INDIAN APPEAL
India's civil aviation authority the DGCA has issued a notice to the Gujarat government, a state in the west of the country, for allegedly endangering the lives of state officials who fly on its helicopter. According to the Times of India the helicopter was being flown by an unqualified pilot, in breach of regulations. The DGCA stipulates that all government-run helicopters must be twin-engined and flown by two pilots each holding a commercial licence. The co-pilot of the Gujarat Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin was found to hold only a private pilot's licence. In recent years a number of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft have crashed in India carrying senior politicians.
EPIC ORDERS
Epic Aircraft says it took non-refundable deposits on orders worth $40 million for its kit and certificated aircraft during the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in July. Epic president Rick Schrameck says much of the interest came from its two very light jets introduced at the show, the single-engined Victory and twin-engined Elite. The jets and the six-seat turboprop Dynasty are being sold as kits initially, but there are plans to offer certificated version of all three models.
Source: Flight International
