BRAZILIAN BELL
Bell has clinched Brazilian approval for its Model 429 helicopter, clearing the way for the light, twin-engined type to operate in the South American country, where Bell says it "already has a significant base of operators". The first Brazilian-registered 429 is scheduled for delivery early this year.
QATARI PIPERS
Piper delivered 14 piston-engined aircraft during December to Qatar Aeronautical College. The handover to the Doha-based pilot training school included four Garmin G500-equipped Seneca V twins and 10 G600-equipped Archer III singles.
SKYCATCHER PRODUCTION
Cessna plans to deliver 150 Skycatcher light sport aircraft this year - a fivefold increase on the 2010 shipment tally. The airframer says it has received more than 60 of the two-seat Teledyne Continental O200D-powered aircraft from China's Shenyang Aircraft. Reassembly of the $112,250, Garmin G300-equipped Skycatcher is performed in Wichita by Yingling Aviation.
MEDEVAC HELICOPTERS
Eurocopter has won an order from US helicopter operator STAT MedEvac for three EC135s and two EC145s. The twin-engined aircraft will be handed over to the West Mifflin, Pennsylvania-based operator in the first half of 2012, joining 14 EC135s and seven EC145s in service. In 1997 STAT became the first emergency medical services provider in the USA to operate the EC135.
CHINESE MISSIONS
AgustaWestland has sold a single-engined AW119K and a twin-engined AW139 to the Chinese government. The helicopters will be operated by the Public Security Bureau in Zhejiang province and used for law enforcement and firefighting missions. Meanwhile, the Angle-Italian airframer has signed a contract with Swiss search and rescue provider Rega to design and build a simulator "that will meet the training requirements for its purpose-built Da Vinci and GrandNew light twin helicopters". The simulator will become operational in 2012, says AgustaWestland.
Source: Flight International
