Leonardo Helicopters AW109 Power: Buyer’s and Investor’s Guide

The AW109 Power  is a variant of the AW109. Leonardo Helicopters (formerly AgustaWestland) also market the GrandNew and AW109 Trekker as separate helicopters.

Missions: Airborne Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Executive, EMS

First delivery: 1971 (as the Agusta A109)

Category: Twin Engine

Performance

Maximum speed: 168 knots/311 kmh

Maximum cruise: 154 knots/285 kmh

Maximum range: 512 nm/948 km

Weights

Maximum take-off gross weight: 6,6614 lb/3,000 kg

Empty weight: 3,505 lb/1,590 kg

Passengers (crew):  7 (1 pilot)

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Dream Chaser Completes Successful Captive Carry Test

For the past 10 years, Sierra Nevada Corporation has been chasing the dream of creating a small, lifting-body spacecraft that could be used to deliver cargo and eventually humans to the International Space Station. Fittingly, that spacecraft is known as Dream Chaser, and on Wednesday it took another step toward SNC’s goal of achieving orbital flight with the completion of its first captive carry test flight.

By hitching a tethered ride with a Columbia Helicopters Model 234-UT Chinook helicopter, the Dream Chaser was raised to the same altitude and flight conditions the spacecraft will eventually experience before release on an actual free flight test, according to SNC.

The purpose of this test flight was for the mission control team to send commands to Dream Chaser and monitor performance and collect operational data, which will be used to make improvements ahead of the second captive carry test later this year. “Everything we have seen points to a successful test with useful data for the next round of testing,” said Lee Archambault, SNC’s director of flight operations for the Dream Chaser program.

A successful second test will mean the Dream Chaser is ready for its first free flight test.

“This test is another indication the Dream Chaser is on track for meeting our key milestones on the way to orbital spaceflight,” said Steve Lindsey, vice president of Space Exploration Systems for SNC. “We are excited to move through the remaining ground and flight testing to help inform our CRS2 orbital vehicle design and upcoming production.”

The Dream Chaser also recently completed a successful 60 mph tow test.

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2 Dead After Small Plane Crashes in Tennessee

Authorities say a second person has died after a small plane crashed in Tennessee.

Portland Police Department Assistant Chief Dewel Scruggs tells news outlets that the plane hit a tree before crashing into a field Tuesday night near the Portland Municipal Airport.

Federal Aviation Administration officials say the plane is a Grumman American AA-1B. Scruggs says the plane was arriving at the Portland airport, but that it's unclear where the flight originated.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene. The other person was flown to an area hospital, but Police Chief Anthony Heavner told media that person died overnight. Officials haven't released the names of the victims.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

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Enstrom 480B: Buyer’s and Investor’s Guide

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation began in 1957 and today is owned by the Chongqing Helicopter Investment Company Limited.

Enstrom produces small light helicopters; the Enstrom 480B is a single turbine engine aircraft. The Enstrom 480B-G is the most up to date model and is fitted with the new Garmin G1000H avionics suite.

First flight: October 1989

Missions: Aerial Law Enforcement, VIP/Corporate, EMS

Performance

Max speed: 125 knots (never exceed)

Cruise speed: 115 knots

Range: 435 miles

Weights

Gross weight: 3,000 lb (1361 kg)

Empty weight: 1,820 lb (826 kg)

Usefiul load: 1,180 lb (535 kg)

Passengers: 1 pilot and 4 passengers

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FAA Warns Drone Pilots to Stay Away from Hurricane Harvey

You would think some things go without saying but last night the FAA issued a series of statements via Twitter warning drone pilots to stay away from Hurricane Harvey and that there would be consequences for violations. These statements referenced a tweet from the Texas Military Department stating that they were seeing civilian drones in the airspace.

As one of the FAA tweets notes, a temporary flight restriction does not have to be in place for users to violate laws. While it may be difficult to understand how one might fly a drone in a hurricane, or why someone would fly in an emergency zone, there is no underestimating some people. Please follow all FAA rules and regulations, use common sense, and respect the authorities as they seek to assist people who are having a very difficult time.

In a statement on the hurricane, the FAA writes:
The FAA warns unauthorized drone operators that they may be subject to significant fines if they interfere with emergency response operations. Flying a drone without authorization in or near the disaster area may violate federal, state, or local laws and ordinances, even if a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is not in place. Allow first responders to save lives and property without interference.

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Boeing Model 107: Buyer’s and Investor’s Guide

The Boeing Model 107 is the civilian variant of the CH-46 Sea Knight military helicopter used by the US Navy and US Marines. The helicopter was retired from military service in 2004.

The Boeing Model 107 is a twin engined tandem rotor heavylift helicopter, mainly used for moving very heavy equipment. The helicopter has external hooks for underslung loads. The helicopter was built under license by Kawasaki Heavy Industries as the KV-107 in Japan. Sweden and Canada military also operated the type.

The helicopter is capable of carrying 25 passengers but is usually operated under Part 135 conditions so is limited to 19 passengers with one cabin crew and two pilots.

Mission: Oversized loads such as cranes or towers, logging, any large structures, is able to transport large number of people

First Flight: August 1962

Fleet: Over 500 (includes all military versions)

Performance

Cruise speed: 120 kts (222 kmh)

Range: 180 nautical miles (333 kms)

Weight

Max gross weight: 22,000 lb (9,979 kg)

Mex hook weight: 10,000 lb (4,536 kg)

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Harvey’s impact on GA

Devastation from Hurricane Harvey is still being assessed, with the aftermath of the storm still wreaking havoc in Texas.

The National Business Aviation Association has put together a web page detailing the latest on the storm and its impact on the area, including airports and aviation.

Airport Information

There are multiple airport closures in the Houston area.

Houston International Airport (IAH) is hoping to reopen on Aug. 29, 2017, but officials said they won’t be able to confirm that until later in the afternoon of Aug. 28.

Currently they are only allowing Emergency Operations Flights into William P Hobby Airport (HOU) and IAH.

NOTAMs are the most accurate way to determine the status of an airport as these are managed by the airport manager or airport authority, NBAA officials note.

“In events such as this, it is hard for the FAA to keep the OIS page updated with the ongoing airport status changes,” NBAA officials said.

Route Information

Houston TRACON (I90) and Houston Center (ZHU) continue to deal with reduced staffing. With the reduced volume they expect things to be manageable today, NBAA officials report.

Required reroutes may be issued to route traffic around Houston Center (ZHU) and for traffic into other airports within ZHU. These reroutes will be issued, cancelled or amended as needed depending on traffic volume and staffing levels at the facilities. There are also multiple route closures in the Gulf of Mexico.

Pilots are encouraged to monitor the FAA Current Reroutes page and FAA Advisory Database for the latest on required reroutes and route closures.

TFRs for rescue and recovery operations will start being issued Aug. 28. TFR NOTAMs should contain a phone number for pilots to obtain special permission to operate humanitarian relief flights into those areas.

In addition, there are several Airspace Coordination Area (ACA) NOTAMs that have been issued and encourage pilots to exercise extreme caution while operating in these areas due to current rescue operations.

These NOTAMs may be found on PilotWeb in the ZHU (HOUSTON ARTCC) NOTAMs under the “ARTCC Notices, TFRs and Special Notice Page” section.

Additional Resources

National Hurricane Center

The National Hurricane Center has all the latest information on tropical storms or hurricanes in both the Atlantic (including the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico) and Pacific basins. These resources include forecast tracks and intensity as well as winds and storm surge.

NBAA Airspace Alerts

NBAA Air Traffic Services (ATS) at the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center also distributes email alerts about operational issues, including those related to weather.

Humanitarian and Relief Resources

NBAA’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Database: GA has long served as a lifeline to people and communities in crisis. That’s because general aviation and business aircraft can reach locations impacted by natural disasters, when airliners and sometimes even automobiles cannot.

General aviation aircaft can operate on short notice into outlying airports with small runways, and sometimes unpaved airstrips, or even onto roads. They are uniquely suited to providing a first response to natural disasters and other emergencies, NBAA officials note.

The NBAA Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Database is a list of people in the business aviation community who are part of disaster-response mobilization efforts. In the aftermath of major crises, basic information from the database is provided to organizations coordinating relief efforts.

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ASI’s Nall Report Shows Accident Numbers Headed in the Right Direction

The trends detailed in the 26th Joseph T. Nall review of GA accidents published yesterday showed some numbers that weren’t going to make people jump for joy, while the GA scorecard, a less detailed, supplemental look at more recent data did show numbers headed in the right direction. For instance, the scorecard showed a very positive increase in fixed-wing flight time, up five percent in 2015 versus a decrease in the GAaccident rate while the Nall spoke to slightly older data that showed an increase in fatalities.

Both reports are published annually by the AOPA’s Air Safety Institute. The recent Nall report looked at data through 2014 and reflects a two-year lag as the ASI team works to gather at least 80 percent of the NTSB’s final accident reports in a given year. The scorecard is based on 2015 and 2016 information.

The Nall report showed the total number of fixed-wing accidents declined between 2013 and 2014 from 961 to 952, but the number of fatal accidents rose significantly in that two-year period from 167 to 196. The good news is that fatal accidents declined significantly in 2016 to 156, a six percent drop from the 167 recorded in 2013.

The scorecard’s more recent data confirmed 2016 to be the fourth year in a row with fewer than 1,000 recorded non-commercial fixed wing accidents, 991 to be exact, a level not seen since the post-World War II era. By comparison, there were 1,163 accidents recorded in 2012.

Accident rates also showed some positive trends with a decrease in the overall GA accident rate to 5.53 in 2015 (the most recent rate data available) from 5.78 in 2014. The fatal accident rate declined from 1.19 to 1.12 during the same time periods.

Richard McSpadden, the ASI’s new executive director is a former flight leader of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team. He reflected yesterday on some of the data, delivering the less than positive news that, “75% of mishaps recorded are still pilot related.” McSpadden said he believes in type clubs because, “they do everything good for a pilot and safety. They make you a smarter pilot. Type clubs are also a great place to find coaches and mentors [for a specific aircraft type].”

He said too that roughly half the pilot population consumes safety information on a regular basis, adding that the ASI’s mission is to drive more pilots to consume that information. “Pilots who take the time to consume safety information are better pilots.” The goal is to also figure out how to reach the pilots not reading safety information regularly. “How do we convince them to bring another pilot to a safety meeting for instance?” McSpadden asked. He said ASI also wants to add new emphasis on some troubling areas, takeoff, climb out, fuel management and low-altitude maneuvering.

Additional insights showed breakdowns of the aircraft conditions for 2015. The data showed 719 single-engine accidents, nearly half of which occurred in tailwheel airplanes. Multi-engine aircraft accounted for only about six percent of accidents, a number that reflects the tiny portion of multi-engine flying occurring these days. Nearly 80 percent of the accidents occurred on personal flights with another 11 percent happening during flight training activities. Half the pilots involved in these accidents held only a private pilot certificate, which of course means most of the remaining accidents happened to more experienced aviators with either a commercial or ATP certificate. A tiny six and a half percent of the accidents occurred with a student pilot at the controls. Always of interest is that eighty six percent of the accidents occurred in day VMC weather. The scorecard breakdowns for 2016 reflected nearly the same split.

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Boeing 234 Chinook: Buyer’s and Investor’s Guide

The Boeing 234 Chinook is the civilian variant of the CH-47 Chinook military helicopter.

The Boeing 234 Chinook is a twin engined tandem rotor heavylift helicopter, mainly used for moving very heavy equipment. The helicopter has three external cargo hooks for underslung loads. The current military version is the CH-47F Chinook. With the introduction of the CH-47F, there are a number of CH-47D Chinooks coming from the military and being converted for civilian use. It is also known as the Boeing Vertol BV-234.

Mission: Oversized loads such as cranes or towers, logging, any large structures, is able to transport large number of people

First Flight: September 1961

Fleet: Over 1,200 (all variants)

Performance

Max speed: 170 knots (196 mph/315 kmh)

Cruise speed: 130 kts (149 mph/ 240 kmh)

Range: 450 miles (741 kmh)

Weight

Max take-off weight: 50,000 lb (22,680 kg)

Empty weight: 23,500 lb (10,185 kg)

Loaded weight: 26,680 lb (12,100 kg)

Bell 505 Jet Ranger X: Buyer’s and Investor’s Guide

Bell Helicopter launched the Bell 505 at the 2013 Paris Air Show as the Bell SLS (Short Light Single).

The company unveiled the official name at The HAI -Heli-Expo 2014 at Anaheim in California. First flight of this light utility helicopter is slated for late 2014 and the company expects type certification in 2015.

Missions: Training, VIP, corporate

First Delivery: 2015/2016

Performance

Max speed (Vne): 120 kts (144 mph/232 kmh)

Range: 300 nautical miles (657 km)

Weight

Useful Load: 680 kg

Passengers/Crew 4 passengers and single pilot

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Helicopter crashes into water in central Georgia

A helicopter crashed into the water while filling the reservoir in central Georgia when fetching water to extinguish wild fire in the vicinity Sunday morning, no casualties reported, Xinhua reported quoting Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

The helicopter, which belonged to the border police of MIA, fell into the reservoir in Borjomi Gorge near the Kura River.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvilion said on Saturday that the massive forest fire broke out a week ago in Borjomi Gorge has been almost extinguished. The fire control headquarter would stay there for days to deal with potential disasters and prevent development of the fire, he said.

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Airbus is Landing Flying Cars with Lasers

Okay, so it’s not a flying car in the sense we grew up imagining, but Airbus A^3’s octocopter personal aerial vehicle, Vahana, is still quite impressive.

Utilizing eight propellers mounted on rotating wings, Vahana is capable of vertical take-off and horizontal flight. The landing, however, is where it gets tricky.

“Takeoff is fairly scripted,” Sanjiv Signh, the CEO of Near Earth Autonomy — a company that makes sensors and robotic controls for aerial vehicles like drones — told Wired. “But the landing site may not be ready to take a vehicle. Maybe something went wrong, and there’s already a vehicle on deck.”

That’s where Vahana’s onboard lasers and Near Earth Autonomy technology, Peregrine, come into play. Mounted under the fuselage, it contains lidar, inertial measurement, GPS sensors and plenty of processing power. Once the Vahana drops below 65 feet its laser begins a three-dimensional scan, sending data back and suggesting the best landing zone.

While PAV technology has come a long way since the Moller M400 Skycarblunders, some industry leaders believe we’re a long way from fully autonomous flight.

“Today you have several sensor systems which are available to provide information on the surroundings to detect moving objects or human forms,” says Neva Aerospace CEO Robert Vergnes. “But the software which is going to make decisions does not yet exist.”

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World’s first drone delivery service launches in Iceland

The world's first operational drone delivery service has launched in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Shoppers in the Icelandic capital will now be able to receive food and other goods direct to their doors via an autonomous flying vehicle, which providers say will significantly speed up delivery times.

The coastal city is subdivided by a large bay and several smaller rivers which make the transportation of goods both time-consuming and cumbersome.

"We're making delivery as instant as ordering," said Yariv Bash, chief executive and co-founder of Flytrex, the autonomous drone company behind the launch.

The service is currently available to consumers using AHA, Iceland's largest online marketplace, though the pair also hope to eventually roll it out overseas.

The launch marks a feat for businesses and advocates of the unmanned delivery technology. So far AHA has reported a 60 percent reduction in drone delivery costs versus land and sea alternatives. It also claims to have reduced transportation time by up to 20 minutes during peak hours.

It follows regulatory approval from the Icelandic Transport Authority, which claims the service will also improve road safety.

"The drones will reduce the load on the transport infrastructure leading to safer roads. Simultaneously people have access to a better and faster delivery service which can only be seen as an advantage."

However, critics argue that such services could be dangerous and pose threats to privacy and security.

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HondaJet takes top spot for first time in global small-jet market

The HondaJet has taken first place in the global small-jet market for the first time ever.

Honda Aircraft Co., a U.S unit of Honda Motor Co., has been enjoying strong demand mainly from North American and European customers since it started delivering the seven-seater business jet at the end of 2015. Twenty-four of the $4.9 million jets were shipped in the first half.

Honda Aircraft President Michimasa Fujino said the plane has earned high marks for performance, comfort and usability.

According to Honda, the subsidiary has received orders for over 100 units combined from North America, Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

While the firm is projected to ship 50 to 55 units this year, it hopes to bump that up to 80 to 100 units in the future.

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Bell 412EPI: Buyer’s and Investor’s Guide

The Bell 412EPI is the newest civil version of the Bell 412. The 412EPI is fitted with a modern glass cockpit.

Missions: Oil & Gas, Offshore, VIP/Corporate

First delivery: 2013

World fleet: Over 850 (all variants)

Category: Twin Engine

Performance

Maximum speed (Vne): 140 kts / 259 km/hr

Maximum cruise speed (Vh): 122 kts / 226 km/hr

Maximum Range: 368 nm / 672 km (no reserve)

Weights

Maximum takeoff gross weight: 11,900 lb / 5,398 kg

Empty weight: 7,071 lb / 3,207 kg

Useful load (standard): 4,829 lb / 2,190 kg

Max external load (cargo hook limit): 4,500 lb / 2,041 kg

Passengers (crew): 14 (one pilot) or 13 (two pilots)

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Drone flies 56 hours without refueling

The FAI has ratified a world record for flight duration for an experimental unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The VA001, an unmanned aircraft that looks like a glider but is powered by a diesel engine, successfully flew for 55 hours, 56 minutes non-stop and without re-fueling on Dec. 2, 2016.

The flight took place at New Mexico State University’s Unmanned Air Systems Flight Test Center near Las Cruces International Airport, where the plane was launched by tow at 8:15 am local time on Nov. 30, 2016.

Once in the air, the VA001 climbed to its cruising altitude of 6,500-7,000 feet AMSL and then flew a figure-8 holding pattern for the remainder of the flight.

A typical circuit took 5 minutes, 20 seconds at an average speed of 67 mph.

The VA001, which has a wingspan of 36 feet and is made of carbon fiber, looks like a glider, with long white wings and a short, streamlined body. The engine is mounted at the front, with a single propeller at the back.

The total weight of the plane with fuel was 421.7 pounds. During the flight it carried a 20-pound payload.

No refuelling was allowed during the flight. The aircraft has two fuel tanks, and is designed to fly non-stop, without refueling for more than a week. The record flight was originally planned as a 120-hour mission, but was ended early due to forecast bad weather.

After flying non-stop for nearly two-and-a-half days, the VA001 successfully landed back where it had been launched from. It was then weighed to assess how much fuel it had used.

Over the 56 hours it had consumed 9.7 gallons of fuel. It had covered about 3,749 miles, giving it a fuel economy of 386.46 miles per gallon.

Remarkably, there was enough fuel left onboard to fly a further 10,000 km or 4.5 days, according to FAI officials.

The VA001 is being developed by Vanilla Aircraft, a private company. The ultimate aim of the VA001 project is for the plane to carry a 30-pound payload for 10 days at an altitude of 15,000 feet. Potential applications include surveying and communications.

The world record flight was submitted for a world duration record for combustion-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the 50-500 kg subclass (FAI Class U-1.c Group 1). The record claim was ratified by the FAI on Aug. 23, 2017.

FAI, the World Air Sports Federation, is the world governing body for air sports and for certifying world aviation and space records. The FAI, founded in 1905, is a non-governmental and non-profit organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

FAI activities include Aerobatics, Aeromodelling, Airships, Amateur-Built and Experimental Aircraft, Balloons, Drones, Gliding, Hang Gliding, Helicopters, Manpowered Flying, Microlights, Parachuting, Paragliding, Paramotors, Power Flying and all other Aeronautic and Astronautic sporting activities.

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