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Aerospace leaders on the new Editorial Advisory Board will guide us in reporting on rotorcraft and business trends and developing industry events.

U.S. air medical operators work to manage pressures on cost, competition and safety.

State-based units are pushing for greater availability of hoists, sensors and radios to help them work better with civil response agencies.

The avionics industry has created a multitude of certified options for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) compliance just as the FAA has cleared red tape on installation of such mandated gear.

The Rotorcraft Technology Summit brings together subject matter experts, government regulators and new equipment providers, along with other operators to learn about the latest rotorcraft technology.

Effective use of tactics and sensors is hampered by language barriers and aircraft configurations.

Operators, manufacturers and vendors will debate the impact of oil’s downturn, drones and regulations on their business activities.

Helitech International’s organizers and hosts aim to demonstrate the value of trade shows for operators and vendors in trying times with this week’s event in Amsterdam.

Operators are implementing the equipment more in lighter helicopters as they prove useful for safety.

To learn how to support China's targeted growth in helicopters, over the next 2 to 3 years Chinese helicopter pilots, flight paramedics and tactical flight officers will engage in a best practices exchange program with the Maryland State Police Aviation Command (MSPAC).

The following products offer helicopter owners and operators important engine maintenance solutions. These tools and software come from the extensive line of available technologies from Mxi Technologies, CaseBank Technologies and Machida Borescopes.

Avoiding FAA recommended practices could lead to high risk and potentially disastrous airspace.

U.S. helicopter operators visiting the island nation are likely to see and experience the suffocating effects of Cuba’s socialistic policies on private enterprise and civil liberties.

In part two of our discussion on protecting your U.S. heliport's airspace, we review key steps necessary to do that.

Significant milestones will foster discussion this year on the exhibit floor and in the hallways of Heli-Expo in Dallas this month.

As the service re-tills old ground for countermeasures, civil manufacturers are fielding new capabilities to protect aircrews and passengers.

The U.S. pushes on a new, family rotorcraft concept. Other nations build future fleets with proven platforms. All may tap new prognostics to cut operating costs.

A Montana-based brewery and foundation is supporting what it calls “Legacy-Building Initiatives” for families who have lost a U.S. servicemember in action.

Pressed by tight budgets and persistent threats, militaries are seeking to refine rotary-wing training efficiency.

Readers share what R&WI means to them.

A 43-year-old engineer’s 1973 mid-life crisis sparked the success of the lower-cost civil market.

Our July 13 webinar aimed to answer some questions that may be keeping operators from installing ADS-B.

Units from Guam to the Virgin Islands face challenges posed by operational tempos — both the nation’s and nature’s.

Europe’s annual helicopter trade show will feature talk of topics ranging from NVGs and advanced HUMS to flying cars and open-architecture software for cockpits.

From new batteries to new VTOL R&D, engineers and visionaries are looking for options for high-specific-energy storage and generation.

A key database of heliport locations throughout the U.S. might be rife with errors.

Amid a sales slump and rapidly evolving demographics, businesses work to understand how social media tools can benefit them.

Helicopter markets in the region hold great promise, but like their global counterparts are hobbled by financial concerns.

Its latest products point to interest in light helos and Western certification standards.

Regulations and reporting requirements, though stringent, might help the small UAS sector.

Perceptions and political gains may outweigh facts when helicopter operations and noise critics collide.

Belgian pilots train with Dutch colleagues as their homeland works to expand its NH90's operational capabilities.

The U.S. Navy is refining streamlined helo ops.

Years of research show crash-resistant fuel systems' safety benefits.

As the international industry gathers for Farnborough Airshow, economic doubt challenges business and states globally and helicopter makers and operators particularly.

From observation to threat engagement, qualified aircrew can reduce risk for officers and civilians on the ground. But proper procedures and training are essential.

OEMs and operators are embracing the ability of integrated modular avionics to improve capabilities and reliability while reducing weight and maintenance for light helicopters.

Airbus Sees the "upgraded" Super Puma as a means of competing with Russian helos for humanitarian missions.

The aviation and training sectors are vying to forge alliances to offer the U.S. Navy a cost-effective new training solution to replace its obsolescent TH-57s.

Though wind shear is commonly viewed as related to turbulence, it also can occur when the air is calm and smooth.

An evolving FAA safety philosophy may aid efforts of aircraft makers, avionics suppliers and operators to field IFR-certified, single-engine helicopters.

Five manned and unmanned advanced vertical-lift aircraft are set to take flight in the next two years.

Europe’s helicopter market adapts to shifting trends, operators face obstacles regarding rules, safety, cost, new technology, staffing and politics.

A declining oil market might be only a temporary problem that will spur increased competition, as market projections see a brighter future.

With the increasing prospects of drone use in conjunction with helicopter operations, Europe weighs their oversight.

Business aircraft developments and innovation could be a prominent topic at NBAA.

We recap the Rotorcraft Technology Summit held Sept. 19 to 20 in Forth Worth, Texas.

Populist tumult and geopolitical tensions promise to increase turbulence in 2017, the Year of the Drone.

A series of military helo exercises held annually promotes interoperability between European nations.

From April’s EC225 crash and the effects of slumping oil to light helicopter initiatives and new drone rules, we highlight the most significant rotorcraft developments of 2016.

R&WI's 2017 rotorcraft outlook panels explores the state of the industry and what lies ahead.

As many operators face tough conditions, engine makers and maintainers refine technologies and services.

Amid slack sales, OEMs and aircraft owners are pursuing ways to make their helicopters more appealing to potential buyers.

With his term as a presidential appointee at the NTSB ending, Robert Sumwalt shares lessons from that time and many more years of work in operational safety and research.

Small unmanned aerial vehicles can provide various services that complement helicopter operations.

Fifty years is quite a milestone, the label Golden Anniversary reflecting its value.

A look back at R&WI’s birth year of 1967 makes clear that its origin at that moment was not mere coincidence.

Sikorsky explains how today’s helicopter technology was birthed from a history of vital needs.

We Take a look at an excerpt of one of R&WI’s earliest pilot reports from the March 1969 issue — chosen based on a readers’ poll.

NASA research has contributed to some rotary-wing technologies that have advanced the industry, presenting opportunities and challenges.

Tomorrow’s innovations will be driven by present-day needs for more payload and speed in rotorcraft.

Building on lessons from the airline world, Southwest Asia combat and the current offshore oil crisis, operators and manufacturers are pushing to find and use data that can help them cut maintenance costs and boost reliability.

Upcoming developments could pave the way for helicopters to maneuver through even the most obstructive environmental obstacles.

Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) can help lower maintenace costs, decrease operator errors and maximize flight hours.

Unmanned aircraft advocates share their hopeful expectations for the state of that industry 50 years hence.

Fifty years from now, a reader curious about ancient thought on aviation may call up an hvpd (hologram virtual paper document) of this issue.

Geography and other factors make this nation ideal for helicopters, but political and economic turmoil have tempered that promise.

The FAA is weighing new proposals for partial retrofit of crash-resistant fuel systems as an effective safeguard against post-crash fires.

An experienced aviator with some rank on the command operation center is a force multiplier for the entire aviation operation.

Unlocking the overall benefits to training standards can mean greater efficiency and effectiveness in police helicopter units worldwide.

Questions on costs and equipment options and doubts of the FAA’s 2020 deadline leave U.S. operators reluctant to equip their helos.

Various factors, including healthcare structure and the economy, influence how emergency air medical services operate around the globe.

Business and VIP rotorcraft interiors today are functional, flexible and plush, with many of the amenities of their fixed-wing counterparts.

Helicopter simulator and training device capabilities are increasing, while their cost-to-benefits are decreasing.

2017 has seen some major developments, new certifications and innovative use of technologies that enable the concept of the “connected helicopter.”

How the market is responding to the latest trends in search-and-rescue equipment.

9 highlights from the Rotorcraft Business & Technology Summit. Photos by Ed Garza

With the flight data monitoring mandate for U.S. air medical helicopters fast approaching, operators are opting to comply in various ways.

As R&WI celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 and enters its 51st in 2018, major developments across the industry are setting up for a year of growth.

2018 should be a year that continues to see technological breakthroughs and improvements in safety — in an industry that is getting younger and leaner while becoming more data-driven and embracing drones as a business opportunity.

Maverick Aviation Group is headquartered in Las Vegas, where its Maverick Helicopters business gives tours in Class B airspace.

New helicopter engine-monitoring technologies, services and capabilities contribute to improved efficiency and reduced maintenance costs.

New tanks, valves, awareness and pending regulations increase post-crash survivability.

Rounding up aircraft programs from Bell Helicopter, Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, MD Helicopters and Sikorsky.

Sikorsky’s experimental test pilot for the X2 details the technology that is influencing the S-97 Raider and SB>1 Defiant.

NVG cockpit modifiers are busy with new technologies, such as white phosphor goggles, and new geographic markets.

Canada’s largest helicopter transportation services company is adjusting to new industry norms.

With a U.S. Government Accountability Office report noting the U.S. Defense Department has an “urgent need” regarding the FAA’s 2020 ADS-B Out mandate, concerns point to the tech’s potential to pose operational risk.

With vibration found to be the cause of the Relentless prototype’s 2016 crash, Bell applies lessons learned to fly-by-wire technology.

R&WI flies with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations in Miami.

With the aviation industry in China set to expand, OEMs are setting their sights on the region.

Uber envisions pilotless rotorcraft as relief for urban congestion. But making air taxi operations a reality requires industry attention.

Sikorsky’s new weapons system can be integrated to existing Black Hawk helicopters.

With Black Hawks on the market for civilian use, we evaluate the cockpit configuration currently in development with Genesys Aerosystems.

Bell’s pitch for the U.S. Navy trainer replacement has been significantly upgraded from its predecessor.

Bell’s V-280 is up, flying and rapidly opening the performance envelope toward the next-generation speed and maneuverability promised to the U.S. Army and other customers.

Helicopter operators target the offshore wind power industry as a new revenue stream.

Tropic Air is eyeing a growing tourism industry in one of the African region’s most striking landscapes.

With the raging wildfire season, an erupting volcano and ongoing floods, helicopter operators are responding to and preparing for the aftermath of severe natural disasters.

The helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) sector may not have the profit potential for operators of the offshore energy business, but it is steady work.

A global pilot shortage calls for more, affordable choppers.

How Sikorsky aims to bring pilot-directed autonomy into the cockpit of future helicopters

We look back at the H-60’s successes and evolutions.

This year’s milestones and advancements in the rotorcraft industry present a foundation for a remarkable 2019.

Rotorcraft may rebound in 2019, as the U.S. military faces “pivot points."

Ride along with a Westwind Helicopters pilot to offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico

A look at technological advancements and new designs for rotorcraft engines.

Many helicopters have proven able to perform a variety of commercial and military mission sets over decades of use.

Technology has made it safe and reliable, but can the FAA catch up?

While the promise of large-scale air taxis awaits, humanitarian eVTOL arrives.

Steady state sales with the promise of emerging eVTOL market

Future vertical lift funding continues – can the service procure the next generation of military rotorcraft?

Where Industry, the FAA and Congress stand on rotorcraft fuel system crash-worthiness

Fatigue is rarely accepted as a contributing factor when accidents happen, and helicopter FDTL rules leave much to be desired.

HUMS systems are becoming lighter, more affordable and better at preventing return-to-base or emergency landing scenarios. Meanwhile, organizations like HeliOffshore are beginning to leverage big data to improve safety across the industry.

Former Soviet helicopters play a pivotal role in UN peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, but the current secretary general is looking at aviation to cut costs.

Companies are quietly planning on electric and hybrid-electric engines to increase the transportation capacity of traditional helicopters and make them quieter, more fuel efficient and safer.

Cut off but operational, Caribbean Buzz gets airborne after the one-two punch of major hurricanes.

Equipment suppliers, helicopter manufacturers and operators appear to be stepping up their game to meet the FAA’s January 1, 2020 deadline for ADS-B Out equipage.

High-tech simulators may be too realistic for new fliers, but combining low- and high-fidelity simulators with instructors could help produce pilots more efficiently.

New tech, new opportunities for night ops.

Thirty years after its first flight, the V-22 is a mainstay in U.S. Marine Corps operations. Its presence in other military service branches and U.S. allies abroad continues to expand.

Raider is now flying on an almost-weekly basis and has transitioned to Sikorsky's FARA team that is working on the company's proposal for the U.S. army.