Rotor Torque

Australian Aerospace is Providing the Civil Configured, Vh-registered 135s to Army in Lieu of Penalty Payments for Delays to the Arh Program.

Most Army Tiger Pilots Are Already Rated on the Agusta A109e After a Program Dubbed ‘lead in Skills’ Allowed Them to Gain and Maintain Currency on Commercially Leased Glass Cockpit Equipped Helicopters While the Tiger Training Program Was in Limbo.

Strategically the Ec 135 Lease is an Interesting Move by Australian Aerospace, as It Will Give the Army Exposure to Australian Aerospace/ Eurocopter’s Likely Contender for the Army and Navy’s Helicopter Aircrew Training System (Hats) Program.

Heli-pacific 2008 Round Up

Heli-pacific 2008 Conference and Exhibition, Australia’s Largest Bi-annual Helicopter Event, Was Held at the Crowne Plaza Royal Pines Resort on Queensland’s Gold Coast Hinterland Over May 28-29.

Organised by the Uk’s Shephard Group, Heli-pacific 2008 Was Attended by an Estimated 700 Delegates and Visitors and Had a Strong Military and Civil Presence Over Both Days.

Inside the Trade Hall 40 Companies Exhibited Their Wares and Services While Outside a Range of Civil and Military Types Were Displayed Including: Robinson R44s; Eurocopter as 350ba Super D1; Bell 206l; and Agustawestland A119/ A109e/a109s Types.

The Adf Had on Static Display From the Navy an A109e Power, Sea King and S-70b Seahawk and an Army Arh Tiger, S-70a Black Hawk and Bell Kiowa.

The Shephard’s Group Presented Rosemarie Mcrea, President of the Helicopter Association of Australasia, With a $5000 Cheque to Assist the Association With Its Ongoing Work Promoting Australia’s Helicopter Industry.

Australia’s Next Large Helicopter Event Will Form Part of the Avalon 2009 Airshow, Before Heli-pacific Returns Again to the Gold Coast in 2010.

Curry Kenny Group Buys Slingair Heliwork Wa

Queensland’s Curry Kenny Aviation Group is Expanding Its Tourism and Charter Operations Into Northwest Wa With the Recent Purchase of Kununurra Based Slingair Heliwork Wa.

Slingair is a Fixed Wing Charter Operator While Sister Company Heliwork Wa Operates a Number of Helicopters on Scenic Flights in the Kimberley. It Was Established in 1984 by Kerry Slingsby as a Single Helicopter Mustering Operation.

The Acquisition of Slingair’s Fleet of 36 Helicopters and Fixed Wing Aircraft Almost Doubles the Curry Kenny Group’s Current Fleet Based Predominately Along the East Coast of Queensland.

In Recent Years Slingair Heliwork Wa’s Sight-seeing Tours and Aerial Safaris Have Received Accolades for Work in the State’s Tourism Industry, Including Winning the Sir David Brand Award for Tourism Excellence Three Times.

The Acquisition Should Prove a Good Incentive for Student Pilots Who Train With Caloundra Airport Based Chopperline Flight Training, Part of the Curry Kenny Aviation Group of Companies.

“overall It’s an Exciting Development for Those at Chopperline Flight Training,” Said Rob Rich, Chopperline’s General Manager. “now Real Opportunities Exist for Graduates to Move Up the Company Career Ladder When Future Vacancies Occur.

Although No Promises Can Be Made, Graduates, Both Aeroplane and Helicopter, Will Be Considered Highly in the Selection Process to Fill Any Coming Job Vacancies. ”

Rnzaf A109luh Contracts Signed

New Zealand’s Defence Minister, Phil Goff, Agustawestland Australia Manager, Phil Smith, and Italian Ambassador to New Zealand, Gioacchino Carlo Trizziono, Officially Signed a Nz$139m (a$114m) Contract for Five Agustawestland A109luhs, a Spare Parts Package and a Flight Simulator on May 8. The New Zealand Government Announced Late Last Year It Had Chosen to Procure the A109luhs as a Training and Light Utility Helicopter for the Rnzaf to Replacing Its Obsolete Bell 47g Sioux.

As Well as Training Pilots for New Zealand’s Sh-2g Seasprites and Forthcoming Nh90 Helicopters, the A109luhs Will Be Used for Search and Rescue, Air Transport, Disaster Response and Surveillance and Counter Terrorism Operations.

The First of Five Helicopters Will Enter Service With the Rnzaf in 2011.

Two New Choppers for Wa Police

the Western Australia Police Air Wing Will Soon Take Delivery of Two New Helicopters to Bolster Its Aerial Policing Capabilities.

Part of the Wa State Government’s Recent $1. 8 Billion Law and Order Budget Will Be Used to Replace the Air Wing’s Current Bk 117b2, Vh‑wah, and for the Purchase of a Second Machine.

“the Recent State Budget Provided Recurrent Funding for Western Australia Police to Operate Two Helicopters,” Western Australia Police Media Advisor Neil Poh, Told Aa.

“the Police Air Wing Has Identified Its Operational Needs and is Currently Finalising Precise Specifications. After That the Supply of the New Aircraft Will Be Put to Tender. ” Western Australia Police Hopes to Be in a Position to Order the First of the New Helicopters by the End of the Year.

Turbomeca Australasia Sets Up New Engine Facility

Turbomeca Australasia Will Establish a Second Helicopter Engine Repair and Overhaul Operation at Bankstown Airport, in Addition to Its Existing Facility There.

Turbomeca Australasia Will Invest $9. 5 Million Expanding Its Operations to Support Rising Domestic and International Demand for Turbomeca Powered Helicopters.

“turbomeca Considered Locations for This Facility in France and in the Various Locations in the World Where the Group is Already Established, but Chose Bankstown,” Nsw Minister for State Development, Ian Macdonald, Said on May 15.

“the Facility Will Employ 33 People Within the First Five Years and as Many as 100 as the Product Lines Expand,” the Minister Said, Joining 120 People at the Current Facilities.

Turbomeca’s Biggest Client in Australia is the Adf. Turbomeca Recently Completed Assembling the Rolls-royce/turbomeca/ Mtu Mtr390 Engines for the Army’s Tiger Arhs, and is Now Assembling and Testing the Rolls-royce/turbomeca Rtm322 Engines for the Mrh 90.

But Turbomeca Also Supports the Large Civil Helicopter Fleet Powered by Its Engines (Mainly as 350s) in Australia.

Ch-47 Production Sabotage Attempt Investigated

Boeing Revealed on May 13 That It Had Temporarily Stopped the Assembly of Its Ch-47 Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopters on Its Philadelphia Production Line Following “the Discovery of Possible Manufacturingirregularities in Two Aircraft. ” It Was Reported That Wires on an F Model Chinook Were Severed While a Washer, Used in the Rotor System of Another Ch-47f, Was Found in the Combiner-box Transmission Area.

The Irregularities Were Detected During a Routine Inspection.

Boeing’s Internal Security Office and the Us Defense Contracts Management Agency, Which Oversees the Us Army’s Chinook Contract on-site, Immediately Launched an Investigation, Suspecting Foul Play.

Kenneth Maupin, Resident Agent of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Part of the Us Defense’s Inspector General’s Office, Confirmed to a Press Conference on May 15 That the Incident Was a Deliberate Act and Not an Accident.

“we Are Offering a (Us$5000) Reward for Information Leading to the Arrest and Conviction of the Person or Persons Responsible for These Acts,” Said Maupin.

A Union Representative for Boeing’s Employees, United Auto Workers President, John Defrancisco, Told the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper “it Looks Like It Wasn’t Cut Clean . . . Like It Was Hacked at, From What I’m Being Told, Four, Five, Six, Seven Times, With Maybe a Hand Cutter or Snippers, or Something Like That. ” Boeing Said the Damage to the Helicopters Will Be Repaired but Did Not Comment on Whether the Stoppage in the Ch-47 Production Would Impact on Deliveries.

Work Resumed on the Chinook Production Line on May 15.

Eurocopter Lawsuit Over Bell 429 Landing Gear

Eurocopter Has Launched Legal Action in the Federal Court of Canada Against Bell Helicopter Alleging the Energy Attenuating Sled Type Landing Gear Design Used Onbell’s New 429 is an Infringement of One of Its Patents.

Eurocopter is Seeking Punitive Damages of C$25m (a$26. 6m) and is Also Asking Bell to Cease Promoting the Landing Gear Design as a Bell Innovation.

Bell’s Current Four Flight 429s Are Fitted With the Sled Gear.

The First Retractable Landing Gear Equipped 429 Will Be Introduced 18 to 24 Months After the Type Receives Its Certification Expected Later This Year.

Briefs

• Eurocopter Has Sold Its First Ec-135 ‘l’hélicoptère Par Hermès’ to Falcon Aviation Services of the United Arab Emirates. The Helicopter Features a Luxurious Interior by French Design House Hermes, and Will Be Used on Vip Services.

Final Assembly of the First Rnzaf Nh90 Underway at Eurocopter‘s Marignane, France, Facility in May. (Eurocopter) Bekker Helicopters (Lee Doing Artwork) • Pratt & Whitney Canada and Russian Engine Manufacturer Umpo Signed a Memorandum of Understanding to Manufacture the Pw127ts Engines in Kazan During Helirussia 2008 on May 15-17. Pw127tss Will Be Used in Russian Helicopters’s New Mi-38, a Modernised Mi-8, Which Will Soon Enter Production.

• the Us Army Awarded the Advanced Turbine Engine Company (Atec), a Joint Venture Between Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney, a Us$108m (a$191m) Contract to Develop the Hpw3000 Turboshaft Engine. Atec is Designing the 3000shp (2250kw) Engine as a ‘dropin’ Replacement for the Ge T700 Engine.