Rotor Torque

Camden Airport-based United Aero Helicopters will operate three AS350 B3 Squirrels, previously used by Nine in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, to capture aerial footage in those locations. Two AS350 B2 Squirrels, used by Seven in Brisbane and Melbourne, will now cover the news in Adelaide and Perth.

An end of an era for the two rival networks, all of the helicopters will be repainted in a white with a dark navy blue tailboom generic colour scheme with no network branding.

Separately, the ABC is also looking to contract out its aerial ENG capability around the country through a request for tender on the government’s AusTender website which closed on August 3.

The ABC said it had owned and operated helicopters in Sydney and Melbourne for a number of years and is also expanding to a cost-effective national aerial news gathering solution using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from bases in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

The ABC’s tender request brief said it specifically needed helicopter and fixed-wing services for aerial footage only in metropolitan and regional areas including coverage of major natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and cyclones; regional and metropolitan coverage where the conveyance of a news gathering crew is required and selective coverage of news and current affairs issues in regional areas.

The ABC currently operates a leased helicopter in Sydney and uses a helicopter on an ad-hoc basis in Melbourne.

Foxtrot’s first of class flight trials

Two Australian Army CH-47F Chinooks are undergoing first of class flight trials (FoCFT) onboard HMAS Adelaide to ensure the safe operation of the type while embarked on the Royal Australian Navy’s LHD amphibious assault ships.

Departing Sydney’s Fleet Base East in early August, HMAS Adelaide headed south to Hobart to complete cold weather aspects of the flight trials with the pair of Foxtrots, A15-301 and -302 from C Squadron, 5 Aviation Regiment, off the east coast of Tasmania.

The Chinooks performed a series of evolutions to Adelaide’s flightdeck observed and assessed by Navy’s Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit. The trials included launch and recoveries, vertical replenishment transfers, lashing and refuelling procedures.

Having completed its cold weather trials, the Adelaide then headed north towards Darwin via the east coast to conduct flight trials in warmer conditions off the coast of Townsville.

While in northern waters, the LHD, its Chinooks and an embarked Navy MRH 90 Taipan from 808 Squadron also took part in Exercise Kakadu 2016 based out of Darwin between September 12-24.

New Zealand’s Life Flight perfects parallel parking

Wellington-based Life Flight’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter brushed up on its parallel parking techniques while responding to an urgent medical call in Paraparaumu, north-east of Wellington, on August 29.

Life Flight pilot Harry Stevenson ‘parked’ the service’s BK117, ZK-HLF, parallel to Rimu Road with its right skid up on the footpath in an effort to not fully block the busy thoroughfare while the medical crew attended to the patient.

“A confined area landing was the preferred option in this case as it enabled the most rapid way of getting our paramedic to the patient and the most efficient option for transportation to the hospital,” said Stevenson. “It is reasonably common for us to land at these improvised landing sites but we do assess a lot of factors before deciding whether to land including the urgency of the situation, the availability of road ambulance options, suitability of the landing site and weather conditions. Needless to say safety is the paramount consideration. ” With police and the fire services controlling the landing area and public safety, the helicopter took off from its parking spot to transport the patient to Wellington Hospital in a stable condition.

US Army looking for more power

The US Army is looking to engine manufacturers to develop a new turboshaft engine design to replace the twin GE T700s installed in its fleet of around 3,000 UH-60 Black Hawks and AH-64 Apaches.

Under its Improved Turbine Engine (ITE) program, the US Army awarded preliminary design contracts to Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC), a joint venture of Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney, and GE Aviation for the development an engine that should offer 50 per cent more power, be 25 per cent more fuel efficient, provide a 20 per cent longer performance life than the current engines, while also meeting stringent performance goals for high altitude and high heat operations.

ATEC is developing a 3,000shp (2,200kW) turbine engine called the HPW3000 with the venture recently completing testing of two HPW3000 demonstrator engines. GE Aviation’s development centres on its 3,000shp (2,200kW) GE3000 with the manufacturer saying derivatives of the engine would also power versions of the Army’s Future Vertical Lift aircraft.

The US Army plans to select its chosen engine during 2018 when the successful design will then proceed into the engineering and manufacturing development stage.

New Fleet Air Arm command centre opened

The Royal Australian Navy’s new Fleet Air Arm command centre was officially opened at HMAS Albatross on August 25 by the Chief of Navy, Vice-Admiral Tim Barrett