Finmeccanica on March 31 announced a €100 million ($114 million) contract from the Philippine Navy to supply two AgustaWestland AW159 helicopters for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions. The Philippines is the third customer for the improved Wildcat version of the twin-engine Lynx helicopter.

The Anglo-Italian manufacturer will build the helicopters at its facility in Yeovil, UK, with plans to deliver them in 2018. The contract includes training and multi-year support.

“This contract confirms the confidence of the Philippines in Finmeccanica’s products as key to its national security,” said Mauro Moretti, Finmeccanica CEO. “We will deliver to the Philippine Navy a state-of-the-art product, unmatched in the modern operational scenarios, and customized to meet their specific needs.”

The AW159 is equipped with Selex Seaspray 7000E active electronically scanned array surveillance radar, electronic support measures, active dipping sonar, sonobuoys and torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare; it can be armed with anti-ship missiles, rockets, guns and depth charges. Finmeccanica reports 72 orders for the helicopter, which entered service with the British Army and Royal Navy. Korea became the first export customer when it ordered eight Wildcats in 2013.

“This will definitely enhance the capability of the Philippine Navy; for the first time we will have anti-submarine helicopters,” said defense undersecretary Fernando Manalo, according to the Philippines news site Inquirer.net. The AW159s will be deployed on two new frigates the government plans to buy, he added.

The expeditionary group of Russia’s Air and Space Force (VKS, formerly the Russian air force) started using two new types of attack rotorcraft—the Mil Mi-28 “Night Hunter” and Kamov Ka-52 “Alligator”—in Syria. Previously, the service relied on two less capable, older types: the Mi-8 utility and Mi-24 assault helicopters. One Mi-8 was lost during a rescue operation in November to save the crew of a Sukhoi Su-24M bomber downed by a Turkish air force F-16C.

VKS Mi-28s were filmed flying combat missions in Syria when they participated in the battle of Palmyra, which was recaptured from the Islamic State on March 27. President Bashar Assad’s Syrian Arab Army released videos showing Mi-28s shelling Islamic State positions with 80mm S-8 unguided rockets.

On March 31 the Russian ministry of defense released a cockpit video in which an Mi-28 destroys a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle (said to be operated by Islamic State forces in the Palmyra area) and a fortified position—both with 9M120 Ataka anti-tank guided missiles. The missile, developed by Kolomna-based KBM design house, is produced in three major versions, containing a cumulative charge effective against armored vehicles, a high-explosive (HE) against fortified positions and a thermobaric charge against buildings.

The Syrian army also released a video of the battle of Al-Qaryatayn, a town recaptured by the Syrians from the Islamic State on April 3. It depicts Ka-52s from the Russian VKS shelling Islamic State positions with unguided rockets.

The battle for Palmyra saw the first combat use of VKS Mi-28, but it was not the first action for the type. Earlier, Mi-28NEs of the Iraqi air force took part in combat operations against the Islamic State in both desert and urban environments. Iraq has ordered 40 Mi-28NEs, of which about half have been shipped already.

The first image of a Ka-52 at the Hmeymim air force base (formerly Bassel al-Assad International Airport) in Latakia province appeared on Russian television on March 16. It provided evidence to reports of VKS upgrading its earlier deployed rotorcraft fleet with more modern types. The Russian expedition force began flying combat missions in Syria on September 30, using up to a dozen Mi-8 armed utility helicopters and a similar number of Mi-24P/PN assault rotorcraft. In March, the group’s inventory was reduced to four Mi-8s, with a handful of Mi-28 and Ka-52 helicopters added.

According to the Russian MOD, in the period from March 7 to 27, the VKS performed more than 500 combat missions in support of Assad troops fighting for Palmyra, during which 2,000 air strikes were conducted against the Islamic State. The ministry did not break out the number between fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

The older Mi-24P and its recent upgrade version—the Mi-24PN—have a limited night fighting capability. Deployment of the Mi-28 and the Ka-52 boosts VKS capability through the ability of these helicopters to operate at night using advanced thermal imagery. More than a hundred Mi-28s have been delivered to the VKS in the past three years. The Ka-52 has been in squadron service since 2011, with 140 on order.

Thus far there have been no confirmed cases in which Mi-24P/PNs and Mi-8s have used guided missiles, even though their typical combat load is four 9M114 Shturm anti-tank missiles (NATOAT-6 Spiral) in addition to four B8M20A pods, each loaded with 20 S-8 rockets and a built-in NPU-30 twin barrel 30mm cannon. The recently released video depicting an Mi-28 firing Ataka missiles marks the first case in which VKS helicopters fired anti-tank guided missiles in Syria.

Meanwhile, evidence of Ka-52s using their missiles—notably, the 9M127 Vikhr from Tula KBP (NATOAT-16 Scallion), whose quantity shipments began late last year—is yet to emerge. This will likely happen, as Russia is using the Syrian campaign for the purpose of testing new weapons and labeling them “combat-proven” for sales campaigns in the Middle East and other markets.

The recent branding confusion that has been swirling around Italian aerospace and defense conglomerate Finmeccanica, parent of Finmeccanica Helicopters, will soon end as the company rebrands as Leonardo. The name is a nod to 15th and 16th Century Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, widely credited with devising the first concept for the helicopter. The name change will become official next January.  For the remainder of the year the company will operate as Leonardo-Finmeccanica SpA. Finmeccanica Helicopters had previously been known as AgustaWestland and its helicopters are still identified by their “AW” model designations. AgustaWestland had been using the name “Leonardo” for its online customer portal for some time.

Late last year, Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti hinted at a new name for the company that would be “recognizable, simple [and] very Italian.” In announcing the name change, Moretti said Finmeccanica was looking for something to “reflect the history of our evolution in space and security,” adding that the company's slogan would also change to “genius at your service.” Moretti had been waiting to release the name change plans in concert with Finmeccanica's improved financial results, announced in March. 

Moretti has overseen an extensive restructuring of the company since becoming CEO in 2014, paying down debt, spinning off non-core assets and improving cash flow as part of a plan to rebuild the conglomerate into a global defense and aerospace powerhouse. Since that time, its stock price has almost doubled. Year 2015 results reflect the success of this strategy; net profit increased to €527 million ($600 million) from €20 million ($22.8 million) in 2014 while debt dropped 17 percent and sales increased 2 percent, to €13 billion ($14.8 billion). Even in a very soft 2015 helicopter market, Finmeccanica saw revenues from that division increase 2.4 percent to €4.48 billion($5.1 billion); however, new orders dropped 14.2 percent.

Helicopter EMS provider Air Methods has responded to pressure from one of its largest institutional shareholders by revamping its board of directors and nominated a new director suggested by the dissident.

For months Air Methods and its senior executives had faced criticism from San Francisco-based Voce Capital Management, a private equity firm that owns approximately 4.9 percent, or almost 2 million shares, of Air Methods' stock, for what Voce called an unwillingness to explore options to take publicly traded Air Methods private. Doing so, Voce maintained, could increase the value of Air Methods' stock by up to 50 percent. 

The criticism had been highly public. Last September Voce issued a press release in which it labeled the company “a great business” that “has become a rather crummy stock.” The release went on to disclose details of a meeting Voce had with Air Methods and read in part, “During our August 3 meeting, and in subsequent conversations, we’ve been struck not only by the board’s inertia but [also] by its lack of understanding of how potential acquirors would evaluate an acquisition of the company. We can’t concur with the board’s conclusion, which it stated repeatedly, that it will await the return of a higher stock price before considering a sale of the Company because doing so would create more value for shareholders. While the board expressed several variations on this theme, they are united by the common assumptions that (1) such a higher valuation is not achievable now and (2) by waiting longer a higher valuation will materialize at some point in the future. Both of those could well be wrong and most important, even if they are correct, they disregard the time and execution risks the board is imposing upon shareholders through its continued inaction.”

Concurrent with its criticism of Air Methods' governance, Voce proposed adding a hand-picked director to the company's board of directors, Joseph Whitters, a senior executive with extensive health care, accounting and finance experience at a variety of companies including Frazier Healthcare Partners, United Healthcare and Peat Marwick.

Under a cooperation agreement reached with Voce in late March, Air Methods will expand its board, nominate Whitters, and recommend him to sit on its finance and strategic planning committee. Also in connection with the agreement, Air Methods' board approved and will seek shareholder approval at the 2016 annual meeting to adopt a binding proposal that all directors will be elected annually commencing with the Class II directors up for re-election at the 2017 annual meeting. This will include CEO Aaron Todd.

Bell Helicopter signed a letter of intent (LOI) with PT Whitesky Aviation in Jakarta for 30 Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters, the Fort Worth, Texas-based company announced today. The company will use the new light singles for air-taxi operations throughout Indonesia and its more than 14,000 islands. The deal pushes the number of LOIs for the 505 past 380, including more than 130 in the Asia Pacific region, alone, according to Matt Hasik, Bell’s executive vice president of commercial business.

PT Whitesky is an emerging aviation company, specializing in non-scheduled charter operations. The company currently operates a fleet of six Bell helicopters—three 429s and three 407s. Earlier this year, PT Whitesky enrolled its fleet in Bell's new customer advantage plan, a new factory-backed aftermarket parts-and-service plan aimed at providing customers with predictable monthly costs, reduced inventory costs and maximum aircraft availability.

Three 505s are currently in flight test and Transport Canada certification is expected later this year. The 505 is powered by the Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine with dual-channel Fadec. It features Garmin G1000H avionics on the flight deck.

The Chinese business jet and helicopter markets have cooled due to a slowing economy and a government-backed austerity campaign that stemmed from a crackdown on corruption, according to Honeywell Aerospace’s latest forecasts. While the company sees some near-term “glimmer” for business jet deliveries in China, purchase plans in the medium-term are expected to be below historical levels. In the helicopter sector, the outlook is more grim.

The company surveys operators to help develop its forecasts, and it received more than 1,500 completed responses for its 24th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook, which was released in late November. Overall, it projects deliveries of 9,200 new business jets worth $270 billion between last year and 2025. Honeywell does not include VIP versions of airliners or very light jets in its business jet forecast.

Based on the survey results, Asia-Pacific will account for just 3 percent of the world’s new business jet demand over the survey horizon, with much of that driven by China. North America remains the pre-eminent region in terms of projected demand, accounting for 61 percent of world new jet sales, followed by Latin America (18 percent), Europe (14 percent) and the Middle East (3 percent).

Despite a lower projected GDP growth, the Chinese business jet market saw slight improvements in its new jet purchase plans from the forecast release in late 2014. “I was actually a little surprised to see the China buying plans go up given the current political and economic environment,” Charles Park, Honeywell Aerospace’s director of strategic marketing, told AIN. “Though it’s well below historical levels that we’ve captured in this survey, it’s encouraging to see that it’s starting to creep back up a little bit.”

Helicopter Outlook

Honeywell is taking a more cautious tone in its latest turbine-powered civil helicopter purchase outlook, which was released in February and calls for 4,300 to 4,800 civil helicopters to be delivered from this year to 2020. This is some 400 helicopters fewer than in the company’s previous five-year forecast released 12 months ago, thanks to slower global economic growth and increased volatility in oil-and-gas-related markets.

While the helicopter forecast showed new purchase-plan rates were stable, operators cited fewer total new model purchases over the five-year period. By cabin size, light turbines are expected to account for 54 percent of deliveries over the forecast period; light twins, 11 percent; medium twins, 28 percent; and heavy, 7 percent.

Looking at world regions, 16 percent of the Asia Pacific operators surveyed said they planned on buying a new helicopter during the next five years; that’s down four percentage points from last year’s survey. This is due to a gloomier outlook in China, where the economy is slowing and an anti-luxury backlash has emerged.

Some Progress

According to Honeywell, some progress is being made in the long-running efforts to make operating conditions more favorable in China. “Regulations are continuously being revised by the government to support the growth of the business aviation industry in China,” commented Andy Gill, the company’s senior director for business and general aviation in the Asia Pacific region. “The Chinese government is working on opening up low altitude airspace, which could give general aviation in the country a significant boost from 2018 onwards.”

Honeywell claims that its SmartPath ground-based augmentation system could further improve the efficiency of China’s air transport system. Later this year, the product is expected to be certified in China, following installation and testing in April 2015 at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.

The U.S.-based group’s contribution to business aircraft is very comprehensive, running from engines (such as the latest HTF-7000 turbofan), to cockpit suites, and with the latest Ovation Select cabin management and connectivity systems in between. Its cockpit technology includes the SmartView systems selected for Gulfstream’s new G500 and G600 jets, as well as for Dassault’s Falcon 5X. The latest Primus Elite avionics features in the Embraer Legacy 650.

The new IntuVue weather radar, which is mainly used on airliners, is standard equipment on the Gulfstream G650, and Honeywell is looking to expand its adoption in business aircraft. The new radar in intended to increase a pilot’s situational awareness by scanning up to 593 kilometers (320 nautical miles) ahead of the aircraft from the ground up to 18,290 meters (60,000 feet) and 160 degrees around the aircraft.

As part of its effort to boost productivity for business aircraft users, Honeywell (Booth P122) offers its GX Aviation inflight Wi-Fi solutions. This is based on the JetWave hardware, which was recently certified by Transport Canada to be installed on Bombardier’s business jets.

Honeywell’s product support network for the Asia Pacific region supports a fleet of more than 850 business aircraft. To do this, it has the backing of 43 partners, including Hawker Pacific, Gulfstream Beijing, Metrojet and Vibratech.

Héli-Union, a Paris-headquartered operator, is proceeding with a fleet renewal despite the declining activity in the offshore oil-and-gas sector, the company’s mainstay. Héli-Union operates in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The last two of an order for six Finmeccanica AW139 medium twins were delivered in January. They meet all three criteria oil firms consider essential: high performance at takeoff (PC1), wide emergency exits and Sea State 6 (SS6) capability, Héli-Union CEO Patrick Molis told AIN.

Meanwhile, the Airbus Helicopters AS365N3 Dauphin is still “the heart of our fleet,” Molis said. The 14 N3s Héli-Union owns are being retrofitted with sturdier fasteners on the flotation system, a modification that will make them SS6-capable. However, with that upgrade they will meet only one of the three criteria. The cabin, relatively small by today’s standards, is another disadvantage, said Molis.

Héli-Union also has seven Sikorsky S-76C++s in its offshore fleet. The type meets none of the three criteria, and Molis claimed Sikorsky has not offered any upgrade for the medium twin.

Other types in use in Héli-Union’s offshore business are the EC225 (three), Super Puma L1 (two) medium twins and EC145 twin (two). “A few AS365N Dauphins [serve] as a backup in Africa,” said Molis. The company owns all the helicopters in the fleet.

Molis is now mulling Héli-Union’s next acquisition. “We are looking at the AW169,” he said. Finmeccanica plans to secure certification of the offshore version this summer, he went on, and the model would be suitable for oil rigs on which the helipad is relatively old and thus cannot support a heavy helicopter. With 4.8 metric tons (10,600 pounds) and enough power, the AW169 is “agile,” said Molis.

A major change in Héli-Union’s fleet renewal plan seems to be the cancelation of an order for four Airbus H175s. A source close to the company told AIN it has scrapped the purchase but Molis would not confirm. “We are having a technical debate with Airbus Helicopters and the discussion continues,” he said. Héli-Union was one of the launch customers of the type, with deliveries planned for the 2014-2015 period.

The dwindling price of oil has necessitated workforce reductions for pilots and line maintenance technicians, by 20 percent and 30 percent, respectively. There are now about 100 pilots and 80 technicians. They are not employed by Héli-Union but provided by a specialist firm called Offset. Total workforce is close to 550.

After a peak in 2014 (at €150 million [$158 million]), revenue began to drop last year (€130 million [$147 million]) and Molis expects a further 10- to 15-percent reduction this year.

“Competition is more intense on the few tenders still happening,” Molis said. Most of them are for the renewal of existing transportation services. He expects the situation to continue through at least next year. Héli-Union has bases in Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Nigeria, Argentina, Uruguay and Myanmar.

In France it offers maintenance, and training on a level-B Dauphin N3 flight simulator.

The United States Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) is renewing its focus on reducing the fatal helicopter accident rate. Last month the USHST announced its “20 by 2020” campaign, a new goal of reducing the civil U.S. fatal helicopter accident rate by 20 percent by the end of 2019.

The industry-government partnership is targeting a reduction to 0.61 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours, which is 20 percent less than the average since 2009.  For a baseline comparison, the USHST is using a fatal accident rate of 0.76. This is the average fatal accident rate for the prior five years that have final and reliable data (2009-10 and 2012-14) derived from the FAA General Aviation Survey. For 2016 through 2019, the USHST will measure fatal accident rate progress and focus on actions that will help keep the rate in a consistent downward trend. The team will use these fatal accident maximum rates per 100,000 hour “mile markers” as guides to measure progress: 0.73 in 2016, 0.69 in 2017, 0.65 in 2018 and 0.61 in 2019. During the past 15 years, the helicopter fatal accident rate has trended downward, but it has been below 0.61 only twice and spiked in 2008 and 2013.

As part of its continuing effort to support a reduction in fatal accidents, the USHST will focus on the following:

• Complete a thorough analysis of fatal accidents from 2009 to 2013 for the development of specific intervention recommendations.
• Enhance its outreach to all helicopter industry areas, with special emphasis on personal/private flying, aerial agricultural application and emergency medical services.
• Concentrate its efforts in the safety areas of personal protection, aircraft equipage, pilot judgment, pilot decision making and fostering a just culture.

Since 2013, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team has focused on the U.S. civil helicopter community and fatal accidents. Through 2015, total accidents have fallen for the second year in a row and the helicopter accident rate has been cut by 52 percent from where it was 10 years ago. In addition, fatal accidents are down 41 percent and the fatal accident rate is down 60 percent from a decade ago.

More information about the USHST, the International Helicopter Safety Team, its reports, safety tools, and Reel Safety audio-visual presentations can be obtained at www.IHST.org.

Italy's Finmeccanica finalized a purchase agreement today for 25 AW119Kx helicopters with Chinese distributor and operator Sino-U.S. Intercontinental Helicopter Investment. Under a deal announced at the ABACE show in Shanghai, the AW119Kxs will be delivered in emergency medical configuration beginning in June. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-37A-powered rotorcraft will be operated by Sino-U.S. sister company KingWing when they enter service this fall. The contract includes support and training and is part of a framework agreement for 60 AW119Kxs to be acquired through next year, according to the airframer.

As part of the agreement, KingWing inked follow-on transactions with Shanghai Regional Hospital, which will provide the medical staff for the program, and Shanghai Emergency Medical Centre, which will coordinate logistics and operate the emergency call and dispatch center.

Sino-U.S. also signed an agreement with Eastern General Aviation, a division of China Eastern Airlines, for a pair of AW109SPs, the first of which will become operational next month. They will be used in a utility role for missions such as power-line surveying.

Garmin has announced that eight new features are now available for select helicopters with GTN650/750 panel-mounted navigators. By contacting an authorized Garmin dealer, operators can now add WireAware (for locating dangerous power lines); FastFind (with predictive logic to make it easier to enter waypoint and airport data); simple frequency enter and ID (removing the need to type the first digit of a frequency, and displaying the facility name onscreen).

Also available are customizable checklists/flight plan entry (enabling operators to create their own checklists and flight plans, and upload them to the navigator with a data card); search and rescue (automatically creates flight plans for search patterns for SAR operations); fuel-range ring (map overlay showing current safe range for fuel state); animated Nexrad (shows weather movement over time); additional customization options (operators can choose their own way to configure data fields, show bearing and distance to waypoints and enable custom messaging).

The new features are available on GTN navigators with v6.11 software via AMLSTC for operators of the Bell 206/407 series; Airbus AS350B2/B3, EC130B4 and EC130T2; and the MD Helicopters MD369E/F/FF.

A Louisiana congressman, along with several other congressmen and U.S. senators, is seeking a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into allegations that a U.S. Interior Department agency has been illegally taking helicopter fuel from offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD, (R-Lafayette), charges that Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has been illegally helping itself to fuel stores to which it has no legal right. The BSEE is responsible for the regulation of offshore facilities engaged in oil-and-gas operations, including the safety of helidecks and aviation fuel storage and handling on fixed offshore facilities. The bureau has historically entered into contract agreements with helicopter service providers to obtain helicopter fuel at private offshore refueling sites to fulfill its mission of inspecting offshore facilities under lease from the federal government. However, the BSEE has allegedly expanded its interpretation of statute to simply seize fuel from private contractors who do not wish to enter into fuel-sharing agreements with the agency, according to Boustany.

In late 2014 the BSEE summarily notified Gulf of Mexico (GOM) operators and leaseholders that it was reinterpreting federal law (30 CFR 250.132(a)(2)), which requires lessees and operators to provide helicopter landing sites and refueling facilities to helicopters BSEE uses to regulate offshore operations. In citing its rationale for the change, the bureau noted, “BSEE’s [contracted] helicopter operator has a wide range of fuel stations throughout the GOM, in addition to having fuel service agreements with multiple helicopter vendors. BSEE’s helicopter operator prefers to use its own fuel stations or those of its service agreement partners; however, there are still times when it is in the best interest of the government for BSEE’s helicopter operator to use other fuel stations. BSEE needs to ensure that its helicopter operator has access to fuel wherever it flies to minimize the risk to BSEE employees and helicopter personnel from additional takeoffs and landings, to increase inspection efficiency, and to decrease flight costs.”

The BSEE went on to warn operators that they would be sanctioned for failure to provide access to helicopter landing facilities and fuel on demand, regardless of whether a BSEE inspection were taking place. The BSEE noted that its helicopter operator would pay for the fuel. “If fuel is denied for a BSEE-contracted helicopter, BSEE inspectors will issue an incident of non-compliance (INC) for a violation. If the operator fails to correct the violation, then a civil penalty may be warranted,” the agency noted.

Boustany and members of the Louisiana congressional delegation called on the BSEE to cease taking non-contracted fuel and the agency refused. The fact that the BSEE, through its helicopter operator, was willing to pay for the fuel was immaterial, Boustany charged, insomuch as the unscheduled and unplanned taking of fuel from rigs in the Gulf can create major logistical difficulties for operators there. Writing with his colleagues to the GAO on February 29, Boustany noted, “The offshore oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico relies on helicopter service providers to perform an array of tasks critical to the support of offshore drilling, production and maintenance operations, among other critical services. Those helicopter service companies often pre-position, at great expense, privately owned refueling stations with quantities of aviation fuel on the facilities of the clients they service, so that their pilots can safely refuel between missions without having to return to shore.”

Boustany and his colleagues are asking the GAO to determine if the BSEE has the statutory authority to demand or seize the fuel, and, if so, under what conditions. It also is asking the GAO to investigate “whether BSEE employees, by demanding or seizing, or directing participation of third parties in demand for or seizure of helicopter fuel through intimidation, coercion or other means, directly or indirectly, without consent of the private owner of the fuel, would be subject to (civil or criminal liability).”

Robinson Helicopter is introducing several design changes aimed at reducing the operating and maintenance costs of its R22 Beta II helicopters. A new collective-activated hour meter will record collective up (flight) time and does not include engine warm up and cool down time. Previously, the R22 used an oil-pressure-activated meter which records all engine run time. The collective-activated meter can extend component lives by up to 12%. To upgrade existing R22s to include the collective-activated hour meter, see Robinson R22 Service Letter SL-67 available at www.robinsonheli.com.

Robinson also announced that  updated hub and redesigned main rotor spindles are standard on all new R22 Beta IIs. The redesigned spindles are not subject to repetitive dye-penetrant inspections.

Bristow Group’s Nigerian operations continue to attract attention. Since August 2015 it has lost two Sikorsky S-76s to crashes, one of them fatal for six people, and on March 31 the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers of Nigeria (Naapen), an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), temporarily shut down Bristow’s Port Harcourt operations to protest alleged discriminatory practices. According to Bristow, the job action was illegal and lasted only a few hours, at which time the Federal Ministry of Labor intervened and advised the union to stop its action. Bristow provides 60 percent of the lift for Nigeria’s offshore energy market.

Naapen president Isaac Balami charges that Bristow has engaged in discriminatory policies against its Nigerian employees for a decade. “They treat them like they are in a slave camp. You will see copilots from the UK, South Africa and Canada who have just 200 hours’ experience earning far more than their Nigerian counterparts who have been working for years,” Balami said. “Nigerian pilots and engineers are treated like slaves in their own country.” He maintains that Nigerians have been fired and replaced with non-Nigerians who earn more. “They have been sacking our copilots and then employing white men. We are even more competent than they are,” he said.

Balami said the goal of the job action is to get Bristow to treat its white and black flight crewmembers equally, with pay parity as provided for under Nigerian labor laws. He also expressed concern about the recent crashes.

Bristow said the job action is unjustified given that it was already in discussions with Naapen and had made proposals addressing its grievances. In a prepared statement, Bristow said, “This action is coming at a time when the global oil-and-gas industry is facing severe challenges and the Nigerian economy is undergoing serious disruptions, with a number of clients reducing their activities. Bristow continues to keep its obligations to clients and employees. Bristow is disappointed that despite our concerted efforts to keep our Nigerian operations running as smoothly and efficiently as possible, this action will temporarily impact flight schedules. We will continue to encourage dialogue and partnership with all stakeholders during this period. We restate our commitment to providing safe and efficient air services to our clients and to the development of the Nigerian aviation industry.” After the job action ended, Bristow said it looks “forward to continuing to meet with the union and seek to reach a fair agreement through open discussion and feedback.”

Accident Record

The labor unrest follows a pair of Bristow S-76 crashes in Nigeria. On August 12 last year a 2003 S-76C+ crashed into a lagoon on approach to the airport at Lagos, killing both crewmembers and four passengers. Six passengers survived. A report from Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) noted FDR data that showed that the helicopter was cruising at 1,000 feet and 120 knots when it experienced a sudden pitch up, left roll with varying attitude of yaw, roll and pitch for 12 seconds until striking the water. Examination of the wreckage found that the forward main servo input control pushrod assembly had failed; the control pushrod tube had separated from the control rod end with the bearing and the jam nut and the jam nut was loose and not seating against the control rod. NTSB analysis found the forward main rotor servo input control pushrod separated before impact. The No. 2 Turbomeca Arriel 2SI engine also showed damage consistent with an uncontained failure of internal components. 

On February 3 a 2007 Bristow S-76C++ made a controlled ditching inbound 70 nm off Lagos following an unspecified mechanical problem. All eleven people on board survived. Before departure a passenger had reported a burning smell in the cabin and the flight crew reported that the digital auto flight control system and trim fail lights illuminated twice and were reset on the outboard leg. Fifteen minutes after departure the captain reported repeated illumination of the DAFCS and trim fail lights. The collective became heavy and the power dropped when it was pulled up. Later the cyclic did not respond to lateral movement.

On February 4 the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority suspended revenue flights of all Bristow S-76s in the country for a month while it conducted a comprehensive operational audit, during which time Bristow completed detailed safety inspections and test flights of its Nigeria-based S-76s before they were returned to service.

Singapore is close to selecting a replacement for its Super Puma medium-lift helicopters. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) currently operates the survivors of 34 Super Pumas acquired in 1985 and 1991, which subsequently had an avionics and capability upgrade beginning in the latter half of the 2000s. The RSAF is also planning to replace some older Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.

In a recent speech to the Singapore Parliament, defense minister Ng Eng Hen said that the country is “finalizing our evaluations and expects the new RSAF helicopters soon.” Typically very secretive about its military acquisition programs, Singapore has neither announced the number of Super Puma replacements it is seeking nor disclosed the specifics of its requirement. However, the AgustaWestland AW101, Airbus Helicopters NH90 and H225M Caracal, and Sikorsky S-92 were prominent in the display halls at the recent Singapore Airshow, which could point to the likely contenders for the replacement program.

The RSAF uses the Super Pumas and Chinooks primarily in support of army operations, lifting troops and underslung equipment. In addition, both types have carried out search-and-rescue (SAR) missions in Singapore’s large SAR region and supported humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the region.

It is expected that the Super Puma replacement will need to at least match the older helicopter’s troop-lift capacity of 24 soldiers. Another requirement would be the ability to operate from the helicopter deck of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s new Independence-class littoral mission vessels (LMVs). This requirement could make it difficult for the larger helicopters believed to be under consideration, given the limited space on the 80-meter LMVs.

Ng noted that some of the Chinooks operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) are aging and need replacing. While he did not go into specifics, the defense minister was almost certainly referring to the six Boeing CH-47D Chinooks currently operating with the RSAF’s Peace Prairie training detachment based with the Texas Army National Guard at Grand Prairie, Texas.

These aircraft were ordered in 1994 and delivered in 1996, and differ in configuration from the 10 CH-47SDs Singapore ordered in 1997. These featured improvements that included digital engine controls and glass cockpits and have been put through a mid-life upgrade that started in 2012 that included software improvements to the digital automatic flight control system, addition of a position and status reporting system along with a dual rescue hoist. This brings them close to, if not already equivalent to, the current-production CH-47F model.

A retired U.S. Army colonel who went on to work for the parent company of MD Helicopters was sentenced yesterday to a $10,000 fine and five years' probation on felony conflict-of-interest charges and for making false statements to federal investigators. Last year, Norbert Vergez pleaded guilty to the charges, including those related to his role in procuring and modifying Russian Mi-17 helicopters for the Afghan Army during his time on active duty.

Vergez was accused of improprieties that included failing to disclose receiving a check for $30,000 for “relocation expenses” related to his immediate post-service employment and not disclosing the gift of a $4,000 Rolex watch to his wife from the wife of Lithuanian executive involved in the Russian helicopter deal.

He went to work for Patriarch Partners, parent company of MD Helicopters, three months after his December 2012 Army retirement. Vergez's post-service employment with MD came to light after two former executives there filed a federal whistleblower lawsuit. In their complaint, the executives cited the “level of Col. Vergez's subservience to [MDCEO Lynn] Tilton and his continuing involvement in MD's Army contracts” after accepting a job offer from the company. He no longer works at Patriarch, and the company was not implicated in the investigation.

The Bell 525 Flight Test Vehicle 3 (FTV3) made its maiden flight on Friday at Bell Helicopter's manufacturing plant in Amarillo, Texas. It will eventually be moved to Bell's flight test facility at Arlington, Texas.

FTV3 is slated to do load-level survey work. Two more test vehicles are scheduled to join the program this year—FTV4 in August and FTV5 in September. Bell said it remains on track to certify the super-medium twin helicopter next year.

Meanwhile, Bell started building the first customer production 525 in November 2015, with customer aircraft since being added to the line at the rate of one per month at the 525 production facility in Amarillo.

Last month, Bell announced that the 525 had achieved 200 knots' forward speed in test flight. The 20,000-pound mtow helicopter is expected to have a maximum cruise speed of at least 155 knots and a maximum range of 500 nm. It features fly-by-wire flight controls, Garmin G5000H touchscreen avionics, and a pair of GECT7-2F1 turboshaft engines driving an all-composite five-blade main rotor and a four-blade tail rotor.

HeliTrak is in the final development stage for its new Robinson R22 autopilot, as well as its collective pull down (CPD) system, also for the Robinson R22 helicopter. The systems can be coupled to create a “significant improvement in flight safety,” according to HeliTrak.

The R22 autopilot is the first helicopter autopilot developed for a helicopter without hydraulically boosted controls, HeliTrak president John Mercer told AIN.

The new two-axis autopilot, priced at $35,000, is self-contained with built-in air data attitude heading reference system and triple-redundant sensor suite. Autopilot features will thus include unusual attitude recovery and continuous low-g warning. Two operating modes are available: heading and altitude hold, and heading and speed hold. Controls are mounted on the cyclic and can be manipulated by the pilot’s thumb, allowing the pilot to change altitude, speed and heading.

The CPD (priced at $15,000) automatically lowers the collective in about half a second, according to HeliTrak, in a low-rotor-RPM situation. “This allows the pilot more time to react to a power loss to avoid a catastrophic result.” The CPD weighs less than two pounds.

HeliTrak has submitted STC documentation to the FAA in preparation for the approval flight test. The company expects certification documentation for the R22 autopilot to be completed early next year. HeliTrak also plans to develop CPD systems for other helicopters.

After years of unexplained delays, the first prototype of the Russian Helicopters Ka-62 medium twin made its maiden flight on April 28. Taking off from the company's Arsenyev development and production site in Eastern Russia, the helicopter stayed in hover mode during the flight, which lasted less than 10 minutes, according to Russian website PrimaMedia. Russian Helicopters described the test as successful.

“The new Ka-62 will be a worthy addition to the Mi-8/17, covering great demand in the 14,800-pound-mtow class,” Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheyev said. Target applications include passenger transport such as in oil-and-gas operations, as well as search and rescue.

In 2014, Russian Helicopters was indicating a list price of about $10 million for the Ka-62. The company had found two launch customers—Brazil’s Atlas Taxi Aereo and Colombia’s Vertical de Aviacion—for the 12- to 15-seat rotorcraft.

The Ka-62 is powered by a pair of 1,680-shp Turbomeca Ardiden 3Gs. Another French company, Zodiac Aerospace, has supplied the helicopter's fuel system, and the transmission is made by Austria’s Zoerkler. Russia-based Transas provided the avionics.

An Airbus Helicopters H225 operated by CHC Helicopter Service crashed April 29 at around noon local time off the coast of Norway, near Turoey outside Bergen. The medium-twin helicopter was flying from the Gullfaks B oil platform and was carrying a crew of two, as well as 11 passengers from Statoil ASA.

Airbus Helicopters reported that 11 people have died and two are missing. According to CHC, the aircraft's estimated time of arrival at Flesland Airport Bergen was 12:04 p.m. and the accident took place on approach.

Statoil has “temporarily grounded all equivalent transport helicopters” in the wake of the fatal accident. The UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has deployed a small team to assist the Norwegian AIBN. UK oil-and-gas safety organization Step Change in Safety said it intends to “ensure that any learnings are identified and applied across the sector.”

Recommendations for upgrading helicopter bird strike protection rules have been assigned as a new task for the FAA/Industry Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC). Present bird protection regulations apply only to transport-category rotorcraft and have not been updated since being adopted in 1966. The FAA says current data shows an increase in bird population and weight that has resulted in an increase in serious bird strikes with both normal- and transport-category rotorcraft.

As of last year, normal-category rotorcraft accounted for more than 90 percent of helicopters operating in the U.S., and statistics from the FAA’s Wildlife Strike Database indicate about 75 percent of reported helicopter-related bird strikes from 1990 to 2013 occurred in this category. In terms of helicopter flight hours, reported bird strikes increased 49 percent in the five-year period from 2010 to 2014.

“Direct bird impact to the pilot has led to partial or complete pilot incapacitation in numerous cases, increasing the risk of fatalities,” the FAA said. The agency is seeking members for the new ARAC Rotorcraft Bird Strike Working Group.