http://www.aviationtoday.com Aviation Today en-us 2013 Fri, 24 May 2013 15:58:13 EDT  FlightSafety International has incorporated its new Level D-qualified AgustaWestland AW139 full flight simulator (FFS) into the initial pilot training courses at its learning center in Lafayette, La... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/AW139-Simulator-Begins-Operations-at-FlightSafety-Lafayette_79297.html Tue, 21 May 2013 0:00:00 EDT Portland, Ore.-based Erickson Air-Crane has reached a stock purchase agreement to acquire Evergreen Helicopters, an operator of 64 aircraft—including helicopters and fixed-wing—with headquarters in McMinnville, Ore. The acquisition is set to almost double the size of Erickson as a company... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Erickson-to-Expand-Fleet-Services-with-Purchase-of-Evergreen-Helicopters_79150.html Wed, 1 May 2013 0:00:00 EDT In 1998 at the Heli Japan Conference held in Gifu, Japan, I attended a presentation by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on what they thought future heliport design criteria should include. For instance, at that time the FAA was pushing a 4,800-foot straight line approach at a 3-degree slope... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Heliport-Standards-Where-the-Bears-Live_79172.html Wed, 1 May 2013 0:00:00 EDT Helicopter mission equipment provider Simplex Aerospace announced a new Japanese STC for its fire attack system, Model 326GII, on the AgustaWestland AW139. Simplex said its fire attack system is the lightest belly tank system per gallon... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Japan-Certifies-Simplex-AW139-Fire-Attack-System_78897.html Wed, 3 Apr 2013 0:00:00 EDT MD Helicopters has received new orders for its MD500E from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit and Alaskan fleet operator Bering Air... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Bering-Air-Polk-County-Order-MD500Es_78800.html Tue, 26 Mar 2013 0:00:00 EDT The final Sikorsky S-76C++ entered service with Milestone Aviation Group in 2012, as the manufacturer phases in the S-76D. The old rock classic “Let the Good Times Roll” could serve as the theme song for Heli-Expo 2013, as rotorcraft manufacturers plan to announce several orders for new... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Let-the-Good-Times-Roll_78633.html Fri, 1 Mar 2013 0:00:00 EST If you ask me what opportunities I consider to be my greatest blessings, meeting my wife would be on the top of that list. I would go on to say that serving as a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army in Vietnam and working as a pilot for Los Angeles County fire would come in second and third. I mention this... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Public-Service-Harder-to-Maintain_78645.html Fri, 1 Mar 2013 0:00:00 EST The annual “Russian Hour” returns to Heli-Expo this year on Tuesday, March 6 at 1:00 pm at the Las Vegas Convention Center in room N110. Russian Helicopters will display its advanced-technology Kamov Ka-62, which feature... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Russian-Kamov-Ka-62-to-Make-U-S-Debut-at-Heli-Expo_78559.html Tue, 26 Feb 2013 0:00:00 EST A tour of Eurocopter’s EC175 started Monday, with planned stops throughout the U.S. until March 15 before the first production aircraft heads to other locations around the globe later this year.   EC175. Photos courtesy of Eurocopter   The EC175 arrived at... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Eurocopter-Kicks-Off-Worldwide-EC175-Promo-Tour_78566.html Mon, 25 Feb 2013 0:00:00 EST Russian Helicopters has launched its Global Helicopter Firefighting Initiative (GHFI) Thursday, a program aimed at developing more innovative technologies for firefighting helicopters... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/public-service/fire/Russian-Helicopters-Introduces-Global-Firefighting-Initiative_78544.html Fri, 22 Feb 2013 0:00:00 EST