Heli-Expo ShowNews - February 24-26, 2008 - (Page 3)

Speed Moves Toward Center Stage for Helicopters les by helicopter, shaving tions from AgustaWestland but also to anWhat is speed to a helicopfour hours off the previous nounce a round-the-world speed record atter? About 150 kts seems to tempt in his black Grand, number N1US. record. be the answer. His epic dash across the He hopes to make the trip, dubbed “The Although helicopters continent took 15 hrs 9 min Grand Adventure,” in under 17 days. have gone faster (the world Also celebrating Kasprowicz’s transconand 10 secs (including six speed record is held by a stops for fuel) to cover the tinental record was Latitude Technologies, Westland Lynx at 216.45 2,139.8 miles between which played a crucial role in the achievekts), production helicopters the two cities in an ment with its SkyNode S200-021 satellite are limited by their rotor Scott Kasprowicz. AgustaWestland Grand voice and tracking system and Sentinel webaerodynamics to around light twin, eight-seat helicopter. Before you based mapping and reporting system. They 150 kts. Just ask Jeff Pino, president and CEO of reach for your calculator, that’s about allowed ground crews to feed position and ETA information to each fueling station, Sikorsky Aircraft, who unveiled the X2 tech- 141 kts. Which goes to prove Pino’s point that it’s cutting fuel stops to as short as only four nology demonstrator here with an asserted goal to cruise 100 kts faster at 250 kts. “And about time technology took a step forward minutes. —John Morris I think it will get to 260 kts,” he said. “This and rectified one isn’t an airplane we are training to hover. It’s shortfall in the field of rotorcraft. a helicopter that will go very, very fast.” Kasprowicz, inciAnother helicopter man with speed on his mind—and a world record under his belt— dentally, was here at is Scott Kasprowicz, who (along with copi- Heli-Expo not only lot Steve Sheik) last week became the fastest to receive well-deman ever to link New York with Los Ange- served congratulaScott Kasprowicz’s transcontinental dash called for six fuel stops. AVIATION WEEK President Tom Henricks SHOW NEWS Briefing Publisher Greg Hamilton Editor-In-Chief John Morris Morrisoff@aol.com 860-365-0445 Senior Editor Rich Piellisch Senior Art Director & IT Manager Kirk Fetzer Editorial Assistant Mara Morris Director of Sales Mark Flinn mark_flinn@aviationweek.com Operations Manager Erving Dockery, Jr. Heli Express to Replace Its Fleet From exactly half a world away Ms. Cheyenne to replace the fleet,” Ms. Chan told an audiChan, CEO of Heli Express, came to Heli- ence at AgustaWestland’s breakfast here. So Expo to explain how her Hong Kong-based there are no prizes for guessing that she chose airline demands more from its helicopters an AW product—the AW139. Heli Express has signed up for six of them, with the first dethan most operators could imagine. livery late this year. Support Its five S-76C+ light twins agreements have been signed have each logged 11,000 with the manufacturer, with hours—the world’s highest for Pratt & Whitney for the enthe type—plying the skies in the gines, and with Honeywell for Pearl River Delta between the Primus Epic avionics. Hong Kong, Macau and Shen“We evaluated all helicopters zhen, carrying passengers, flyto find the best one that could ing charters, and transferring carry 12 passengers and a large huge cargoes of money between amount of baggage, and meet the casinos in Macau and the our economics. None fitted exbanks. actly, but the AW139 came out This year the 20-year old as the best,” she said. A Heli Express S-76C+. company racked up its 70,000th Heli Express is now upgrading its Hong flight hour and one millionth passenger. With 35 pilots and a staff of 250, it averages 64 flights Kong base with the construction of a two-aira day. Maintenance is carried out at its own craft helipad on the roof of the Hong KongMacau Ferry Terminal with a lounge and base in Macau. Not surprisingly, its helicopters are wear- upgraded passenger facilities. It will be finished in time for the delivery of the sixth ing out. “In late 2006 we made a strategic decision AW139 in late 2009. —John Morris February 26, 2008 3 Show News Briefing is published at Heli-Expo 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121 AVIATION WEEK also publishes Show News, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Aviation Daily, Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, Business and Commercial Aviation, Overhaul & Maintenance, The Weekly of Business Aviation, Defense Technology International, and the World Aerospace Database including World Aviation Directory. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. © Copyright 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Library of Congress ISSN 1092-6151 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Heli-Expo ShowNews - February 24-26, 2008

Helicopter Speed Record Heli Express Renews Orders Flow at Heli-Expo MD’s Tilton Wants VLJ Flying in Style P&WC’s new by-the-hour Eurocopter Dominates Booming Outlook

Heli-Expo ShowNews - February 24-26, 2008

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