High-frequency low-cost tracking using Internet Protocol (IP) over cellular broadband is the newest development to come out of Flightcell International.

Drallim Industries Ltd. has announced that Bell Helicopters, a Textron Inc. company, has selected the HAWK 8,000 lb. cargo hook system for its Bell 525 Relentless.

RAMM Aerospace has expanded its Frameless Seat Cushion (FSC) product offering for the Bell 206/407 aircraft. The HELIFAB FAA STC SR09522RC eliminates the 206/407 seat frame entirely for all FWD facing passenger seats and will be available for all seating positions in the near future. TCCA/EASA Approvals are pending.

For manufacturers looking to improve productivity and increase their return on investment, POP Avdel has introduced the new ProSert XTN20 blind rivet nut installation tool.

AEM’s new 900W Loud Speaker System has been installed and certified by AgustaWestland on the AW139 helicopter.

PHI has purchased Britannica Knowledge Systems’ commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software platform, the Fox Training Management System. The system went live last week as a production environment for managing training and scheduling.

Pelican Products has introduced the feature-rich Pelican ProGear 2780 LED Headlight.

Pelican Products, Inc. has introduced the Pelican 1670 Case as legendarily tough, watertight and versatile protection for those who want to defend their sensitive gear on the go.

POP Avdel has introduced NeoBolt, a non-breakstem lockbolt fastening system for heavy-duty structural applications. The two piece NeoBolt fastener features a collar and a pin with fine pitch locking grooves that, when installed, provides unmatched vibration resistance and fatigue performance.

March 2, 2015, Toronto - Discovery Air Technical Services (DATS) has announced that it has developed a retrofit kit solution that allows for the installation of an EO/IR turret onto the Agusta AW139.

March 5, 2015, Orlando, Fla. - Donaldson Aerospace & Defense has announced that Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland has received European Aviation Safety Agency approval for installation of Donaldson’s Inlet Barrier Filter (IBF) system on the AW139.

March 4, 2015, Victoria, B.C. - Latitude Technologies has launched WebSentinel 5, a significantly enhanced new version of Latitude's very popular web-based flight tracking, mapping, and event messaging platform. WebSentinel 5 is available now for all WebSentinel customers.

Marc Garneau doesn’t scare easily. The federal Minister of Transport was the first Canadian astronaut to fly into space, spinning through the cosmos in 1984. He followed that up with two more shuttle missions in 1996 and 2000. But what keeps the former president of the Canadian Space Agency up at night? Nightmares of heat-shield failures or re-entries into Earth’s atmosphere gone amok? Nope. Would you believe: drones? The Montreal Gazette reports. | READ MORE

Aeryon Labs Inc.has announced that the Aeryon SkyRanger sUAS successfully completed the first Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight in Canada. The SkyRanger was chosen by Ventus Geospatial Inc. and Canadian Unmanned Inc., as the VTOL sUAS flown for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) testing and evaluation throughout the trials at the Foremost UAS Range.

There are thousands of players in the Canadian aerospace industry, most of them flying under the radar as they try to build a solid client base along with a reputation as a reliable supplier. Many of these firms reside in Quebec, where more than 200 aerospace companies generated more than $15.5 billion in sales in 2015.

The DART Aerospace EC130 Heli-Utility-Basket has been the only external cargo expansion option of its type since arriving on the market in 2010. When Air Zermatt, world-renowned alpine search and rescue operator and longtime DART customer acquired a H130 (EC130T2), they purchased the DART basket. CEO and pilot with Air Zermatt Gerold Biner described this product as “an indispensable tool for our versatile operation”. Since the initial certification flight tests for the basket were conducted on an EC130B4, Air Zermatt quickly found that their H130 was capable of more with the basket installed.

L-3 Communications has announced that its WESCAM division has launched its smallest and lightest electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) airborne imaging system, the MX-8.

When it is deployed in early 2018 to the Transport Canada training centre in Ottawa, the new flight simulator for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) Bell 412 EPI and Bell 429 helicopters may be the most technologically advanced non-military rotary-wing training system in the world.

There is rarely a week goes by that we don’t see something in the mainstream media about drones, drones, drones and just in case you missed it, there’s always another drone somewhere else on the verge of doing something new and exciting.

Boeing has opened a new research laboratory to test hardware and software that will make a new generation of autonomous air, sea and land vehicles work together more effectively as a team or unit.

Drone Aviation Holding Corp. has announced that it has been awarded a contract to upgrade existing U.S. Government-owned Winch Aerostat Small Platform (WASP) tactical aerostat systems from Department of Defense (DoD) prime contractor BAE Systems.

A bright, sunny day couldn’t deter an overflow crowd that descended on the Sportsplex at BCIT’s main campus in Burnaby, B.C., for Drone Fair 2016, Saturday Feb. 20.

With more than 100 fixed wing and rotary engines certified in the last 25 years, Pratt & Whitney (P&W) must be part of the sustainability initiative, according to Robert Cadieux, environmental and sustainable development manager with Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC). And he questions P&W’s contribution to increased consumption as the planet continues to consume more and more resources.

Cobham SATCOM has developed the world’s smallest and lightest Inmarsat UAV satcom solution – the 1.45 kg AVIATOR UAV 200.

Hey Matt. What does it look like on your side? Can you see any fish down there?”

Spring is emerging along the West Coast as winter has been slow to release its grip this year. It has been a difficult winter in many places and looking beyond the weather, it has been an interesting few months around the world to say the least.

Control your own destiny or someone else will.” – Jack Welch.

Who says installing pumps can’t look like Mission Impossible? From a young age, helicopters were a passion Mike Lamont didn’t want to give up. By thinking outside the box – or pump housing – Lamont used his passion and knowledge of these airborne workhorses to differentiate his pump service and supply business.

I consider myself an optimist. The glass is always half full – and it can always get worse.

If the past decade hasn’t been proof of the old adage about living in exciting times, things promise to get a little more interesting in the future based on recent world events.

Variety. New opportunities. Mentorship. A sharing of important industry safety data and trends. All are just part of the typical work cycle for Gary Krebs and it’s made for a truly interesting and diverse career.

Gold. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.

The helicopter industry used to be a fun place to work. There was always a new frontier to explore, some new helicopter being rolled out by the OEMs, some curmudgeonly operator claiming the old helicopters were good enough and some oil company saying we need to get aircraft with at least one engine per passenger in order to be safe. The growth in industry has been meteoric, with some operators mistaking a bull market for business acumen, while others think there’s no challenge they can’t handle.

British Columbia’s volunteer Search & Rescue (SAR) teams are on their way to a record year for callouts at a pace that will see them exceed last year’s total by more than 30 per cent.

Let’s face it. We all love challenges or everyone in this industry would abandon helicopters, just like everyone except the federal government has abandoned fax machines.

One of the things I love most about my role as editor of Helicopters magazine is getting out in the field and soaking up the atmosphere of a particular operator or manufacturing facility making a strong contribution to Canadian aviation and aerospace.

Call me crazy, but it’s almost comforting that the price of copper is near what it was when I graduated from high school. I say comforting for two reasons. One, it makes me think of when I had hair – sort of. Two, it means it can’t possibly go lower, can it?

The 2015 Aerospace, Defence and Security EXPO in mid-August offered an intense two-day program of events leading into this year’s Abbotsford International Air Show. Though the two events are not directly linked, ADSE showcases the brain trust for British Columbia’s growing aerospace sector while the air show provides the eye candy.  

Having recently returned from the U.K., I was struck by a number of interesting observations – the Guinness tastes better, there are video cameras EVERYWHERE and there is a pervasive presence of “safety” equipment. Safety vests are worn by virtually every worker on a job site, by bicyclists and motorcyclists alike and many workplaces have visible elements of safety promotion. Now, I can’t say for certain that the U.K. is a safer place to work than Canada, but it is striking for sure.

CAE has announced that it has won defence contracts valued at more than C$150 million to provide simulation products as well as training services for global military customers.

May 7, 2015, CFB Trenton, Ont. - More than 70 personnel from 424 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron with their CC-130H Hercules aircraft and CH-146 Griffon helicopters, supported by more than 100 civilian search and rescue (SAR) partners, are conducting a SAR exercise called TIGEREX 2015 in the Barrie/Orillia, Ont. area from May 4 to 7, 2015.

In military operations and training, standardization, consistency, and commonality are highly desirable. The more consistently routine tasks can be repeated, the better able warriors are to then manage complexity as well as recognize and respond to abnormal situations.

You may have seen the story that has been circulating media channels regarding how little money the federal government has been allocating our military to meet the obligations we put on them at home and abroad.

April 24, 2015, London, U.K. - With an expected market share of more than 33% in 2025, the Asia Pacific region is set to become the largest military helicopters market, growing at a CAGR of 3.1% over the next decade.

April 21, 2015, Marignane, France - Airbus Helicopters and its partner Heli Invest Services welcome the decision of the Polish Ministry of Defence to pre-select the H225M Caracal from Airbus Helicopters.

April 15, 2015, Petawawa, Ont. - In 2013 and 2014, The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) took delivery of 15 new Boeing-built CH-147F Chinook helicopters, among the most capable and advanced variants of the legendary Chinook family. Now, the RCAF and Boeing have unveiled an equally advanced training facility for those helicopters.

AAR has won an endorsement from Pratt & Whitney to enhance the U.S. Army contract to upgrade and overhaul Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) for its UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The new certification augments work being performed at AAR’s Aircraft Component Services facility in Garden City on Long Island as part of a five-year contract, which began in 2014.

April 7, 2015, Delta, B.C. - Customers flying commercial and governmental helicopters in the Republic of Korea now have access to extensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service capabilities from Heli-One’s operations in Canada.

March 25, 2015, Langley, B.C. - Vector Aerospace has announced that it has been selected to perform a 7,500 hour major inspection (G check) and 12-year inspection on one of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s three AS332L1 Super Puma helicopters.

March 16, 2015, Richmond, B.C. - Vector Aerospace Corporation has announced that Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services – North America (HS-NA) has been awarded a 2015 Total Quality Award from Rolls-Royce for the M250 engine product line on Monday, March 2 at the Rolls-Royce FIRST Network Recognition Reception, held as part of Rolls-Royce's attendance at this year's HAI HELI-EXPO in Orlando, Florida.

March 5, 2015, Richmond, B.C. - Vector Aerospace has announced that Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services – North America has been selected by Miami Dade County to provide dynamic component MRO support for the Miami Dade Police Air Support Unit for their fleet of Airbus Helicopters AS350B3 aircraft.

March 4, 2015, Orlando, Fla. - Vector Aerospace Corporation has announced Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services – North America has signed an accordance to provide Rolls-Royce M250 engine overhaul support to Helisul Taxi Aereo Ltd.

March 2, 2015, Langley, B.C. - Vector Aerospace Corporation has announced that Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services – North America (HS-NA) has recently conducted  three 12-year inspections with plans to conduct a fourth this month.

March 4, 2015, Richmond, B.C. - Vector Aerospace Corporation has announced Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services – North America (HS-NA) with the assistance of their local representatives, Naher Trading, has signed a contract to provide the Colombian Air Force with Pratt & Whitney PT6T and JT15D engine MRO support over the next three and a half years.

Dec. 8, 2014, Langley, B.C. - Vector Aerospace Corporation has announced that Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services – North America has received FAA and EASA certification for development and installation of the Helicopter Terrain Awareness System (HTAWS) for AS332 C, L and L1 aircraft.

Oct. 8, 2014, Richmond, B.C. - Vector Aerospace Corporation has announced that Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services – North America, has signed an agreement with the Royal Thailand Air Force to provide PT6T engine accessories including fuel control units and governors and combining gearboxes for the RTAF’s fleet of  Bell 412 aircraft.

Oct. 3, 2014, Richmond, B.C. - Vector Aerospace Corporation has announced the signing of a five-year agreement with Orange County Sheriff’s Department to conduct maintenance, repair and overhaul on their AS350 and UH-1H helicopters.

Sept. 23, 2014, Langley, B.C. - Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services – North America has announced that it is an Airbus Helicopters D-Level certified repair center for the AS350/AS355 and EC130 helicopters.

Recreational drone users in Canada face new restrictions on where and when they can fly their remote-controlled devices, under new rules announced Thursday by Transportation Minister Marc Garneau.

Some of us are old enough to remember Paul Simon’s groove – 50 ways to leave your lover – but in this feature, I challenge you with some ideas gleaned from industry, with 15 ways to enhance your personal safety tools – for pilots, engineers, support staff and, yes, company managers.

At N 47°36’58,W052°45’10 lies Cougar Helicopters.

Transport Canada’s (TC) fatigue management proposal still has many warts. TC has claimed that the proposed new regulations are “based on science.” The Helicopter Association of Canada (HAC) would argue that there is more science fiction than fact in the current draft.

Does anyone want to work off-site anymore? I count myself in the group that loathes being gone too long these days.

The helicopter industry is in “survival mode,” according to some observers, buffeted by depressed oil prices and fatal accidents that have grounded key aircraft in the fleet. The natural expectation of tough economic times is that helicopter operators might shirk on safety measures and productivity could suffer as employees fear a redundancy notice.

Enhancing safety standards in the global helicopter industry is a process that is constantly evolving, as individual operators, OEMS and regulators strive to introduce new technologies and procedures to help prevent accidents and incidences throughout all levels of the business.

When pilots of the Airbus Helicopter AS350 train in the new HNZ Topflight simulator at the Alberta Aerospace Training Centre in Edmonton, they may literally come to “the end of their rope.”

Earlier in 2016, I listened to an inspiring interview with David Gregory, the former host of NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that truly informs this column. He was speaking of his time with the show and in the discussion he quoted the Book of Proverbs – “Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be true.”

I hate to disappoint those of you that thought this issue would go away with the Federal Election last year, but its back – and with a vengeance. No one wants a fatigued pilot. No one wants to be a fatigued pilot, but there are some serious problems with Transport Canada’s (TC) latest draft proposal.

The Super Puma crash off the Norwegian coast in late April that killed 13 people is a sobering reminder that statistics seem to fade into irrelevance when the victim of an accident is your spouse, your parent, your friend.

It has been my experience that most helicopter operators approach their safety programs primarily from the perspective of flying operations and maintenance activities. Yet, the pure, health and safety – labour code aspect of our safety programs can sometimes be lacking. One facet of managing risks as part of a safety management system involves contractor safety. What can we do to address this area of risk management and workplace safety?