OCTOBER 2017 VOL 44
CBP
HURRICANE HARVEY RESPONSE
CHC
SAFETY & QUALITY SUMMIT
CHINA
HELICOPTER EXPOSITION
WWII
PIASECKI
HUP-2 FINDS
NEW HOME
PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE AVIATION
2 | heliweb magazine
INSIDE
THE OCTOBER ISSUE 62 70
42
COVER STORY:
PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE
AIRBORNE LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER THE LAND OF THE LIBERTY BELL By Ryan Mason & Seth Lasko
CHINA HELICOPTER EXPOSITION
CBP HURRICANE HARVEY RESPONSE
TIANJIN SHINES F0R BIGGEST CHINESE HELICOPTER EXPO
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION AIR AND MARINE
By Michael Rocks-Macqueen
By Colt Roy & Ryan Mason
54
SPANISH ARMY
BHELMA IV UNIT OPERATIONS
By Niels Roman, Ralph Blok, & Robin Coenders
WWII HUP-2 FINDS NEW HOME
FORGOTTEN RELIC FINDS NEW HOME IN CALIFORNIA By Damon Duran
CHC SAFETY & QUALITY SUMMIT
CHC’S PREMIER EVENT IS HELD IN DALLAS FOR FIRST TIME By Ryan Mason
COLUMNS & FEATURES
78
38
Helipix
6
From the Desk of
18
Helinews
26
July 2017 | 3
is a publication of Airborne Productions P.O. Box 3134 Alpharetta, GA 30023 TOLL FREE: 844.435.4932 PHONE: 770.308.6648
EMAIL: info@heliweb.com
Meet the team: Ryan Mason
Publisher & Editor
ryan@heliweb.com
Ryan has worked in aviation media for almost a decade, providing photography, story content, and videos for multiple U.S and international aviation publications before purchasing Heliweb Magazine. Also a former police officer, he has written for numerous law enforcement publications, specializing in technology, tactics, police equipment and airborne law enforcement. Ryan’s goal is to provide story content on the issues that truly matter to the industry and to promote and support a safer industry.
Jason Jorgensen
Deputy Editor
jason@heliweb.com
Jason is a well established aviation photographer and journalist, a career that he pursued after completing his service in the United States Navy. Based in the Los Angeles area, Jason is also known in the architectural arena where for over a decade and a half, he worked with custom home builders, marketing teams, luxury interior designers and some of the largest real estate companies in the country. Jason specializes in business avaition, military aviation and investigative journalism, he also serves as the magazine’s Los Angeles Bureau Chief.
Colt Roy
Online Content Editor
colt@heliweb.com
Colt is a writer and photographer in the emergency services field. Colt is also the editorial director of SConFire.com a website dedicated to first responder news around the country and is the primary correspondent for coverage of helicopter aviation relating to helicopter air ambulance services and aerial firefighting.
OCTOBER 2017 ISSUE COVER: A Pennsylvania State Police flies over the city of Philadelphia Image by: Ryan Mason
Additional Contributors: Dan Foulds
Jacinta Cummins Dan Foulds retired from flying in 2015 after a 30 year career in flying in military & civilian aviation. Dan now runs HelicopterEMS.com and spends his time dedicated to helping improve air medical crew safety and single pilot operations.
Matt Johnson
A freelance journalist residing in rural Queensland, Australia, Jacinta currently specializes stories focused on regional Australia, She has worked for daily newspapers in Australia for over a decade and has served as a media advisor to two government administrations covering agriculture and aboriginal affairs.
For advertising inquiries, please call our advertising sales team at 844-435-4932 extension 802 or email sales@heliweb. com for more information on how we can help you showcase your business.
Damon Duran Helicopter FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, conducting Private through ATP level exams in numerous types. His experience spans; Air Medical, Law Enforcement, Flight Instruction and ENG Flying. Johnson is a 3 time Master Instructor, FAA Gold Seal Instructor, USHST Rep Human Factors Group and FAASTeam Rep Greater Cincinnati Ohio region.
Damon Duran is an aviation photographer and journalist based in the Southern California that has been shooting both rotary and fixed wing aircraft in the civilian, law enforcement and military segments for more than a decade. You can find more of Damon’s photography by following @Phantomphan1974 Photography on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Flikr.
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All material published remains the copyright of heliweb. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the publisher. Editorials published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Content within heliweb is believed to be true and accurate and the publisher does not assume responsibility for any errors. Unsolicited editorial manuscripts and photos are welcomed and encouraged. heliweb cannot be responsible for return unless submissions are accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Photos submitted by mail or electronically become property of heliweb unless otherwise specified. Copyrighted photographs must be clearly marked, otherwise they become property of heliweb. Deadline for all advertising is the first day of each month for the following months edition. Information about rates, requirements, etc. is available upon request.
July 2017 | 5
UH-60 during fleet week in San Francisco with the Golden Gate as a back drop. Photographer: Sergio Maraschin
Austria firefighting exercise with German Police, Austrian Police. Photographer: Florian Hรถrtnagl. 6 | heliweb magazine
#helipix
The fleet of Sydney Helicopters sits at Bankstown Airport, Australia. Photographer: James Williams.
Warwickshire Air Ambulance from the U.K flying an A109 Grand New Air Ambulance. Photographer: Simon Pryor. October August 2017 2017 || 77
A Police helicopter conducts bambi bucket training in Erbil Iraq. Photographer: Gabriel Fest. 8 | heliweb magazine
#helipix A Dutch NH-90 performs for thousands of onlookers during the annual World Harbor Days. Photographer: Jeroen Van Veenendal. August 2017 October 2017 || 99
Pilot Taylor Michaud flying agricultural work with a UH-1B in Northern CA.
Life Lion H155 - Hershey Pennsylvania. Photographer Seth Lasko. 10 | heliweb magazine
Photographer: Michal Piper.
#helipix
HeliAlpin AGR66 at 8000 feet. Photographer: Mario Gasser. October August 2017 2017 || 1111
An AirLift AS350 prepares to land. Photographer: Tom Ostrem. 12 | heliweb magazine
#helipix October 2017 || 1313 August 2017
Swedish NH-90 during a training mission. Photographer: Gunnar Ă…kerberg.
A PHI Air Medical EC135 from PHI Air Care 4sits on the pad at the University of Maryland hospital. Photographer: James Hershman heliwebmagazine magazine 1414| |heliweb
#helipix An Apache AH-64D of the Royal Netherlands Air Force conducting maneuvers over the countryside. Photographer: Jimmy van Drunen.
A CALFIRE Bell UH-1H/205A-1 fills up the tank for another run on the 2nd Canyon Fire. Photographer: Jason Jorgensen. October August 2017 2017 || 1515
A Bell 429 prepares to depart the luxury mega yacht Ulysses, orginially built for Graeme Hart, a businessman from New Zealand, the 197 foot mega yacht can accommodate thirty guests in fifteen luxury cabins. Ulysses also has its own sauna, pool, gym, massage room and jacuzzi and features its own garage that houses a 21 foot tender for beach excursions. The helipad can even accomodate an AW139. Mr. Hart recently upgraded to a bigger yacht, so the Ulysses is for sale, and can be yours for a cool $195,000,000 USD. Photographer: Tom van Oossanen.
heliwebmagazine magazine 1616| |heliweb
#helipix October August 2017 2017 || 1717
COLUMN
PUBLISHER
From the Desk Of... Safety is Everyones Responsibility
Commitment to doing the right thing is more than just going through the motions to appear as if you are doing something for the greater good. We are all part of an industry where everyone knows everyone by a maximum of two degrees of separation it seems. There is good and bad to that equation. When you need to get in contact with a specific person. You can usually accomplish the task with just a few calls. On the flip side, there are some that will remind you of it being “a very small industry,” ominously using that commentary nefariously to strike fear into young pilots to bolster one’s fragile ego or perhaps to squash the competition. We have all met people like that in business. The latter being something you can see almost daily now on social media, the internet equivalent of “do you know who I am?” Now imagine, if that same “very small industry’ and everyone connected by those few degrees of separation, used that s ame connec tion as an effective method to improve safety in our industry and pass on safety information that could save lives? In Australia, where I grew up, we called it the “bush telegraph.” In small towns, whispered gossip was often faster at letting people know what was going on before the parties concerned even knew what was happening. Imagine our very small industry - one that can sometimes make or break a pilot’s career from on a single phone call passing along safety information that quickly…
18 | heliweb magazine
What if that made a difference? What if that saved a life? The internet has taught us just how soon that both good and bad, true and false stories can travel now from one end of the globe to the other in mere seconds. Recently a story in Brazil that had an accompanying gutwrenching video attached made the rounds and continues to pop up now occasionally. I had seen the video months prior in confidence, and it turned my stomach to watch. Thankfully the version released through Brazilian televisions was edited from the version I saw, but the fact remained that it got the industry talking about safety. It sparked conversations about “pressonitis” and how to get out of a dangerous situation. It bothered me so much that I spoke to many experts in the field about it in my quest to understand what appeared to be blatant and absurd need to push on when moving forward seemed almost inevitable to have a fatal outcome. While we may never know much more than can be seen in that video, what I did notice was that it sparked more conversations about safety that I have seen from a half dozen safety initiative stories we have put out from the USHST in the last few months. On the flip side, I attended CHC’s Safety and Quality Summit in Fort Worth for the first time this month, and it was refreshing to see over 500 industry professionals with a
collective commitment to safety for both their own flying and a commitment from the top down for their organizations. CHC’s Karl Fessenden mentioned in his opening address at the summit that is having a robust safety management system at CHC is not just a forgotten document, but something that is worked on daily by everyone in the company. Fessenden, like many other CEO’s, has a vested interest in safety for his organization and its passengers around the world, but you can tell when speaking to Fessenden that he genuinely cares about safety. Past the prepared corporate speeches, Fessenden shows passion for the safety of his people even when not standing addressing five hundred industry professionals. That in itself is not something you can fake, at least not well. So I guess my monthly chance to speak on what is important to me this month centers around living the safety message and trying to make sure others around you do too. Take the time to get on the USHST website and see what free resources can help your organization and if you run a company. Be like Karl.
Ryan Mason Publisher & Editor
Ryan has worked in the aviation media field for the last nine years. Providing video, photographic and written content for U.S and international aviation publications. Also a former police officer, Ryan has written for numerous law enforcement publications, specializing in technology, tactics, police equipment and airborne law enforcement. Ryan purchased heliweb with a goal of providing real stories on real issues in the industry and giving back to the industry through efforts to promote safety in helicopter operations.
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Bell Helicopter 3rd Quarter Financial Results Show $78 Million Improvement, Larger Commercial Deliveries Airbus Helicopters Marks 50 Years of Local Presence and Showcases EMS Capabilities at China Helicopter Expo Airbus Helicopters’ celebrated its 50th anniversary in China at the 2017 China Helicopter Exposition, in Tianjin, Sept 14-17. Visitors were able be able to take a closer look at China’s very first Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) configured H135, operated by Beijing 999 Emergency Rescue Centre, and a HEMS configured H130 operated by Shandong MIT Group. Several Chinese-operated H125s, were also on display during the show. The H125s are especially notable because by the end of 2016, the inservice Ecureuil fleet reached 100 in China, becoming the largest fleet of a single helicopter type in the country. Attendees to the show had an opportunity to try out the interactive H160 virtual experience to learn more about the H160’s multiple configurations and performances. The Airbus Helicopters’ display also included an HCare counter presenting the company’s support options for customers, including training, maintenance, technical support, fleet management, and mission preparation. This year also marked the 50th anniversary of Airbus Helicopters’ presence in China. The company’s relationship with the country first began in 1967 with the sale of the Alouette III, followed by several cooperation agreements for the AS365 Dauphin, H120 Colibri, H175/ AC352 helicopters joint production, and an H135 final assembly line in Qingdao. heliwebmagazine magazine 2626| |heliweb
Hot on the heels of more deliveries of the Bell 505 and successful ground testing of the new military flagship V-280 concept, Bell Helicopter announced a $78 Million USD profit in the third quarter of 2017. Bell revenues were up $78 million, with Bell delivering thirty-nine commercial helicopters so far this year, up from twenty-five units at the same time last year, Bell also delivered eight H-1’s on par with last year. Patrick Moulay, Bell Helicopter Executive Vice President for Commercial Sales & Marketing was upbeat as the increase in commercial sales was announced. “We are seeing the commercial market for helicopters recover across most sectors and this is reflected in our sales performance. Our global footprint is growing steadily as we continue to deliver the new Jet Rangers around the world. Just last week, Nautilus Aviation accepted the first aircraft into Asia-Pacific. Continued success for the 407GXP this quarter with Caverton Helicopters confirming their fleet order in Africa and steady interest in private customers from Latin America and Europe for corporate transport. The Bell 429 continues to prove itself for Helicopter Emergency Services and Police missions with customers operating in the harshest environments, Bell Helicopter announced the signed purchase agreement for a Bell 429 to Air Zermatt during Helitech International. The aircraft is configured to support Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) and Search and Rescue (SAR) for day and night missions. “Air Zermatt is one of the most iconic Bell helicopters in operation and we are honored they have selected to add an additional Bell 429,” said Patrick Moulay, executive vice president, Commercial Sales and Marketing. “Air Zermatt’s selection is a testament to the Bell 429s unmatched performance in the most extreme environments.” Bell Helicopter will be supporting the training of Air Zermatt pilots at Bell
such as Air Zermatt choosing the Bell 429 over the competition.” The company’s military segment delivered five V-22 Osprey’s in the third quarter, down from six delivered in last year’s third quarter. Bell Helicopter’s Vince Tobin, Executive Vice President, Military Business stated “Excitement was at the heart of this third quarter with significant progress being made on the V-280 Valor. Last week, the prototype successfully achieved ground run testing at 100% rotor RPM and we are on track for first flight this fall. Additionally, the U.S. Army just announced Future of Vertical Lift (FVL) is their third highest modernization priority, demonstrating the importance of this to the U.S. military. On the global front, we continue to see solid interest in the AH-1Z Zulu and UH-1Y Yankee around the world, these are the newest attack and utility helicopters on the market today and we look forward to nations confirming their interest to advance their capabilities in these uncertain times with the most modern platforms.” Bell’s backlog at the end of the third quarter was $5.0 billion, down $413 million from the end of the second quarter. Helicopter’s newly opened Valencia facility using the Bell 429 Full Flight Simulator Level D. The aircraft is scheduled to be delivered next spring to celebrate Air Zermatt’s 50th anniversary.
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October 2017 | 27
HELINEWS
Enstrom Helicopter Announces Sale of Six Turbine 480B-G’s to Czech Republic maneuverability of the 480B makes this an ideal training aircraft. “We looked at several aircraft models prior to deciding on the Enstrom 480B-G,” said Miroslav Hejna, CEO of LOM PRAHA TRADE. a.s. “We believe the aircraft and the Enstrom team are the best choice for the long term.”
Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has announced the signed contract for six of their 480BG turbine helicopters with LOM PRAHA TRADE a.s. located in the Czech Republic. The Enstrom representatives in the Czech Republic, Dan Tuck and Roland VenHees from DSA, provided the coordination for marketing along
with the flight demonstrations, sales support and contract negotiations for this program. Enstrom’s turbine-powered model, known as the 480B-G is equipped with the Garmin G1000H which offers a glass cockpit capability for this helicopter. This equipment, when coupled with the stability and
This signed contract has two of the Enstrom helicopters slated for a delivery in early 2018 which will then be followed by four more to be delivered later in the year. This contract also includes spares, tools needed for maintaining the helicopters, and both pilot and maintenance training at the Enstrom factory. Of the six helicopters, LOM PRAHA TRADE will be utilizing four of the Enstrom 480B-Gs for military pilot training. The remaining two aircraft will be used by LOM PRAHA TRADE a.s. for pilot training. “The Enstrom 480B has proven to be the perfect ship for training in the military setting,” said Tracy Biegler, President, and CEO of Enstrom. “Moving from the 480 to a larger aircraft provides a seamless transition.” Lom PRAHA TRADE a.s. is located in Prague and operates as a business broker in the fields of helicopter airframe maintenance, maintenance of heavy aggregates (engines, gearboxes) and aviation training and ground staff training are among other significant specializations of the company. They are a subsidiary of LOM PRAHA s.p.
28 | heliweb magazine
CHC’s Finance Team Recognized During Awards
CHC Helicopter’s was honored by the Dallas Business Journal earlier this week at the Chief Financial Officer of the Year awards in the extralarge company category. The award, presented on October 24, is given to the chief financial officers and teams responsible for outstanding performance within their companies. The award is selected by a panel of top regional financial leaders and focus on excellence in the areas of financial growth success in overcoming significant business challenges, superior leadership and team management, commitment to a company’s financial best practices and accounting standards, or success as a strategic visionary for the enterprise. “We are proud to be recognized for the hard work of Lee Eckert and our finance team in aligning our business and fleet with the downturn in the oil and gas sector and positioning us to be successful in a challenging market,” said Karl Fessenden, President and CEO of CHC Helicopter. “It’s an honor to be recognized alongside some outstanding local companies for the work our team put in to make our turnaround possible.” A key factor in the recognition of CHC’s financial team was their performance in managing the company’s successful emergence from Chapter 11 restru cturing that occurred earlier in 2017. On March 24, 2017 CHC emerged from the restructuring process with an improved business model and a strengthened balance sheet, which help competitively position the company for the future. October 2017 | 29
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Travis County will be the launch customer for the EMSconfigured AW169 as it begins service in the United States, Travis County is expecting their first aircraft delivery in October 2018. In addition to EMS operations, the AW169 will support Travis County’s search and rescue, law enforcement support, and fire suppression efforts in the area surrounding Austin, Texas. The three AW169s will allow STAR Flight to grow its operational capabilities, including the ability to transport patients longer distances and increased capabilities for search and rescue, as well as responsiveness to wildfires. The county’s helicopters will be configured with a multipurpose interior that includes specialty EMS equipment and stretchers that can be reconfigured to incorporate search and rescue and firefighting kits. Additionally, Travis County’s AW169s will be equipped with a hoist and a 300-gallon Simplex belly tank. The first HEMS configured sale of the AW169 in the United States shows the success of the AW family of aircraft around the world with the AW139 and AW189 also adding to the success of the Leonardo helicopters that center around a common infrastructure and operational functionality for pilots, making the ease of switching between aircraft a simple process. Leonardo now has more than 160 agreements for AW169s, including orders and options signed by nearly 70 customers in 30 countries.
CityAirbus Demonstrator Passes Major Propulsion Testing Milestone Project on track for 2018 maiden flight
Airbus Helicopters has recently completed the first full-scale testing for the propulsion system of the CityAirbus demonstrator – a multi-passenger, self-piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle designed for urban air mobility. During this successful testing phase, the CityAirbus team thoroughly checked the individual performance of the ducted propellers as well as the integration of the full-scale propulsion unit with two propellers, electric 100 KW Siemens motors and all electrical systems. CityAirbus is a battery-powered air vehicle able to vertically take off and land. It is designed to carry up to four passengers over congested megacities to important destinations such as airports or train stations in a fast, affordable and environmentally friendly way. The innovative four-ducted propeller configuration significantly contributes to safety and low acoustic footprint. “We now have a better understanding of the performance of CityAirbus’ innovative electric propulsion system, which we
Airbus Helicopters’ rendering of the CityAirbus
will continue to mature through rigorous testing while beginning the assembly of the full-scale CityAirbus flight demonstrator” says Marius Bebesel, CityAirbus chief engineer. The full-scale demonstrator will be tested on ground initially. In the first half of the coming year the development team expects to reach the “power on” milestone, meaning that all motors and electric systems will be switched on for
the first time. The first flight is scheduled for the end of 2018. In the beginning, the test aircraft will be remotely piloted, later on a test pilot will be on board. CityAirbus will be designed to carry up to four passengers on fixed routes with a cruising speed of 120 km/h. It will be initially operated by a pilot to ease certification and public acceptance, paving the way to future fullyautonomous operations.
First Prototype H160 Equipped with a Cabin Interior Takes Flight Airbus Helicopters has announced today that the third H160 prototype with the callsign PT3 has performed its maiden flight at the company’s headquarters this afternoon. PT3, which is complemented with a cabin interior configuration which is similar to that of a serial aircraft will contribute to the H160 program’s certification activities and flight testing to help ensure the aircraft’s level of maturity ahead of its planned entry into service in 2019. “The third prototype incorporates a significant amount of modifications based on feedback resulting from the first two years of testing by development, production, and support teams,” said Bernard Fujarski, Senior Vice President, Head of H160 program. “It plays an essential role in delivering a mature aircraft at entry into service and it is
also closer to the serial definition with its interior lining and transport cabin configuration” he added. To date, the first two prototypes, PT1 and PT2 have clocked more than fivehundred hours since the model’s maiden flight in June 2015. During this time of testing, the flight envelope has already been fully tested and the domain has been opened. For the remaining of the developmental activity which will consist of testing such as hot weather operation, antennas, and any optional equipment that will be offered with the H160 will be completed using a combination of all three prototypes. The H160’s final assembly line which is located at Airbus Helicopters’ Marignane manufacturing facility in France which employs approximately 9,000 employees
is entering its final stages of preparation and will soon be ready for serial production. Airbus is also preparing the support side of the program as customer support operations are also in development as maintenance teams work to develop plans through the company’s “Operator Zero Campaign” utilizing the prototypes and test means to check and improve the maintenance plan. This will include preparing digital work cards, technical documentation, and tooling among other things ahead of the actual operations. The first version of the H160 to enter service in 2019 will be the passenger transport airframe, intended for commercial air transport or Oil and Gas, followed by the emergency medical services (EMS) version. October 2017 | 31
HELINEWS
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office 500E to 530F Conversion Returns to Service
True to MD’s word of a twelve-week turnaround time, MD Helicopters announced the delivery and return of a FAA-certified MD 530F to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office located in Cincinnati, Ohio. This helicopter started life as an MD 500E that has been in operation with the department since 1989 before being shipped to Mesa, Arizona for a total makeover. With a new lease on life, and delivered as a newly certified F-model helicopter with a zero-time engine, it is ready to serve the department for another lifetime. The modernization of HCSO’s Aviation Unit via MDHI’s proven E-to-F Conversion program was announced in July of this year. “We are excited to return this beautiful, newly certified MD 530F to the team at Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office,” said Nick Nenadovic, Vice President Aftermarket and Customer Support for MD Helicopters, Inc. “Hamilton County is one of the most tenured all-MD helicopter aviation units in the country, and it is clear that the Hamilton County team understands the capabilities and value of the MD product. We are proud to have the opportunity to support their fleet modernization efforts and play an ongoing role in their exemplary service of Hamilton and surrounding counties.” 32 | heliweb magazine
The E-to-F conversion program, which is an MD Helicopter’s exclusive, delivers increased hot and high-performance capability as well as an improved operational range and flight time, which is crucial for a helicopter serving in a Law Enforcement role. Some of the enhancements to the HCSO aircraft include: •
• • •
An engine upgrade from the Rolls Royce 250-C20B to the more powerful Rolls Royce 250-C30 Full replacement of the blades and stabilizers Installation of the Garmin G500H dualscreen electronic flight display The addition of a Fargo Auxiliary Fuel Tank
In addition to the performance upgrades, MD also installed an all-new interior and updated the HCSO paint scheme to match the appearance of other department vehicles. After completing the delivery inspection and required training on the new upgrades, HCSO Chief Pilot Tim Doyle and members of his aviation team accepted delivery of the newly upgraded aircraft at MD Helicopters’ Mesa, Arizona headquarters before flying their new F-model back to Hamilton County to return it to service where it serves alongside an MD 520N in their aviation unit.
“We are looking forward to flying this truly like-new aircraft home,” said Tim Doyle, “and believe it will allow us to even more effectively support the officers of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, City of Cincinnati, and the various municipalities and Police Departments within Hamilton County. This aircraft will allow us to continue our legacy of providing exceptional public safety to our citizens for many years to come.” “This program has been an outstanding resource for E-model operators to affordably upgrade the capability of their aircraft with minimal downtime,” Nick Nenadovic concludes. “It is our absolute honor to transform these proven performers into essentially new aircraft, and return them to the operators who love them as much as we do.” The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for providing primary airborne law enforcement support to the 800,000+ residents and 240 square miles of Hamilton County of Ohio, as well as the nine surrounding counties in the Greater Cincinnati area.
ABLE Expands Maintenance Center With FAA Certification for AS350
Able Aerospace Services Inc. has been awarded an operations specification by the FAA to complete airframe and Level 1 engine maintenance on the Airbus Helicopters AS350B2/B3 models. The new Operating Specification addition significantly expands the capabilities of the Able Maintenance Center (AMC), established by Able to provide a full suite of rotorcraft airframe services including maintenance, inspections, airframe repair, avionics upgrade and paint. The new AS350 operations specification comes with “no limitations” allowing the AMC to conduct planned or progressive inspections, scheduled or unscheduled maintenance, and flight deck upgrades. Prior to this, the AMC focused on Bell Helicopter models. “We work diligently to keep our team and our facility at the forefront of technology, so that we’re always prepared to provide quick, safe, cost-effective solutions as opportunities arise,” said Able Aerospace Services Senior Vice President of Operations Heidi McNary “Expanding our AMC to serve the AS350 platform is the latest application of that strategy, and underscores our commitment to provide comprehensive, best-of-class service to multiple OEMs across the industry.” “AS350 operators can now count on Able to not only provide expert modification and upgrade services but also deliver on-site MRO and parts solutions. If an unexpected repair need arises during a visit, we can complete that repair here – in house. That is a benefit that few others can provide, and can significantly reduce aircraft downtime,” added Able Aerospace Services General Manager Gabriel Massey.
The AMC was established two years ago, focusing on Bell Helicopter models and quickly establishing its position as an authorized dealer for a growing list of premier aerospace manufacturers, including AEM, Cobham, FreeFlight Systems, Garmin, Jupiter Avionics, MidContinent and Technisonic. In April, the AMC completed its first major contract – a state-of-the-art flight deck upgrade program for Air Evac Lifeteam, the largest independently owned and operated membershipsupported air ambulance service in the U.S. The upgrades created a standardized flight deck configuration across 126 Air Evac Lifeteam Bell 206 and Bell 407 aircraft, ensuring the operator was compliant with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 2017 Helicopter Air Ambulance (HAA) mandate for cockpit safety improvements. In addition to standardizing fielded aircraft, the twoyear program included the completion of 20 “green” Bell 206L4 helicopters. Scope of work included the installation of the EMS cabin equipment, HeliSAS autopilot system, ADS-B compliance, HTAWS compliance, IRIS Flight Data Monitoring system, Technisonic TDFM communications and Garmin G500H glass cockpit upgrades as a Garmin authorized dealer.
headquarters at Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona. Of Able’s 450 employees, 20 are dedicated AMC team members, providing specialized services including periodic maintenance and inspections, airframe repair, airframe completions, avionics upgrades, component exchanges, full paint services and dedicated engineering support. AMC team members also have direct access to Able’s on-site MRO and approved replacement parts solutions, including extensive in-house capabilities that allow Able to complete more than 95 percent of all jobs on site. Some of these capabilities include electroplating, chemical processing, machining, grinding, NDT testing, hydraulics and bearings services, and painting. Able provides these services to commercial and military aviation fleets in more than 60 countries worldwide.
The AMC is part of Able’s 200,000-square-foot
October 2017 | 33
HELINEWS
Safran Unveils Aneto – Its New Range of Engines for the Super-Medium and Heavy Helicopter Market Safran Helicopter Engines is unveiled its brand-new Aneto high power engine family at Helitech International, in London. Designed for new super-medium and heavy helicopter market, it incorporates ground-breaking technologies, developed as part of the Safran Helicopter Engines R&D roadmap. Aneto family will feature several models covering 2500 to over 3000 shp power range. Bruno Even, Safran Helicopter Engines President said, “Launching the Aneto engine family here in Helitech marks a major milestone for Safran Helicopter Engines. It is the result of a long and sustained strategy of technology acquisition and maturation. Today we are in position to bring to the market a new generation and competitive engine solution for the super-medium and heavy helicopter market, ready to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2018. We are convinced that Aneto will offer a new level of performance coupled with reduced operating costs.” First 2,500 shp model, named Aneto-1K, has been selected by Leonardo to power its twin-engine AW189K. First flight of the Aneto-1K fitted to this helicopter has taken place on March 2017 and entry into service is scheduled for fourth quarter of 2018. Aneto1K EASA certification will meet that timetable. Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director Leonardo Helicopters, said “We are pleased that the AW189K will be the first helicopter to feature an Aneto engine. This new turboshaft engine will offer our customers a high level of performance and further extend the capabilities and versatility of our super medium platform, particularly in hot & high conditions. Operators will also benefit from Safran’s longstanding experience in the helicopter market as well as from its strong worldwide support network.” Aneto engine family bring significant benefits: Thanks to an exceptional power-to-volume ratio, it offers 25 % greater power (when compared to existing engines of same volume), contributing to increased mission capabilities especially during demanding missions requiring more power like offshore, search and rescue, fire-fighting or military transport, as well as better performance in “hot and high” conditions. The Tech 3000 technological demonstrator is a key building block of the Aneto family. It enables Safran Helicopter Engines to validate designs and technologies 34 | heliweb magazine
capable of delivering up to 15 % better fuel economy over today’s high power engine models. These new technologies will be gradually incorporated in the Aneto models, depending on the power requirements and entry-into-service timeframe, resulting in improved range and payload and reduced environmental footprint. Aneto features higher reliability and safety. Its maintainability has been optimized with fewer scheduled maintenance tasks and longer maintenance intervals, and this new range will have connected features like health monitoring (predictive maintenance) and will be fully compatible with BOOST, Safran’s new online engine maintenance management service. Designed for next generation rotorcraft, Aneto is also a drop-in engine solution for existing models.
Safran Helicopter Engines has a long-tradition of naming its engines after features in the Pyrenees mountains, which overlook its Bordes headquarters. Arriel is a famous peak near the French-Spanish border, Arrius is the name of a high-altitude lake, and Makila refers to a traditional Basque walking stick. Safran chose the name Arrano for our new 1100-1300 shp engine, after a majestic black eagle featured in Basque folklore. For its new high power engine range, Safran Helicopter Engines has chosen the name Aneto. It is the name of the highest mountain in the Pyrenees, reaching a height of 3,404 meters. According to Safran Helicopter Engines this name reflects their commitment to push the limits higher both in terms of technical and in service performance. They say it also symbolizes the new levels of power and performance they are now able to reach.
Columbus Police Department Helicopter Unit Recognized By MDHI For 45 Years Of Dedicated Service The Columbus Police Department acquired their first two (2) of what would become six (6) E-model helicopters in 1997. Over the past 20 years these aircraft have flown 16-hours a day, 7-days a week, logging nearly 5,000 hours per year. Statistically, this unit is responsible for over 500 felony and misdemeanor arrests annually. “We are proud to celebrate this achievement with the Columbus Police Department Helicopter Unit,” said Lynn Tilton, Chief Executive Officer for MD Helicopters, Inc. “Part of our law enforcement family for nearly half of their 45-years of operation, we are honored to have played a role in their impressive history, and are grateful for their ongoing commitment to the MD 500-series helicopter as an integral part of their law enforcement unit.” Today, with their fleet of certified MD 530F-model helicopters, the CPD Helicopter Unit – the second largest of all-MD municipal law enforcement agencies in the United States – celebrates more than 76,000 flight hours of over watch; supporting ground patrol officers in the execution of suspect searches and apprehensions, vehicular pursuits, and delivering aid to other law enforcement agencies throughout Central Ohio. The Columbus Police Department began the revitalization of their Helicopter Unit in 2015, when the first four (4) of their MD
500E-model helicopters were upgraded to F-model (369FF) aircraft through MD Helicopters’ E-to-F conversion program. The FAA-approved factory recertification is an exclusive offering to MD Helicopters, delivering enhancements that increase the hot-and-high performance capability of the aircraft, as well as improve the operational range and flight time. CPD’s final two MD 500E-aircraft completed inspection, overhaul, and re-recertification at MDHI’s Mesa, Arizona headquarters this summer, and were returned to service last month. “Our FAA-approved E-to-F conversion program has been an outstanding way for operators to upgrade from their proven E-model aircraft to a factory-converted, FAA-certified F-model, returning to service more capable than ever before” said Nick Nenadovic, Vice President Aftermarket and Customer Support for MD Helicopters, Inc. “Particularly in law enforcement operations, we know these aircraft provide an essential level of over watch to both the officers and citizens below. We couldn’t be more proud of CPD’s Helicopter Unit and the work they do, and we look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with them for decades to come.” The exceptional construction and reliability of MD Helicopters’ 500-series airframe combined with meticulous care and maintenance performed by CPD’s
dedicated technicians have helped the 21-person Aviation Unit amass an impressive 76,000 flight hours over the past 20 years. First on scene nearly 40% of the time, the Columbus Police Helicopter Unit has played a critical role in making Columbus and its surrounding communities safe. The city has seen a 50% reduction in overall street crimes and a 30% reduction in burglaries thanks, in large part, to the always felt presence of CPD’s ‘eye in the sky’. “Since inception, the Helicopter Unit has been instrumental in our efforts to ensure the safety of both our officers on the ground and citizens throughout Central Ohio,” said Lieutenant Jack Harris, Columbus Police Department Aviation Section. “These aircraft are essential members of our team. They are worked extremely hard, and it takes an army of extremely hardworking and talented officers and civilian staff to ensure each one is ready to deploy when the call comes in.” “It is truly an honor to know our aircraft have and will continue to play a significant role in improving the overall productivity of the Columbus Police Department and protecting the citizens of the communities they serve,” Tilton concludes. “I am proud to celebrate this milestone achievement with you. Congratulations and thank you for your service. I look forward to many more years working together to support you as you protect and serve the citizens of Columbus and surrounding areas.”
Leonardo: AW139 Success Continues in UK with the Sale of Two Helicopters for VIP/Corporate Transport Leonardo announced the sale of a further two AW139 intermediate twin-engine helicopters to customers in the UK for corporate/ VIP passenger transport, further strengthening its leadership in this market segment with a 50% share in the multiengine segment. Over 30 AW139s are currently operating in the UK. One aircraft will be managed & operated by Fairoaks Airport-based Starspeed, part of Luxaviation Helicopters – the world’s largest operator of VIP and VVIP helicopters. Starspeed already operates the AW169, part of the unique AW Family of helicopters that includes the AW139 and AW189. The other aircraft will be used by an undisclosed UK-based customer for corporate transport. Both aircraft
will be delivered in the first half of 2018. Gary Butcher, Commercial Director, Starspeed says: “We are delighted to be adding the first AW139 to Starspeed’s existing fleet of 24 helicopters. Our client specifically selected the AW139 for its performance, ride quality and, importantly, its cabin space that is unsurpassed in helicopters within this category. We are looking forward to the delivery of this bespoke aircraft to our managed UK-based charter fleet in early 2018.” Charlotte Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer, Luxaviation Helicopters, says: “This AW139 will be a great addition to our global fleet of more than 270 fixed-wing aircraft and
helicopters. Starspeed supports our offering to clients of a truly integrated portfolio of helicopter and jet aviation services from the Luxaviation Group. The continued growth of our fleet allows us to offer our customers the most efficient and safe flights alongside exclusive VIP charter services.” With decades of experience crafting personalized interiors, Leonardo Helicopters offers a dedicated professional design team that works with each customer to make sure that their cabin furnishings and materials exceed their expectations. There are many seating and trim options available as well as choices of telecommunications & entertainment systems, refreshments and stowage spaces, cabin lighting and air conditioning. October 2017 | 35
HELINEWS - CHINA
Airbus China, Takes Number One Spot for Global Helicopter Sales, Overtaking US Market for First Time With multiple collaborations and a record number of purchase orders in China, Airbus’ sales in China surpassed their previous largest sales market in the United States in 2017, Airbus also mentioned that the company was currently also the leading manufacturer by sales in the Chinese market this year. Airbus ended 2016 with 209 total helicopters in China. The majority of those sales being of the H125/AS350 helicopter. The single-turbine category still remains the strongest market segment currently for China that prefer the operational costs and agility of the smaller single turbine helicopter for localized deployment. A few large ongoing contracts & collaborations the company has secured could potentially see market dominance by Airbus in the
region with the continued partnerships with local Chinese partners that included a recent collaboration that saw an order for one hundred H135 aircraft that will be HEMS configured. The partnership will also see the helicopters produced in China. The new plant for this collaborative effort broke ground in Qingdao, Shandong Province this year and is expected to make its’ first delivery in 2019. This consortium partnership will see Airbus, China Aviation Supplies Holding Company, Qingdao United General Holding Company, and CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co. Ltd. Work in collaboration to produce the first Airbus Helicopters made in China with Chinese labor responsible for all aspects of building the helicopter from the ground up.
Spectrum Aeromed Signs for Chinese Work US based engineering firm Spectrum Aeromed, most well known in the global marketplace for their work in the HEMS sector, offering turnkey solutions to the aviation industry in the USA for the past 25 years, announced its first two orders in China at the CHE show. Exhibiting at CHE, Spectrum displayed a pivoting stretcher
system modeled for the Bell 407. Spectrum Aeromed has obtained multiple STC’s and certifications for their range of products that serve the HEMS sector. Spectrum initially concentrated on FAA based requirements for the U.S market before recently moving forward with work in China that will conform to specifications set by the Civil Aviation Authority of China.
Bell Showing Growth In Chinese Market “The beginning of the boom” is how Bell Helicopter’s Managing Director for China, Jose Jacin to Monge described the current state of the Chinese market. Bell stated the company expects to overtake their competitors and triple the number of Bell Helicopter aircraft operating in China in the next 3-5 years. Bell recently signed a deal that would see an additional one hundred helicopters in China this past June. The deal signed by Shaanxi Energy Group and Xian Helicopter will see deliver ies take place over the next five years. During Heli-Expo 2017, China’s Reignwood Investment signed for Sixty Bell 505 helicopters that are expected to begin first delivery early next year. The 505 order one that will be hotly contested over the next several years in China as each OEM continues to pursue more sales in the largest helicopter market segment in China, the single turbine category. Although less twin engine helicopters sell in China currently, Bell’s 429 has seen steady orders in China. Bell choosing to display the 429 in an EMS configuration at the CHE show this year.
AVIC Helicopters Continues Developments Airbus Helicopters, in collaboration with China’s AVIC Helicopters (China’s largest OEM) continue the development of the AC352, a Chinese derivative of the H175 Helicopter. The AC352 completed its first successful flight near the end of 2016, although no further announcements on testing milestones have been made since. The medium lift helicopter will 36 | heliweb magazine
utilize Chinese engines instead of the Pratt and Whitney engines used in the Airbus Helicopters H175 variant. Once certified in China, the helicopter is expected to be the flagship aircraft servicing the Chinese Oil and Gas industry, slated for delivery to China’s COHC, the country’s largest offshore operator.
AV I C i s a l s o c o n t i n u i n g t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e AC 3 1 3 helicopter that resembles a modernized AS332/EC225 from Airbus Helicopters. The AC 3 1 3 w a s o n d i s p l a y a t C H E for the crowds, although more details on testing, certification and potential deliveries were not made at t h e s h o w.
Russian-Chinese Advanced Heavy Lift Project Nears Agreement A long-term investment proposed between Russia and China to secure the future of the Russian Heavylift Advanced Heavy Lift (AHL) program that would build from the success of Russian and Chinese helicopter design to create a next generation helicopter nears final agreement. “This also a proud achievement within Russian Heavy lift specialty helicopters.” said Victor Kladov, Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy of ROSTEC (parent company of Russian Helicopters) a “deal is done, and needs signing” he concluded. During CHE, a new model of the design concept was on display at AVIC’s display center. The advanced Heavy Lift (AHL) Program has continued to be a high priority of both countries. The AHL program has been discussed during several meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Prime
Russian Helicopters Ansat Light Twin Begins Operations in China
ROSTEC PHOTO
Minister Xi Jinping. According to sources close to the project, the final design will be fully developed and manufactured in China with assistance in several technical sub-sections to be manufactured in Russia. The plan after successful certification of the new helicopter would see production of at least two hundred helicopters domestically, but maintain the capability needed to
export the helicopter if successful. The AHL helicopter is projected to have a Max-gross take-off weight (MTOW) of 83,800lbs with payload a payload capability of at least 22,100lbs carried internally or external loads of 33,100lbs. The helicopter is slated to accommodate the transportation of up to 60 combat ready troops and have a service ceiling of 18,600 feet level cruise speed of 186 mph.
AVIC Enters Military Drone Market with AV500
Beijing operator, Beijing 999 signed for Russia’s first export deal of the light twin Ansat helicopter during the show. The operator who currently flies Airbus H135s and an H145 in EMS configuration will be utilizing the Ansat for the same missions as an addition to the fleet. Beijing 999 also purchased a Russian Helicopters MI-17 to be deployed as a “flying Hospital” as a one of a kind concept that will be further evaluated for suitability in the relatively new market. Russian helicopters representatives said that the deployment of the Ansat in China was “A huge development.” Further stating that the Ansat is set to be a global competitor in the light helicopter market. The company hoping that the HEMS configured Ansat could become a very lucrative market for Russian Helicopters in the future.
AVIC reports that the company’s first weaponized drone for the Military market has currently logged more than 1,200 hours in testing to prove the capabilities and safe operation of China’s first entrant into the crowded Military drone market. AVIC stated that deliveries have already begun to unnamed customers.
The AV500 was developed by AVIC’s Research and Development Institute, weighing in at just 500kg (1,000lb.) The weapon carrying drone is approximately ¾th the size of a Robinson R-22 and can carry a payload of approximately 250lbs (120kg.) the AV500 can be configured to carry a machine gun, rockets, guided missiles, or customized loads. October 2017 | 37
SUM
SAFETY AN
Hosting the event for the first time outside of Vancouver, Canada. CHC hosted this year’s summmit in its hometown of Dallas, hosting over five hundred attendees for a week focused on industry safety. 38 | heliweb magazine
2017
MMIT
ND QUALITY
CHC Presiden Karl Fessenden delivers his opening address to the attendees of this years Safety and Quality summit. CHC Photo
September 2017 | 39 October 2017 | 39
CHC’s annual Safety and Quality Summit was held this year for the first time outside of Canada at the Gaylord, Texan. The summit was CHC’s first public event since emerging from chapter 11 bankruptcy in March and was booked to capacity well before the summit, along with venue hotels also reaching capacity for those late to book their accommodation. The opening keynote delivered by the charismatic CEO of CHC Helicopter, Karl Fessenden to the over five hundred delegates that included representatives from safety organizations, international regulatory bodies, helicopter and fixed-wing operators, insurers and underwriters, and representatives from OEMs and MROs from around 30 countries. Fessenden spoke on CHC’s work to emerge a better-structured company that was more prepared for 40 | heliweb magazine
industry downturns through continued diversification but also spoke on CHC’s constant focus on improving the safety of the industry as a whole while further enhancing the company’s safety processes and procedures. Fessenden spoke about the need for safety programming to be an endless task, one that can’t be left to chance, one that needs an engaged team that treats safety as not just a have to - but a vital component of any company’s risk management and safety management processes and practices. Fessenden took the opportunity during the opening address to announce a new safety initiative that resulted from collaboration with Leonardo Helicopters and SKYTRAC on real-time tracking of HUMS and EFB data that had passed the testing phase and was destined for implementation in the many AW139s operating as part of the global CHC fleet. The second part of the opening session hosted by Dr. Stephen Carver was an
in-depth look at how a negative safety culture, even at the highest levels, can have devastating consequences. NASA, thought of as the height of safety, was highlighted in this address as attendees walked through the accident investigation of the Challenger and Columbia disasters. The subsequent investigation launched into the safety culture at the organization highlighted known issues that caused the spacecraft to disintegrate; Challenger on liftoff and Columbia on re-entry. The case study provided a great wake up call to NASA; and an excellent example for anyone in the aerospace industry on what can happen in a closed safety environment. NASA’s pre-review safety culture, described by those who worked there at the time as terrible working conditions that fostered anger, resentment, and secrecy, as the status quo where hard questions were seldom asked or
answered, ultimately leading to the loss of two spacecraft and their crews. The previous culture of NASA, now a distant memory to those working there today that would call their safety “open and collaborative.” A safety culture that many in the aviation and many other industries strive to achieve for their businesses in the hope to save lives and prevent injuries. The third session during day one of the summit, hosted by Dr. Nicklas Dahlstrom titled “Resilience Versus Consistency - lessons identified by the fixed wing community” centered around the mantra of “just because your business is safe today, doesn’t mean it will be safe tomorrow by osmosis.” Speaking at length on robust safety management systems and the importance of keeping your businesses SMS program fluid and open to change, versus a static document that once
created, becomes a forgotten document, versus a living, breathing animal that must be fed and managed. Dahlstrom’s demonstrative ability to highlight “reliability versus predictability” and the dangers of going too far in safety planning illustrated the dangers of overdevelopment that creates an “automaton nature” within the workforce. Detailing through an example highlighted from commercial airline Emirates, who shared that their well-regarded safety management system preached so regularly that it became static and no longer thought about. The company’s workforce no longer thinking for themselves, but just “going through the motions.” Dahlstrom, who currently works for Emirates and had permission to share his story of how they overcame their stalled safety culture. Dahlstrom explained how Emirates took what they had, which was considered in their minds “a perfect system” and to a critical look
at where the failures were. Dahlstrom and his team were able to ascertain that their “perfect” system was so over-regulated, that it had become automatic and no longer sparked any thinking outside of what the specifications were as written. After taking a step back, their team rebooted the program to involve every employee in the process of not just compliance, but ongoing development and improvement of their safety initiatives. The rest of the three-day event comprised of thirty facilitated sessions that sparked conversation between members of the industry and focused on critical thinking about safety. Some that started with an example of how not to handle safety, some from personal accounts and some that used a tragic event to underscore the importance of why we as an industry need to focus a great deal of our energy on making our industry the safest it has ever been.
| 41 September 2017| 41 October 2017
Pennsylvania Airborne Law Enforcement ov
Using the latest in airborne law enforcement technology, Pennsylvania State Police has had almost fifty years operating an airborne law enforcement unit to perfect their skills over the land of Liberty. 42 | heliweb magazine
a State Police Aviation er the land of the Liberty Bell
Story by: Ryan Mason Images by: Seth Lasko & Ryan Mason October 2017 | 43
STATE POLICE HISTORY Holding the title of the second oldest state in the union, Pennsylvania, founded in 1787 and beaten by five days by Delaware as being the first, has a rich history as one of the original thirteen colonies that made up the United States of America. The North-Eastern located state is home to Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, as well as the Constitution. 44 | heliweb magazine
Philadelphia is also home to Liberty Bell, a well-known symbol of American Freedom.
labor disputes that often led to violent outbursts between employers and workers in the most significant fields of employment around the state.
Pennsylvania, initially a state rich in farming and agriculture began to evolve in the 1800’s into a center for industry, fostering a boom in a myriad of industries that would soon call Pennsylvania home.
From textile workers to coal miners, iron workers and railroad yards - all seeming to be at war with their employers in labor disputes that frequently involved violence.
In the first few years after the turn of the century, the state was in constant chaos by way of what seemed like endless
At that time, the vast and largely unpopulated mountains of north-east Pennsylvania held some of the largest
PSP AVIATION |
deposits of anthracite coal in the entire world. The state experienced a massive population expansion as towns and cities formed around the ever-increasing mining operations. A county sheriff or a local constable was usually the extent of the law enforcement in the entire county. As there was limited organized law enforcement in the rural areas of the state, legislative act allowed the mine owners to hire their own Police Officers to maintain order. These Police officers,
known as the Coal & Iron Police, were paid by businesses, and acted in the best interests of those businesses and not the best interests of the government and the rule of law – very different from today’s police officers. After a large coal miner’s strike, known as the Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 caused a nationwide coal shortage and ongoing violence that spanned seven counties in Pennsylvania, The President of the United States,
AIRBORNE LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER THE LAND OF THE LIBERTY BELL
Theodore Roosevelt himself intervened to end the strike action. It was this event that would lead to the formation of the Pennsylvania State Police in 1905. The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) would become the first state police agency in the nation and the model from which other states in the union would go on to establish their own. On December 15, 1905, the first complement of 228 recruits for the newly created Department of State Police were enlisted for service in four October 2017 | 45
46 | heliweb magazine
PSP AVIATION | troops strategically headquartered throughout the Commonwealth. Each of the four Troops comprised of one Captain, one Lieutenant, five Sergeants and fifty privates. The Pennsylvania State Police now employs over 4,200 Troopers across the state that serve sixteen troops covering the states sixty-seven counties. Only twenty-two troopers out of over four thousand are selected to become pilots within PSP’s aviation unit.
AV IAT I ON U NI T HISTO RY Although officially commissioned for aviation operations in 1968 by order of legislative decree, PSP operated a Stinson Reliant SR5-E and SR10-G in the 1930’s according to department historians, although little official documentation on their earlier operations and the purpose of their use still exists. PSP introduced their first official aviation assets in 1969 with the purchase of two Bell 47G helicopters. Six pilots were selected from the trooper ranks to begin an operation that has slowly grown in size and expanded the range of their coverage to now include six full-time bases, eight helicopters, six planes and three full-time mechanics to maintain the growing fleet operated around the state.
IMMEDI AT E VALUE While commencing operations in 1969 with only two aircraft, the value of airborne assets in the day to day operations was quickly embraced, beginning a rapid expansion of aviation assets around the state as the unit continued to grow. Barely a year after commencing operations, the unit received its first turbine helicopters as two Bell 206A began service with PSP aviation. With the addition of two new helicopters, four separate bases located at HarrisburgYork Airport, Washington County Airport,
Hazelton, and Franklin were operational within the units first year of operation. In 1972, the expanded to six bases and helicopters, with the addition of bases in Montoursville and Reading. In 1974, PSP’s aviation unit had grown so large that the decision was made to open their own division maintenance section that would be located at the Harrisburg International Airport that would be responsible for the maintenance of all PSP aviation assets.
UPGRA D I N G T H E F LE E T In 1978, the aviation unit would receive two Military surplus Bell UH-1B Huey helicopters from the 1033 government surplus program, which were quickly noted not to fit the mission profile of what was required in the day to day operations of the unit, their high operational costs and lack of available parts. The two aircraft were able to be traded for a Bell 206B3 helicopter which bought the unit to a total of eight Bell 206 helicopters operating around the state. During this significant growth period for the unit, the agency also began purchasing fixed-wing assets, the agency accepting the last of four Cessna 182 Skylane aircraft in August of 1989. The agency went on to replace the Skylane fleet over time beginning with the purchase of a 1999 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, followed almost ten years later by four Cessna 206H fixed wing assets purchased new in 2008. The final fixed-wing investment to date for PSP was the acquisition of a new Pilatus PC12 in October of 2015. The Cessna’s are used extensively throughout the state for surveillance, narcotics investigations, and other criminal investigative work, while the PC12 and grand caravan used for speed enforcement, transportation duties, surveillance and other duties as required.
AIRBORNE LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER THE LAND OF THE LIBERTY BELL
In 1999, the Pennsylvania State Police began divesting the first of their older Bell helicopters. In 2014, the unit replaced all but one of their 206’s remaining to purchase six new Bell 407GX helicopters that were put into service the same year.
O P E RAT I O N S A N D TR AINING Trooper pilots in the PSP aviation unit regularly perform other missions in addition to regular patrol flights that can include assisting crash investigations, homeland security missions, personnel transport, public relations flights, search and rescue and medical evacuation flights. These can number in the vicinity of over 2400 tasks annually across the agencies current bases located at Reading in the southeast of the state, Avoca in the Northeast, New Cumberland in the south-central region, Altoona in central Pennsylvania, which will be relocating to State College in January 2018, Latrobe covering the southwest and Franklin in northwest Pennsylvania. Each Aviation Patrol Unit (APU) is equipped with a Bell 407GX, while the New Cumberland facility also houses the maintenance operations, the agency’s six fixed wing assets and the 1999 Bell 407 and Bell 206L the agency retains as spares to use when a location’s primary aircraft is in maintenance. To become a trooper pilot in the PSP aviation unit, Troopers must first have completed three years as a Trooper performing general policing duties assigned to a Troop before being eligible for selection to the air unit. Once selected, a Trooper begins a oneyear probationary period within the unit that consists of three internal stages of training. The first being initial pilot training, to obtain a minimum of 250 hours flight training during which they are expected to achieve a Commercial Pilot certificate October 2017 | 47
with an instrument rating if they had not already acquired one previous to joining the unit. The second and third stages of training require the trooper to attend Bell Helicopter factory training and complete an NVG certification. Fixed wing pilots flying the agencies Cessna 206H require a minimum of fifty flight training hours in the aircraft and includes VFR and IFR training. Pilots in command of the units Cessna 208 Caravan and Pilatus PC12 are required to have a minimum of fifty instructed hours in the aircraft, the same VFR, and IFR training requirements. Additionally, pilots are required to have accrued five hundred hours total time in fixed wing aircraft and have completed initial and ground and simulator training for the aircraft before being considered a PIC in those aircraft. The unit is currently staffed with five rotary CFI’s and one fixed-wing instructor pilot that is responsible for
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initial and annual training requirements within the unit. Each instructor is required to have at least five hundred hours of time on type before being allowed to instruct in each aircraft. Helicopter pilots in the unit are also required to attend Bell recurrent training every other year, while fixed-wing pilots participate in recurrent simulator and systems training at Flight Safety and SIMCOM every other year. In addition, each helicopter pilot is required to take an annual check ride with a check pilot while fixed-wing pilots are required to take a check ride every six months.
SAFETY As their unit multiplied, so too did the potential for danger in the challenging northern climate. PSP aviation has suffered two accidents in their over forty years of operation. The first occurring on January 17, 1974, when Trooper Ross Snowdon was killed while flying one
of the unit’s Bell 47G helicopters on a surveillance mission in Berks County. That crash, signaling the end of pistonpowered helicopters for the unit. A second fatal accident occurred fifteen years later on April 12, 1989. Resulting in the deaths of Corporal Paul Almer and Trooper. Wayne D. Bilheimer, when their helicopter struck an unmarked transmission line, crashing during a search conducted along the Susquehanna River for a reported suicide victim. As a result, all PSP helicopters were subsequently fitted with wire strike kits and continue to be to this day. With the lessons learned from those accidents always a reminder for the members of the unit, all pilots treat safety as a priority which we witnessed first hand during our visit with the agency. Pilots are required to conduct flight risk assessments before every flight
PSP AVIATION |
undertaken, to assess all risk factors, both permanent and relating to changing factors such as weather. The unit also engages an active safety committee within the unit that meets quarterly, made up of members from a base in addition to a unit-wide annual meeting where every member of the group from across the state is required to attend where any and all safetyrelated initiatives can be discussed.
T E C H N O L OGY A N D EQUIPMENT When upgrading their fleet of helicopters, care was taken by unit command staff and pilots to make sure that each of the new Bell 407GX helicopters was fitted with modern equipment that would “future proof” the unit’s latest assets. PSP’s helicopters are equipped with high visibility crew and cabin doors, an expanded instrument panel from Aeronautical Accessories, cockpit and cabin mounted airborne display monitors and Garmin G1000H systems with XM weather and traffic
advisory systems onboard. Pilots are assisted with a Cobham HeliSAS system and use a Churchill Navigation ARS system along with an Integrated Microwave Technologies downlink, L3 Wescam MX-10 and Trakka A800 searchlight to assist in day to day operations. The units Bell 407GX’s also feature steerable search and landing lights, a Paravion snow deflector kit for winter usage and a tail rotor camera system to assist with the safe operation and movement of the helicopters. Each helicopter can also be fitted with a repelling fixture kit if needed for SWAT usage or training evolutions. The state police fixed-wing assets used in surveillance capacity on a more frequent basis than their helicopters. Each is fitted with the upgraded L3/Wescam MX15 camera system for extended range/high altitude surveillance operations for both night
AIRBORNE LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER THE LAND OF THE LIBERTY BELL
and day EO/IR use as needed, along with identical Churchill navigation systems as those fitted on the unit’s helicopters. “The Pilatus PC 12 was selected as a true multi-role/multi-mission aircraft. We utilize the aircraft for missions such as personnel transports and criminal and special surveillance details. This aircraft has been received an STC as a special mission aircraft that included an anti-icing boot system for flight into known icing conditions as well as a pressurization system to fly up to FL28,000. It also features a fully integrated camera mount/lift mechanism in the tailcone of the aircraft were our Wescam Camera system can be deployed when needed and then retracted for transport missions. The aircraft also includes a custom interior and Camera Work Station integrated with monitors, mapping, October 2017 | 49
downlink and recording equipment” stated PSP’s aviation unit commander Lt. Keith Leydig.
The unit’s Cessna Grand Caravan, purchased in 1999 is used as a surveillance platform for their missions.
“The Churchill Navigation ARS system integrated with the Wescam MX15 Camera has been a tremendous asset to the fixed wing unit” he stated.
The Caravan also serves as a personnel transport aircraft and was recently upgraded to include a WAAS Certified Garmin 530 GPS.
“This allows Troopers the ability to quickly get on scene and identify locations of interest - the mapping system assists with situational awareness. Installation of this equipment has enabled pilots to be able to quickly determine their location relative to roads on the ground and relay that to ground units.”
The agency’s Cessna 206H airplanes purchased in 2008 were put into service as a cost-effective platform for PSP’s SPARE (Speed Enforcement) program and are also utilized for transport missions. The unit also operated two AgustaWestland AW119 Koala’s between 2003-2014 before trading them as part of their modernization and standardization efforts when obtaining their fleet of Bell 407GX helicopters.
Below: PSP Trooper pilots can fly either fixed wing or rotary operations during their time in the aviation unit.
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH AVIATION In the mass confusion enveloping the aviation industry in the minutes and hours following the September 11th terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C, reports were coming in all over the country of multiple hijacked aircraft on their way to other locations around the country. One of those flights was United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 that had departed Newark, New Jersey, headed for San Francisco at 8:53 AM that morning. The plane had turned and was headed back in the direction of Washington D.C before being brought down in a field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania in Somerset County.
PSP AVIATION |
AIRBORNE LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER THE LAND OF THE LIBERTY BELL
Top : The Pennsylvania State Police invested in a standardized fleet of Bell 407GX helicopters for each of their bases to ensure that troopers had the most modern equipment available. Left Middle: PSP Troopers assigned to fixed wing operations conduct surveillance operations in this Pilatus PC-12 bought new in 2015 by the agency. Bottom: Trooper pilots are able to fly at night using NVG’s, a Garmin G1000 unit & an L3/ Wescam MX-10 unit and Trakka search light for law enforcement operations.
At the time the FAA had already grounded all other air traffic, PSP was made aware of the possibility that Flight 93 had come down in Somerset County. Faced with the unprecedented grounding, PSP chose instead to respond to the area after notifying the FAA of their intent to respond to the last known location of the Boeing 757. PSP aviation unit Troopers would be some of the first on scene where Flight 93 came down with such force, that it
was barely evident that a plane had been what had crashed into the earth in that field.
recognizable as part of an aircraft weighing hundreds of tons that was filled with fuel and passengers.
Footage shot by a PSP Trooper on board the helicopter as it responded to the last known location of Flight 93 soon spotted a smoldering crater, but not what you would expect from a crash scene.
With the expert input of one of the troopers that were on board that day, we now saw what appeared to be circles in the dirt - which he informed us was the shadows of the engines.
The footage recorded that day now plays on a loop at the Flight 93 memorial now standing at the site. Looking at the footage initially, shows barely anything
He then went on to point out the lines of wings and other parts that now start to show the ghostly shape of what was once a plane. October 2017 | 51
One that was flown into the ground at speed by courageous passengers that took back the plane from terrorists attempting to fly the plane into the U.S Capitol building in Washington D.C.
Such was the case on August 6th, 2011, when unit helicopters were requested to assist in the case of the abduction of a six-year-old female from her residence.
PSP Troopers would be a part of the initial response, investigation, and clean-up of the Flight 93 site every day for almost the next year.
The suspect - the boyfriend of the victim’s grandmother had made previous threats to abduct the young girl if the couple ever broke up as revenge.
Their work at the scene also memorialized in part of the permanent memorial to the victims now on display in Shanksville. PSP aviation has participated in many noteworthy cases over the years in addition to their work on 9/11, including many that directly saved lives. 52 | heliweb magazine
PSP aviation Troopers were airborne just minutes after receiving the initial call of the abduction and thanks to an excellent description, were able to locate the suspects car pulled off the side of the road a short distance from the abduction site.
Using the rotor wash of the helicopter, the pilot was able to see the suspect in a wooded area with the girl and much to his immediate dismay, also saw the subject raise a large rock above his head with the intent to kill his victim with it. The pilot immediately lowered the helicopter and used the rotor wash to throw the suspect off balance to the point he dropped the rock and ran into the woods, where he was soon apprehended by Troopers on the ground that had arrived after notification by the aviation unit. The quick actions of the pilot undoubtedly saving the victim’s life. Just a month later, another aviation unit helicopter was involved in
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life-saving of another kind when they were requested to assist in transporting a young boy that suffered from a rare immune disorder that required a liver transplant.
The demand for service from the aviation unit helicopters and fixed wing assets of the Pennsylvania State Police continue to increase as the year’s pass.
The call came that a donor’s liver had been found during Tropical Storm Lee. The organ was at a hospital in Philadelphia and over one hundred and fifty miles away from the family.
The agencies assets responding to everything from rescuing families from high water during floods, to regular search and rescue operations, and even assisting in elaborate manhunts, giving state and federal law enforcement eyes in the sky when needed.
PSP aviation unit Troopers were dispatched to pick up the family and transport them directly to the hospital where the young boy underwent a successful transplant.
Although not immune from loss, the agency has continued to learn and improve their safety procedures over their decades of operation where they have saved countless lives and assisted thousands of
AIRBORNE LAW ENFORCEMENT OVER THE LAND OF THE LIBERTY BELL
residents throughout the state in times of need. As they continue to provide needed services around the nation’s first state, It is evident that state lawmakers and State Police administrators in Pennsylvania see the value in what their aviation assets provide its citizens. This evident by support for an ongoing budget that ensures the unit continues to have top of the line equipment that facilitates a safe operation that also has the latest technology to make airborne law enforcement a useful tool and force multiplier for the State of Pennsylvania. October June 2017 2017 || 53 53
Story by
Colt Roy & Ryan Mason
H urricane
HA From the Fron
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CBP Photo by Donna Burton
e
A RV E Y
t Lines with CBP Air and Marine October 2017 | 55
A CBP UH-60 returns to base in Conroe, Texas where all CBP operations were being housed for hurricane Harvey
As Hurricane Harvey bore down on Houston causing the most significant emergency response in recent history to a natural disaster as the recordbreaking storm poured more than three feet of rain on south Texas, an area not accustomed to being in the path of a direct hit from a hurricane of such ferocity. As the storm was still building in strength over the Gulf of Mexico, federal, state, and local agencies began staging assets in preparation to respond to a storm that no-one could predict would cause the widespread damage and devastation it did. Hurricane Harvey also packing an unrelenting storm surge that would go on to put many cities and towns under several feet of water for over a week. Helicopters from law enforcement, search and rescue operations and the United States Coast Guard were joined by helicopters from multiple United States Military branches, and civilian helicopters from HEMS operations around the country that began undertaking what would become one 56 | heliweb magazine
of the most extensive airborne search and rescue operations in United States history. Many of the agencies involved the search and rescue effort were already well versed in deploying for airborne search and rescue operations for both hurricane response and in their day to day missions. The United States Customs and Border Patrol’s (CBP) Air and Marine Operations division, more well known for its national security role, played a crucial role in response to Hurricane Harvey. CBP initially responds in hurricane-stricken areas in a search and rescue capacity, which then transitions to a force multiplier role for local area law enforcement from the air once rescue work has ceased. The additional function aiding communities protecting businesses and homes against looting and other in the aftermath of hurricanes.
SEEING IT FIRST HAND Heliweb Magazine was offered the exclusive opportunity to see search and rescue efforts firsthand the first day after
Harvey made landfall – with the caveat that our team is onsite at the AMO staging site at Conroe airport at 8:30 am the next morning. That task fell on Heliweb’s publisher, being the closest to Texas, so with only an hour to spare and twelve hours of driving through the outer bands of the storm, he made it with all of fifteen minutes to spare. “With all of twenty minutes to pack and get on the road, I was not sure I was going to make it, but I gave it a shot. After seeing what an amazing job these teams from CBP, the U.S Coast Guard and the various Military branches that responded did, I am glad we were given the chance,” said Ryan Mason. “Upon arrival, it was apparent just how much work was getting done. It was crazy. Aircraft were coming in just long enough to fuel up and change crews if necessary before punching out to the next location as calls continued to come in thick and fast” he continued. At the height of the rainstorm that followed the direct path of the hurricane as it made landfall, rescues of those who decided to stay in the
metro Houston and surrounding areas numbered in the hundreds of lives saved – just from winch rescues alone. The rescues conducted in the first twenty-four hours after Harvey made landfall dwarfing any previous hurricane response in recorded history, including Hurricane Katrina. Which now pales in significance to the non-stop rescue effort that was still underway when we took off the next morning. Our flight once underway was headed towards the Houston area to observe the damage but was quickly diverted to Beaumont, Texas. Reports were being dispatched of over a hundred people needing rescue from an evacuation center that was fast going to be underwater as the water levels in the area rose. Damage became increasingly evident about halfway into the journey and proceeded to get worse. Flood damage appeared in farmland, then progressed into suburbia where low lying areas were almost completely submerged - at times with just sections of the
roof visible and some homes that had wholly succumbed to the storm surge being ripped from their foundations or depositing their entire contents into the raging torrents surrounding them. As we arrived at the school in Beaumont, the multi-agency response was already underway with Navy HH-60s already taking a full load of passengers to higher ground. An incredible sight to see from our UH-60 as Army, Navy, Coast Guard and CBP helicopters responded simultaneously to multiple rescue efforts. At times departing one scene to respond just a few miles away for others who were in distress as waters in the area continued to rise.
SEPARATION ANXIETY During our time in Beaumont, it was apparent that a response this large required multiple layers of coordination to be both successful and safe with so many helicopters operating in such a small area. That task further complicated
by the presence of HEMS aircraft and other helicopters from the private sector involved in initial evacuation and disaster recovery efforts. Deconfliction was the name of the game as sometimes dozens of helicopters were responding to Beaumont. Assisting in the effort from far above to help coordinate and maintain separation was a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130J, and CBP fixed wing assets that were providing airborne over-watch services. Each aircraft fitted with airborne radar that was able to alert aircraft from government agencies using military band radios of other government assets approaching the area each was working. In some cases, we saw, incoming civilian HEMS aircraft responding to evacuate dialysis patients at the very same hospital our aircraft was responding to, would have had no communication with military assets, had it not been for the overwatch aircraft with dual-band technology able to communicate across both frequencies.
Scenes like this were a common view around the areas of Beaumont and Orange, Texas as residents continued to evacuate the effects of Hurricane Harvey
October 2017 | 57
A CBP UH-60 after departing a Beaumont hospital to relocate a dialysis patient to a hospital outside the flood zone
Watching how each agency was able to coordinate themselves in such a complex environment where often at rescue scenes you would see an airborne line of helicopters from the Coast Guard, Navy and CBP all lined up and waiting to land to pick up those in need to take them to higher ground. With the work of pilots, aircrews who were consistently on alert for the many other helicopters in their operational areas and their coordinating assets above, many thousands of people were airlifted to safety over the first few days hurricane Harvey hit the greater Houston area. A Navy spokesman commented on the complexity of operations due to the sheer number of helicopters performing rescue operations in such a contested area. Lt. Benjamin Bontrager, a native of Mishawaka, Indiana stated the day after the bulk of the rescues were complete, “my goal the entire night was to fly as fast as I can, as safely as I can and as 58 | heliweb magazine
precisely as I can to make sure that those people get out of the terrible situation they were in.” “It poses a greater safety risk with the towers and other aircraft flying around. We have got, you know, 40 aircraft flying around at one time in a small area all trying to do the same thing,” he said. “It is a very task-saturated environment, and when you add nighttime to it, it is just that - times ten.”
BY THE NUMBERS Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO) sent a total of twenty-five fixed and rotary assets to the Houston area, along with over fifty marine assets to aid with search and rescue, transport capabilities, communications relay, and air traffic coordination. These assets, in addition to dozens more UH-60,’s from the Coast Guard, Navy, and the Army, along with support staff. As part of the Federal Emergency
A Navy Pavehawk rescues a family as flood waters begin to overtake their property
Management Agency’s Surge Capacity Force CBP also dispatched over 100 additional employees to the Houston area, the additional staff, volunteers who augment FEMA’s responses to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and other natural and man-made disasters. CBP’s AMO crews flying UH-60s rescued almost two hundred people via hoist operations alone on the first day of response to Harvey. CBP’s AMO also utilizes the UH-1N and AS-350 who’s crews were used to conduct emergency assistance flight operations and other essential operations including critical missions such as the transport of vital blood supplies for the American Red Cross that was stranded in a ground transport vehicle west of Houston. CBP helicopters were able to respond and make sure that the time-critical blood supply made it to its intended hospital to continue to provide essential care. “When a disaster strikes, life preservation and the safe evacuation of people in impacted areas becomes
our number one priority,” said Mark Svacha, Deputy Director, Air Operations, from CBP’s Bellingham Air and Marine Branch. “Our pilots and crew members are well-trained in search-and-rescue techniques and help save lives in areas affected by the storm.”
MULTI-AGENCY RESPONSE The scale of an operation this large is hard to put into perspective had you not seen it yourself. Any article written about this massive task would be remiss not to mention the sheer scale of response from other services that also committed multiple assets to the rescue effort. Two Navy helicopter squadron detachments comprising of one hundred twelve sailors from Helicopter Sea Combat squadrons (HSC) 7 and 28, the Dusty Dogs and Dragon Whales, made two hundred and twenty-seven rescues on August 29th alone flying six MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters. Hurricane Harvey response was a 24/7 operation for the first 48 hours, with October 2017 | 59
CBP Photo by Donna Burton
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent searches for survivors in Beamont, Texas from a CBP UH-60
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calls arriving by the minute and a radio that seemed to squawk endlessly with more and more rescue jobs piling up. The Navy assets in the initial wave of calls were responding in the dark of night as soon as winds were acceptable enough to fly, using their NVG, FLIR and Nitesun to conduct winch rescues virtually non-stop for the first 24 hours after the storm. Although this type of urban operation posed some unique challenges for the usually sea deployed staff as it related to urban environments. “In the open ocean you do not have to worry about towers - you are 70 feet over the water, you do not have to worry about running into anything,” Kingsbery said. “Here, especially with the power outage, the street lights are out, and most of the towers are unlit now because their battery backup has run out.” The United States Coast Guard mobilized their most substantial ever emergency response to a natural disaster as Harvey arrived. Assembling
over two thousand staff, fifty fixed and rotary wing aircraft, twenty-nine cutters and seventy-five shallow water watercraft that combined to rescue a staggering total of over 11,000 people during the course of the storm and aftermath from their ground, sea, and airbased rescue response efforts. “The Coast Guard’s response to Hurricane Harvey is one of the largest our organization has seen in decades, and men and women from the furthest reaches of our service answered the call to assist others in their time of need,” said Rear Adm. Paul Thomas, commander of the Coast Guard 8th District. “I am incredibly proud and humbled by the resiliency of our first responders who were deeply impacted but continued to work around the clock to save more than 11,000 people in a matter of days.”
THE HUMAN ELEMENT Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Danny Harlow, a rescue swimmer
who assisted on multiple rescue missions during Harvey told the story of a memorable rescue his aircrew responded to. “We were flying around looking for opportunities, and I saw a family waving white towels from their balcony, so I immediately called my pilot ‘right’ and we came over the spot,” Harlow said. “There were two kids down there with asthma, their mother, and their uncle who just underwent a kidney transplant - and luckily I was able to get the opportunity to get in there and get them up into the helicopter and into safety.” Harlow spoke vividly of the emotions involved. “We actually had a wide range of emotions; some were extremely grateful, some were terrified, some were crying. Some of the kids were actually having fun because they were in a helicopter,” he said. “So, it really was a wide range, but definitely gratifying. Getting them out and having those ‘Thank Yous’ is definitely a gratifying experience.”
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CHE
China Helicopter E Tianjin Shines for Asia's Largest Helicop
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Exposition pter Show
Story by:
Michael Rocks-Macqueen Photos by
Michael Rocks-Macqueen & Joshua Miao Photo by: Niels Roman
| 63 September 2017| 63 October 2017
The Chinese Helicopter Exposition, in its fourth consecutive year of operation was held September 14-17, 2017 in Tianjin, China. Created as a venue to cater to the rapidly expanding helicopter industry, the Chinese Helicopter Exposition or CHE as it is referred to often by attendees has seen constant growth since the shows inception in 2011. The show is jointly hosted by the Tianjin Peoples Government, The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC,) and the Land Aviation Department of the Peoples Liberation Army in China. The Chinese show, already boasting attendance numbers over the size of the largest international helicopter trade show held in the U.S.A and looks to continue growth as the industry continues to grow and more and more
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international helicopter businesses seek to do business in China This year’s show saw an estimated 25,000 attendees from twenty-two countries. The trade show floor featured an impressive ninety-eight helicopters and many UAV’s for the first time this year. Show organizers also highlighted that the CHE show is the only helicopter only trade show that also hosts a flight display. The flight display, an impressive showing of skill and ability from many Chinese civil and Military helicopters. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) demonstrated the new Z-10 Attack helicopter in an impressive display of flight characteristics and aerobatic maneuvers. Gone from years past was any need to prevent viewing of the country’s military helicopter assets. To
the contrary, today’s PLA managed to multitask so well that it saw Military staff perform in shows, co-host events, and provide near open access to Chinese military aircraft. This showing a change in mindset and a large step forward geared to showing confidence in China’s Military fleet with regard to advancements in safety and technology.
with the rapid rural expansion of a constantly developing China that continues to upgrade its infrastructure, has lit a fire that has also seen the growth in helicopter sales increase to record numbers. An estimated 70% of all commercial Global Helicopter sales in 2017 occurred in China.
China is currently the largest growth market in the commercial helicopter industry worldwide. The rapidity in which the Chinese market has expanded is second to none, proving to be the fastest growing market in the history of commercial helicopter sales.
The Chinese market has seen a steady increase over several years that now sees annual deliveries of between 80-100 helicopter deliveries each year. In 2016 the number of helicopters in operation in China increased from 492 to 540 civil helicopters, while this year, is estimated that approximately 621 helicopters will be in operation in China according to Asian Sky’s Fleet Report.
The current global downturn of the Oil and Gas Industry, in conjunction
Industry speculation is that the Chinese market is projected to see over one
CHINESE INDUSTRY
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Photo by Joshua Miao
thousand new helicopter orders over the next ten years from producers such as AVIC, Russian Helicopters, Airbus, Leonardo, and Bell Helicopter. In the previous 5 years, many ‘boom’ claims were made about this region. However, they fell short. The reason being is due to such a new helicopter industry spawned by growing pains.
HEMS EXPANSION IN CHINA The purchase of twenty-five Leonardo AW119kx helicopters that will soon enter service in the Chinese HEMS market will be the first in that segment for Leonardo, that has seen much success already in China. The new Leonardo fleet will be owned and operated by Shanghai King Wing General Aviation Co. who have made great strides in establishing a working HEMS network in Photo by Joshua Miao
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China. The difficult task of establishing a HEMS based operation in China was accomplished by the company working extensively with insurance companies and hospitals to bring the aircraft into operation. Commencing one of the first private HEMS operations in China, the Shanghai King Wing General Aviation Company has taken a big step that will likely be the beginning of what could be one of the largest HEMS markets in the world with China’s population continuing to boom over one billion. Bell and Airbus were well represented at the show, both demonstrating their aspirations to compete in the Chinese market according to representatives at the show. “This is just the beginning,
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the boom is to come” said Stefano Zolonis, Leonardo Helicopter’s representative at CHE when asked about the rapid expansion in China and the opportunities it offered for manufacturers in the future. Leonardo’s success with the implementation of the fleet of HEMS configured 119Kx and the company’s success this year in signing several Chinese deals of corporate and charter sales of the AW139, 169 and 189 are demonstrating the importance of the Chinese market to the Italian based manufacturer. This will certainly boost their future sales in what could be the largest emerging helicopter market in the needs of China’s Emergency Medical Services.
ONGOING GROWTH A similar stage has been set for the commercialization of helicopters in China as was the case in Russia ten years ago, with the exception of the Chinese market being on a much larger scale. Developmentally, the regulation of airspace and control for 68 | heliweb magazine
helicopters is still a new concept in China and thus, is evolving rapidly. The end result being, hopefully, more freedom to use airspace efficiently and often, with continuing growth that will allow more unplanned operational flights for helicopters in Chinese airspace as is completed regularly in the rest of the world in fields such as HEMS operations. Along with the rapid business growth, the Chinese helicopter industry will likely continue to mature, opening the flood gates for even more expansion for Chinese helicopter operations that will likely see further booms in training and other areas of the industry as needs increase. Through strategic partnerships and manufacturing agreements OEMs have seen great success already by partnering with Chinese business, while others are just beginning to find their niche in the Chinese market. One thing is for sure, the growth of helicopter operations in China will continue, and so to, will the success of those supporting the expansion of Chinese helicopter operations. | 69 September 2017| 69 October 2017
Spanish Ar
BHELM
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my
MA IV
TRANSPORT SQUADRON
Story & Photos by:
Neils Roman, Robin Coenders & Ralph Blok Photo by: Niels Roman
| 71 September 2017| 71 October 2017
Photo by: Niels Roman
Located on the edge of the city of Sevilla is El Copero airbase, which is the home of BHELMA IV, a Spanish Army transport unit which operates two types of helicopters, the Super Puma and Cougar. The origin of BHELMA IV (Batallón de Helicópteros de Maniobra IV) dates back to 30 July 1975 when the army took control of El Copero and created the unit UHEL IV (Unidad de Helicópteros IV) in order to cover the southern military regions and Spain's sovereign areas in Northern Africa. Before the Army operated from El Copero, the airfield was owned by the Spanish Air Force which flew the Hispano HA.1112 Buchón out of this base. In the beginning UHEL IV operated ten Bell UH-1H Iroquois and three Bell OH-58A Kiowa helicopters. 72 | heliweb magazine
In 1981 these airframes were complimented by four Agusta Bell AB-212 Twin Huey and two additional Bell OH-58A Kiowa's. The following year the Bell OH-58A Kiowa’s were then replaced by six MBB Bo105 Bolkow helicopters. The first Aerospatiale AS.332B Super Puma entered service in 1982 which meant the end for the Bell UH-1H Iroquois and Agusta Bell AB-212 Twin Huey, which were transferred to other units within the Spanish Army. After planned reorganizations in 1988, UHEL IV was renamed BHELMA IV and had fifteen AS.332B Super Puma and six MBB Bo-105s in service. In 1998 another chapter was written in the history of BHELMA IV when the first Aerospatiale AS.532 Cougar was delivered to the FAMET (Fuerza Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra)
and subsequently BHELMA IV. In its 41 years of history BHELMA IV has flown more than 81,000 hours many of which were flown on missions abroad. In all those years BHELMA IV has been deployed abroad on the following missions: • • • • • •
SPAHEL I to XVII, Bosnia (1997 till 2003) KSPAHE I, Kosovo (2000) KIRSPAHEL I, Kyrgyzstan (2002) ISPUGEL I to III, Iraq (2003 till 2004) LISPUHEL I, Lebanon (2007) ASPUHEL III to XXXIII, Afghanistan (2005 till 2013)
The mission in Afghanistan was especially a difficult one as BHELMA IV suffered serious
BHELMA IV | Spanish Army losses. On August 16, 2005 the unit lost four squadron members during a helicopter crash involving two Aerospatiale AS.532 Cougar helicopters. Along with these four casualties, twelve men from the Airborne Light Infantry and one civilian were also killed. Besides being deployed on several missions abroad, since 1981 BHELMA IV also has a permanent detachment in the Spanish autonomous city of Melilla located on the Northern coast of Africa. Melilla shares its border with Morocco and covers an area of 12 square kilometers. The main tasks of the detachment are medical evacuation and providing supplies to the outposts across Northern Africa.
Capt. Zaragozano, Commander of the 2nd Section, explains “The mission of the detachment in Melilla consists of controlling and supplying the Spanish areas located in the North of Africa”.
pilots then transfer to their assigned units where they learn how to operate helicopter type in service there. In total it takes 1.5 years to become a Spanish Army helicopter pilot.
BHELMA IV is currently composed of approximately 250 members and 18 helicopters equally divided between the Super Puma and Cougar.
As El Copero is located near the Mediterranean Sea, BHELMA IV works closely with the Spanish Navy and US Marines located at nearby Naval Air Base Rota and Móron Air Base. Besides this BHELMA IV also works closely in joint exercises with the French Navy, especially with the Dixmude Amphibious assault ship. Due to this BHELMA IV is very experienced in maritime operations, such as long range overseas flights and ship borne operations such as deck landings. As such BHELMA IV also teaches other Spanish Army
The pilots of BHELMA IV are dual qualified on both the Super Puma and Cougar. One of the pilots from BHELMA IV, Capt. Ojeda, explains “The only difference in flying these two helicopters is the aircraft its attitude. The Cougar flies nose up and the Super Puma flies nose down”. After initial training with the Air Force (Ala 78 in Granada), the
Photo by: Niels Roman
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Photo by: Niels Roman
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BHELMA IV | Spanish Army
Above Photo by: Robin Coenders Left Photo by: Niels Roman Right Photo by: Niels Roman Below Photo by: Niels Roman
units these skills by sharing their experiences. Also BHELMA IV is specially trained to support the Special Operations Forces, and is also part of a Helicopter Task Group which is able to execute special missions, both domestic and abroad, on short notice. During normal missions the crew consists of three: the pilot, the co-pilot and one onboard operator. Capt. Zaragozano explains their roles within the helicopter “The pilot is the mission commander and is also in charge of the navigation, the co-pilot controls the helicopter, and depending on the mission, the onboard operator could be the loadmaster, technician and/or door gunner. In some cases an additional operator is onboard to operate one of the machine guns positioned in the door�. | 75 October 2017 September 2017| 75
Photo by: Niels Roman
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BHELMA IV | Spanish Army
The defensive armament used by the helicopters is the 7.62mm MG42 machine gun, the 7.62mm MAG-58 machine gun, and the 12.70mm M3M machine gun which was added to the inventory after lessons learnt during the mission in Afghanistan. The future looks bright for BHELMA IV as it will receive all of the BHELMA III AS.532 Cougars when that unit,
based in Logrono-Agoncillo in Northern Spain, receives it NH-90s. In return BHELMA IV will transfer its AS.332B Super Pumas to the Tenerife based BHELMA VI which will lose its Agusta Bell AB- 212 helicopters. We would like to thank all the members of BHELMA IV and the Spanish Army Headquarters for their kindness and cooperation. | 77 September 2017| 77 October 2017
‘The Big Stick’s Retriever
USS Iowa’s Newly Restored HUP-2
Story & Images by
Damon Duran 78 | heliweb magazine
September 2017 | 79
The battleship Iowa, BB-61, nicknamed ‘The Big Stick’ has seen a lot of service. WWII, the Korean War, even Operation Desert Storm, all saw her 16” guns at the ready… but, you may not think of aviation when you think of her. Aviation, however, has been a part of the Iowa and the other Iowa-Class ships since the beginning. When she was designed in WWII, the Iowa had OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes launched with a catapult system and recovered via a crane at the center of the fantail. During the Korean and Vietnam conflicts the Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever served aboard the Iowa helping to retrieve downed pilots. Years later, other helicopter assets from the Navy/ Marine Corps would serve from and land aboard her. In 2013, members of the Pacific Battleship Center were visiting the Piasecki Helicopter Headquarters in Philadelphia and saw a HUP-2, Bureau Number (Buno) 130082, in an unfinished state of restoration. Its owner, the American Helicopter Association Museum was quickly contacted and an agreement for her acquisition was reached. The HUP-2 then arrived in the Port of Los Angeles on November 19, 2016 after its long journey from Pennsylvania.
USS IOWA PHOTO
USS IOWA PHOTO
USS IOWA PHOTO 80 | heliweb magazine
Buno 130082 was built in 1954 and started its military career serving in the French Navy. After retirement from the French Navy, it went to a Dutch Air Museum and then later to a French Air Museum where she was painted in French Naval color scheme. After some time, the American Helicopter Association took ownership of it with future plans to restore it with the help of the Piasecki Helicopter Co. After arriving in Southern California, following its journey from Philadelphia, static restoration was undertaken by Lyons Aircraft of Torrance Airport with Bruce Wilson leading a host of USS Iowa Volunteers. Paint was stripped down, damaged and corroded metal was replaced, period instruments and equipment were cleaned up and refreshed. New coats of primer were applied inside and out, to help preserve and protect her from in the elements. One interesting find during restoration was that underneath the paint on the tail, artwork of a nude woman was found. While the identity of the woman and story surrounding the artwork is a mystery, they have preserved this panel and included it in September 2017 | 81
the exhibit onboard Iowa. A particular area of concern for the team during the restoration process was that the 4-piece windscreen and frame was damaged. Luckily for the restoration team, they fortunate enough to not only find one, but, two sets of NOS (New Old Stock) windscreens. Once the windscreen framework was repaired they test fitted and trimmed the new windscreens down to a perfect fit. All in all, she was pretty much intact and had most of her parts, though some missing parts did have to be replicated by Iowa’s volunteers. On May 3rd, with the restoration almost complete, drivers on the Southern California streets found themselves doing a double take as she cruised by truck, down the Pacific Coast Highway, headed for the Harbor Freeway in transit to San Pedro Harbor from Torrance Airport. She had a date to take one more final “flight” via crane after she arrived at the dock. Bragg Cranes donated their 82 | heliweb magazine
time and equipment for this delicate task. Following her arrival, with all the expertise and professionalism that you’d expect from Bragg Cranes, they “flew” the veteran airframe to its final home on the USS Iowa, landing her gently on the fantail, one last time. Once secured on the deck, museum volunteers were invited to inspect the newest addition to their already great museum. On June 24th, the HUP-2 exhibit called “Battleship FLIGHT” celebrated its grand opening to the public. The exhibit shows how the Retriever was used and the history of HUP-2 helicopters on the USS Iowa. In addition, there is a flight simulator that gives visitors an Augmented Reality HUP Experience of what it was like to fly the Korean Warera Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever. I strongly encourage anyone that is in the Los Angeles/ LA Harbor areas to check out the HUP-2 and the USS Iowa Pacific Coast Battleship Center in San Pedro, CA. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you to Mike Getscher- Exec VP & COO, Andrew Bossenmeyer-Public Relations of the Pacific Battleship Center and Bruce Wilson of Lyons Aircraft. For more information or those interested in making a donation of money or volunteer time, head to: http://www.pacificbattleship.com/hup-helicopter
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Photo credit: Dan Megna, Mesa Police Aviation Unit. Mesa, AZ
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