AeroTime
• Clement Charpentreau
Belgium has blocked the proposed acquisition of NHV Group by China-linked GD Helicopter Finance. The helicopter operator supports offshore energy and defense operations, making the decision a notable intervention in foreign investment involving strategically relevant aviation assets.
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Belgium has blocked the proposed acquisition of NHV Group by China-linked GD Helicopter Finance. The helicopter operator supports offshore energy and defense operations, making the decision a notable intervention in foreign investment involving strategically relevant aviation assets.
Hill Helicopters says its GT50 engine, described as the first new light helicopter turbine engine in 40 years, has successfully completed its initial run. The milestone marks the transition from development into early testing for the company’s in-house propulsion program.
Bell has been awarded a contract to provide Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects (SPINE) upgrades to 49 H-1 aircraft at its Amarillo Assembly Center. The work will modernize the fleet’s structural and power systems for future operational requirements.
Recent demonstrations by Northrop Grumman, Boeing, the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy show accelerating investment in networked maritime autonomy: MQ-4C Triton and P-8A aircraft exchanged mission data, while British forces linked a Wildcat helicopter, drones and ground units across more than 200 miles.
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Marine One came within less than a mile of an Envoy Air passenger flight departing Reagan Washington National Airport after air traffic control failed to halt commercial traffic. The FAA cited “broken and unreadable” communications with the helicopter; the incident follows January’s crash that killed 67 people.
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The FAA is investigating an air-traffic safety incident involving President Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The helicopter departed the White House while commercial flights were operating at the airport, apparently without the required halt to traffic, prompting an aviation-authority review.
Safran’s Arriel 2K turboshaft has received EASA certification for Leonardo’s AW09 helicopter, following more than 600 hours of flight testing since its first flight in March 2023. The approval advances the engine-airframe combination toward operational deployment and removes a key certification milestone for the single-engine rotorcraft.
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Two Bell 412 firefighting helicopters collided midair while battling a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens, killing two crew members and injuring or leaving two others alive. The accident underscores the operational hazards facing aerial firefighting crews as severe fires and extreme winds spread across Greece and Southern Europe.
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