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z AEC Announces New Sales Director American Eurocopter chose Heli-Expo ’13 as the venue to announce the appointment of Brian K. Reid as director of support and service sales. As such Reid will oversee and grow the marketing efforts of American Eurocopter’s customer support and service division, which focuses on the aftermarket segment. Reid has a background in helicopter manufacturing, having held positions in business development, sales, marketing and management.
z Heli-Expo Works for Mavana Air Support “We come to the show every year to connect and network with our customers, as well as to discover new customers,” explained Leigh Cheyne, director and coowner of Miami- and Brisbane, Australia-based Mavana Air Support, who traveled here with his business partner, co-owner and director Rhys Chamberlain. Cheyne handles sales and marketing, while Chamberlain, a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer, rounds out the team. Mavana provides management of repair, overhaul and exchange services primarily for Eurocopter products. It is a source of spare parts and components as well as leased aircraft and components. “We are currently working in conjunction with Rainier Heli International rebuilding a Eurocopter AS332L1 model Super Puma,” Cheyne told AIN. With so many potential customers spread across the world, Cheyne said attendance at Heli-Expo works because “it’s an efficient way for us to do business.”
z Simplex’s Aerial Cleaning/De-icing System Awarded EASA Certification Simplex Aerospace (Booth No. N2511) announced EASA certification of its aerial cleaning and de-icing system for power lines and windmills during Heli-Expo ’13. Portland, Ore.-based Simplex received EASA certification for installation of the Model 510 system on the Eurocopter AS350 and AS355 on Feb. 8, 2013, according to Michael Finnegan, regional manager for the company. The Model 510 system includes a 180-gallon water tank that significantly increases operator time between refills, and its nozzled boom extends past the rotor tips of the helicopter on which it is installed, providing an extended washing distance. That lets operators clean hard-to-reach items, such as insulator rings.
life flight and agustawestland celebrate aw119kx deal A post-signing toast seals the agreement for the purchase of 15 new AgustaWestland AW119Kx helicopters for airmed operator Life Flight, the first customer for the model. From left to right, Ron Cooper, AgustaWestland sales manager Northwest; Mike Griffiths, CEO, Life Flight; Daniele Romiti, CEO, AgustaWestland; Bill Hunt, CEO, AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation; and Bob Brant, AgustaWestland vice president of sales and n marketing for North America.
Unleaded soon to fuel Lycomings in Robbies by Mark Huber Robinson Helicopter announced Tuesday at Heli-Expo that it is working with Lycoming and the FAA to have unleaded fuels approved for use in piston engines installed in its R22 and R44 models. CEO Kurt Robinson said the FAA had issued the company a project code for the effort and made it a priority. He said he hoped to have all the necessary approvals from engine maker Lycoming in the first half of this year. “It’s environmentally the right thing to do and it bothers me that it hasn’t been done,” Robinson said. The company also is continuing to work with Garmin and Aspen Avionics for approvals for optional installations of glass-panel avionics in all Robinson models. This will include the Garmin GTN series touchscreens and the G500H system in the turbine-powered R66 and R44 and Aspen installations in the R44 and R22 to replace the traditional “six pack” of steam gage instruments. Robinson said he hoped for all the necessary approvals in the second half of this year. International R66 Certification Efforts
Robinson said the company continues to pursue certification approval for the R66 in Canada, Russia and Europe and that the sticking point is the company’s demonstration of an equivalent level of safety (ELOS) due to the lack of redundant hydraulic systems in the aircraft. The FAA certified the R66 and R44 with hydraulic controls with an
10 HAI Convention News • March 7, 2013 • www.ainonline.com
exception to that requirement, and Robinson said that recent testing has shown that pilots can operate the R66 safely in the event of hydraulic failure. “We had to show what would happen if we jammed the hydraulics,” he explained, “so we intentionally did so with the largest metal chip we could fit in the system. It was
MARIANO ROSALES
Sparrow Aviation has become Advanced Helicopter Services (AHS, Booth No. C3407) and is exhibiting for the first time at Heli-Expo ’13. AHS occupies more than 55,000 sq ft at the WattsWoodland Airport in north central California. There the company provides comprehensive helicopter maintenance as an FAA Part 145 repair station and authorized service center for Eurocopter, AgustaWestland, Robinson and Enstrom helicopters, and authorized Turbomeca engine maintenance center. AHS claims to be the only company in North America that is both a Eurocopter service center and Turbomeca maintenance center. AHS offers major maintenance, including structural repairs and airframe modifications, 24-hour AOG support both for spares and maintenance, analysis, troubleshooting, recordkeeping, technical support, engineering services and customized airframe-specific support. Avionics equipment installations as well as inspection, repair and replacement are also in the company’s range of capabilities.
JACK SYKES
z Advanced Helicopter Supports and Services Helicopter Airframes and Turbomeca Engines
Kurt Robinson, CEO, Robinson Helicopter
very easy for the pilot to break through the chip and maintain maneuverability of the aircraft.” Robinson said certification authorities in Canada, Europe and Russia have been notified of the test results and that “the ball is in their court” with regard to certification. He said the company is committed to gaining certification in those markets and would provide any other additional data required. In other initiatives related to the R66, Robinson has completed in-house float testing and expects the FAA to do so this spring. The company is continuing to develop a cargo hook package for the R66 that will
enable the aircraft to be flown from either pilot position. “People have told me that Canadian certification is useless unless I can provide a cargo hook for the R66 at the same time,” Robinson said, noting the popularity of sling-loading there. Robinson continues cargo hook testing using Canadian pilots. The R66 police package was certified last year as was a fivepoint shoulder harness and an optional 25-amp battery in place of the standard 19-amp model. Robinson noted, “Not everyone flies in Southern California and there are conditions when you really want that extra amperage.” Last year R66 production increased to 191 and now stands at six per week. Robinson said that he was encouraged that R66 sales had not slowed demand for the R44, which saw 286 deliveries last year. “The R66 is not cannibalizing sales for the R44. The people who are buying R66s, that’s a different market. The people who are using R44s still love them and that’s great. Our goal is to grow the market and not take market share from someone else, particularly our own,” Robinson said. By mid-year Robinson will begin installing as standard equipment in R22s fuel bladders that will decrease that model’s endurance by 15 minutes, but not add any weight. “I believe the additional security is worth the loss of endurance,” Robinson said, noting that the bladders will hold slightly less fuel than the aircraft’s current fuel system. On a personal note, Robinson said that his father, company founder Frank Robinson, no longer comes to the office. “This is the industry that he loves and it kills him not to be here.” o