Flying Magazine
• Meg Godlewski
The NTSB has published findings on two helicopter accidents: a preliminary account of a fatal crash in Yosemite that notes earlier water-bucket problems and the aircraft’s final moments, and a final report on a May Dallas night takeoff in which a Bell 407’s tail rotor struck a rooftop surveillance camera. The reports describe separate events.
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Bristow Group pilots can now train on a new AW139 Level D full-flight simulator at the company’s simulation hall in Dyce, near Aberdeen International Airport in Scotland. The facility adds simulator capacity for the helicopter operator’s pilot training operations.
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The NTSB has published findings on two helicopter accidents: a preliminary account of a fatal crash in Yosemite that notes earlier water-bucket problems and the aircraft’s final moments, and a final report on a May Dallas night takeoff in which a Bell 407’s tail rotor struck a rooftop surveillance camera. The reports describe separate events.
Airbus Helicopters has secured an order for five H135s from U.S. air medical operator Life Flight Network. Representatives of the companies finalized the agreement on Oct. 26, 2026, at the Air Medical Transport Conference in Fort Worth, Texas; the operator serves the western United States.
The Nigerian air force has outlined acquisition priorities for the coming years, including additional T129 ATAK attack helicopters and Aksungur unmanned aircraft. The plans signal continued investment in rotary-wing and uncrewed capabilities, though the report provides no order quantities or delivery timelines.
The Royal Air Force will use aircraft including CH-47 Chinook helicopters and Airbus A400M transports to support wildfire response, an unprecedented role for the fleet. The move follows the hottest summer on record and adds military airlift assets to the UK’s aerial firefighting capability.
After its hottest summer on record, Britain will equip Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters and A400M Atlas transport aircraft to fight wildfires. The move creates a permanently UK-based military aerial firefighting capability for the first time, as the government steps up its response to increasingly severe fires.
Argentina’s armed forces have received the sixth and final Bell 407GXi, completing an order initiated in 2023. Delivered to Campo de Mayo on 20 October, the helicopters are split between the air force and army to enhance operational capability.
The U.S. Army has validated new transport technology for the AH-64E Apache, expanding options for moving the attack helicopter by sea and supporting its deployment. The available reporting does not specify the technology, test conditions or operational scope of the validation.
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