Raytheon Airline Aviation Services and Pratt & Whitney Canada have announced the availability of a 9,000-hour overhaul interval for the PT6A-67D engines installed on the Beechcraft 1900D. Most 1900s must undergo overhauls at between 6,000 and 8,000 hours.

The TBO, available through a P&WC Service Bulletin, allows operators to extend their overhaul intervals to 9,000 hours or 14 years fo more

Embraer has signed a five-year distribution and logistics agreement with Sydney-based Hawker Pacific covering the supply of EMB-110 Bandeirante and EMB-120 Brasilia spare parts in Australia and the Pacific Rim. Under the agreement, Hawker Pacific will buy Embraer’s entire inventory of spares now housed at its facility in Melbourne, Australia, and assume responsibility for the supply, order proce more

American Eurocopter opened its manufacturing, assembly and customization plant in Columbus, Miss., in October. The 85,500-sq-ft plant at Golden Triangle Regional Airport will employ a staff of 100 including technicians, manufacturing and support personnel.
Work has been under way at the facility for several months and the first AS 350 AStars have already been delivered after on-site assembly, more

Chinese operator COHC has ordered two Eurocopter AS 332L1 Super Pumas, with an option to acquire one EC 225 and an EC 155 B1. The order is worth $24.3 million (E24.7 million).

COHC already operates a sizeable Eurocopter fleet that consists of seven L1 Super Pumas, five AS 365N Dauphins, three EC 155Bs and one EC 135 P2. Eurocopter holds a 21-percent stake in COHC GAMEC, which maintains more

The city of Hamburg, Germany, has accepted two new EC 135s for police duties. Christened Libelle (Dragonfly) One and Two, the Eurocopter twins replace older BO 105s.

The deliveries coincide with the 40th anniversary of the police air unit, which is based at the Lufthansa Repair Center in Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel. Missions cover northeast Lower Saxony, the western part of Mecklenburg-Pomeran more

Eurocopter wasn’t the only OEM to strike it rich with a multiple-ship order from the U.S. government. Bell also picked up a deal for between 25 and thirty 430s, which will meet the U.S. Border Patrol’s requirements for medium twin-turbine helicopters. The helicopters will be built at Bell Canada in Montreal and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2006.

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Development of AgustaWestland’s new A109S Grand is on schedule, with two test aircraft already achieving their performance targets, according to the Italian manufacturer. AgustaWestland has received deposits for more than 20 copies of the growth version of the A109 Power, with certification and first deliveries scheduled for the second half of next year.

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A Danish flight-test engineer has developed a camera nose mount for the EC 120 that, he says, is stronger and lighter than the only current alternative. It can also pan 135 degrees to either side of the nose without obstructing the shot with the skids.
Morten Bang, whose day job is with the Royal Danish Air Force Air Material Command at Zeeland, north of Copenhagen, said that Eurocopter appro more

Hindustan Aeronautics claimed new helicopter high-altitude flying records last month, although it remains to be seen whether those records will be certified.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Cheetak, a derivative of the Eurocopter SA 315 Lama, landed at Saser Kangri in India’s Ladhak region at a density altitude of 25,150 feet msl. It was piloted by HAL test pilots A.S. Butola and S. Sharma. more

The Life Flight Trust, operator of a Wellington, New Zealand-based Westpac Rescue BK 117B2, was named 2004 “Trust of the Year” at a recent awards dinner.

“The ‘Trust of the Year’ award is judged on endeavor, process, merit and outstanding achievement,” said Errol Anderson, executive officer for the New Zealand Trustees Association. “A real strength of Life Flight is the st more