While the milestone is dependant on many factors, including the aviation authority’s readiness to type certify a next-generation new entrant into the airspace, Wisk’s expanded partnership with Skyports aims to pave the pathway to making that a reality.

Announced on the first day of the Farnborough International Airshow on July 22, Wisk and Skyports said they are working together to develop an entry-into-service network in Australia’s South East Queensland (SEQ) region.

Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, said the partnership “will leverage our combined expertise to develop a robust, scalable infrastructure network” that will support autonomous air taxi services using Wisk’s sixth-generation eVTOL.

The companies’ relationship stems back to 2022 when the two released a concept of operations (CONOPS) that explored how autonomous eVTOL aircraft could be integrated into vertiports — expected to already be in place to serve piloted eVTOLs by the time the Wisk aircraft is type certified.

This blueprint for autonomous air taxis included any upgrades, retrofits, and procedural changes that might be needed at vertiport sites to accommodate autonomous aircraft. It also explored physical aircraft requirements, passenger accommodation, schedule management, navigational aids, and airspace design, among other issues.

In this latest partnership announcement, the companies said they are working together to look for vertiport locations in SEQ, with a focus on larger metropolitan areas like Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast.

They also plan to complete an analysis of regional travel patterns, conduct feasibility studies, and engage with potential landlords and nearby communities to develop that infrastructure network.

“Skyports has already been a strong partner to Wisk, and we are proud to build on the work we’re doing already, this time in Australia,” said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk.

The fully-owned Boeing subsidiary has been interested in the Australian region for some time now — at least since 2022 when Wisk started working with the Council of Mayors in SEQ, which is home to around four million people.

“The region is undergoing rapid and extensive development ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Wisk said in a press release. Over the next 20 years, its population could swell to six million people, the company said.  

“The advanced air mobility sector is an exciting new development for South East Queensland and is expected to contribute over $66 billion to the Australian economy by 2040,” said Scott Smith, CEO of the Council of Mayors.

With over a decade of experience and more than 1,750 test flights using its various prototypes, Wisk had long planned to go straight to market with a pilotless eVTOL aircraft — the timeline for which will be largely dependent on the readiness of aviation authorities like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Our [certification] timeline is dictated by the FAA,” Wisk policy manager David Oord previously told Vertical. “With that said, we would like to say that we will be in commercial service before the end of the decade.”

In the U.S., the eVTOL firm recently partnered with Houston Airports, earmarking the Greater Houston Region as one of its U.S. launch markets. With plans to operate its own aircraft, Wisk has applied for its part 135 air carrier certificate and will use Bell 206 helicopters to carry out single-pilot instrument flight rules (IFR) trial operations, before adding its yet-to-be-certified eVTOL aircraft to its certificate.

Wisk’s eVTOL, which will still operate with human oversight from the ground, is designed to take off and land like a helicopter, but uses its tiltrotors to transition and then cruise on its wings.

The post Wisk and Skyports target Australia for autonomous eVTOL operations appeared first on Vertical Mag.

PioneerLab is one of several demonstrators Airbus is using to develop technology “bricks” that could be incorporated into its current and future product lines. The aircraft, based on the twin-engine H145 platform, is based at Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Donauworth, Germany, and has been flying for about a year. To date, Airbus’s tests with it have been related to proving out autonomous flight controls, but the OEM has also targeted optimized engine performance and improved efficiency — up to 30 percent compared to a conventionally powered aircraft — and aims to deliver on the latter through a hybrid-electric powerplant.

For this, its existing Safran Arriel 2E engines will be replaced by a Pratt & Whitney PW210 derivative linked with two Collins Aerospace 250 kW electric motors and controllers through a common gearbox.

In a press release announcing the news, P&WC said the configuration would allow the electric motors to provide high torque capability during take-off and landing.

“With world-class efficiency and reliability, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW210 engine is very well-suited to perform as part of a hybrid-electric helicopter propulsion system,” said Maria Della Posta, president, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “To help achieve the goals of this innovative project, we’ll draw on expertise from our growing list of hybrid-electric demonstrator programs, including the RTX Hybrid-Electric Flight Demonstrator, STEP-Tech and SWITCH.”

Collins will develop the 250 kW motor and controller at its Electronic Controls and Motor Systems center of excellence in Solihull, England, with flight tests of the hybrid-electric PowerLab set to begin in 2027.

“The combined 250 kW motor and controller we’re designing for PioneerLab are part of our family of electric motors and controllers that can be scaled up or down to meet the future electrification needs of aircraft across multiple segments,” said Henry Brooks, president, Power & Controls for Collins Aerospace. “By serving as part of hybrid-electric propulsion architectures or helping to electrify onboard systems, these motors and controllers will support the aviation industry’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions from future platforms.”

The post P&WC/Collins to collaborate on Airbus demonstrator’s hybrid powerplant appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter, owned by PT. Whitesky Aviation, came down in Pecatu village in the coastal area on the Southern side of Bali, a statement from Indonesia’s transportation ministry said.

Photos circulated by Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency showed the helicopter with five people on board — including the crew and passengers — crashed on a limestone cliff.

“All victims could be evacuated safely,” said a written statement from the agency in Bali Friday. Three of them were taken to a hospital for further treatment.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago nation of about 270 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, including plane crashes and ferry sinkings.

Authorities say a team is being sent to the crash site for further investigation.

—

Associated Press report by Firdia Lisnawati And Edna Tarigan. Tarigan reported from Jakarta.

The post Five people survive after a helicopter crashes in Bali appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The call, issued in a Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) July 18, impacts operators of Bell 204, 205, 206, 210, and 212 helicopters.

While the investigation into the Fort Good Hope crash is still in its early stages, investigators identified a failed Airwolf TT strap at the scene, and said the aircraft’s main rotor blade had separated from the head. Speaking to Vertical on July 4 about the accident, investigators confirmed the strap failed at the outboard pin position.

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) quickly spread the information to operators in Canada and the United States, with many then temporarily grounding their aircraft to inspect the straps.

Following this, Transport Canada said it received a Service Difficulty Report (SDR) that an Airwolf TT strap from a Bell 206B had a crack in the urethane coating, exposing the wires underneath.

“Given the recent accident and the subsequent Bell 206B SDR submission, a detailed inspection is strongly recommended,” the CASA states.

It said defects such as strap bulge and cracks in the urethane coating are of particular interest. “The integrity of the urethane coating requires close attention, especially at each spool end of the strap,” the CASA notes. “This proactive approach can help identify the root cause of any failure modes that may be present.”

The post Transport Canada issues Safety Alert on Airwolf TT straps for Bell mediums appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Known for its beautiful state parks and proximity to NASCAR’s Talladega Superspeedway, the local economy has long relied on Interstate 20, the major thoroughfare connecting Atlanta to the east, and Birmingham to the west.

With a population of just over 22,000, the municipality is served by a 70-person police force. As a relatively small department, the presence of an airborne law enforcement contingency would not be expected, as there are much larger agencies with no aircraft in operation. However, those cities lack a key component that Oxford possesses. They don’t have Jake Durham.

Durham joined the Oxford Police Department (OPD) nearly 20 years ago, rising to the rank of lieutenant in quick order. Not long into his tenure with the OPD, Durham identified the viability of an aviation unit.

With a family history in law enforcement, along with some early exposure to the benefits of airborne policing, he knew that his community could benefit from this asset.

“I reached out to other departments that were running an air unit and spoke to them about starting a unit up, how they acquired surplus aircraft, and so forth,” Durham recalled. “After doing my research, I put a proposal together and took it to the chief and told him that I think we really need this.”

However, with a new chief and no budget, his initial attempt was rebuffed. Durham refused to let the rejection deter him, so he went back to the drawing board and gave it another shot. The second time around, the chief was on board and signed off to allow Durham to begin his search for surplus aircraft. That was 13 years ago.

Thus began a four-year search for the unit’s first aircraft, culminating in the acceptance of a 1969 Hughes OH-6 helicopter that had previously seen time in the Vietnam War. After outfitting the aircraft with the necessary law enforcement equipment, it began serving the citizens of Oxford in 2015.

Another arrival that same year, which had a significant impact on the success of the fledgling unit, was chief pilot Drew Muench. As a long-time pilot in both fixed- and rotary-wing, including a career as a military helicopter aviator, when he heard Oxford was in the beginning stages of starting an air unit, he offered his services.

“Jake and I were able to combine his administrative experiences with my flight and training experience, and put this unit together,” Muench stated.

Even with the ambitions of Durham and Muench, none of what they have accomplished would have been possible without internal and external backing.

“We have been very fortunate to have the support of the department command staff, the mayor, the city council, and the community,” Durham explained. “We have that support because of not only being able to prove our worth to the city but also our transparency at every step of the process and subsequently, now that we are in operation.”

That support was most evident with the 2021 delivery of a brand-new, customized MD 530F.

“After flying the OH-6 for a few years, we were able to prove the value of the air unit and also show that there was a need for an additional helicopter,” Durham said.

Muench added, “We chose the 530F primarily for its flexibility and affordability. The purchase and daily operating costs are lower than the competition but even more important is that it performs our mission set better than other aircraft we looked at.”

By acquiring the 530F new from the factory, they were able to outfit it to their specifications. Equipment includes a FLIR Star SAFIRE 380-HDc multi-spectral camera system, Trakka Systems’ TrakkaBeam A800 searchlight, and Shotover’s augmented reality mission mapping system on a Macro-Blue display, along with Garmin GTN 750 and G500 TXi EFIS avionics in a night vision goggle (NVG)-compatible cockpit.

“Again, the support we receive from the department and the community has allowed us to put together an airborne platform that is perfect for our mission,” Muench stated.

Now housed in a purpose-built hangar facility that also incorporates other specialty units from the department, the aviation unit is well-positioned to provide aerial services to the city and surrounding police departments and their citizens.

As the first stop on the Blades of Valor Road Tour, Hangar Z Podcast hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely sat down with Durham and Muench to discuss the formation of the unit, its current operations, and what the future holds.

While in Oxford, the road tour team also witnessed a training day event that involved nearly 100 officers representing over 25 police departments and aviation units from around the region. Schonely taught his world-renowned course on suspect tactics and perimeter containment.

With 31 years of experience with the Los Angeles Police Department, including 19 of those as a pilot and tactical flight officer (TFO), few people have the qualifications to provide the insight and experience that Schonely does.

Tune into the latest episode of the Hangar Z Podcast (Part 1 and Part 2) to hear more about Durham, Muench, and the rest of the team at the Oxford Police Department Aviation Support Unit, along with details of Schonely’s training course.

And in case you missed it, check out the first article in the Blades of Valor Road Tour series where the team visited the U.S. Park Police Aviation Unit in Washington, D.C.

The post Blades of Valor Road Tour: An inside look at Oxford Police Department appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The news follows soon after the H160 made its long-awaited entry into service in the U.S. with offshore operator PHI, and represents another landmark for the H160 program.

The Houston, Texas-based Memorial Hermann Life Flight — provided by Memorial Hermann Health System — has placed an order for one H160, as well as four H145s, to replace its current fleet of EC145s. No delivery date for the H160 has been disclosed.

“The enhanced technology and safety features, larger cabin and cargo space, increased fuel load and shorter reconfiguration times will provide us with the capabilities of a mobile intensive care unit,” said Tom Flanagan, consultant and program director of Memorial Hermann Life Flight.

The service was founded almost 50 years ago by trauma surgeon Dr. James “Red” Duke. Its current fleet of instrument flight rules (IFR)-capable EC145s is operated from the John Dunn Heliport at Memorial Hermann Hospital, and cover a radius of 150 miles. It also has five additional remote bases within this area to provide a swifter response to outlying areas.

“Memorial Hermann invested in this new fleet of helicopters to expand our reach and allow us to help even more people who are in critical need of air ambulance transport,” said Toni Von Wenkstern, vice president, trauma, Memorial Hermann Health Systems.

Bart Reijnen, president of Airbus Helicopters, Inc. and head of the North America region for the manufacturer, said Memorial Hermann Life Flight has long been a leader in the HEMS market.

“Our team is proud of the long-standing partnership we have with the program, and is dedicated to supporting them as their new helicopters enter into service and throughout the fleet’s lifecycle,” he said.

The post Memorial Hermann Life Flight to become first EMS H160 operator appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Rescue crews searched for about 60 hours, covering over 830 square miles, officials said. The search was suspended at 2 p.m. local time Sunday, with pilot Guy Croydon and passenger James Quintua, 60, still missing.

Kauai Ocean Safety Bureau lifeguards recovered the body of Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua, 53, on Thursday. She was unresponsive, officials said.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

“We would like to thank our Kauai County partners for their professionalism and organization, which have made this unified response very effective,” said Coast Guard Cmdr Kristen Hahn, search-and-rescue mission coordinator with Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.

“While this event has been a tragedy for both the families and the community, I am reassured that our responders have been able to collect some debris and exhaust our search efforts, which may provide closure for everyone involved.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Guy Croydon, and James and Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua,” said Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami.

“We are truly grateful for the committed efforts of our search-and-rescue teams, partnering agencies, and community during this operation.”

The incident aircraft was a Robinson R44 helicopter from the Ali’i Kauai Air Tours and Charter company in Kauai, officials said. Kauai is the fourth-largest island in Hawaii, known for its lush valleys, sharp mountain peaks and tropical rainforest.

On social media, hundreds of people offered tributes and condolences, including members of the families involved in the crash.

“We are all in shock and heartbroken,” wrote Holly Croydon, who said Guy Croydon was her uncle.

“To all of those involved in the search and their families, we are so grateful for all you did to find my husband and Jim and Amy,” wrote Ann McKenna Croydon. “We will always be grateful.”

“Guy was such a good person,” wrote Bridget Collins. “He will be missed.”

The post Pilot missing, search suspended after Hawaii helicopter crash appeared first on Vertical Mag.

“Our pilot was on board and survived, and an investigation is underway,” U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Angela Hawkins said Friday morning. She said the agency was unable to immediately release any additional information, including what role the helicopter had been taking in the wildfire response.

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook that the pilot was able to call 911 and that he was able to hike out with assistance to an ambulance that responded from the nearby town of Stanley.

The Forest Service and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident, Hawkins said.

The helicopter incident came one day after a single-engine firefighting aircraft crashed into a reservoir near Helena, Montana, while scooping up water to fight a different blaze, killing the pilot. That crash is also under investigation.

The wildfire was burning near Redfish Lake, a popular camping and recreation area nestled in the scenic Sawtooth Mountains. Authorities evacuated a small campground on the southern end of the lake Thursday afternoon. On Friday evening, the U.S. Forest Service issued an emergency closure that includes the Redfish Lake recreation complex, including a lodge and other buildings, roads, trails, trailheads and campgrounds.

“We are letting folks know that the order is coming now in hopes of catching visitors before they head this direction,” Sawtooth National Recreation Area Ranger Kirk Flannigan said in a press release. “With the concentration of fuels in the Sawtooth Wilderness, the unusual weather pattern we’re experiencing right now, and the proximity of the fire to a very popular recreation destination, we believe it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

The fire danger rating for the Sawtooth National Forest was listed as high.

The post US Forest Service pilot hikes to safety after helicopter crash near central Idaho wildfire appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Hikers reported seeing the helicopter crash into the waters about a quarter of a mile (0.4 kilometers) off the Na Pali Coast and called police around 1:20 p.m., the police department said in a statement.

The Robinson R44 helicopter was part of Ali‘i Kaua‘i Air Tours and Charters, authorities said.

One person’s body was recovered around 2:30 p.m. Thursday as crews continued to search for the remaining two people. Their identities were not immediately released by police.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

The post Helicopter crashes in the ocean off the Hawaiian island of Kauai appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The “landmark” flight was carried out last month using a converted pre-production Joby prototype fitted with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank and fuel cell system. The aircraft flew 523 miles (842 kilometers), and landed with 10 percent of its hydrogen fuel load remaining, with water as its only byproduct.

Joby said it believes this flight is the first forward flight of a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen. Joby’s hydrogen-electric demonstrator “is part of the company’s future technology program,” Joby said.

“Traveling by air is central to human progress, but we need to find ways to make it cleaner,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “With our battery-electric air taxi set to fundamentally change the way we move around cities, we’re excited to now be building a technology stack that could redefine regional travel using hydrogen-electric aircraft.”

Bevirt said the sector is getting closer to hydrogen-electric flight, and with the “progress we’ve made toward certifying the battery-electric version of our aircraft, [it] gives us a great head start as we look ahead to making hydrogen-electric flight a reality.”

The eVTOL firm plans to start commercial operations in 2025 using its yet-to-be-certified battery-electric air taxi. With hydrogen-powered flight on the horizon, Joby said it believes the work that the company is putting into designing, testing and certifying the battery-electric aircraft will carry over to its future hydrogen-electric aircraft.

“We also expect to be able to use the same landing pads, the same operations team, and Joby’s ElevateOS software that will support the commercial operation of our battery-electric aircraft,” Bevirt said.

Joby’s bid in hydrogen-electric aviation stems back to April 2021 when the company quietly purchased German hydrogen startup H2Fly. Last month’s milestone flight combines the technology developed by the California eVTOL company and its hydrogen subsidiary.

Using the same airframe and architecture as Joby’s battery-electric aircraft, the hydrogen-electric demonstrator was fitted with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank that stores up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of liquid hydrogen, alongside a reduced mass of batteries.

Hydrogen is fed into the hydrogen fuel cell system, which was designed and built by H2Fly. The system generates electricity used to power the aircraft’s six electric motors, and the batteries provide additional power primarily during takeoff and landing.

“H2FLY is proud to deliver a highly efficient fuel cell system that underlines our expertise in designing and building fuel cell systems for different aircraft applications, and supports Joby in demonstrating the potential for emission-free regional flights,” said Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO of H2Fly.

The German startup used similar technology to complete another record-breaking flight in September 2023, when it flew what it believes was the world’s first piloted flight of a conventional liquid hydrogen-electric aircraft using fuel cell technology.

The company’s hydrogen-electric program is supported through Joby’s partnership with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program. Jacob Wilson, acting branch chief of AFWERX Agility Prime, said hydrogen technology aligns with the program’s goals to “advance transformative vertical-lift technologies.”

Adding to Joby’s technological capabilities, the company acquired autonomous technology firm Xwing last month. Xwing has been flying autonomous aircraft since 2020, carrying out 250 fully autonomous flights and more than 500 auto-landings. Joby also acquired Inras GmbH in 2021, a company based in Linz, Austria, developing lightweight, high-performance radar sensor technology.

The post Joby completes ‘landmark’ 523-mile hydrogen-electric VTOL flight appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The 22-foot boat was about 10 miles off the coast of Ashtabula on Saturday when it was hit, a Coast Guard spokesman said. Someone called 911 for help, and stayed in contact with rescuers as a Coast Guard helicopter crew from the Air Station in Detroit diverted from another Lake Erie rescue to reach them.

The helicopter crew soon hoisted up the five victims, who were not injured, and took them to Northeast Ohio Regional Airport in Jefferson, Ohio. Officials noted that all five were wearing life jackets, emphasizing the need for boaters to always wear one.

The helicopter crew then refueled and returned to the initial rescue call in the water off the Perry nuclear power plant in North Perry, Ohio. Responders eventually rescued two people who were wearing life jackets and also pulled another person from the water who later died.

Authorities also launched a search for a fourth person who could not be located, but that search was suspended late Saturday.

The post 5 boaters found clinging to a cooler in Lake Erie are rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter crew appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The company is working with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to obtain type certification, and is relying on concurrent validation with other aviation agencies in order to see its aircraft fly with potential customers around the world, including Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, GOL and Bristow.

Vertical recently said the CAA has reaffirmed its agreement to cooperate with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on certification activities for the VX4 aircraft. In 2022, the CAA announced plans to adopt the same standards used by EASA, known as Special Conditions (SC)-VTOL, as the basis for eVTOL certification in the U.K.

“The decision to adopt SC-VTOL as our certification basis will support U.K. manufacturers and enable them to easily access the global market for eVTOL aircraft,” Rob Bishton of the CAA said in a statement at the time.

Vertical CEO Stuart Simpson said that observing regulators “like the CAA and EASA working closely together paves the way for a more seamless, faster route to certification. I’m extremely proud of our team in getting us to this point as we continue this amazing journey to make electric flight a reality.”

Along with the U.K. and Europe, Vertical said it has active certification validation projects with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB). The path to concurrent certification might be made easier as more and more agencies work to harmonize eVTOL certification regulations.

Vertical also announced on July 10 an expansion of its design organization approval (DOA) scope by the CAA, which was originally issued by the aviation authority in March 2023.

The DOA authorizes the company to conduct design activities and issue design approvals within the DOA’s scope of approval, including those related to the flight control, avionics, and electrical systems. This is expected to streamline the steps toward obtaining type certification.

“This is another positive step forward in recognizing that Vertical has the engineering capability to obtain certification for the VX4 aircraft,” Simpson said.

Vertical’s piloted, four-passenger VX4 aircraft is designed to fly at top speeds of 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour), with a range of more than 100 miles (161 kilometers). The company is developing its aircraft using its own proprietary battery and propeller technology, as well as working with leading aerospace companies, including GKN Aerospace, Honeywell, Leonardo, Hanwha, Solvay, and Molicel.

Vertical said it will soon complete the assembly of its full-scale VX4 prototype and will begin its piloted flight test program at its flight test center at Cotswold Airport. 

The post Vertical Aerospace making headway with UK, European aviation authorities appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The parts will be drawn from Norwegian Sea Kings that served from 1973 until 2023, defence minister Bjørn Arild Gram said in a statement.

“Norway considers it important to ensure that Ukraine is able to build its Coast Guard and increase its maritime capabilities as rapidly as possible,” said Gram.

Germany has decided to donate six Sea Kings to Ukraine, while the United Kingdom (U.K.) intends to donate three of the type. Norway’s retired Sea Kings have reached their maximum number of flight hours and cannot be donated, the government said.

The country’s Sea King fleet has been replaced with all-weather SAR Queen (Leonardo AW101) helicopters. Norway ordered 16 of the newer type, with the first six entering service Sept. 1, 2020.

“The Black Sea and the maritime domain in general are of strategic importance to Ukraine, and are crucial to the country’s ability to export goods,” said Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s foreign affairs minister.

“I am pleased that spare parts from our discarded Sea Kings can help make a difference for Ukraine, and facilitate the efforts to establish the Ukrainian Coast Guard.”

Norway and the U.K. are co-chairs of the Maritime Capability Coalition, which aims to augment the Ukrainian Naval Forces as a whole, including the Coast Guard.

The post Ukraine to receive spare Sea King helicopter parts from Norway appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The two SH-60K reconnaissance helicopters from the Maritime Self-Defense Force crashed in April during nighttime anti-submarine training near Torishima island, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Tokyo while flying to the same mock target to detect a submarine.

Just before the collision, the two helicopters — while flying at different locations — headed to the same target based on a scenario of a submarine being detected, according to the Maritime Staff Office investigation report. They were under the control of two separate ship-based officers who were giving instructions to the two aircraft, the report added.

The absence of collision avoidance maneuvers on either side indicates both helicopters miscalculated the distance between them, the report said. Then the nose of the helicopter flying straight ahead collided with the left side of the other one that was turning clockwise at the same altitude, the report said.

It noted that crewmembers failed to keep an adequate lookout or share information, while their two commanding officers were also not communicating with their crew or giving appropriate instructions to each helicopter, for instance, to fly at different altitudes.

In the report, the MSO said it is necessary to ensure adequate lookout by crewmembers, upgrading of equipment such as installing a proximity warning system, and requirement of adequate communication between officers in charge.

“We take seriously the investigation results of the accident that took eight people’s lives and do everything we can to take preventive steps, with a determination not to have any more casualty,” Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told a news conference.

Kihara said flight training involving multiple SH-60Ks was to resume on Tuesday. The helicopter training had been restricted to solo flights since the crash.

The crash came as Japan, under its 2022 security strategy, decided to accelerate its military buildup and fortify its defenses on southwestern Japanese islands to counter China’s increasingly assertive military activity.

Tokyo has rapidly expanded naval exercises and joint drills with the United States and other partners in recent years.

The twin-engine, multi-mission helicopters developed by Sikorsky and known as Seahawks were modified and produced in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The report said there was no mechanical issue involved in the accident. Japan has about 70 of them.

Associated Press report by Mari Yamaguchi.

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Sales increased by four percent compared to the same period in 2023 after falling for three consecutive semesters.

“The supply of single-engines for sale also increased, but pricing remained steady versus the same timeframe last year,” said Valerie Pereira, Aero Asset’s vice-president of market research.

North American buyers accounted for 63 percent of all transactions in the first half of 2024, though Europe held the largest share of the supply at 35 percent, per the market report. 

The most liquid single-engine helicopter market in the study period was the Airbus H125, followed by the Bell 407/GX/P/I and the Leonardo AW119K/Ke/Kx. The Airbus H130 was the least liquid platform on the market, with an absorption rate of 1.6 years, analysts said.

Europe had the largest share of the global single-engine supply (35 per cent) in the study period, followed by North America (25 percent) and Latin America (11 percent).

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Vienna signed a contract to acquire the aircraft June 30, 2024, and made the announcement on its website July 3. Washington announced possible terms of the potential sale on May 29, estimating the value at $1.05 billion for the aircraft and “related elements of logistics and program support.”  

“With the purchase of the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, we are making a significant step forward in improving our operational capability,” said Austria’s defense minister Klaudia Tanner in a translated statement.  

“These versatile aircraft are a significant contribution to increasing the safety of our soldiers. They will be invaluable to us in a variety of application scenarios, especially in challenging mountain regions and under extreme weather conditions. With this investment, we are taking another decisive step toward ensuring the operational readiness of our armed forces and sustainably increasing safety.”  

Delivery of the helicopters is slated to begin in 2028 and will replace a fleet of Agusta Bell AB212 aircraft, which are scheduled to be removed from flight operations by 2030.  

In May, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the proposed sale also included 26 T700-GE-701D turboshaft engines; 15 AN/AAR-57 counter missile warning systems (CMWS); and 30 H-764U embedded global positioning systems with inertial navigation (EGI), among several other components, training devices, and support. 

“The proposed sale will improve Austria’s capability to deter current and future threats and support coalition operations and the United States’ and Austria’s goal of greater military interoperability,” the DSCA said at the time.

“Austria will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.” 

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The charity launched March 1, 2001, and operates three Airbus H145 helicopters and one Airbus H135 from bases in Caernarfon, Llanelli, Welshpool and Cardiff. The 50,000^th mission took place in June.

“We mark this milestone with huge gratitude – we are truly humbled,” said Dr. Sue Barnes, CEO of WAAC. “This would not have been possible without the continued support and dedication of our supporters, volunteers, employees, medics, pilots and engineers – past and present.”

WAAC is said to be the only air ambulance charity based in, and dedicated to, the people of Wales, relying entirely on donations to raise the £11.2 million needed to keep its helicopters in the air.

“Behind each mission, there are human stories,” said Barnes. “On 50,000 occasions, the medics on board our vehicles have been tasked to help someone in need. When past patients and their families visit us, they often bring their family and friends – sometimes their young children.

“At that point, you realise that the impact of our charity is far greater than just the patient themselves. We have also impacted the lives of their family and friends who, without our service, may never have been reunited with their loved ones.

“We are also immensely grateful to those individuals and organizations we work alongside in the chain of emergency care. This includes the Welsh Ambulance Service and Welsh health boards, as well as fellow emergency services across the country.”

The post Wales Air Ambulance Charity completes 50,000th mission appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Investigators still don’t know what caused the TT strap to fail, but confirmed to Vertical the strap failed at the outboard pin position, prompting one of the rotor blades to detach from the aircraft.

“When that strap fails, you will lose the blade,” said Jon Lee, the TSB’s manager of regional operations for Western Canada. He emphasized any number of factors could have caused the part failure, and the intent of the investigation is to improve safety, not determine fault.

“The how and the why is unknown to us right now,” Lee said. “The process of starting to understand the type of failure, the failure mode, begins on Monday at our lab.”

Another strap from the same rotor system that didn’t fail will also be examined at the TSB lab, he said. The typical timeline for issuing a final investigation report is 450 days, but any urgent safety information will be communicated before the final report.

“If we find something that’s urgent for the industry, they’ll know right away,” Lee said.

The TSB communicated the TT strap failure to Transport Canada during a preliminary investigation that began after the incident on June 28, setting in motion a series of events that led several Canadian operators to temporarily stand down their Bell medium helicopters.

Acting on information from the TSB, the U.S. Forest Service also stood down 31 helicopters, but had returned the bulk of those aircraft to service by Wednesday, a spokesperson said.

The crash claimed the life of pilot Tom Frith, who was fighting wildfires on behalf of Great Slave Helicopters in the remote community of Fort Good Hope, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) northwest of Yellowknife.

TSB engineers will complete a detailed inspection of the parts, including electron microscope scanning, materials analysis, and other processes, to understand why the strap failed.

At the same time, investigators will collect data on the “entire maintenance history” of the aircraft, as well as the pilot’s background, pilot training, weather conditions at the time of the crash, and the operator’s organizational structure, Lee said.

“Through a process of deduction, we eliminate those issues that are not contributory to the occurrence,” he said.

“The way we approach an occurrence is [with the assumption that] everybody’s out there doing the best they can, and something terribly wrong happened. Now, we’re going to investigate what happened and why it happened. We’re trying to understand the underlying conditions that contributed to the occurrence happening without an emphasis on regulation, blame, finger pointing, liability.”

Because the Bell 212 is manufactured in the United States, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will act as an agent with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to share information relevant to the investigation.

“If we identify safety deficiencies, we communicate those to the FAA through the NTSB, and then they can take action as required,” said Lee, noting he cannot commit to a timeframe for the investigation.

“It takes as long as it takes,” he said. “We have the responsibility of doing a thorough investigation, and to produce a product [the investigation report] that the industry can lean on — a product that’s defensible, is logical, is complete. In order to do that, it takes time. It’s a very methodical process.”

The post TSB engineers set to begin lab inspection after fatal Bell 212 helicopter crash appeared first on Vertical Mag.

On the cold, snowy early evening of Jan. 13, 1982, the pilots of Air Florida Flight 90 made the ill-fated decision to attempt a departure from Washington National Airport along the frozen banks of the Potomac River in the U.S. capital.

The sunny destination of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, would be a welcome change to the 24-degree Fahrenheit (-4-degree Celsius) temperatures and blizzard conditions of Washington D.C. Unfortunately, of the 79 passengers and crew onboard the Boeing 737-222, only five would survive to the end of the day.

The catastrophic culmination of Flight 90 would have lasting effects, most notably in the area of airline hiring, along with reforms to pilot training regulations. In addition to multiple accolades being awarded for the brave response by law enforcement and civilians alike, one of the lasting memories of that day was the image of a Bell 206B-3 JetRanger dropping rescue lines and, at times, hovering mere inches above the frigid water, plucking survivors from what would have been icy graves. That helicopter, known as Eagle One, was crewed by the U.S. Park Police Aviation Unit.

Situated along the Anacostia River, just 2.5 miles (four kilometers) east of the site from that tragic day 42 years ago, is the Eagle’s Nest, the home of the U.S. Park Police Aviation Unit. In operation since 1973, the aviation unit has been at this location since 1976. As the first helicopter to provide air medical services in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, their capabilities have expanded over the years to now include ground patrol unit support, search-and-rescue (SAR), presidential and dignitary protection, high-risk prisoner transport, and more. Since 1994, the unit has been scheduled to provide its services 24/7, as needed.

The aviation unit’s jurisdiction is, by definition, the U.S. Parks. This includes the many federal parks and recreation areas within and around Washington, D.C., known as the National Capital Region. The sheer cliffs and dangerous rapids of the Potomac River in nearby Great Falls Park and Shenandoah National Park provide ample opportunity for the unit to exercise its hoist and swiftwater rescue skills. In addition, the team works closely with neighboring police aviation sectors from the states of Maryland and Virginia, as well as Fairfax County, Prince George’s County, Washington D.C. Metro, and any others that request assistance.

As the unit’s mission set has advanced, so has its aircraft. The Eagle’s Nest now boasts two Bell 412EPs, utilized for daily operations, and a Bell 206, used primarily for training and as a backup ship. With unwavering support from upper management, these helicopters are outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, which has allowed the team to provide decades of accident-free services.

Personnel include a commander, assistant commander, four pilots, and six rescue technicians. Everyone assigned to the unit is first and foremost sworn U.S. Park Police officers, with full law enforcement responsibilities. Examples of LE responses include the 2013 Washington Naval Yard shooting, the 2017 Congressional baseball shooting, and the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon.

Listen to the full Hangar Z Podcast episode where hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely talk to Sgt. Tim Ryan and Sgt. Ryan Evasick about the unit’s history and day-to-day operations. Hear more about the unit’s response to incidents around the region, the work they are doing, and the future of the detail. They also provide additional insight into that fateful day in 1982 and the significance it had on the U.S. Park Police Aviation Unit.

The post Blades of Valor Road Tour: Honoring our public safety aviation heroes appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The delivery will allow PHI to begin its long-awaited “route proving” program in the Gulf of Mexico, which is being performed in collaboration with Shell and Airbus.

The program will demonstrate the aircraft’s suitability to the offshore role, replicating everything PHI aims to do with the aircraft when it begins full commercial operations with the type.

The program is due to last about eight months, with data flowing freely between the partners.

“This is an exciting milestone for our teams and partners,” said Scott McCarty, CEO of PHI Group, in a press release announcing the delivery. “The H160 represents a new era for PHI, enhancing our commitment to safety, quality and efficiency for our operations in the Gulf of Mexico. We are proud to officially welcome this next-generation aircraft into our fleet as we kick off route-proving.”

PHI will ultimately use four H160s for its route proving program. The aircraft is a 12-seater in oil-and-gas configuration, and will compete against the Leonardo AW139 and Sikorsky S-76 in its offshore transport role.

Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even highlighted the type’s efficiency and comfort as being well-suited to the work.

“The H160’s lower fuel consumption, its ability to use up to 50 percent blended SAF, comfortable cabin, and excellent cockpit visibility make it ideally suited for offshore operations,” said Even. “We are confident that it will excel in PHI’s energy missions.”

The post U.S. H160 operations begin as PHI receives first aircraft appeared first on Vertical Mag.