HANGAR TALK


nificantly reduce our greatest risk. The cost/benefit of this system makes this choice a ‘no­brainer,’” said David Chevalier, Chief Executive of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. “The greatest risk factor faced by helicopter opera­ tions in Hawaii is inadvertent flight into IMC (instrument meteorological condi­ tions) and subsequent CFIT (controlled flight into terrain). Garmin’s synthetic vision technology is a godsend. “ Blue Hawaiian was the launch cus­


tomer for the EC130B4 in 2001. Since that time the company has logged more than 460,000 flight hours on its all­Eurocopter fleet. “Blue Hawaiian is a great tour com­


pany that has always put safety first. This investment in the new glass cock­ pit EC130 T2 is another step forward,” said Marc Paganini, President and Chief Executive of American Eurocopter. The popular EC130 T2 light single­


American Eurocopter Delivers First EC130 T2s Equipped With Gramin G500H Glass Cockpit to Blue Hawaiian Helicopters


American Eurocopter has received a


Supplemental Type Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for installing the Garmin G500H “glass cock­ pit” multifunction electronic flight dis­ play system in the EC130 T2 helicopter. Launch customer Blue Hawaiian


Helicopters, the only helicopter tour company serving all four major Hawaiian Islands, has received the first two G500H equipped EC130 T2s with more on order. The new aircraft, the latest model in the Eurocopter single­ engine product range, will supplement Blue Hawaiian’s existing fleet of EC130 B4 and AS350 helicopters. The G500H system is available with


optional components like the Helicopter Terrain Awareness Warning System, including Synthetic Vision. With this capability, pilots can monitor and adjust the radios, navigation, inter­ com and operating systems through touch screens. The Garmin system is a leap ahead in technology. “The G500H is a revolutionary tool to improve situational awareness and sig­


12 August 2013


engine helicopter provides many advantages for aerial tour operators including increased cabin space and comfort with individual seats for each passenger, improved visibility through a wrap­around glass cockpit, state­of­ the­art avionics and Eurocopter’s advanced main rotor and Fenestron tail rotor technology. The Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine provides increased power with lower specific fuel consumption. “The double sliding doors signifi­


cantly improve passenger ingress and egress and the additional engine power is substantial over the EC130B4. The most exciting thing about this aircraft is the expected reduction in operating costs,” said Chevalier. 


across North Texas. The aircraft will transport ill or injured patients to critical care facilities, serving more than 100 counties within a 150­mile radius of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The new Bell 407GXs are slated for delivery in 2013. “We chose to add four Bell 407GXs to


our current fleet because of the proven reliability of the Bell 407 combined with its state of the art avionics and factory installed autopilot,” said James Swartz, President and CEO of CareFlite. CareFlite is renowned for its helicop­


ter service. Established in 1979 with one helicopter shared between two hospi­ tals, CareFlite now operates five heli­ copter bases at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Denton Regional Hospital, the Frisco Fire Department and the Granbury Municipal Airport. More than 75,000 patients have been airlifted by CareFlite over the last 34 years. "We are honored CareFlite has cho­


CareFlite Orders Four Bell 407GX Helicopters


Bell Helicopter, recently announced


an agreement for the supply of four Bell 407GX helicopters to CareFlite®, a non­ profit 501(c) 3 corporation providing fully integrated medical transport


sen the 407GX for its life­saving opera­ tions. This marks another major acquisi­ tion for this aircraft in the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services segment in the United States and in the Dallas­Fort Worth area, which is home to Bell Helicopter’s corporate offices," said Danny Maldonado, Bell Helicopter's executive vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. “Air medical serv­ ice providers have an incredibly chal­ lenging job. They must get to every patient as quickly as possible and every second counts. The Bell 407GX is an ideal aircraft for air medical missions


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