An Agusta A109 crashed off the coast of Brittany on 31 October killing French celebrity baker and helicopter operator campaigner Lionel Poilane and his wife. Poilane, at the controls, took off from Issy-les-Moulineaux outside Paris, dropped off three passengers en route, and was approaching the islet in darkness and thick fog just before 19.00. Investigators say Poilane appeared to have been looking for the landing pad when a wave caught the aircraft.
Source: Flight International
Airbus Helicopters and partner PHI Aviation will shortly begin route-proving trials with the former’s H160 medium-twin in the Gulf of Mexico.
Piasecki Aircraft has secured new work for its ‘Heliplex’ facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, signing a collaboration agreement with Columbia Helicopters to upgrade Model 107 tandem-rotor helicopters to a new more fuel-efficient standard.
MD Helicopters has promoted Ryan Weeks to the role of president, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the rotorcraft manufacturer.
