

The last demonstrator, the Techsys, is exploring engine control. The goal is to make today’s Fadecs and fuel control units cheaper to produce and maintain. The sys-tem’s architecture should be ready this year.

International CooperationsOn the cooperative front, Turbomeca is

working on a 50-50 basis with Avic Engine on the WZ16 turboshaft that will power the Avicopter AC352–formerly the Z-15–and possibly other medium twins. Avic Engine is in charge of the compressor and accessory gearbox, while Turbomeca is responsible for the combustor, turbines and control system.

The engine, which is to provide a min-imum 1,800 shp, is derived from the Ardiden 3 that Turbomeca designed for six- to eight-metric-ton (13,000- to 18,000-pound) medium twins (like the

Kamov Ka-62). The agreement covers development, production and support.

The two companies have committed to have the engine certified in China “the year before the AC352 is certified.” The latter milestone was previously planned for next year, but since the aircraft has not flown yet that target is questionable. Avic Engine has recently regrouped several manufacturers in China, such as SAIC and Dongan.

The EC175/AC352 is being jointly developed by Eurocopter and Avicop-ter. The 15,000-pound-class AC352 was

initially to be offered with only Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67Es, like the Eurocopter EC175. However, the Avi-copter does not currently appear on the list of PT6C applications.

As for Turbomeca’s activity in Russia, some helicopter developments are taking winding roads to certification. In 2009, the European company agreed to provide an Arrius 2F engine for the Mi-34S2 Sapsan light single, but Russian Helicopters has

since changed plans and the turbine ver-sion is on the back burner, while the -S1 piston-powered variant has taken the lead.

Meanwhile, the French firm is admit-ting slow progress with the long-awaited Kamov Ka-62, which was the object of a preliminary agreement for the Ar- diden 3G engine in January last year. However, it is adamant it will be a viable low-cost alternative in the six- to eight-metric-ton category. The Ka-62 will sport a new five-blade main rotor, new avionics and a composite fuselage, in addition to the new engine–which is currently in the late stages of development, according to the company.

Another Russian project, the Kamov Ka-226T, is undergoing flight tests with an Arrius 2G1. The engine is expected to be certified by the end of this year. Cur-rent target certification date is now hoped to be 2012–two years late.

In Brazil, Turbomeca is building a final assembly line for the Makila 2, the engine that powers the Eurocopter EC725 Cougar medium-twin military transport. The Brazilian government has ordered 50 of the model. The turboshaft pro-duction line is an addition to mainte-nance facilities already established there by Turbomeca do Brasil. As part of the investment, the Brazilian facilities will eventually be able to maintain and repair all of the region’s Makilas. o

Turbomeca is developing a derivative

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NTSB urges new standards for Hudson River airspaceby Curt Epstein

The NTSB is urging additional safety standards for helicopter operations in the aftermath of the fatal August 2009 mid-air crash between a tour helicopter and a sin-gle-engine Piper Lance over the Hudson River near New York City. The FAA initi-ated several changes as early as November 2009, including modification of the New York City Class-B airspace and estab-lishing the Hudson River and East River exclusion special flight rules area. And late last year the NTSB issued several addi-tional safety recommendations related to the incident, as well as to operations within the Hudson River special flight rules area and to helicopter operations in high-density traffic areas.

In the 2009 accident, a Eurocopter AS350BA carrying a single pilot and five passengers lifted off from the West 30th Street Heliport on the west side of Man-hattan for a brief sightseeing flight over the city. As it rose, it was struck by the southbound Lance, which had taken off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey with a pilot and two passengers on board. All nine people were killed as both air-craft plunged into the river.

The NTSB last September determined that the probable cause of the accident was the “inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept, which made it difficult for the airplane pilot to see the helicopter until the final seconds before the collision, and the Teterboro Airport local control-ler’s non-pertinent conversation, which distracted him from his ATC duties.”

Contributing factors to the crash included “both pilots’ ineffective use of available information from their air-craft’s electronic traffic advisory system to maintain awareness of nearby traffic; inadequate FAA procedures for transfer of communication among ATC facilities near the Hudson River Class-B exclusion zone; and FAA regulations that did not provide adequate vertical separation for aircraft operating in the Hudson River Class-B exclusion zone.”

The NTSB remains concerned that the current regulations do not pro-vide adequate vertical separation for local helicopter flights in the area, including sightseeing, newsgathering and law enforcement, which are allowed to operate in the same block of airspace designated for transiting flights. While the FAA’s FAR 93.352 designates the altitudes to be used by aircraft transit-ing the area, “there is no published regu-latory definition of the airspace structure for local operators,” the board stated, “or any mandated restriction for local operators to remain below the airspace designated for transiting aircraft.”

As a result, the NTSB recommended that the FAA revise its regulations to specify that altitudes to be used by air-craft conducting local operations in the

Hudson River special flight rules area include required operating altitudes for both local and transiting aircraft. It also recommended that information be incor-porated in the area’s published VFR aeronautical charts.

NYC Tour OperatorsSince then, because of long-stand-

ing noise complaints by local community activist groups, New York City helicop-ter tour operators have shifted their oper-ations from West 30th Street (JLA) to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (JRB) and have established new air tour routes to take them out into the Hudson River area.

While those helicopters were previ-ously required to use the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for the Hud-son River exclusion area when operating from JLA, they are now required to use the CTAF for the East River exclusion area. Since most of the traffic at JRB will consist of tour helicopters, the Safety Board called for the FAA to redefine the boundaries of the CTAFs to include JRB in the Hudson River CTAF so the tour pilots will moni-tor and communicate position reports with other aircraft operating in the area.

In its letter to the FAA, the NTSB also took exception to the agency’s Advisory Circular 90-48C issued in 1983, involving the pilot’s role in collision avoidance. The Board noted that some of the material the document contains is obsolete and includes no guidance regarding the use of recent advances in avionics and electronic traffic awareness systems and how they can help pilots with traffic awareness.

The Board found that those pilots who use electronic traffic advisory systems in such heavy-use areas tend to become desen-sitized to the system warnings when they occur frequently and the pilot is aware of other aircraft operating in the area.

While acknowledging that such sys-tems can increase pilot awareness, the letter signed by NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman noted that FAA technical stan-dard orders (TSO) regarding the systems do not address the unique operating char-acteristics of rotorcraft, such as their ability to make frequent maneuvers in congested areas.

The Board concluded that since the current FAA TSOs for electronic traf-fic advisory systems do not distinguish between the different flight character-istics of helicopters and fixed-wing air-planes, the effectiveness of these systems aboard helicopters is limited.

As part of its recommendations, the NTSB urged the FAA to establish stan-dards for helicopter electronic traffic advisory systems that address the abil-ity of helicopters to hover and fly near other aircraft at lower altitudes, at slower airspeeds and at different attitudes than fixed-wing airplanes.� o

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Bell 429 called a virtual ’vetteby Mark Huber

Bell 429 operators continue to give positive feedback about the new light twin as it enters its second year in ser-vice. Bell manufactured more than 30 of the model last year and completed cus-tomer kit options. The company continues to develop a version with wheeled landing gear, to remove weight from the 429 both

in the manufacturing process and by pur-suing regulatory solutions, and it plans to produce more than 80 units by the end of this year.

Late last year Bell received wide area augmentation system (Waas) approval for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D1-powered twin. The approval

allows the 429 to be flown to point-in-space approaches when the cloud ceiling is as low as 250 feet agl, and to conduct steep (nine degrees) localizer precision and vertical guidance (LPV) approaches at a minimum velocity for instrument approaches (Vmini) of 45 knots.

The company maintains that the 429 is the only helicopter in its class capable of performing a fully coupled four-axis auto-pilot LPV approach, a big selling point for EMS customers.

The 429’s IFR capabilities along with its capacious 204 cu ft of interior space (cabin and luggage hold combined) are key attributes, but for a number of cus-tomers AIN spoke with, their decision to acquire the 429 came down to power.

“It’s a Corvette,” said Dan Keough of Mercy Medical Services in Des Moines, Iowa, the first 429 EMS opera-tor. “This thing is fast.” Keogh said the 429 shaves 15 minutes off the typical mis-sion that Mercy Medical used to fly in a Eurocopter EC135.

Race-Car Driver’s DreamPrivate pilot and 429 owner Bob Den-

gler concurred. Dengler used to race Cor-vettes and Ferraris, but opted to take up helicopter flying at age 66 as a “safer” pursuit. Now age 70, he still drives high-performance cars–off the track. Dengler took delivery of 429 serial number 12 last September after logging 520 hours in a 206L4. His helicopter is on display here at Heli-Expo in the Bell booth (No. 237).

Dengler first saw the 429 on a visit to the Bell factory in Mirabel, Quebec. “I have a need for speed,” he confessed, adding that he can make the trip from his base near Toronto to his Scottsdale, Ariz. winter home in the 429 in about 12.5 hours–four hours faster than the journey used to take in his LongRanger.

Last year Dengler took the five-day 429 transition course at Bell Fort Worth. It incorporated his multi-engine rating and training for his per-sonal instructor and his mechanics in Scottsdale and Canada.

He said he ordered the 429 with just about every option, including supple-mental cabin soundproofing, three-axis autopilot and 40-gallon auxiliary fuel tank. One option he passed on was onboard weather radar, which Dengler said destroys the helicopter’s aesthetics. “I didn’t want a clown nose on the front of the aircraft,” he said. It does have inte-grated XM satellite weather.

Not surprisingly, Dengler said that compared to his 206L4 the 429 is

smoother, quieter and has plenty of power reserve. “I’ve never come close to pulling full power,” he said, even near the helicopter’s maximum 7,000-pound weight. He called flight controls “sensi-tive and precise,” said the helicopter has plenty of tail rotor authority and it per-forms well and is extremely stable in high winds. He compared vertical takeoffs to “going straight up on a bungee cord.”

Outshines the 427The helicopter also compares favor-

ably with one of Bell’s previous entries in the light twin market, the 427, according to Marten Sachsse, a Toronto-based cor-porate pilot who flew one for six years.

Sachsse transitioned into the 429 last year after 3.5 days of ground school, five hours in a flight training device and five hours in the actual aircraft. Com-pared to the 427, he said, the 429 is much smoother with better power and stabil-ity. “There’s no vibration through trans-lation, departing from hover.”

Nor are there ride quality changes associated with seasonal temperature variations, he said. With the 427 “we had to do [main rotor] track and balance in the spring and fall,” he said. “I haven’t seen any of that with this aircraft.”

Sachsse also said the 429 “approaches the [Sikorsky] S-76 in terms of ride. It has a nice, substantial feel and makes you look like a nice, smooth pilot.”

He praised the clarity of the Roger-son Kratos flat-panel displays under all lighting conditions, the stability of the Sagem autopilot and the 429’s abil-ity to swallow bulky cargo. The machine Sachsse flies is equipped with a five-pas-senger VIP interior and optional dual-evaporator air conditioning.

Sachsse’s company typically does not fly IFR missions with the helicopter. Like Dengler, he sees fuel burns in the 530- to 550-pph range. His only complaint is that because of his six-foot height he some-times hits his head on the cockpit ceil-ing when he enters the aircraft due to the position of the wet compass.

To date, the helicopter is squawk-free, he noted. “Bell has really done a nice job with this machine,” he said. o

The Bell 429’s extensive IFR capabilities and its commodious 204-cu-ft interior combine with its two P&WC PW207D1s to provide pilots a dream machine.

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Eurocopter North Sea center offers training and supportby Charles Alcock

Eurocopter’s new North Sea Service Centre at Aberdeen in northeast Scot-land is the blueprint for the manufactur-er’s effort to locate product support and training infrastructure as close as possi-ble to operators of its aircraft. The facil-ity was officially opened on February 1 and the company is advancing plans for similar developments in the U.S., Asia and South America.

Derek Sharples, Eurocopter executive vice president for support and services, said helicopter hotspots such as Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico could get support and train-ing centers similiar to those built for opera-tors serving offshore oil and gas activity in the North Sea. In the past year, it has added additional simulator capacity at its Ameri-can Eurocopter headquarters in Dallas.

The airframer opened an MRO sub-sidiary in India last year and expanded its operation in Singapore by 50 percent. It has invested some $68 million in a new logistics center in France and has a new training and logistics partner in China.

The next step is to bring training provision closer to customers in key

developing markets. This will see simula-tors added in Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore and China this year.

The North Sea Service Centre pro-vides MRO support for Eurocopter air-craft operating in North Sea oil and gas fields. The facility includes a pilot train-ing center that features a full-flight simu-lator for Eurocopter’s EC225 large twin.

CHC Helicopters last month signed a contract that calls for at least 800 training hours in the new level-B simulator each year. This follows another deal signed late in 2010 by Bond Helicopters for at least 200 hours, with both operators indi-cating that they may need as much as 50 percent additional simulator time.

Eurocopter also expects the smaller EC175 to sell well in the burgeoning off-shore market. With this in mind, space available next to Aberdeen’s new EC225 simulator has been provisionally ear-marked to house an EC175 unit.

Bristow Helicopters already has its own in-house simulator. The compa-ny’s worldwide headquarters is located in Aberdeen and it may opt to take some

time in the Eurocopter simulator, too.Eurocopter developed the EC225

full-flight simulator in partnership with Spain’s Indra group. The company opted for equipment with level-B certification rather than the more advanced level-D because, according to Sharples, “that’s what customers need and that’s what they will pay for.”

The EC225 unit in Aberdeen is Euro-copter’s 15th full-flight simulator world-wide. Another EC225 unit has been installed at its French headquarters in Marignane. Eurocopter has invested almost $16 million in the facility, which is run by its Eurocopter UK subsidiary with a staff of 20.

The manufacturer expects to expand the 20,000-sq-ft center to respond to the needs of growing numbers of aircraft that it anticipates being used to support fast-expanding wind farm operations in the North Sea.

Aberdeen is Europe’s busiest heliport

and a hub for some 100 Eurocopter rotorcraft operating in the North Sea, where helicopter operations account for approximately 100,000 flight hours annu-ally. Exploration and production activity in the region is due to increase this year and into 2012. Of the 100 Eurocopters active in that sector, 56 are based in the UK, 31 in Norway, eight in the Nether-lands and five in Denmark.

The MRO capability in Aberdeen is intended to reduce downtimes for heli-copters operating in the high-demand sector. The facility gives operators a direct alternative to Eurocopter’s MRO facilities in Oxford, UK, and at its corpo-rate headquarters in Marignane.

The North Sea Support Centre includes a logistics hub that stores almost $24 million worth of spare parts. The company has set a goal of getting spares to locally based operators within three hours, but often it can deliver them in about 45 minutes. o


Eurocopter’s new $16 million North Sea Service Centre features a full-flight simulator for the EC225. The level-B trainer is the company’s 15th in operation globally.

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Rotorcraft in China: industry about to take offby Mark Huber

China not only wants to be the world’s largest consumer of helicopters, it intends to be the largest producer. This is a lofty goal for a country that had less than 100 civil-use helicopters five years ago. Yet as early as 2000, executives who ran Chi-na’s state-owned aviation companies pre-dicted that the country would be one of the foremost helicopter manufacturers by 2030. Near-term, China has its eyes set on acquiring 2,000 civil helicopters by 2013 and as many as 10,000 by 2020, according to China National Aero-Tech-nology Import and Export Corp.

The demand for helicopters is fueled by the country’s superheated $5 trillion annual economy, now the world’s sec-ond-largest behind the $15 trillion U.S. economy. Over the last decade the per-capita income in China quadrupled and the country’s economy is expected to continue to expand at double-digit yearly rates, according to the U.S.-China Eco-nomic and Security Review Commission (USCC). The country also is flush with cash. It holds the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves–$2.65 trillion.

Three Channels of Development

China is attempting to increase its vertical lift via three main channels: straight imports, joint ventures with for-eign companies and the development of indigenous rotorcraft. Seemingly every month, a Western OEM announces new sales in China: AgustaWestland, Bell, Eurocopter, MD and Sikorsky all announced new sales there last year. So did Erickson Air-Crane, which last December announced a deal for five S-64Fs from China’s Taicang Aircrane for delivery this year and next.

As eager as China is for Western heli-copters, it is more eager to buy them with local content and eventually leverage joint-venture relationships into its own

indigenous helicopter industry. Accord-ing to the USCC, this has long been part of a three-legged government policy. It includes large government investment in aviation, an offset policy that mandates technology transfers from foreign firms as a condition to gaining access to China and close coordination between China’s military and civil aviation sectors.

Strategic PartnershipsIn its annual report to Congress last

year, the USCC noted, “The development of China’s aviation industrial base would not be possible without the strong support it receives from the Chinese government. Beijing considers China’s commercial air-craft industry to be strategic and has made its development a national priority.”

China began this practice in the 1950s with the Soviet Union, manufacturing the Z-5, a version of the Mi-4 Hound, which was later leveraged into its own Z-6 mili-tary helicopter. In 1969, it established the China Helicopter Design and Research Institute. To date, state-owned Chinese companies have established joint ventures with AgustaWestland, Bell, Eurocopter and Sikorsky for the manufacture and assembly of legacy aircraft in China including the AW109 and the S-76.

More ambitiously, China’s Avicopter is jointly developing the EC175 medium twin with Eurocopter. The country’s rela-tionship with what is now Eurocopter, dates back to 1980, when Harbin Air-craft (HAMC) signed a deal to assemble 50 AS365N1 and N2 Dauphins, desig-nated the Z-9.

Eurocopter has sold approximately 150 aircraft into China and controls 40 percent of the parapublic and civil mar-ket. Avicopter also is known to be col-laborating with Russian Helicopter’s Mil unit on the development of a 40,000-pound heavy lift helicopter. Chinese com-panies also are building components for

these and other helicopters manufactured elsewhere and sold into the world market.

Western TechnologyEvidence that China is leveraging

Western technology, albeit very dated, into its own helicopters already is appar-ent. Last year it flew a new homegrown heavy-lift helicopter–the AC313–for the first time. The AC313 tips the scales at 27,600 pounds, can carry up to 27 troops, has a maximum ferry range of 560 miles and was built at the state-owned Avicopter unit of the Aviation Indus-try Corporation of China (AVIC), the same company manufacturing Sikorsky S-76C++ airframes.

The AC313 appears to be an out-growth of the 14,000-pound Chinese Zhi-8 medium helicopter. That helicopter is based on the 1970s-vintage Aerospa-tiale SA321 Super Frelon. China Daily, the state-run newspaper, hailed the heli-copter as a “breakthrough in domes-tic aviation technology.” The AC313 is believed to have a maximum gross weight that could eventually increase to 30,000 pounds and an external load capability of at least 10,000 pounds. Certification is expected next year.

Late last year, Avicopter conducted the first flight of another helicopter, the light single AC311, which closely resem-bles a Eurocopter product. Certification of that helicopter is expected later this year. Chinese companies Changhe and Harbin were development partners on the Eurocopter EC120.

Independent of these joint ventures, China continues to make substantial investments in helicopter development, recently opening a $1.2 billion helicopter R&D and production facility in Tianjin.

However, its inability to produce an advanced turbofan engine remains its “Achilles’ heel,” according to the USCC. “Without the ability to successfully pro-duce a turbofan engine, China will remain dependent on imported engines,” it said, noting the ongoing thrust, blade and oil leak problems with the only homegrown turbofan developed in China to date, the military WS-10A. “Until China’s turbine engine industry becomes more mature, it is unlikely to develop a truly indigenous helicopter for global consumption,” the USCC concluded. o


Atlanta-based Precision Aviation Group (PAG) acquired Dallas-based Avcen-ter in late January. PAG owns four other companies, including Precision Heliparts (Booth No. 1341), and is an FAA repair sta-tion specializing in wheels, brakes and ac-cessories. The purchase allows PAG to expand the MRO services it provides to customers operating fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Avcenter has been relocated to the company’s 65,000-sq-ft facility in At-lanta. “Since closing on the acquisition we have made substantial investments in tool-ing, equipment, training and inventory that have expanded Avcenter’s existing capa-bilities and support,” said David Mast, PAG president and CEO. v

AT THE BOOTHS

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) first indigenous heavy-lift helicopter made its debut last year. The 27,600-pound AC313 is expected to receive certification in 2012.

AVIC subsidiary Avicopter has partnered with Eurocopter to develop the medium twin EC175.

Erickson Air-Crane announced a deal for five S-64Fs from China’s Taicang Aircrane for delivery this year and next. Western OEMs have been successful in logging helicopter sales in China.

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