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HELICOPTER LIFE Winter 2018
HELICOPTER
LIFE
Winter 2018/19 £6.99
www.helicopterlife.com including gyroplanes and drones
HELICOPTER LIFE is the HIGH LIFE HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2018
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WInTER 2018/19
HELICOPTER
LIFE Flight Show & Tell Guide Aviation shows and conferences.
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The Editor’s Letter
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Aerial Forum APPG on Aviation Letters to the Editor Flying Crackers
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Two Years of Galileo New Technology Looks at the affect of Galileo on our world
12 World News Helicopter Life team Helicopters all over the world
18 Bell at MBAA Helicopter Life Sees what is new in the the interesting show
HeliTech International Helicopter Life team What is happening around the world of helicopters, drones and aviation life HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2018
High Over Hong Kong Georgina Hunter-Jones Goes flying with HeliServices Hong Kong and enjoys freedom over the city
WAA and Heli Charter Part Company Heli Charter, a helicopter company started in the 1980s has finally join the list of aviation casualties Saif Sareea David Oliver largest combined military training exercise UK and Omani Armed Forces to be held in the Middle East for 17 years Bahraini Air Show Arjan Dijksterhuis The fifth Baraini Air Show was held at Sakhir Airbase
24 Russia in Egypt Russia continues its unstoppable march across the world
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Book Review
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CAA Legislation changes
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Accident Reports
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Helicopters without Pilots
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Show & Tell Guide
4 March - 7 March 2019 HAI HELIExPO
Conference Centre, Atlanta, USA http://heliexpo.rotor.org/ 10 April - 13 April 2019 AEROFRIEDRICHSHAFEN
Friedrichshafen, Lake Constance, Germany http://www.aero-expo.com/aero-en 16 April - 18 April 2019 ABACE
Shanghai, China https://abace.aero/2019 16 April - 18 April 2019 ROTORCRAFT ASIA
Changi Exhibition Centre, Singapore http://www.rotorcraft-asia.com 16 May - 18 May 2019 HELIRUSSIA
Crocus Expo, Moscow, russia http://www.helirussia.ru/en/ 21 May - 23 May 2019 EBACE Wycombe Air Park, UK
https://www.heliukexpo.com/ 13 June - 15 June 2019 HELIUK ExPO Palexpo - Geneva, Switzerland
HELICOPTER
LIFE
WInTER 2018/2019 HON. EDITORIAL BOARD The Lord Glenarthur, DL Jennifer Murray Michael J. H. Smith Malvina Nicca ATPL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / PILOT Georgina Hunter-Jones editor@helicopterlife.com CREATIVE DIRECTORS art@helicopterlife.com COPY EDITORS Gerald Cheyne, Jean Dubourcq CONTRIBUTING EDITORS David Oliver, HeliTech International, Matthew Bolshaw, Arjan Dijksterhuis, APPG CONTRIBUTED PHOTOGRAPHY Izzy Hutchison, Alan Norris, David Oliver, John Periam, Malvina Nicca, Arjan Dijksterhuis, APPG SPECIAL THANKS TO Gerald Cheyne, Malvina Nicca, Izzy Hutchison ADVERTISING Telephone: +44-(0)23-9263-1713, advertising@helicopterlife.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Go to our website or turn to page 60 subscriptions@helicopterlife.com WEBSITE www.helicopterlife.com Blog http://www.helicopterlife.blogspot.com See Helicopter Life on Facebook & Twitter
https://ebace.aero/2019 12 September - 15 September 2019 CHINA HELICOPTER ExPOSITION
Industry Base of The AVIC Helicopter, Tianjin, China https://10times.com/china-helicopter-exposition 11 February - 13 February 2020 SINGAPORE AIR SHOW
Changi Exhibition Centre, Singapore https://www.singaporeairshow.com/trade
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COVER PHOTOGRAPH Malvina Nicca HeliServices Hong Kong MD902 on The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong with Pilot Dominique Simoneau HELICOPTEr LIFE is published quarterly by FlyFizzi Ltd. Pyers Croft, Compton, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 9EX Copyright © FlyFizzi Ltd. 2019. ISSN 1743-1042. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishers, the Editor or any of the editorial staff. reproduction in whole or in part, in any form whatever, is strictly prohibited without specific written permission of the Editor.
HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2018
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ediTor’S leTTer
PhotograPh Courtesy of Malvina niCCa
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he APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) had a drinks party in December to celebrate their work for General Aviation, and it was well deserved. This small parliamentary group (actually one of the largest interest groups in parliament, but still very small) have achieved a myriad of things in their first year of operation. One of the most important aims for GA is the groups work on removing VAT from training. If that comes into force then it will be a huge bonus for those already training, future pilots and a boost to the industry in general. As it is already known, there is a dire pilot shortage which is only getting worse, this will be an important milestone if it gets through. See page 6 for APPG updates. Sometimes we look to drone technology to help with our need for pilots, However, there are also drawbacks there and could be seen last Christmas, when Gatwick was plagued by drone sightings, leading to flight cancellations and delays. It has once again started the conversation about drones, what they are allowed to do and how they should be regulated. Apparently, the ability to defend airports is here, and is on military airfields, but is not used on civilian airports. A few weeks ago, the MOD removed its anti-drone hardware from Gatwick, which was taken there after the drones were spotted hovering over the runway. However, just a few days later drones again stopped departures from Heathrow. This the major airport of the UK and one everyone thought was well defended. There does need to be some pretty forthright defending of airports or something even worse than lost holidays could be the result. However, while we are gnashing our teeth about lost holidays and conspiracies from russia and China, it is as well te remember the benefits of drones. right now the Chinese have started using drones to survey and protect The Great Wall of China. Zhao Peng, an architect, said that some secHELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2018
tions of the 13,000 mile wall are both dangerously eroded and in need of protection from vandals and the weather. Perhaps Donald Trump should listen to this before he starts building his wall. While the Chinese visited the dark side of the moon and the USA space agency NASA have found the Ultima Thule asteroid in the farthest part of space, beyond Pluto, once again the space race is hotting up. The international papers are even talking about “a countdown to the future where space becomes a battlefield.” As Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow and China expert at Heritage Foundation in Washington said: the USA “have lost the ability to put a person into space, China is able to do this.” Bell may not be on their way to space but they have taken to heart the desire to move above the crowded skies with ‘people carriers’ and in collaboration with Thales and Safran is designing the Bell Nexus VTOL air taxi with a hybrid power system. However, their press release says: “an experience where the passenger defines the flying journey and the aircraft has the potential to meet you at your front door.” This I doubt! Driving through London this week I looked at potential landing sites in the narrow streets and wondered how it would be possible for, for example, three businessmen in adjoining houses to get picked up by any of the current crop of electric air taxis. Congestion would be only one of the challenges to overcome. And that is without mulling over the cost of such private transport. Other companies are looking for a more public aspect of transport, with ‘landing hobs’ in parks and on raised platforms. This too has its spectacular challenges and I wondered about roehampton or Hyde Park as potential landing sites. If fracking has a lot of nay sayers I think that might be doubly so when the public transport system collides with the need for public recreation. 2018, with Brexit, Trump and
falling stock markets, was already an exciting year, 2019 and its followers look to be even more thrilling. But, as we know, the current transport system is at breaking point and there do need to be more alternatives, so given some really creative thinking, electric air transport may well be the future solution. Sadly, it seems that Heli Charter the Kent based helicopter company started in 1987 with one helicopter, could no longer function in today’s competitive market. Heli Charter were the operators of the Semington Charity’s Bell 429 helicopter used by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. After its collapse the WAA is now looking to get their own AOC. Heli Charter has had a number of problems, including the fatal accident of their chief pilot in 2014 and the death of director Ken Wills, which has made it hard for them to continue in the low profit field of aviation. Hopefully, the WAA will find another operator to help their charity. This is the penultimate print copy of Helicopter Life, we are moving to digital only in the Spring. Those who have an up-to-date print subscription will be able to move straight into digital without any extra cost, just send me an email and I will send you a code. I am sad to be doing this after 14 years in print, but more people like reading the digital version than the print one, meanwhile cost of paper and printing increases. 5
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AeriAl Forum All Party Parliamentary Group on Aviation
Updates Airspace inquiry takes off. (See letters) 11 December 2018: Concerns over the design of the aviation skies above Britain were raised during the first Oral hearing session of an inquiry commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA). The inquiry, chaired led by Lord Kirkhope of... Parliamentary Group on General Aviation urges Minister to bring ‘Church Bell’ and ‘Live Music’ protection to Britain’s Airfields. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) has called upon the Housing and Planning Minister to provide airfields with the same level of retrospective protection as churches, live music venues and farms. In a meeting between members of... APPG-GA Welcomes EASA’s Renewed Commitment to GA at 2018 Safety Conference representatives of the All Party Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) travelled to Vienna to contribute to the 2018 EASA Annual Safety Conference held from the 5th to the 7th of November. The conference comprised two days of panel discussions aimed at building.. 6
“MP’s countdown to launch of STEM jobs in aviation” On Tuesday 23rd October, 24 members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPGGA) joined Carol Vorderman to launch the ‘Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Jobs and Skills’ Working Group. The STEM jobs and... All Party Parliamentary Group asks Secretary of State to ‘call in’ Shoreham planning applications 23rd October 2018: The All Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) has written a letter1 urging the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, The rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, to ‘call in’ the decision to approve plans for a... Chancellor commits to working with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation and UK Aviation sector on VAT flight training. 22nd October 2018: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has written, after meeting with the APPG on General Aviation (APPG-GA), to highlight the importance of flight training in the UK. recognising that “new pilots are essential for the growth and sustainability of the UK... HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2018
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APPG on GA launches new Working Group on STEM Jobs and Skills 17 October 2018 The All Party Parliamentary Group for General Aviation (APPG-GA) has published the Terms of reference for its new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Jobs & Skills Working Group. The Terms of reference were drafted following a...
Aviation Minister pledges to change law to legalise writing in the sky 16 Aug, 2018 The Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg CBE has promised to update UK law to allow for the practice of Skytyping and other forms of sky writing in the UK. The move follows pressure from parliamentarians and aviation aerobatic experts to change outdated legislation.
All Party Parliamentary Group urges Secretary of State to extend aerodrome safeguarding 16 October 2018: The All Party Parliamentary Group for General Aviation (APP-GA) has written to the Secretary of State for Transport urging him to reconsider the safeguarding obligations invested in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in order to improve protection for...
All Party Group says New Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) a useful start, but there is more to do… 25/07/18 The All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) has welcomed two proGeneral Aviation changes made to the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) but says government has more to do if it wishes to return General Aviation, and its many...
British and American Parliamentarians write to the CAA, FAA and EASA asking for a “new bilateral agreement” on medical standards for Private pilots 2nd October 2018: In a letter to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA), lawmakers from the UK APPG on General Aviation and the Congressional General Aviation Caucus, have called for a... Airspace Inquiry – Terms of Reference and Call for Evidence 18th September 2018: The All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) is parliament’s largest APPG, With 174 MPs and Peers[1]. The parliamentary group works to educate parliamentarians and ministers about the role that aviation plays in society and our...
HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2018
Parliamentary Group announces inquiry into Civil Aviation Authority’s airspace change process 16/07/18 The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on General Aviation has announced it intends to investigate the way that airspace changes are processed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the UK. Stop charging museums for displaying historic military aircraft, Parliamentary Group tells Defence Secretary 04/07/18 The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on General Aviation has written to the Defence Secretary criticising the Government’s approach to the disposal of historic aircraft. In a wide-ranging critique, Parliamentary Group Chair Grant Shapps MP, and Heritage...
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FlyinG
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Drone Racing in China The championships started on 1st November in Shenzhen, in China. There were 128 competitors, including 44 Juniors and 13 women, from 34 countries in the competition, which lasted four days, from 1-4 November 2018. Alongside the drone pilots, were 34 team managers, plus 72 extra helpers and 40 official supporters. Thursday 1 November morning was an official practice session for the teams, allowing them to get to grips with the drone-racing track. The track was said to be fast and challenging, but lovely. Drone racing is a relatively new FAI-sanctioned sport with phenomenal growth, up to six pilots at a time race battery-powered drones around a specially constructed track. races last two or three minutes, and the fastest pilot wins.
Barton moves to Birmingham Nick Barton has announced his departure from Luton airport, where he has been CEO since 2014, with current planning and investment director Alberto Martin in place to succeed him.tance company, said its investigations showed that in the first eight months of 2018, there were around 1,600 helicopter rescues in Nepal, at least 35% of which were fraudulent, costing insurers upward of $4 million. He started his new job as CEO at Birmingham in January.
The rAF marked its centenary in April 2018 and its station which operated as rAF Hendon – which is today part of the borough of Barnet – was globally known as the home of the rAF.drone! 8
Airborne Technologies SAR Airborne Technologies is proud to announce its innovative system integration solution Airborne LINX is on duty with the Swiss Air-rescue Organisation rega and has already saved lives during their demanding SAr operations in high mountain regions.
Metro H135 DHART Programme Metro Aviation delivered a newly completed H135 for a partnership
Helicopter in Divorce
RAF Museum has Freedom of Barnet Barnet Council has awarded the Freedom of the Borough to the rAF Museum to celebrate its diligent preservation of the proud history of our nation’s 100-year-old royal Air Force.
Burlington-based partnership began service on August 23, 2018. The aircraft is operated by Metro Aviation.
between Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's DHArT program and the University of Vermont Medical Center’s Health Network Critical Care Transport Team. This helicopter boasts a distinct paint job, wrapped in branding from each program. The design mirrors DHArT’s customary design, while the color scheme demonstrates the collaboration with UVM. Paired with Metro Aviation’s traditional medical interior, the H135 will operate as part of an improved regional transport system increasing the programs’ bandwidth of providing faster critical care. Staffed with a UVM medical team with flight requests coordinated through the DHArT program, the
russian oligarch embroiled in a divorce suit with his ex-wife has been forced to sell his EC155 helicopter. The 155 was valued at 7 million Euros and used to travel between Fairoaks and the super yacht MV Luna.
Bell V-280 Valor – First Year of Flight Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, and Team Valor marked the anniversary of the V-280 Valor’s first flight by continuing to prove the aircraft’s performance and technical maturity. As part of the U.S. Army led Joint Multirole Technology Demonstrator (JMr-TD) program, the V-280 demonstrates that close collaboration between government and industry can deliver transformational speed, range and agility in vertical lift, in a fast and sustainable process. In nearly 85 hours of flight and more than 180 rotor turn hours, HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2018
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some V-280 flight testing milestones are: 1. Forward flight at 250 knots true airspeed. 2. In-flight transitions between cruise mode and vertical takeoff and landing. 3. 50-degree banked turns at 200 knots indicated airspeed. 4. 4500 feet per minute rate of climb and sustained flight at 11,500 feet altitude. 5 Single flight ferry flight of over 370 miles. 6. Demonstrated low and high-speed agility with fly-by-wire controls The V-280 continues to expand the envelope in flight testing and expects to complete all the key performance parameters in the coming months, including additional lowspeed agility tests and full cruise speed in forward flight.
Duchess of Cornwall in Wiltshire Visiting the WAA in Happier Times HEr royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall officially opened Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s airbase at Semington, near Melksham, in December 2018. The official opening came seven months after Wiltshire Air Ambulance moved to the purpose-built airbase in May 2018. This significant milestone brought together
viewed, operated and funded. In particular, highway and public transport networks must be managed to move people and goods as efficiently as possible richardson said: “There is a pressing need to review how to deliver the bus services that consumers require in the 21st Century. Bus operators are doing their best under very difficult circumstances..; they are over regulated and can’t get on with the business of delivering a good service through no fault of their own.”
Wizzing Across Luton
the helicopter, operational, fundraising and administrative teams on to one site and on land the charity owns for the first time, securing its future.
Radical Re-think of Bus Services The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) appeared before the Transport Select Committee to give evidence into the health of the bus market. Over the course of the session, Nick richardson FCILT declared that: 1. Attention to what people want from bus services must take precedence over different forms of governance 2. Good bus services are essential for the economy, the environment and a less congested and polluted Britain 3. Traffic congestion severely undermines bus services 4. Changes must be made in the way that bus services are HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2018
Low-cost carrier Wizz Air’s UK subsidiary is set to become the largest airline at Luton airport after announcing the addition of two new A320ceo aircraft to its fleet. With the new aircraft comes six new routes from Luton to Bergen and Oslo in Norway, Turku in Finland, Thessaloniki in Greece, Porto in Portugal and Catania in Italy. All flights will launch between 1 July and 17 September.
Airbus is Hungary Airbus Helicopters and Hungary have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to create an industrial cooperation for long-term aviation projects that will initially focus on the production of certain high precision mechanical parts for helicopter dynamic systems. This project is part of the 'Zrinyi 2026' armed forces development program supporting Hungary’s national security goals of developing independent defence capabilities. 9
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leTTerS
To The
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To send a letter to the editor, please email: editor@helicopterlife.com
PARLiAMenTARY AViAiTon GRouP SuPPoRTS neW DRone LAWS Dear Georgina Parliamentary Aviation Group pledges support for tough new drone abuse laws The All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) strongly condemns the illegal and dangerous actions by those deliberating operating drones around Gatwick Airport and supports the decision to suspend all flights to protect passengers and crew. The Chair of the cross-party group, which numbers 177 parliamentarians, the rt Hon Grant Shapps MP spoke with the Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today and offered support in toughening up the law if required. The MPs and Peers have previously encouraged the Department for Transport to increase accountability for drone users and operators. New technology exists or is in development to help prevent drone flying near sensitive sites and the APPG will step up work with the CAA and Aviation Minister, Baroness Sugg, to create guidelines and regulations that are both fair and proportionate to drone users. This is only the latest incident in a string of drone related incursions at airfields. The aviation community has been voicing concerns about drones for some time. It is clear from the current situation that the lack of traceability of drones leads to a lack of accountability
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on their users. The APPG-GA therefore supports work on investigating how Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) and other technologies could be deployed to ensure drones can always be connected to their owners. In the House of Lords today, APPG-GA member and Chair of the Airspace Working Group, Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate, asked the minister for aviation if the Government has considered any efforts to improve accountability. The Minister informed Lord Kirkhope that new measures for the police are to be announced soon. The APPG-GA will continue to work with the Department for Transport, the CAA and industry to ensure that the law and regulation prevent another incident like this one from occurring in the future. This includes helping to progress an appropriate Private Members Bill to help deal with the issue. Thanks George George Lawley All Party Parliamentary Group On General Aviation Office of The rt Hon Grant Shapps MP Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield
HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2018