Bell Goes After
Eurocopter
Bell Helicopter has filed its own
lawsuit against Eurocopter. The suit
comes after a June 16 incident at
this year’s Paris Air Show. According
to Reuters, a French bailiff turned
up at Bell’s booth armed with legal
documents, forcing the company to
remove panels from its 429 to allow
inspection. Eurocopter previously filed a lawsuit against Bell for patent infringement,
based on the accusation that Bell illegally copied patented Eurocopter landing gear
technology and used it in developing the 429. The Paris incident interfered with Bell’s 429
flight schedule, and was somewhat embarrassing for the U.S. company. Bell is asking the
U.S. District Court for damages to cover one-quarter of the cost of running its Paris Air
Show booth, including expenses related to sending company personnel to the show and
the shipment of the 429. Eurocopter is not commenting on the lawsuit.
EMS Helicopter Cuts Lines
An EMS helicopter operated by Air Evac EMS unintentionally shut down traffic on Route
50 in Greenwood, W.V. on June 17, 2009, after clipping some power lines. The Bell 206B
helicopter, transporting a six year-old seizure victim, hit the lines after taking off in dusk
conditions from Route 50. The helicopter landed safely, but the strike caused a fire. It was
quickly extinguished by local firefighters. While a ground ambulance took the patient to
Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, the Bell 206B was pushed off the road and the
downed power lines were repaired.
“Due to the setting sun in the West,
neither the pilot nor the crew were able to
visualize the wires,” according to Air Evac
President & CEO Seth Myers, as reported
by the CONCERN Network (which tracks
such incidents). No one was injured.
■ PRODUCTS
Simplex
acquires Helipod
International
Simplex Manufacturing, which makes
aerial applications systems for helicopters,
has acquired Helipod International. The
purchase gives Simplex access to Helipod’s
certified accessory products for Robinson
helicopters, including cargo pods, spray
systems and other specialty items.
“Helipod represents an important milestone in our overall strategy of acquiring
value added product lines and businesses
that are focused on the aviation industry,”
says Simplex COO Mark Zimmerman.
“We are very excited to be partnering with
Peter [Maloney, founder/CEO of Helipod]
and look forward to his assistance in developing new technologies and expanding
our line of FAA-certified products.”
Under the deal, the two companies will
merge their distribution networks. However, Simplex will continue to manufacture
products in the U.S., while Helipod will
maintain is plant in New Zealand. “We
were impressed with their large distribution network and their extensive product
line,” says Maloney.
■ MILITARY
U. S. Gives Pakistan Russian Choppers
When Pakistan’s government
asked for helicopters, the U.S.
came through by providing
four Russian-built MI- 17
cargo helicopters to the
Pakistani Army.
“The additional helicopters
are meant to enhance Paki-
stan’s capabilities in current
operations against militant
extremists, and its efforts to
care for hundreds of thousands
of Pakistanis who have been
displaced from their homes by
the fighting,” a statement from
the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan
said. “The U.S. is in the process
of identifying additional MI-
17s that may be made available
to Pakistan in the future.”
Why would the U.S. government provide an ally with
Russian-built helicopters,
rather than rotorcraft made at
home? “The reasoning was that
the U.S. had them on hand, and
Pakistan already operates this
model and so would have no
difficulty absorbing them on
short notice,” explained John
Pike, director of the intelligence
site GlobalSecurity.org.
