[Juuka, Finland] A Finnish R44 was lost after a forest cleansing operation near Juuka in eastern Finland yesterday evening. The Finnish public-broadcasting company Yle states that the accident occurred as the helicopter was returning to the landing site. The pilot, who was the sole occupant onboard, escaped with minor injuries, but the aircraft was destroyed. The Robinson helicopter was in the area to clear forest around power lines with an underslung vertical saw.

The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is currently being investigated by the Accident Investigation Board of Finland (Onnettomuustutkintakeskus).

• Yle's story on the accident, with several photos

[Linköping] The Malmen Air Base in Linköping will house one of northern Europe’s largest air shows this summer - Aerospace Forum Sweden 2012. The event starts with a two-day seminar, which brings politicians, industrial leaders, scientists, lobbyists, military chiefs, entrepreneurs and government officials together. It continues with a VIP flight show on day three, and has its grand finale with a public air show on day four. The event will be held from 31 May to 3 June, with the large public show on Sunday (3 June).


Aerospace Forum Sweden 2012 is organized by the Swedish Armed Forces, Linköping Municipality and SAAB. The public air show on 3 June is expected to attract around 100.000 visitors and a large amount of interesting aircraft. Several helicopters are planned to fly, including HKP 10 Super Puma, HKP 14 (NH 90), HKP 15 (Agusta 109), HKP 16 Black Hawk, Alouette II, Bo105, S-76 and Bell 206/212. A number of additional helicopters are anticipated to show up at the static display (preliminary), including HKP 4 (Vertol 107), HKP 5 (S.300), HKP 6 (Jet Ranger), HKP 9 (Bo105), Alouette III, Bell 412, EC 135, Bell 47 and Sea King/Fennec.
A large number of spectacular fixed-wing attendees will show up in the air, including a totally unique 6-ship formation of the historic J29 Tunnan, J32 Lansen, J35 Draken, AJ37 Viggen, JAS39 Gripen and Sk60.

The first public flight display is expected to start at 09:30 AM on 3 June.

• Aerpsoace Forum Sweden's official website

[Kvikkjokk] Fiskflyg will establish a permanent summer base in Kvikkjokk, starting this summer. The base will offer daily shuttle tours between Kvikkjokk and Staloluokta, with an optional stop in Tarreluobbal. In addition to the shuttle traffic Fiskflyg will offer regional ad-hoc flight operations.

Kvikkjokk is situated on the foot of the Swedish mountain world, some 120 km northwest of Jokkmokk and 90 km (beelining) from Fiskflyg’s main base in Porjus. It is a popular starting point for hiking excursions in the Sarek and Padjelanta region.

[Umeå] Sweden's oldest active helicopter company, Lapplandsflyg, has decided to retire. The flight operations will be terminated this summer, and its business will be permanently closed. The shut-down includes the summer bases in Kvikkjokk and Hemavan/Ammarnäs, together with the shuttle routes between Hemavan-Ammarnäs and Ritsem-Staloluokta-Kvikkjokk as well. The routes will be inherited by other companies and the new operators will be published on Lapplandsflyg's website.

Lapplandsflyg was founded by the legendary pilot Bertil Johansson in Porjus in the early-50s. It was the second helicopter company in Sweden after Ostermans Aero AB. The company has operated ambulance helicopters in Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Västervik and Sälen throughout the years. It has also assisted the Swedish National Police in their operations. The company moved to its newly built main base at Umeå Airport in 1965. Each summer the whole fleet moves from Umeå to the Swedish mountain world – with bases in Kvikkjokk and Hemavan/Ammarnäs. Lapplandsflyg's main business is tourism, reindeer mustering and various aerial works. It has got a fleet of five helicopters – two Long Rangers and three Jet Rangers.

• Lapplandsflyg's official website

[Nikkaloukta] The Swedish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre has scrambled a massive search party following the loss of a Norwegian C-130 Hercules airplane near Kebnekaise yesterday. The aircraft, which carried a crew of five, was en route from Narvik (Norway) to Kiruna (Sweden) to pick up two cars when it disappeared in the Swedish mountain world.

The search and rescue operation has been active since 15:34 local time yesterday, when JRCC alerted the Skellefteå based rescue helicopter Lifeguard 906 (SE-JOJ). Several air resources have been scrambled, including a police helicopter from Boden (SE-HPV), two Norwegian Sea Kings, two Danish EH101 Merlins (that were a part of the same exercise as the lost Hercules plane) and one Swedish HKP 10 Super Puma (10407). In addition to these helicopters four Bell 412s have been offered by the Norwegian Armed Forces, two HKP 15s (Agusta 109) have been launched from the Swedish military helicopter base in Linköping, and an extra rescue helicopter is being prepared by the Swedish Maritime Administration.
Numerous attempts have been made in order to reach the area by air these days, but the rescuers are dealing with bad weather in the harsh mountain areas. Several military fighters and observation airplanes (AWACS, etc) are circling the area and a large ground force is scouting the terrain.

Update: Scattered pieces of the wreckage were found near the ridge between the two peaks of Sweden's highest mountain, Mt Kebnekaise, on March 17 (two days after the accident).

• Visit JRCC's blog for live updates on the rescue operation

[Åre] The Swedish Accident Investigation Board (Statens Haverikommission, SHK) has published its final report after an accident that occurred on 6 November 2008 near Sulsjö, close to Åre, involving a helicopter with the registration SEJNZ.

The aircraft, a Robinson R44 Raven II, was en route to Åre from the village Frankrike in reduced visibility when it struck a power line and went down in a marsh. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, managed to evacuate the wreckage and crawl to a safe distance before he could alert the rescue services.

The Investigation Board has determined that the accident was caused by the fact that the helicopter, which was operated in decreased visibility and dusk, was flown in too high speed in respect to the actual altitude to avoid collision with obstacles in the flight direction. The Board published seven recommendations in the report, including the desire for a more stringent supervision of instances that may have safety deficits and several improvements of the emergency services.

• Download the full report here (Swedish)

[Jönköping] The fast-growing flight school Northern Helicopters faces a setback as the Land and Environment Court of Appeal has decided not to grant a review of the earlier decision to ban local training flights with helicopters at Axamo Airport in Jönköping. Axamo is the main base for Northern Heli.

The dispute between the airport, the County Board and the Environment Office has been going on for years but the court's decision cannot be appealed, says the magazine jnytt.se. The disagreement, which was induced by complaints from neighbors, led to the decision to exclude the helicopter training from the term General Aviation locally, which made the training a violation against the airport’s environmental approval.

“The helicopter school is approved, but they are not allowed to hover around near the airport. The verdict says that the local training activities are prohibited at the airport, other than taking off and landing”, says Sten Norinder, CEO of Jönköping Airport, to jnytt. He further tells the magazine that the airport is disappointed of the situation and that they have made measurements that concludes that the activity is not extraordinarily noisy, and that the noise is within the limits.

“The airport can count on a powerful lawsuit”, says Northern Heli’s CEO Mikael Randheim to jnytt. “This causes the loss of several millions of SEK, so we want to be compensated. I still maintain that they cannot stop us, there are EU rules that stipulates this”. Northern Heli plans to report the municipality of Jönköping to the Parliamentary Ombudsman (Justitieombudsmannen). The company has further announced that it is assessing the possibility to move to Torsvik industrial area from Axamo Airport in order to maintain its operations.

The Swedish Flight Planning Centre has issued a NOTAM (notice to airmen) regarding the limitation:
"AERODROME LIMITED, HELICOPTER SCHOOL FLT NOT PERMITTED FROM: 06 FEB 2012 11:42 TO: 07 MAY 2012 12:00 EST."

• Read jnytt's own story on the denied appeal
• Read jnytt's story on Randheim's response

[Norway] NHIndustries announces that Norway has preselected the NH90 helicopter for the ongoing NAWSARH (Norwegian All Weather Search And Rescue Helicopter) competition aiming at replacing Search and Rescue helicopters operated by the RnoAF 330 th Squadron.

“We are proud and honored to have been pre selected by the Norwegian Ministry of Justice for the NAWSARH competition, we strongly believe the NH90, embedding state of the art technologies is providing the operators the best solution to perform the future Search and Rescue missions in the most demanding conditions” explains Michel Polychroniadis head of NHIndustries.

NHIndustries further states that the NH90 offered to Norway for the NAWSARH competition is the optimal platform for the Norwegian Rescue service since it is able to operate in the harshest weather conditions to perform Search and Rescue, Air Ambulance, Disaster Relief and special operations support missions.

This new generation helicopter will be equipped with state of the art sensors for a good situation awareness in order to quickly locate and rescue people needing immediate assistance.
The wide unobstructed cabin of the NH90 will be fitted with a complete medical care suite in order to take care of injured persons in flight.

The NH90 is particularly suited to operate in the most demanding conditions like those encountered in Norway since it features a full composite corrosion free airframe, redundant flyby wire controls for increased flight safety along with state of the art sensors and communications systems. The critical parts of the helicopter such as the rotor blades, and air intakes are protected in order to operate in icing conditions.

“NHI is commited to provide the Norwegian MoJ with the best helicopter in terms of performance and safety” explains Julien Negrel Business Director of NHI.
The NH90 already had the opportunity to demonstrate its outstanding SAR capabilities in France when the French Navy rescued 19 people aboard the disabled ship TK Bremen off the coast of France’s region of Brittany.

The NH90 is a joint European helicopter program, which was initiated in 1985. The helicopter type made its first flight in 1995, and the first delivery was made in late 2006. Firm orders have been placed by 14 countries including France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Greece, Spain and Belgium in Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Oman overseas. The NH90, developed in the TTH utility transport and NFH naval versions, proves the ideal solution to meet requirements from many potential additional customers worldwide for a number of duties. The NH90 programme is managed by NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency) representing France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Portugal, and by the NHIndustries industrial consortium comprising AgustaWestland (32%), Eurocopter (62.5%), Fokker (5.5%).

[Norrköping] From 1 March, Andreas Bestelid has been appointed as CEO of SMA Helicopter Rescue AB, which is the official corporate name of the Maritime Administration's helicopter operations.

- Andreas is a person who has great trust and big respect amongst the helicopter operations and the Maritime Administration, and I am convinced that he will do a very good job in creating a stable and efficient organization, says Naomi Eriksson, who is head of the search and rescue department.

Andreas Bestelid has previously served as acting CEO of the helicopter operations.

- I feel very positive that I have been given a continued confidence to run the company and its business, and that we can continue the work that is initiated by creating a healthy and stable airborne Swedish search and rescue operation, says Andreas Bestelid.

[Stockholm] The Swedish National Police has decided to stay at Arlanda Airport. The Stockholm unit has endured a decade of temporary solutions, but it will now finally be moving in to a permanent base at the airport. The project is under development in cooperation with Swedavia.

During the first ten years of 2000, the police aviation in Stockholm has been moving between several different locations. The unit has moved from Barkarby to Tullinge, to Arlanda, to Berga, to Myttinge and eventually to a temporary placement at Arlanda Airport (at Patria Helicopters).

The senior management of Swedavia, which owns and operates several airports around the country, has approved a permanent establishment at Arlanda Airport.
- If we can finalize this project, we can drop this issue and focus on our business instead, says Håkan Wall, director of Ordningspolisenheten. The Swedish Police Wing is subordinated to Ordningspolisenheten, which is a part of the National Criminal Police (Rikskriminalen).

The Commissioner has in earlier decisions pointed out that Arlanda Airport is a preferred location for the police aviation in Stockholm, and there are several reasons for this. For instance there are many logistical advantages to operate to/from a large airport, and the police can also take advantage of the security structure that already exists at the international airport.

However, the fact that the airport is a major commercial airport that handles hundreds of arrivals every day has also made it difficult to find a solution that benefits all parties.

- Swedavia has worked intensively to evaluate different geographical locations at the airport to find a place where police aviation and scheduled traffic does not interfere with each other. That is not an easy task, but we have already operated at the airport for quite a while through our temporary base, and we have learnt to interact in a positive way, says Håkan Wall.

It is too early to say exactly where the permanent base will be situated, but that’s where the joint project team comes into place.
- Geography is one of the issues they will look at. What we can say now is that none of the existing buildings are suitable, and that the station will be located in a brand new building.

The project team will be establishing the essential basis during the spring, after which the National Police and Swedavia has to go through decision processes in order to launch the project. Mr Wall believes that the police will be operating from the temporary base for yet a couple of years before the new structure come into place.

[Dallas, TX] Eurocopter announced today that Scandinavian Air Ambulance (Scandinavian MediCopter) is acquiring four EC145 T2s for emergency medical transportation services in the north of Finland.

The newly-ordered helicopters are to be flown from three northern bases – Oulu, Kuopio and one Laplan location in Rovaniemi – using the EC145 T2’s performance, lift and range capabilities for emergency air ambulance flights and inter-hospital transportation of patients.

These operations will be performed in the framework of a medical helicopter service contract recently awarded to Scandinavian Air Ambulance by FinnHEMS (Finnish Authority in charge of EMS Service by Helicopters).

The order was signed today at the Heli-Expo 2012 exhibition in Dallas, Texas, with Dick Lindholm, the President of Scandinavian Air Ambulance, Eurocopter’s Vice President of Programs Wolfgang Schoder, Eurocopter EC145 Program Director Manfred Merk, and Jacques Cardaillac, the Sales Director of Northern Europe at Eurocopter.

The Swedish company began operations in 2001 with helicopter bases in Stockholm and Östersund, subsequently expanding across the country using both rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft at the service of Swedish health care authorities and county councils. Further growth occurred in December 2010 when it took over helicopter activity in Finland.

[Dallas, TX] A few minutes ago Bell Helicopter unveiled its brand new helicopter type, the Bell 525 "Relentless". The high-profile launch took place at the large annual American Heli-Expo exhibition in Dallas, TX, which is hosted by Helicopter Association International (HAI).

"Today, we celebrate with our customers – not only the launch of this new product – but the result of our collective efforts to define a new class of helicopter that raises the bar on innovation in the industry," said John Garrison, President & CEO, Bell Helicopter.

"The new Bell 525 Relentless is a culmination of our research and development efforts, which were informed by a representative product development panel of our customers, including PHi, an industry leader in helicopter operations. Relentlessly listening to our customers and using their feedback to provide them with the right product at the right time has been the winning combination," he continued.

"Having PHi and our other customers engage with us on this unprecedented new aircraft validates our product development strategies – placing our customers at the center of everything we do. We appreciate the collaborative spirit we share with all of our customers who have participated in this innovative process," he said.

The Bell 525 Relentless, which has been a top-secret development designated Project X until know, is a medium-size 2 crew / 16 passenger ship with two General Electric CT7-2F1 engines. The >8000 kg helicopter will have a fly-by-wire system, large Garmin G5000H touch-screen displays, a five-blade main rotor, a speed of >140 kts and a range of >400 nm. The cockpit will have a revolutionary ergonomic side-stick control for the cyclic, which provides closer access to displays and improved over-the-nose viewing. The aircraft will be built at Bell's plant in Amarillo, Texas.

Following Bell's launch of its model 525 Relentless, Eurocopter is expected to unveil its newest evolution in a few minutes.

• Bell's own webpage on the BELL 525 relentless

[Dallas, TX] Eurocopter today unveiled its newest helicopter, the EC130 T2, which features enhanced comfort, improved operational performance and increased versatility for this popular member of the company’s lightweight single-engine product line.

The EC130 T2 was revealed during a ceremony at the 2012 Heli-Expo exhibition in Dallas, Texas, where Eurocopter also announced seven launch customers for the rotary-wing aircraft covering a total of 105 bookings: Maverick Helicopters, Papillon Helicopters, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, Scandinavian Helicopter Group, Air Commander, Europavia and Enloe FlightCare. The diversity of operations performed by these clients underscores the EC130 T2’s ability to excel in a broad range of missions – from aerial tourism and utility to emergency medical airlift.

“The EC130 T2 is the latest step in Eurocopter’s strategy to expand and evolve our helicopter lineup. The high number of orders is proof that Eurocopter innovation is perfectly aligned with customers’ requirements and the evolution of their operations,” said Eurocopter President & CEO Lutz Bertling. “The EC130 T2 has literally been ‘love at first flight’ for our customers. We are fully committed to begin deliveries of the new EC130 version in 2012.”
While retaining the EC130’s existing external lines, approximately 70 percent of the EC130 T2’s airframe structure has been modified.
New and updated features on the helicopter include the use of a more powerful Arriel 2D turboshaft engine and upgraded main gearbox; the incorporation of an active vibration control system; improved air ventilation, distribution and demisting systems; a cabin interior structure redesign with a full flat floor; a cockpit update for enhanced man-machine interface; new energy-absorbing seats that improve weight and balance for passenger loading; integration of a crashworthy fuel tank; and increased maintenance accessibility for electrical and air conditioning systems.

The EC130 T2’s increased performance is provided by its Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine, which provides 10 percent more average power than the EC130’s current powerplant with lower specific fuel consumption. Based on the proven Arriel 2 engine family, the Arriel 2D benefits from such technology advancements as a new axial compressor and new blade materials, and also provides a higher time between overhaul (TBO) intervals. The Arriel 2D is used at its full-power rating of 952 shp. on the EC130 T2, and is the same engine that equips Eurocopter’s evolved AS350 B3e helicopter in a de-rated version.
Performance improvements for the EC130 T2 include a higher maximum gross takeoff weight (2,500 kg. for internal loads and 3,050 kg. when external loads are carried) and a speed increase of up to 10 kts. Even with these enhancements, the EC130 T2’s external sound level remains within the rules for flights at America’s Grand Canyon National Park – an important factor for tour operators.

Optional features on the EC130 T2 are a new-generation air conditioning unit, tinting of the helicopter’s wrap-around windshield, and a right-hand sliding passenger door. The air conditioning system includes design optimization for improved performance, effective hot/cold temperature control, and better air distribution. Derived from the system on Eurocopter’s EC175 seven-ton-class helicopter, it uses a simple control box with straightforward operating logic similar to climate control units on automobiles.

Future development for the EC130 T2 includes the integration of a new glass cockpit design utilizing dual-screen electronic flight displays matched to a Garmin GPS/NAV/COMM receiver (currently GNS series to be expanded to GTN series). This advanced glass cockpit solution will be available as well for the AS350 B3e helicopter and will be developed through the American Eurocopter subsidiary in the United States and installed with a supplemental type certificate (STC).

Cargo swing
Also planned for future development on the EC130 T2 is a 1,500 kg. cargo swing for an aerial work/utility configuration, and the availability of Eurocopter’s Stylence interior – which merges ergonomics and advanced technology in a refined cabin finishing that offers the environment of a fully-equipped in-flight office for business executives and companies.

The no. 1 EC130 T2 has logged 90 flight hours since its first flight in 2011, demonstrating excellent maturity of the new configuration for a certification scheduled this summer. Final assembly of the initial series production aircraft began last December at Eurocopter’s Marignane, France facility. By the second half of 2012, production will transition completely to the EC130 T2 version.
To date, Eurocopter has sold a total of more than 400 EC130s in its various versions.

[Ulricehamn] A two-seat helicopter conducted a precautionary autorotation landing near Sämsjön in Ulricehamn at ~15:30 this afternoon. The sole person onboard, a CPL student, was unharmed. The operator says that the successful forced landing was performed following an abnormal sound in the aircraft.

[Linköping] The Swedish Armed Forces Logistics, FMLOG, has selected Patria as the prime supplier of technical systems and maintenance support for the Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing. The contract is an expansion of the current technical services and support agreement with the Swedish Armed Forces. The three-year contract has an option for additional two years.

The agreement includes a broad spectrum of support services for all the helicopter systems currently in operation and systems coming into operation in the Swedish Armed Forces. Patria provides support for various helicopter models such as HKP 10 (Super Puma), HKP 14 (NH90), HKP 15 (Agusta 109) and HKP 16 (Black Hawk), as well as the models that are being phased out such as HKP 4 (Boeing Vertol) and HKP 9 (Bo105).

The agreement complements the Swedish Armed Forces’ own operations in main operating bases as well as in forward operating bases. The wide-ranging services provided by Patria vary from administration to sales of spare parts and special services within the military helicopter support.

“This agreement is an important step for us in order to show Patria's capability in supporting military programs with cost effective solutions. We've learned to appreciate the significance of the ‘best value for money’-requirement with demanding customers like the Swedish Armed Forces”,says Lassi Matikainen, President of Patria Aviation.

[Linköping] The defence and security company Saab has signed a major support agreement with Sikorsky Aerospace Services regarding technical maintenance and support for Sweden's Black Hawk helicopters.
The support agreement is a framework agreement that establishes the manner in which Saab and Sikorsky Aerospace Services will support the Swedish Armed Forces. The parties have agreed to the first installment of the agreement to provide maintenance for the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters (designated HKP 16) operated by the Swedish Armed Forces.

Saab will establish a maintenance organization, supported by Sikorsky Aerospace Maintenance personnel, for HKP 16 comprising helicopter technicians and other technical support staff based at Malmslätt in Linköping, Sweden.

The first helicopters were handed over to the Helicopter Wing in Malmslätt yesterday, and at the beginning of next year, all 15 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters designated HKP 16, will be in operational service.

"We are delighted about our collaboration with Sikorsky and the agreement strengthens our commitment to helicopter maintenance. We possess unique technical expertise with regard to support solutions and are certified to conduct helicopter operations. Combined with Saab's stable financial position, this will pave the way for success within the helicopter field. We look forward to a long term partnership with both Sikorsky and the Swedish Armed Forces," says Lars-Erik Wige, Head of the Support and Services business area at Saab.

[Linköping] Following a record-breaking acquisition process of the Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, the aircraft was officially handed over to the Armed Forces Helicopter Wing by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) earlier today. The medium-heavy helicopter system was handed over to the Swedish Supreme Commander (ÖB) Sverker Göransson by FMV's Director General Gunnar Holmgren in a ceremony at the Malmen Helicopter Base in Linköping.

Delayed deliveries of other helicopter systems and the ongoing Swedish intervention in Afghanistan has caused a shortfall of helicopters to meet the increased demand for medical evacuations. As a result of these circumstances the Swedish Government decided that Sweden was going to incorporate a new medium-weight helicopter system in addition to the 18 NH90s (HKP 14) that were already ordered and partially delivered. The helicopters will be operational in Afghanistan by the second quarter of 2013.
The Armed Forces Helicopter Wing has a little more than a year to make the well proven Black Hawk system fully operational. The training of pilots, crews and technicians has already been initiated and the national flying will now be commenced.

• FMV's film clip of the first take-off in Sweden

[Norway] A Swedish helicopter was involved in a fatal accident in Norway earlier today. The helicopter, a Robinson R44 Raven II, went down during a reindeer herding operation near Mosjøen in Nordland at five o’clock this afternoon. There were two people onboard, an experienced pilot and a crewman - both lost their lives in the accident. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time, but it will be examined by the accident investigation board.

• In memoriam - remembering those who took off, but never came back