Avicopter AC313 flies
China’s Avicopter, part of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) group, flew its AC313 prototype heavy-lift helicopter for the first time on March 18 from its Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, facility. The 13.8 tonne AC313 flew for about half an hour in company with a chase Changhe Z-8 and AS350 Squirrel, televised live on China
DSM for Long Tan RAAF Iroquois pilot
The RAAF Iroquois captain who flew in urgently needed ammunition to besieged soldiers of D Company, 6 Battalion during what became known as the Battle of Long Tan during the Vietnam War is to be awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM). The Honours and Awards Tribunal recommended in October last year that FLTLT Cliff Dohle,
First Bell 429 enters service
The first customer delivered Bell 429, N911ED, began EMS operations in late March with Mercy One Air Ambulance in Des Moines, Iowa. The 429 performed its first medical mission on March 29 when it was tasked to respond to a car accident involving a police vehicle late in the afternoon. A male police officer was
Army Kiowas go digital
The Army is upgrading some of its Bell 206B-1 Kiowa helicopters with new digital avionics to address obsolescence issues, reduce support costs and make the helicopters more suitable for lead-in training for the Tiger ARH, MRH 90 and CH-47. Under the Army Minor Capital Project 015.50 Kiowa Navigation Rationalisation Project, Sikorsky Helitech is modifying between
Eclipse gains new life
The EA500 Eclipse has received a new lease on life with Eclipse Aerospace launching a retrofit upgrade for the very light jet. Named the Total Eclipse, the upgrade is designed to fix a number of issues with EA500s. The aircraft will be certified for flight into known icing condition, a service ceiling of 41,000ft, and
Qantas engineers in overtime bans for Easter
The Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers (APESMA) has announced that professional engineers at Qantas will put in place overtime bans over the Easter period and warned that these could disrupt some airline services. The action is part of an ongoing dispute between Qantas and its professional engineers, which APESMA claims is related to
