Tag: Helionix

No mountain high enough for Austrian lifesavers after 40 years of operations

July 10, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

In July 1983, the OAMTC air rescue service started operations in Innsbruck with an AS355. Since then, the HEMS operator has expanded its service throughout the whole country, offering its life-saving services to the Austrian population from the mountainous regions in the west to the plains in the east near the borders with Slovakia and Hungary.

Today, OAMTC Air Rescue operates more than 22 HEMS bases throughout Austria, all named Christophorus after St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers. Of these, 17 are in operation all year round, while four are in seasonal operation, mainly during winter, to provide HEMS services to the country’s more than 400 ski resorts. Since 1999, OAMTC air rescue has also been operating an H135 as an intensive care helicopter, which enables inter-hospital transfers of intensive care patients to the highest standards.

Relying on the H135 family since 1997
As one of the world’s first operators of the H135 family, OAMTC has relied on the helicopter as the backbone of its missions since 1997. Since then, more than 212,000 flight hours have been logged, including 1 million take-offs and landings, and more than 400,000 missions have been flown. One of the pilots who’s contributed nearly 3,000 flight hours to these impressive figures is Robert Gallmayer, who also happens to be the head of the Christophorus 9 base in the Austrian capital of Vienna. He praises the H135 for its reliability, safety and ergonomics. He also notes that Helionix, the Airbus avionics suite that’s on board the latest version of the H135, plays a big role in ensuring mission success.

There is every indication that this joint success story will continue: In 2020, OAMTC air rescue again demonstrated its confidence in the H135 with an order for five more of these helicopters, the first four of which have already been delivered to the Austrian HEMS organization.

Bavaria Orders 8 Five-Bladed Airbus H145 Helicopters for Police Force

December 16, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Donauwörth, Germany December 2021 – The Ministry of Interior of Bavaria has ordered eight five-bladed Airbus (OTC: EADSY) H145 helicopter’s for its police force, following a European tender launched earlier this year. The aircraft will replace the state’s current H135 fleet and will be operated by the two bases of the Bavarian helicopters squadron at the airport in Munich and in Roth, close to Nuremberg. The first delivery is planned for 2023.

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta. This latest upgrade adds a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew.

In total, there are more than 1,500 H145 family helicopters in service, logging a total of more than six million flight hours. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.

Airbus Delivers First UH-72B Lakota Helicopter to U.S. Army National Guard

September 7, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Columbus, Mississippi, 07 September 2021 – Airbus Helicopters, Inc. has delivered the first UH-72B, the latest variant of its Lakota helicopter, to the U.S. Army National Guard from its production facility in Columbus, Mississippi. This delivery is the first of 18 UH-72B Lakota helicopters currently on order to support the National Guard’s critical missions.

The UH-72B is the latest iteration of the proven commercial, off-the-shelf aircraft that has been the Army’s Light Utility Helicopter since the first Lakota contract award in 2006. The Army is leveraging the benefits of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) program by receiving product improvements and enhancements through the evolution of the aircraft, without investing any government money into the development of those capabilities.

Based on the widely successful H145, the UH-72B incorporates technologies that increase both safety and flight performance, including the five-bladed main rotor, the Fenestron shrouded tail rotor, Safran Arriel 2E engines, and the Airbus-designed Helionix avionics suite. The Helionix suite includes an advanced dual-duplex, four-axis autopilot to provide flight envelope and over-limit protection, automated takeoff, and fully-coupled approaches to hover.

With nearly 10 different configurations available, the Lakota delivers proven performance, outstanding operational reliability, and unmatched versatility for a broad spectrum of military missions. Airbus Helicopters, Inc. builds the Lakota at its production facility in Columbus, Mississippi, which employs a workforce of nearly 250 employees that is made up of 40% U.S. veterans.

ADAC Luftrettung Takes Delivery of First Two Five Blade Airbus H145 Helicopters

August 17, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

ADAC Luftrettung, one of Europe’s biggest Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operators, has taken delivery of its first two five-bladed H145s. Furthermore, the German HEMS operator will upgrade its current fleet of 14 four-bladed H145s to the five-bladed rotor system.

ADAC Luftrettung operates more than 50 Airbus helicopters from their 37 stations throughout Germany. In June, an ADAC H145 was the first HEMS helicopter to fly with sustainable aviation fuel.

Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.

Today, Airbus has more than 1,470 H145 family helicopters in service around the world, logging a total of more than six million flight hours. For HEMS alone, there are more than 470 helicopters of the H145 family conducting air rescue missions worldwide.

Shell Selects H160 for Operation by PHI in Gulf of Mexico

February 19, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Marignane, France, 15, February, 2021 – International energy group Shell has selected leading US offshore helicopter operator PHI to operate four Airbus H160’s to service a support contract in the Gulf of Mexico. The contract marks the entry into the oil and gas market of the H160 with a wealth of design features promising new levels of safety, comfort and schedule reliability in offshore operations.

The three companies – Airbus, PHI and Shell – are cooperating in a unique partnership. In a pioneering move, Airbus will provide one H160 ahead of final deliveries to PHI and Shell for a year-long route-proving programme to enable the operator and the final customer to familiarize themselves with the type’s advanced features and mitigate the normal challenges around entry into service.

At PHI it will be based at Houma, Louisiana and join a large company fleet of H125’s and H135’s deployed in emergency medical service throughout the United States, as well as two H145’s operating for Shell on pipeline survey work in Louisiana, and two H145’s flying the world’s longest harbour pilot shuttle in Mackay, Australia.

With 68 patents, the H160 is the world’s most technologically advanced helicopter and features an unprecedented suite of pilot aids delivered through its Helionix avionics which substantially reduces crew workload and decreases the risk of pilot error.

They include the world’s first ground helipad assisted take-off procedure, a vortex ring state pre-alerting system and a recovery mode to automatically regain steady flight in difficult circumstances.

The H160 is powered by two of the latest Arrano engines from Safran Helicopter Engines and incorporates an embedded monitoring system and a redundancy of sensors, and can be maintained autonomously far from base. The design emphasises robust corrosion defence specifically envisaging offshore missions.

Norwegian Air Ambulance Receives First 5-Blade Airbus H145 Helicopter

October 1, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first five-bladed H145 to the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation. This new version of its best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter brings a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission helicopter, increasing the useful load by 150 kg while delivering new levels of comfort, simplicity, and connectivity. It received certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in June and is now ready to take on a wide variety of missions.

The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, founded by Norwegian doctor Jens Moe in 1978, is the mother company and owner of the Norwegian Air Ambulance. It brought HEMS to Norway by opening a first base near Oslo, using a BO105 helicopter rented from Germany. Today, Norwegian Air Ambulance operates all 13 HEMS bases in Norway and all 4 bases in Denmark using a 100% Helionix-equipped fleet of H135s and H145s. This helicopter is dedicated to support the Foundations important work to improve the HEMS operations.

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta with launch customers announced for all civil and parapublic mission segments.

Certification by the Federal Aviation Administration is under review and expected soon. The certification for the military version of the five-bladed H145 will be granted in 2021. The H145 is developed jointly with Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The first delivery by the Japanese cooperation partner is scheduled for early next year.

Italian Order Highlights Continuing Success of ACH160

July 20, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) has won a new order for its latest ACH160 helicopter, announced just days after the H160 achieved certification.

This new order, placed by an experienced Italian operator for use on private and corporate flights mainly inside Italy, means the ACH160 has been ordered by customers in eight countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, China and South-East Asia.

The client, an existing ACH twin-engined helicopter operator, has specified a customised interior configured for six passengers.

The ACH160 is the premium version of the new H160 helicopter which was certified by EASA on 1 July ready for deliveries to private and business customers commencing later this year. It is the latest member of the ACH family and the most technologically advanced helicopter in its class.

As well as its range of stylish interiors including bespoke solutions, the ACH160 offers a smooth and quiet ride allied to the Helionix advanced digital avionics system ensuring carefree handling and the highest level of safety.

Frederic Lemos, Head of ACH, said: “This new order from a highly knowledgeable ACH customer is yet more evidence of the strong welcome being received by the ACH160 in this demanding sector even at a notably challenging time for the helicopter market.”

The full ACH helicopter range consists of the ACH125, ACH130, ACH135, ACH145, ACH160 and ACH175 variants of Airbus Helicopters’ comprehensive and market-leading family of light and medium models. A range of premium-design aircraft completions, including bespoke designs, is available for all models.

Airbus Five-Blade H145 Receives EASA Type Certification

June 29, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Ready for customer deliveries later this year
Raising the bar in performance, comfort, simplicity and connectivity

Airbus Helicopters’ five-bladed H145 has been certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), clearing the way for customer deliveries towards the end of summer 2020. The certification covers the full range of capabilities, including single-pilot and instrument flight rules (IFR) and single engine operations (Cat.A/VTOL), along with night vision goggles capability.

“Our new five bladed H145 is an excellent example of our quest for continuous improvement and providing incremental innovation that responds to our customers’ requirements”, said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “This helicopter combines value-added features with the robustness and the reliability of a tried-and-tested bestseller, making it very competitive in the light twin-engine market.”

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta, GA, with launch customers announced for almost every market segment. Prior to the successful high-altitude test campaign in South America, where the aircraft set its skids down on the Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Southern hemisphere, the new H145 performed several test campaigns including in Spain at medium altitudes and Finland for cold weather.

This latest upgrade of the H145 family adds a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg (330 lb). The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew. Certification by the Federal Aviation Administration will follow later this year. The certification for the military version of the five-bladed H145 will be granted in 2021.

Latest ACH160 Order Underlines Market Confidence

May 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Geneva, Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) has secured an additional sale for its latest ACH160 helicopter just days before the EBACE 2019 business aviation show in Geneva.

This new order, from an experienced UK helicopter operator which will use it for general corporate purposes, takes the ACH160 orderbook to 11 aircraft of which four have been won in the UK.

Two other ACH160s have been ordered by a privately owned UK company which is also a long-time corporate helicopter user, and a fourth UK aircraft has been ordered by an existing private Airbus Helicopters VIP customer to be managed by Isle of Man-based Luviair.

The H160 medium helicopter programme remains on-track for certification at the end of 2019 to be followed by the first ACH deliveries about one year later.

After recording 54 sales in 2017 following its launch at EBACE in May that year, ACH recorded 68 orders in 2018.

Mirroring sister brand Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ), ACH provides an exclusive end-to-end ownership experience from first enquiry and ordering, through in-service support, to enhanced resale opportunities.

ACH delivers the highest standards in safety, technology, craftsmanship and service and is backed by HCareFirst – a premium support service aimed directly at the specific needs of operators typically recording low flight-hours but demanding worry-free aircraft availability when required.

Frederic Lemos, Head of ACH, said: “This substantial new business for the ACH160 even before certification is clearly demonstrating its very high level of acceptance in the market. These firm orders from highly knowledgeable customers are concrete evidence that the aircraft is addressing the needs of the most demanding operators.”

The full ACH helicopter range consists of the ACH125, ACH130, ACH135, new ACH145, ACH160 and ACH175 variants of Airbus Helicopters’ comprehensive and market-leading family of light and medium models. A range of premium-design aircraft completions, including bespoke solutions, is available for all models.

Renowned for its combination of versatility and comfort, the ACH range of helicopters is admired by passengers and pilots alike for its stylish interiors, smooth and quiet ride allied to its technologically advanced Helionix digital avionics system ensuring carefree handling and the highest level of safety.

About Airbus
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2018, it generated revenues of €64 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

Airbus Helicopters Unveils New H145 at Heli-Expo 2019

March 6, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus Helicopters is unveiling a new version of its best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. Visible in the Airbus booth at the show, this latest upgrade brings a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg while delivering new levels of comfort, simplicity and connectivity.

“We’re extremely happy to be able to showcase the new H145 to our customers here in Atlanta as this upgrade owes a lot to the feedback they have provided us over the years about the aircraft,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “Our teams have worked hard to quickly bring to the market a set of innovations that we believe will contribute to the success of our customers’ operations. It is their trust in the H145 and all its predecessor variants over the last decades that have made it the fantastic helicopter it has become today, and I want to thank them for their continuous support”.

The H145’s new five-bladed rotor brings a significant increase in overall performance, with a maximum take-off weight raised to 3,800 kg and a useful load now equivalent to the aircraft’s empty weight. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew. The reduced rotor diameter will allow the H145 to operate in more confined areas.

The new H145 introduces new levels of on-board connectivity to customers and operators through the integration of the wireless Airborne Communication System (wACS), allowing seamless and secure transmission of data generated by the helicopter in real-time, including in-flight.

EASA certification of the new H145 is planned for early 2020, with first deliveries to follow later that year. This upgrade will also be offered to current H145 customers as a retrofit option in order to deliver the same improvements in terms of useful load, simplified maintenance and comfort to the existing version of the H145.

About Airbus

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2018 it generated revenues of € 64 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

Image and story from http://www.airbus.com

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