VIP Helicopters: From Charter To Head-Of-State

Airbus established VIP-oriented Airbus Corporate Helicopters in 2017 to focus on the high-end customer. The twin-engine H160 received its certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency on July 1 and is anticipating FAA approval “shortly,” followed by the first U.S. delivery later this year. Three test aircraft flew a total of more than 1,500 hr. during the development and certification programs.

Two weeks after European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification on July 1, Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) announced an order by an Italian customer for a six-passenger VIP version of the H160. ACH offers its aircraft in three baseline configurations that it calls Line, Exclusive and Editions, though not all are available on every aircraft type. The company says ACH160s have been ordered by a total of eight customers in the Americas, Europe, China and Southeast Asia, in a mix of Line and Exclusive versions: no Editions are as yet available on the ACH160. This illustration is representative of a Line cabin.

In January, Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) unveiled a version of the H130 in collaboration with luxury automobile brand Aston Martin, similar to ACH’s partnership with Mercedes-Benz on the ACH145. “Although we make very different products, we actually share some of the same customer profile: those discerning individuals that love sports cars, are passionate about aviation and are typically hands-on,” says ACH’s CEO, Frederic Lemos. “So we’re putting that together and doing it in style.” Although helicopter sales are down since the outbreak of COVID-19, ACH has received at least three orders for Aston Martin ACH130s, from customers in New Zealand, Guatemala and Canada.

The interior of the Aston Martin Edition ACH130 reflects the automobile manufacturer’s brand in more ways than just its distinctive winged logo on the headrests. The leather has been worked in a trademarked perforation pattern that is unique to the company. From the Sterling green paint scheme on the outside to the tiny details of seats and paneling, says Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) CEO Fred Lemos, “the design language you can find with Aston Martin is embedded throughout the aircraft.” Converting a baseline ACH130 into an Aston Martin Edition takes 130 hr.; assembling an Aston Martin car takes 200. “That gives you a hint of the passion and the work and the attention to detail that’s been put into it,” Lemos adds.

Bell is completing certification testing on its Model 525 Relentless super-medium helicopter, but there is no firm date on the long-awaited FAA sign-off. The 525 was launched in 2012 and made its first flight in July 2015; it is the first commercial rotorcraft being certified with a fly-by-wire flight-control system, bringing benefits in safety, reduced weight and lower maintenance requirements. The up-to-20-passenger, twin-engine helicopter, with an anticipated price tag of around $20 million, already has attracted interest from corporate, VIP and head-of-state customers.

A British startup has chosen the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to announce an ambitious helicopter concept. The Hill HX50 is being positioned as “an exquisitely appointed aerial grand-tourer,” according to founder Jason Hill in a video launch in August. The aircraft, which has been under development for 13 years, will carry up to five people and rely on a new, internally developed powerplant, designated the GT50. The composite aircraft is intended to be inexpensive to maintain and operate, with annual running costs of £15,000 ($19,350). Hill is aiming for first flight in 2022 with the initial delivery the following year. A novel feature will be a “thrust lever” instead of a conventional collective control, to ease pilot workload and allow an armrest in the cockpit for improved comfort.

The first Trekker variant of Leonardo’s AW109 light twin has entered service and is available for charter. Operated by the UK’s Apollo Air Services, it complements the company’s fleet of six AW109 GrandNew VIP helicopters, which are operated from four bases in the UK. The aircraft was shown ahead of delivery at the Monaco Yacht Show in September 2019. The Trekker is the first 109 variant to feature skids, which facilitate easier operations to and from yachts. In August, Apollo announced it was adding Cambridge Airport in England to its network of operating locations, so it can fulfill customer requests for flights to Northern Europe.

Tokyo’s Metropolitan Government plans to evaluate the Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor as it looks to enhance transportation to the Ogasawara island group, 1,000 km (625 mi.) off the Japanese coast. The island group—a Unesco world heritage site sometimes referred to as “the Galapagos of the Orient”—has no airport, and a crossing by sea takes around 27 hr. Leonardo’s development of a commercial tiltrotor could help solve this transportation conundrum by offering all-weather capability along with the necessary range and the ability to land and take off from a helipad-size area. The first two production aircraft are in assembly in Philadelphia, and Leonardo says a full-flight simulator will be available by year-end.

They are about as VVIP as you can get: Sikorsky is building six VH-92A presidential helicopters under a contract from the U.S Navy for delivery starting in 2022. Six VH-92A test aircraft at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, have proven production readiness by undergoing rigorous U.S. government testing and operational assessments, including more than 1,000 flight-test hours to establish technical maturity and readiness of mission systems. The S-92 fleet surpassed 1.5 million flight hours in 2019 and averages 14,400 hr. of flight per month.

Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Rostec State Corp., has been contracted to supply two VIP-configured Mil Mi-38 aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The twin-engine aircraft has been under development since the 1980s and first flew in 2003, but did not enter service until December. In its military-transport configuration, it is expected to be able to carry up to 30 people; the VIP cabin will take either eight or 11. The first production aircraft had its public unveiling at the MAKS air show last year, where it was demonstrated to the presidents of Russia and Turkey. The first production-line VIP variant was delivered to Gazprombank Leasing in February.