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Heli-Expo Images

Following a year of tumult and rumors of its impending bankruptcy, MD Helicopters CEO Lynn Tilton used her company’s Heli-Expo press conference on Sunday to update the world on the company’s fortunes and her view of the state of the industry, delivered in her characteristically iconoclastic fashion–both content- and couture-wise.

“I decided to come back as the dominatrix of MD H more

AgustaWestland (Booth No. 1629) congratulated South African operator Acher Aviation for achieving its 50,000th hoist operation on a single helicopter. The milestone occurred in January when an A109K2 light twin operated by Acher for harbor pilot shuttle duties made the lift using a Breeze Eastern HS-20200, 600-pound electric rescue hoist system. The aircraft also has an accumulated total flight ti more

HeliValues (Booth No. 3401) president Sharon Desfor said on Sunday here at Heli-Expo 2010 that values of used helicopters may be nearing the bottom. “It could be the middle of this year,” she said, “depending on how much credit loosens up. That has been holding back the market more than any other single factor. If you can’t get money, you can’t buy anything, so the used inventory keeps e more

Honeywell regularly brings its company-owned Eurocopter AS350 (N350FD) to Heli-Expo, and this year is no exception. “The helicopter is certified for experimental and market survey use,” explained Steve Kilbourne, senior test pilot. “We use it for development of Honeywell equipment and demonstrations to customers and potential customers.”

In previous years, Kilbourne and Honeywel more

How much do you know about safety management systems (more commonly referred to as SMS)? If you’re like many HAI members, you probably don’t know as much as you should or even as much as you think you do, according to human factors expert and HAI Technical Committee member Richard Komarniski, also president of Grey Owl Aviation Consultants.

“The biggest thing I find talking to peo more

HAI is poised to launch a helicopter safety accreditation program for small operators and is currently in negotiations with the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), which helped develop the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO).

IBAC introduced the IS-BAO program as a code of best practices at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition more

MD Helicopters Selects Emteq for Exterior Lights
Emteq (Booth No. 3735) has been selected by MD Helicopters to develop and supply exterior lighting for the MD900, MD500 and MD600 models. The contract includes dual-mode anti-collision lights, position lights and tail lights, all of which are currently undergoing testing. While initially selected for OEM production aircraft, th more

The threatened pink workstations are a nonstarter, but Nancy Lematta has her hands firmly on the controls of Aurora, Ore.-based Columbia Helicopters. Her late husband, Wes, who founded the company with his brothers, charted a course that she plans to follow.

“Wes set the tone and I don’t plan any changes other than pink,” she said, tongue firmly in cheek, “and we talked a lot up more

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its 2010 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements last week, upgrading its assessment of  the FAA’s action to improve the safety of emergency medical services (EMS) flights from red (unacceptable response) to yellow (acceptable response-progressing slowly).

NTSB added EMS safety to its Most Wanted List last year more

SkyTrac Briefing Daily on SkyWeb 3.0
SkyTrac Systems of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, is displaying the latest version of its satcom-based flight tracking and following software at Booth No. 3506. Technical briefings on the new features of SkyWeb V 3.0 are being presented daily in conference room 380A in the convention center from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

SkyTrac hardwa more