Author: Admin
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Dec
23
2024
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Posted by Admin
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As we close another remarkable year, it’s clear that 2024 has been pivotal for the helicopter industry. From technological breakthroughs to shifts in market demands, this year has showcased the resilience and innovation that define our industry. In this Editor’s Letter, I’d like to highlight some of the key developments shaping the rotorcraft world today.
First and foremost, sustainability has taken center stage. With global aviation under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, the helicopter industry is accelerating its push toward greener technologies. Hybrid-electric propulsion systems and hydrogen fuel cells have moved beyond prototypes, with several manufacturers conducting successful test flights this year. These advancements promise to reduce carbon emissions significantly and align with international goals for sustainable aviation.
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Tags:
Helicopter Industry 2025
Rotorcraft Industry 2025
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
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Dec
16
2024
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Posted by Admin
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Once upon a time, AI (artificial intelligence) was just a buzzword for all that was new, cool, and impossible in technology — but no longer. “AI is having an impact on the drone and helicopter industries today,” said Clint Church, chief engineer with Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing subsidiary that specializes in special-purpose uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). “AI is enabling remote operation of uncrewed aircraft, such as small UAS and military air vehicles,” he told Rotor Pro. “It is also enabling more efficient data collection for use cases such as infrastructure inspection and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. AI is also a significant area of investment in research and development. These investments are driving growth across our industry”
“AI is having an impact on the helicopter industry — not just our products, but many of our company processes,” echoed Mattia Cavanna, Leonardo Helicopters’s VP for technology and innovation. “So the short answer is: AI is not just a buzzword; it’s making a real difference.” The new question is, how much difference can AI actually make?
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Tags:
Artificial Intelligence in Helicopters
UAS
uncrewed aerial systems
VTOL
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Dec
09
2024
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Posted by Admin
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The aviation industry has consistently been a beacon of technological innovation that leads to greater safety, efficiency, and capabilities in air travel. Helicopter aviation, a crucial branch of this industry, is now experiencing a profound transformation thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). From predictive maintenance to autonomous navigation, AI is revolutionizing operations in ways that would have been considered science fiction only a decade ago.
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Tags:
AI and helicopters
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
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Dec
02
2024
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Posted by Admin
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For over five years, the capital city of Yerevan has been home to Armenian Helicopters, the sole commercial helicopter operator in the republic of Armenia. With two Airbus H125s and one Robinson R66 in service, the company is serving a market in an unstable region. Reporter Sven van Roij spoke to company CEO Arsen Manukyan on his company’s unique business opportunities, financial challenges, and changes in the customer market.
After working as a supervisor at the Central Bank of Armenia, Arsen Manukyan continued his career at the Armenian Ministry of Finance. He said, “After the Ministry of Finance, I worked as a chief of staff in the Civil Aviation Committee (CAC) of the Republic of Armenia, a governmental organization, responsible for aviation in all of Armenia. Whilst working in the CAC, an investor and our founding father, Karen Vardanyan, informed me he was willing to establish a company that would operate helicopter operations on a commercial basis. We started to support him and established Armenian Helicopters in February of 2018.” The company was – and still is – unique to the country. Never before had a civilian helicopter operator been established in Armenia.”
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Nov
25
2024
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I'm the President of the “Vuichard Recovery Aviation Safety Foundation” (VRASF.org). We're a non-profit organization and I'm proud to serve as an international helicopter safety expert, keynote speaker, flight instructor, and producer of new safety videos to improve global helicopter safety. In Switzerland, I also run a small flight school for advanced training, including mountain ratings.
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Tags:
Claude Vuichard
global helicopter safety
Vuichard Recovery Aviation Safety Foundation
Vuichard recovery technique
Categories:
Human Interest
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Nov
18
2024
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Posted by Admin
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It is a busy and sunny morning at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. While the first Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker of the Air National Guard’s 108th Wing takes to the sky, a Boeing C-17 Globemaster and a Boeing KC-46 Pegasus of the 305th Air Mobility Wing, wait in line for their ATC clearance. On the platforms of the United States Marine Corps there is a lot of activity going on as well as a section of Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallions of HMH-772 being prepared for the day’s flying. Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink / Global Aviation Review Press, were invited to fly with the ‘Hustlers’ and report about the important task this reserve unit has within the United States Marine Corps.
First Steps
The history of the unit goes back to April 1958 when Helicopter Transport Squadron 772 (HMR-772) was established as part of the United States Marine Corps Reserve Training Command at Naval Air Station-Willow Grove in Pennsylvania. The squadron was renamed in April 1962 into Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 772 (HMM-772) and became part of Marine Aircraft Group 43 / 4th Marine Aircraft Wing in 1965. In 1970, the unit was relocated for a short period to Naval Air Station-Lakehurst where it switched on 1 September 1971 to its current name: Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 (HMH-772). A year later, the unit returned again to Willow Grove where it became part of Marine Aircraft Group 49 / 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
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Tags:
Helicopter Transport Squadron 772
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 772 HMH-772
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 77
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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Nov
11
2024
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Posted by Admin
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Avincis, is Europe’s largest emergency aerial services operator concentrating on aerial emergency medical services, aerial search and rescue operations and aerial firefighting missions. Their team of more than 2,400 pros fly and maintain a fleet of more than 200 aircraft in the nations of Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Finland. Avincis also flies operations outside Europe in Chile and Mozambique.
Leading this international organization from Lisbon, Portugal, is CEO John Boag, who in his easy-breezy Aussie accent jumps into our interview with a question of his own, “What would you like to know?” We answer that the purpose of Executive Watch is to introduce readers to leaders who influence our industry, at which point he quips, “Great! Give me a few minutes to find one.” He then turns to his Group Director of Communications, “Daisy, will answer these questions; she’s much better at lying than me; I just say it straight.” This is going to be fun!
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Tags:
aerial emergency medical services
Aerial Firefighting
aerial search and rescue operations
Avincis
Categories:
Company Profiles
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Nov
01
2024
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Posted by Admin
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Rotex Helicopter is a true success story since 1997. Strong from flying about 30,000 missions, the operator is the only provider of K-Max service in Europe. The company that specializes in external loads has about 60 employees, more than 50,000 flight hours, and boasts 550 tons of daily capacity per aircraft.
With a fleet of three helicopters, the company, based in Kägiswil City, Switzerland, serves throughout Europe.
How did it all begin? A group of five people met 25 years ago to establish a strong service in the helicopter market with the project “Rotex Helicopter.” They were young, enthusiastic and they had a mutual vision. The team had significant experience in aerial work on different helicopters in Switzerland and abroad.
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Oct
25
2024
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Posted by Admin
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The European helicopter market not only represents a large portion of the global industry, but has always been a vital region for our industry, serving diverse industries such as emergency medical services (EMS), offshore energy, defense, and corporate aviation. As 2024 unfolds, the landscape of the helicopter market in Europe is evolving rapidly, with a mix of both challenges and growth opportunities shaping the future.
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Tags:
European helicopter market
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
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Oct
21
2024
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Posted by Admin
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When I was commissioned as an officer in the Marines, I had no intention of staying in beyond the required time commitment that I had to fulfill, but life as a Cobra helicopter pilot grew on me. Supporting our Marines on the ground was an awesome responsibility and one that we all took quite seriously. The military provides great training, support and mission focus – an entire system that we take for granted at times. I had no plans to continue flying post-service, but time and space aligned. I was not only able to stay in the cockpit, but to do so in another model of Cobra that was retrofitted for firefighting operations. I got to do nearly the same job without being shot at! Was I fully prepared to make the transition? In my mind, I was more than ready to leave “Big Green” behind and take on this challenging new mission, but there was a lot more luck than planning. What I would like to offer are just a couple points that may require less luck and for you as you make your transition in a more thoughtful and intentional way.
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Tags:
Military to Civilian Aviation
Military to Civilian Transition
Military to Civilian Transition Helicopters