116-690: The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service is a helicopter surf lifesaving service that operates in Australia . Founded in 1973 by Surf Life Saving Australia , a not-for-profit organisation , the service has carried out more than 80,000 flights ranging from aeromedical to search and rescue missions. The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service is the largest non-profit search and rescue and aeromedical retrieval service in Australia. Its aircraft and trained medical and operational crews respond quickly and effectively to emergencies threatening
232-622: A Eurocopter EC135 P2 . NVH has since been retired from SLSQ entirely, with NVF transitioning to Police operations, replaced by VH-NVG Structure Tamworth, New South Wales Lismore, New South Wales Westpac 2 Westpac 3 Westpac 4 Westpac 5 Tamworth Regional Airport Lismore Airport Since the 1970s helicopters have been part of the fleet of NSW Ambulance . The SLSA -owned Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service (WLSRHS) started receiving NSW Government funding for its service in 1978; with funding and tasking arrangements put in place in 1989. By 2006 there were nine helicopters operating across
348-616: A runway . In 1942, the Sikorsky R-4 became the first helicopter to reach full-scale production . Although most earlier designs used more than one main rotor, the configuration of a single main rotor accompanied by a vertical anti-torque tail rotor (i.e. unicopter , not to be confused with the single-blade monocopter ) has become the most common helicopter configuration. However, twin-rotor helicopters (bicopters), in either tandem or transverse rotors configurations, are sometimes in use due to their greater payload capacity than
464-477: A HI NR rotor optimization mode, which provides for greater controllability during higher weight take-off and landings. It is capable of performing Category A operations throughout its full flight envelope. The EC135 can be equipped with either a conventional flight deck or the Avionique Novelle glass cockpit – the latter allows for single pilot instrument flight rules operation. The glass cockpit
580-466: A T or a P, respectively, in the variant name. The main rotor is of a four-bladed, hingeless fiber-composite design. Progressive improvements to the main rotor have increased its performance and reduced maintenance costs since the type's introduction. The EC135 is the quietest helicopter in its class, featuring an anti- resonance isolation system to dampen vibration from the main rotor. The type's Fenestron anti-torque device can be actively regulated via
696-444: A collective input is made, all the blades change equally, and the result is the helicopter increasing or decreasing in altitude. A swashplate controls the collective and cyclic pitch of the main blades. The swashplate moves up and down, along the main shaft, to change the pitch of both blades. This causes the helicopter to push air downward or upward, depending on the angle of attack . The swashplate can also change its angle to move
812-417: A constant altitude. The pedals serve the same function in both a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft, to maintain balanced flight. This is done by applying a pedal input in whichever direction is necessary to center the ball in the turn and bank indicator . Due to the operating characteristics of the helicopter—its ability to take off and land vertically, and to hover for extended periods of time, as well as
928-536: A corporate baggage hold, redesigned skid landing gear and other external changes. The launch customer for the type is Falcon Aviation Services (FAS), based in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates. In July 2014, Airbus Helicopters made further personalization options available for the EC135 l'Helicoptere par Hermes. In 2011, Eurocopter formalised a license manufacturing agreement with Zhong-Ou International Group to produce
1044-522: A digital automatic flight control system (AFCS). First flying in February 1994, it entered service in 1996. 1,400 have been delivered up to September 2020, to 300 operators in 60 countries, accumulating over 5 million flight hours. It is mainly used for air medical transport ( medevac ), corporate transport, law enforcement, offshore wind support, and military flight training. Half of them are in Europe and
1160-402: A few more flights and achieved a height of nearly 2.0 metres (6.5 ft), but it proved to be unstable and was abandoned. Eurocopter EC135 The Airbus Helicopters H135 (formerly Eurocopter EC135 ) is a twin-engine civil light utility helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters , formerly Eurocopter. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and is outfitted with
1276-463: A gift by their father, would inspire the Wright brothers to pursue the dream of flight. In 1861, the word "helicopter" was coined by Gustave de Ponton d'Amécourt , a French inventor who demonstrated a small steam-powered model. While celebrated as an innovative use of a new metal, aluminum, the model never lifted off the ground. D'Amecourt's linguistic contribution would survive to eventually describe
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#17327912493031392-405: A helicopter determines the size, function and capability of that helicopter design. The earliest helicopter engines were simple mechanical devices, such as rubber bands or spindles, which relegated the size of helicopters to toys and small models. For a half century before the first airplane flight, steam engines were used to forward the development of the understanding of helicopter aerodynamics, but
1508-510: A helicopter powered by a gasoline engine with box kites attached to a mast by cables for a rotor, but it never flew. In 1906, two French brothers, Jacques and Louis Breguet , began experimenting with airfoils for helicopters. In 1907, those experiments resulted in the Gyroplane No.1 , possibly as the earliest known example of a quadcopter. Although there is some uncertainty about the date, sometime between 14 August and 29 September 1907,
1624-416: A helicopter. This is because a helicopter generates its own gusty air while in a hover, which acts against the fuselage and flight control surfaces. The result is constant control inputs and corrections by the pilot to keep the helicopter where it is required to be. Despite the complexity of the task, the control inputs in a hover are simple. The cyclic is used to eliminate drift in the horizontal plane, that
1740-618: A mountain rescue configuration, the cabin can simultaneously accommodate two stretchers as well as the pilot, anaesthetist, winch operator, mechanic and mountain rescue specialist. Airbus Helicopters has promoted the airframe's various configurations as possessing "unique adaptability" for various missions, including utility work, commercial transportation, and training roles. Equipment for the law enforcement role include external loudspeakers , rappelling system, search lights with laser pointers , left or right-mounted hoists , and electro-optical sensors . For offshore oil & gas operations,
1856-413: A new Alternate Gross Weight (AGW). With the new AGW, the maximum takeoff weight has been increased up to 265 lb (120 kg) and payload. This modification can be used to increase range by up to 75 nm or endurance by up to 40 minutes under standard conditions. The new AGW is available as an option and can be applied retroactively to all Helionix-equipped H135s. In December 2020, Airbus certified
1972-459: A new single-pilot IFR Helionix cockpit for its H135 helicopters. The modified cockpit allows customers to choose whether to remove the copilot side of the instrument panel to increase the field of view or keep it to install specific STC equipment. The H135 is a twin-engine rotorcraft. It can be alternatively powered by a pair of Turbomeca Arrius 2B or Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B engines, dependent on customer's preference, which gives either
2088-597: A one-engine inoperative training mode, and full ground simulators, may be selected. Deliveries started in August 1996, when two helicopters, 0005 and 0006, were handed over to German emergency aero medical service provider Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht . The 100th EC135 was handed over to the Bavarian police force in June 1999, by which point the worldwide fleet had accumulated approximately 30,000 flight hours. In September 2003,
2204-477: A process of rebracketing , the word is often (erroneously, from an etymological point of view) perceived by English speakers as consisting of heli- and -copter , leading to words like helipad and quadcopter . English language nicknames for "helicopter" include "chopper", "copter", "heli", and "whirlybird". In the United States military, the common slang is "helo" pronounced /ˈhiː.loʊ/. A helicopter
2320-650: A quarter in North America. The H135M, certified under the name Eurocopter EC635 , is a military variant, so the overall design is known as the Airbus Helicopters H135 and the military version, as the Airbus Helicopters H135M. The EC135/H135 is a development of the earlier Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) Bo 105 . The H135 started development prior to the formation of Eurocopter, under Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) under
2436-494: A rotor. The spinning creates lift, and the toy flies when released. The 4th-century AD Daoist book Baopuzi by Ge Hong ( 抱朴子 "Master who Embraces Simplicity") reportedly describes some of the ideas inherent to rotary wing aircraft. Designs similar to the Chinese helicopter toy appeared in some Renaissance paintings and other works. In the 18th and early 19th centuries Western scientists developed flying machines based on
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#17327912493032552-441: A single main rotor, but torque created by its aerodynamic drag must be countered by an opposed torque. The design that Igor Sikorsky settled on for his VS-300 was a smaller tail rotor. The tail rotor pushes or pulls against the tail to counter the torque effect, and this has become the most common configuration for helicopter design, usually at the end of a tail boom . Some helicopters use other anti-torque controls instead of
2668-417: A state called translational lift which provides extra lift without increasing power. This state, most typically, occurs when the airspeed reaches approximately 16–24 knots (30–44 km/h; 18–28 mph), and may be necessary for a helicopter to obtain flight. In forward flight a helicopter's flight controls behave more like those of a fixed-wing aircraft. Applying forward pressure on the cyclic will cause
2784-767: A year-round, day-time operation (from 1 December 2011). Southern now operates two bases covering from the Central Coast to the Victorian border. In Queensland , the Service patrols the southeast coast, performing beach patrols, search & rescue, shark sightings and warnings and provides assistance to Surf Lifesavers in the water and on the beach, utilising VH-NVG, a Eurocopter EC135 P2+ , and VH-SLQ, also an EC135 P2+. The service also operates two helicopters on behalf of Queensland Police (VH-NVF and VH-POF), both EC-135s. In 2020 former Westpac-branded helicopter VH-NVF
2900-668: Is governed by a Board with local management and an advisory committee . The relevant organisations are: The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service operates in six states in Australia . The Northern NSW and Tasmania Service is contracted to fly helicopters with on-board specialist doctors and paramedics . In New South Wales , there are five operation bases and a total of six rescue aircraft. Westpac 1, 2, 3, 4 are spread across 3 bases; Lake Macquarie Airport Newcastle , Tamworth Airport , Lismore Airport . The 4 aircraft rotate between these bases covering Newcastle/Hunter to South East Queensland . In Sydney , Lifesaver 21
3016-429: Is a cylindrical metal shaft that extends upwards from the transmission. At the top of the mast is the attachment point for the rotor blades called the hub. Main rotor systems are classified according to how the rotor blades are attached and move relative to the hub. There are three basic types: hingeless, fully articulated, and teetering; although some modern rotor systems use a combination of these. Most helicopters have
3132-452: Is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more horizontally-spinning rotors. By contrast the autogyro (or gyroplane) and gyrodyne have a free-spinning rotor for all or part of the flight envelope, relying on a separate thrust system to propel the craft forwards, so that the airflow sets the rotor spinning to provide lift. The compound helicopter also has a separate thrust system, but continues to supply power to
3248-540: Is based; Lifesaver 23 is based in Moruya both aircraft are operated by Helistar. With support of major sponsor, Westpac, Greater Sydney opened a summer-time base at Moruya Airport in December 2010 for three months. A total of 67 missions were achieved in the first season. The previous Labor Government provided funding for Sydney to return to all-hours operations (from 1 October 2011) and the south coast service would become
3364-452: Is called an aerial crane . Aerial cranes are used to place heavy equipment, like radio transmission towers and large air conditioning units, on the tops of tall buildings, or when an item must be raised up in a remote area, such as a radio tower raised on the top of a hill or mountain. Helicopters are used as aerial cranes in the logging industry to lift trees out of terrain where vehicles cannot travel and where environmental concerns prohibit
3480-547: Is equipped to stabilize and provide limited medical treatment to a patient while in flight. The use of helicopters as air ambulances is often referred to as " MEDEVAC ", and patients are referred to as being "airlifted", or "medevaced". This use was pioneered in the Korean War , when time to reach a medical facility was reduced to three hours from the eight hours needed in World War II , and further reduced to two hours by
3596-417: Is equipped with several liquid-crystal displays , including two Sextant SMD45 displays and a central panel display. The main avionics suite is supplied by Thales Group . The EC135 can be outfitted with various avionics suites from manufacturers such as Russian firm Transas Aviation and British firm Britannia 2000. The newer H135 model can be equipped with a four-axis autopilot, which is included as part of
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3712-415: Is operational from September to April on Weekends, public holidays and school holidays. Search and rescue (SAR) and surveillance: The flight crew usually consists of one pilot (or two pilots on varying aircraft), one air crew officer, and one rescue swimmer. The crews consist of both paid and volunteer positions. Aeromedical: Besides pilots, there are several specialist crew members. The air crewman assists
3828-678: Is the Sud-Ouest Djinn , and an example of the hot tip jet helicopter is the YH-32 Hornet . Some radio-controlled helicopters and smaller, helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles , use electric motors or motorcycle engines. Radio-controlled helicopters may also have piston engines that use fuels other than gasoline, such as nitromethane . Some turbine engines commonly used in helicopters can also use biodiesel instead of jet fuel. There are also human-powered helicopters . A helicopter has four flight control inputs. These are
3944-750: Is the Adelaide mid-south coastline from North Haven to Normanville , and the South Coast from Parsons Beach to the Murray Mouth , including Victor Harbor , Port Elliot , Middleton and Goolwa . It works together with other Surf Lifesaving support services, including Lifesaver 2 and Lifesaver 3 , the state Jet Rescue Boats. The Service launched operations in Western Australia in December 2008 at Rous Head, Fremantle with patrols beaches on weekends, public holidays and busy weekdays over
4060-479: Is three times higher than before." Ahead of the publication of the Auditor-General's report, it was reported in December 2009 that CHC were seeking to sell its Australian air services arm, following a series of mishaps including engine failures, windows falling out of the aircraft, no installed air conditioning system inside the cabin as well as response delays to accident sites. In 2011, Jillian Skinner ,
4176-411: Is to control forward and back, right and left. The collective is used to maintain altitude. The pedals are used to control nose direction or heading . It is the interaction of these controls that makes hovering so difficult, since an adjustment in any one control requires an adjustment of the other two, creating a cycle of constant correction. As a helicopter moves from hover to forward flight it enters
4292-536: The Fenestron tail rotor system, an advanced rigid main rotor, composite materials, and resonance isolation systems. It was decided to pursue a full certification program, resulting in the production of two pre-production prototypes. At the same time, the Bo 108 was given a new designation of EC135, to correspond with the newly created Eurocopter company. At this point, it was decided that the EC135 should be developed with
4408-738: The Australian Defence Force established the Joint Helicopter School operating 15 EC135T2+ procured under Project Air 9000 Phase 7 to train both Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy pilots. The school is set within Navy's 723 Squadron at HMAS Albatross . In 2024, after the retirement of the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter, the Australian government announced that it would lease 5 H135T3 (Juno) from
4524-572: The Bell 205 and the Erickson S-64 Aircrane helitanker. Helicopters are used as air ambulances for emergency medical assistance in situations when an ambulance cannot easily or quickly reach the scene, or cannot transport the patient to a medical facility in time. Helicopters are also used when patients need to be transported between medical facilities and air transportation is the most practical method. An air ambulance helicopter
4640-472: The Bell 206 with 3,400. Most were in North America with 34.3% then in Europe with 28.0% followed by Asia-Pacific with 18.6%, Latin America with 11.6%, Africa with 5.3% and Middle East with 1.7%. The earliest references for vertical flight came from China. Since around 400 BC, Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys (or Chinese top). This bamboo-copter is spun by rolling a stick attached to
4756-527: The Cornu helicopter which used two 6.1-metre (20 ft) counter-rotating rotors driven by a 24 hp (18 kW) Antoinette engine. On 13 November 1907, it lifted its inventor to 0.3 metres (1 ft) and remained aloft for 20 seconds. Even though this flight did not surpass the flight of the Gyroplane No. 1, it was reported to be the first truly free flight with a pilot. Cornu's helicopter completed
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4872-628: The Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm. The EC135 has been used in Denmark to support the Horns Rev offshore wind farm. By 2013, over 10,000 successful personnel transfers have taken place using the type. In Mexico, Apoyo Logístico Aéreo has operated a fleet of EC135s for servicing the extensive oil and gas offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico . In 2013, it was reported that the EC135
4988-680: The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force , they have been designed as the TH-135. In December 2014, the first production EC135 T3 entered service with Aiut Alpin Dolomites, a mountain rescue operator based in Italy. In June 2015, Airbus Helicopters delivered the first retrofitted H135 from the earlier EC135 standard. Changes include an enlarged main rotor, relocated engine air intakes, elevated engine performance, and
5104-617: The NSW Minister for Health , announced the government's decision to award a contract for the Greater Sydney area to Canadian Helicopter Corporation (CHC), which was already providing a service in Wollongong and Canberra , for commencement from May 2007; effectively terminating the contracts for the Greater Sydney area held by WLSHRS and CareFlight. No interstate operations were affected by the change in contract. A summary of
5220-499: The Vietnam War . In naval service a prime function of rescue helicopters is to promptly retrieve downed aircrew involved in crashes occurring upon launch or recovery aboard aircraft carriers. In past years this function was performed by destroyers escorting the carrier, but since then helicopters have proved vastly more effective. Police departments and other law enforcement agencies use helicopters to pursue suspects and patrol
5336-452: The 2 existing MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 with new upgraded versions operated by Helistar during 2020. The Victoria service saw the addition of Lifesaver 31 in the 2020/21 season, as a dedicated surveillance aircraft equipped with high definition cameras and a FLIR device. The Queensland Sunshine Coast Helicopter VH-NVH, a MBB Bo 105 was removed from service July 2020 for transition to Queensland Police operations (Polair), replaced by VH-NVF,
5452-533: The 300th EC135 was handed over to UK-based McAlpine Helicopters. At this point, the EC135 was the best selling new light twin-engine helicopter in the UK market. In 2011, Eurocopter announced that the 1,000th EC135 to be produced had been delivered to German operator ADAC , roughly 15 years since the start of production. In 2012, Flying magazine recognised the EC135 as being "the industry's best selling twin-engine helicopter". The world fleet leader in flight hours for
5568-558: The Bambi bucket, are usually filled by submerging the bucket into lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or portable tanks. Tanks fitted onto helicopters are filled from a hose while the helicopter is on the ground or water is siphoned from lakes or reservoirs through a hanging snorkel as the helicopter hovers over the water source. Helitack helicopters are also used to deliver firefighters, who rappel down to inaccessible areas, and to resupply firefighters. Common firefighting helicopters include variants of
5684-472: The Bluecopter demonstrator aircraft, built to explore more efficient design elements, including economy-optimised single-engine operations, Blue Edge swept rotor blades to reduce noise and increase efficiency, a relocated horizontal stabilizer outside the main rotor's downwash, an active rudder, and new water-based external paint; these changes were aimed at cutting fuel consumption by 40%. In December 2014,
5800-762: The Chinese top in a model consisting of contrarotating turkey flight feathers as rotor blades, and in 1784, demonstrated it to the French Academy of Sciences . Sir George Cayley , influenced by a childhood fascination with the Chinese flying top, developed a model of feathers, similar to that of Launoy and Bienvenu, but powered by rubber bands. By the end of the century, he had progressed to using sheets of tin for rotor blades and springs for power. His writings on his experiments and models would become influential on future aviation pioneers. Alphonse Pénaud would later develop coaxial rotor model helicopter toys in 1870, also powered by rubber bands. One of these toys, given as
5916-478: The Chinese toy. It was not until the early 1480s, when Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci created a design for a machine that could be described as an " aerial screw ", that any recorded advancement was made towards vertical flight. His notes suggested that he built small flying models, but there were no indications for any provision to stop the rotor from making the craft rotate. As scientific knowledge increased and became more accepted, people continued to pursue
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#17327912493036032-569: The EC135 luxury helicopter in Zhejiang Province, China. In October 2015, a letter of intent between Airbus Helicopters and Ecopark was signed for the establishment of a final assembly line (FAL) in Qingdao Province, China. A related $ 1.1 billion order for 100 Chinese-assembled H135s was announced in the same month. The majority of assembly work on the type remains at Airbus Helicopter's Donauwörth facility. Construction of
6148-672: The EC135 was granted single-pilot IFR (SPIFR) certification by Germany's Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA). In December 2000, the United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority also gave the EC135 SPIFR certification. In 2000, Eurocopter announced the start of certification work on the EC135P2, powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2, offering improved single-engine performance and 30-second emergency power. The LBA certification
6264-421: The EC135, depending on the role performed and the operator's preferences. It can hold up to five passengers and a pilot when configured with a standard executive interior, or seven passengers in a dense corporate interior. Modular multi-role interiors that allow the main cabin area to be quickly changed and re-equipped are available. The main cabin of the EC135 is accessed either by large doors on either side of
6380-781: The FAL started in May 2017, and opened for production in April 2019. In January 2016, the Ural Works of Civil Aviation (UWCA), a division of Rostec , signed an agreement to build the H135 under licence at the firm's facility in Yekaterinburg , Russia. In May 2016, it was reported that Russian production of the H135 was anticipated to begin in 2017, following the receipt of Russian type certification . Russian manufacturers may be incorporated in
6496-453: The Gyroplane No. 1 lifted its pilot into the air about 0.6 metres (2 ft) for a minute. The Gyroplane No. 1 proved to be extremely unsteady and required a man at each corner of the airframe to hold it steady. For this reason, the flights of the Gyroplane No. 1 are considered to be the first manned flight of a helicopter, but not a free or untethered flight. That same year, fellow French inventor Paul Cornu designed and built
6612-611: The Helionix avionics suite. This suite provides the H135 with a greater level of commonality with several other Airbus Helicopters-produced rotorcraft, including the H145, H160 and H175 . Earlier versions of the EC135 were equipped with a three-axis autopilot with integrated stability augmentation, featuring a First Limit Indicator (FLI), simplifying engine and torque monitoring. Cockpit touch screens can be optionally installed. Various cabin and cockpit configurations are available for
6728-571: The Martian atmosphere is 100 times thinner than Earth's, its two blades spin at close to 3,000 revolutions a minute, approximately 10 times faster than that of a terrestrial helicopter. In 2017, 926 civil helicopters were shipped for $ 3.68 billion, led by Airbus Helicopters with $ 1.87 billion for 369 rotorcraft, Leonardo Helicopters with $ 806 million for 102 (first three-quarters only), Bell Helicopter with $ 696 million for 132, then Robinson Helicopter with $ 161 million for 305. By October 2018,
6844-964: The NSW Government released the Reform Plan for Aeromedical (Rotary Wing) Retrieval Services in NSW . Along with other reforms, two key issues impact the ongoing operations of the WLSHRS: In December 2014, it was announced that the partnership of the Northern Region SLSA and the Hunter Region SLSA had been successful in the NSW Aeromedical Retrieval Network tender. As a result, the service will re-equip with AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters from early 2017 to be operated from bases
6960-576: The NSW Minister for Health, commissioned a strategic review of the NSW Ambulance Service, including its aeromedical operations. Ernst & Young were engaged to assist with the review; and delivered a final report with 56 recommendations that were released for public comment from December 2012 to mid March 2013. Following consideration of the 73 submissions received, and further consultation with clinical and aviation experts, in 2013
7076-695: The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence for five years to maintain "essential training requirements" for Australian Army pilots. The helicopters will be based at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre . In 2016, half of the EC135s operating in service were engaged in emergency medical services operations, 17% in air transport , 16% in public services (typically law enforcement ), 10% in military missions, 4% in offshore operations (typically offshore wind power inspection), and
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#17327912493037192-617: The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter provides an aerial surveillance service, which currently consists of Lifesaver 30 and Lifesaver 31 . The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter conducts regular patrols and undertakes rescue missions across Victoria. The service works closely with the volunteer beach patrols, paid lifeguards, and offshore services, and is readily available to assist other emergency services and government agencies. The service undertakes community education and promotional activities throughout
7308-415: The adoption of a new transmission. The first prototype made its first flight on 17 October 1988, powered by two Allison 250-C20R /1 engines. A second Bo 108 followed in June 1991, this time with two Turbomeca TM319-1B Arrius engines. Unlike later production aircraft, both technology demonstrators flew with conventional tail rotors. In the late 1990s, the design was revised with the introduction of
7424-550: The aircraft's handling properties under low airspeed conditions—it has proved advantageous to conduct tasks that were previously not possible with other aircraft, or were time- or work-intensive to accomplish on the ground. Today, helicopter uses include transportation of people and cargo, military uses, construction, firefighting, search and rescue , tourism , medical transport, law enforcement, agriculture, news and media , and aerial observation , among others. A helicopter used to carry loads connected to long cables or slings
7540-410: The aviation industry; and the turboshaft engine for helicopter use, pioneered in December 1951 by the aforementioned Kaman K-225, finally gave helicopters an engine with a large amount of power and a low weight penalty. Turboshafts are also more reliable than piston engines, especially when producing the sustained high levels of power required by a helicopter. The turboshaft engine was able to be scaled to
7656-435: The blades angle forwards or backwards, or left and right, to make the helicopter move in those directions. The anti-torque pedals are located in the same position as the rudder pedals in a fixed-wing aircraft, and serve a similar purpose, namely to control the direction in which the nose of the aircraft is pointed. Application of the pedal in a given direction changes the pitch of the tail rotor blades, increasing or reducing
7772-677: The building of roads. These operations are referred to as longline because of the long, single sling line used to carry the load. In military service helicopters are often useful for delivery of outsized slung loads that would not fit inside ordinary cargo aircraft: artillery pieces, large machinery (field radars, communications gear, electrical generators), or pallets of bulk cargo. In military operations these payloads are often delivered to remote locations made inaccessible by mountainous or riverine terrain, or naval vessels at sea. In electronic news gathering , helicopters have provided aerial views of some major news stories, and have been doing so, from
7888-407: The cabin or by clamshell doors located at the rear of the cabin, directly underneath the aircraft's tail boom. The clamshell doors are particularly attractive to emergency medical services (EMS) and cargo operators. Medical facilities can be installed in the cabin, such as in-flight intensive care stations (including resuscitation functionality), incubators , and hygiene-convenient flooring. In
8004-434: The coastlines of New South Wales , Queensland , South Australia , Tasmania , Victoria and Western Australia . The helicopters are tasked to undertake a number of different missions: While the service operates under the umbrella name of Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service, autonomous , yet affiliated, non-profit organisations deliver the service to meet the specific needs of local communities. Each organisation
8120-406: The cockpit from overhead. The control is called the cyclic because it changes cyclic pitch of the main blades. The result is to tilt the rotor disk in a particular direction, resulting in the helicopter moving in that direction. If the pilot pushes the cyclic forward, the rotor disk tilts forward, and the rotor produces a thrust in the forward direction. If the pilot pushes the cyclic to the side,
8236-424: The contract to CHC. Reporting in 2010, he found that: "...the contract process was satisfactory. Ambulance data show that the performance of CHC is meeting contract requirements with the exception of the availability of the Wollongong helicopter. [NSW] Ambulance [Service]'s ability to transport patients to the right hospital at the right time has improved. However the cost of the new Greater Sydney helicopter contract
8352-470: The cyclic, the collective, the anti-torque pedals, and the throttle. The cyclic control is usually located between the pilot's legs and is commonly called the cyclic stick or just cyclic . On most helicopters, the cyclic is similar to a joystick. However, the Robinson R22 and Robinson R44 have a unique teetering bar cyclic control system and a few helicopters have a cyclic control that descends into
8468-480: The designation Bo 108 in the 1970s. MBB developed it in partnership with Aérospatiale , the Bo 108 was initially intended to be a technology demonstrator, combining attributes of the successful MBB Bo 105 with new advances and an aerodynamically streamlined design. Technologies included on the Bo ;108 included the first full-authority digital engine controls ( FADEC ) on a helicopter, a hingeless main rotor, and
8584-536: The early 21st century, as well as recently weaponized utilities such as artillery spotting , aerial bombing and suicide attacks . The English word helicopter is adapted from the French word hélicoptère , coined by Gustave Ponton d'Amécourt in 1861, which originates from the Greek helix ( ἕλιξ ), genitive helikos (ἕλῐκος), "helix, spiral, whirl, convolution" and pteron ( πτερόν ) "wing". In
8700-439: The event was taken by Max Skladanowsky , but it remains lost . In 1885, Thomas Edison was given US$ 1,000 (equivalent to $ 34,000 today) by James Gordon Bennett, Jr. , to conduct experiments towards developing flight. Edison built a helicopter and used the paper for a stock ticker to create guncotton , with which he attempted to power an internal combustion engine. The helicopter was damaged by explosions and one of his workers
8816-872: The existing base in Tamworth as well as upgraded bases in Lismore and Newcastle The first of four AgustaWestland AW139 arrived at the Newcastle Westpac Rescue base on 10 June 2016. Helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors . This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically , to hover , and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes allow helicopters to be used in congested or isolated areas where fixed-wing aircraft and many forms of short take-off and landing ( STOL ) or short take-off and vertical landing ( STOVL ) aircraft cannot perform without
8932-486: The first half of the 20th century was that the amount of power produced by an engine was not able to overcome the engine's weight in vertical flight. This was overcome in early successful helicopters by using the smallest engines available. When the compact, flat engine was developed, the helicopter industry found a lighter-weight powerplant easily adapted to small helicopters, although radial engines continued to be used for larger helicopters. Turbine engines revolutionized
9048-473: The global supply chain. Two variants, the EC135 T3 and EC135 P3, were developed with improved high altitude and hover performance. Changes include repositioned air intakes to the engines, wider blades being installed on the main rotor, and changes to the fenstron anti-torque tail device. The EC135 T3 was introduced to service in December 2014. In December 2020, the H135 helicopter family EASA has certified
9164-459: The high operating cost of helicopters cost-effective in ensuring that oil platforms continue to operate. Various companies specialize in this type of operation. NASA developed Ingenuity , a 1.8 kg (4.0 lb) helicopter used to survey Mars (along with a rover). It began service in February 2021 and was retired due to sustained rotor blade damage in January 2024 after 73 sorties. As
9280-572: The horizontal stabiliser's endplates removed and its span increased. In October 2015, Waypoint Leasing and Airbus Helicopters signed an agreement for the acquisition of up to 20 H135 for public leasing purposes. In 2017, the Royal Air Force received the first 2 of 29 H135s designated as Juno HT.1s for the UK Military Flying Training System with training provided by Ascent Flight Training. In 2018,
9396-480: The idea of vertical flight. In July 1754, Russian Mikhail Lomonosov had developed a small coaxial modeled after the Chinese top but powered by a wound-up spring device and demonstrated it to the Russian Academy of Sciences . It was powered by a spring, and was suggested as a method to lift meteorological instruments. In 1783, Christian de Launoy , and his mechanic , Bienvenu, used a coaxial version of
9512-504: The in-service and stored helicopter fleet of 38,570 with civil or government operators was led Robinson Helicopter with 24.7% followed by Airbus Helicopters with 24.4%, then Bell with 20.5 and Leonardo with 8.4%, Russian Helicopters with 7.7%, Sikorsky Aircraft with 7.2%, MD Helicopters with 3.4% and other with 2.2%. The most widespread model is the piston Robinson R44 with 5,600, then the H125/ AS350 with 3,600 units, followed by
9628-662: The lack of an airstrip would make transport via fixed-wing aircraft impossible. The use of transport helicopters to deliver troops as an attack force on an objective is referred to as " air assault ". Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) helicopter systems of varying sizes are developed by companies for military reconnaissance and surveillance duties. Naval forces also use helicopters equipped with dipping sonar for anti-submarine warfare , since they can operate from small ships. Oil companies charter helicopters to move workers and parts quickly to remote drilling sites located at sea or in remote locations. The speed advantage over boats makes
9744-581: The late 1960s. Helicopters have also been used in films, both in front and behind the camera. The largest single non-combat helicopter operation in history was the disaster management operation following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster . Hundreds of pilots were involved in airdrop and observation missions, making dozens of sorties a day for several months. " Helitack " is the use of helicopters to combat wildland fires . The helicopters are used for aerial firefighting (water bombing) and may be fitted with tanks or carry helibuckets . Helibuckets, such as
9860-674: The life, health and safety of people caused through medical emergency, illness, natural disaster, accidents or mishap. The naming rights sponsor of the helicopter services is Westpac , an Australian-based financial institution that also has operations in New Zealand . When contracted , the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopters respond to medical emergencies throughout the most populous regions of Australia, covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of bushland, mountain ranges, highways as well as
9976-555: The limited power did not allow for manned flight. The introduction of the internal combustion engine at the end of the 19th century became the watershed for helicopter development as engines began to be developed and produced that were powerful enough to allow for helicopters able to lift humans. Early helicopter designs utilized custom-built engines or rotary engines designed for airplanes, but these were soon replaced by more powerful automobile engines and radial engines . The single, most-limiting factor of helicopter development during
10092-521: The local accredited rescue units to access, assess, triage, and treat patients. When required, SCATs may also provide assistance with the extrication of the patient. They provide patient care and are responsible for preparing the aeromedical evacuation missions, coordinating with the flight crew and other medical personnel, as well as liaising with retrieval services. Doctors specially qualified in Emergency Care and retrieval medicine are also part of
10208-485: The monorotor design, and coaxial-rotor , tiltrotor and compound helicopters are also all flying today. Four-rotor helicopters ( quadcopters ) were pioneered as early as 1907 in France, and along with other types of multicopters , have been developed mainly for specialized applications such as commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) due to the rapid expansion of drone racing and aerial photography markets in
10324-601: The nearby park, the Parco Forlanini. Emmanuel Dieuaide's steam-powered design featured counter-rotating rotors powered through a hose from a boiler on the ground. In 1887 Parisian inventor, Gustave Trouvé , built and flew a tethered electric model helicopter. In July 1901, the maiden flight of Hermann Ganswindt 's helicopter took place in Berlin-Schöneberg; this was probably the first heavier-than-air motor-driven flight carrying humans. A movie covering
10440-464: The nose to pitch down, with a resultant increase in airspeed and loss of altitude. Aft cyclic will cause the nose to pitch up, slowing the helicopter and causing it to climb. Increasing collective (power) while maintaining a constant airspeed will induce a climb while decreasing collective will cause a descent. Coordinating these two inputs, down collective plus aft cyclic or up collective plus forward cyclic, will result in airspeed changes while maintaining
10556-687: The option of being powered by two competing engines, the Turbomeca Arrius 2B and the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B engines. Two pre-production prototypes were built in 1994 powered by either engine, both powerplants proved to be successful and were used on subsequent production aircraft. In January 1995, the EC135 made its first public appearance at the Heli-Expo convention at Las Vegas , at which prospective buyers were reportedly impressed with its appearance and performance figures. Another feature which became apparent upon entering service
10672-579: The outcome of the competitive tendering process is set out below: (December 2014 – present) Rescue Service The decision to appoint a for profit corporation to deliver the service, in lieu of not-profit entities, drew considerable media, community, and political attention. As a result, the NSW Auditor-General was instructed to deliver a performance audit of the helicopter emergency medical services contract process and whether satisfactory outcomes for Greater Sydney were delivered under awarding
10788-577: The pilot with communication; navigation; and landing by providing the pilot with accurate clearance; helicopter safety; and operating the rescue winch. A rescue crewman's duties include going down the winch, scaling cliff faces, and swimming. Rescue crew are also responsible for passenger safety during Passenger Transport Operations. Special Casualty Access Team (SCAT) paramedics possess skills in intensive care /Advance Life Support (ALS) and trauma management; and have skills in accessing and treating patients in difficult or remote locations. SCATs work closely with
10904-411: The power normally required to be diverted for the tail rotor to be applied fully to the main rotors, increasing the aircraft's power efficiency and lifting capacity. There are several common configurations that use the counter-rotating effect to benefit the rotorcraft: Tip jet designs let the rotor push itself through the air and avoid generating torque. The number, size and type of engine(s) used on
11020-436: The rotor disk tilts to that side and produces thrust in that direction, causing the helicopter to hover sideways. The collective pitch control or collective is located on the left side of the pilot's seat with a settable friction control to prevent inadvertent movement. The collective changes the pitch angle of all the main rotor blades collectively (i.e. all at the same time) and independently of their position. Therefore, if
11136-406: The rotor in cruise, which allows its rotation to be slowed down , thus increasing the maximum speed of the aircraft. The Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne diverted up to 90% of its engine power to a pusher propeller during forward flight. There are three basic flight conditions for a helicopter: hover, forward flight and the transition between the two. Hovering is the most challenging part of flying
11252-422: The rotor throughout normal flight. The rotor system, or more simply rotor , is the rotating part of a helicopter that generates lift . A rotor system may be mounted horizontally, as main rotors are, providing lift vertically, or it may be mounted vertically, such as a tail rotor, to provide horizontal thrust to counteract torque from the main rotors. The rotor consists of a mast, hub and rotor blades. The mast
11368-489: The rotorcraft can be fitted with weather/search radars , emergency floatation aids, including an automated external life raft, energy-absorbent seating, class-D certified external hoists, and crash-resistant fuel tanks . An external hook can be installed to carry underslung loads of up to 272 kg for cargo missions. In a training capacity, features such a light aircraft recording system for post-flight analysis, intuitive human-machine interface, specific training modules, and
11484-516: The single-engine operations portion of the Bluecopter tests were delayed to summer 2016 to make necessary avionics changes, such as to the engine's FADEC systems. In March 2007, at the NBAA in Atlanta , Eurocopter unveiled ' L'Hélicoptère par Hermès , a special-edition VIP model designed by Hermès International, S.A. . It features a customized luxury four-place main cabin, a sliding glass partition,
11600-418: The size of the helicopter being designed, so that all but the lightest of helicopter models are powered by turbine engines today. Special jet engines developed to drive the rotor from the rotor tips are referred to as tip jets . Tip jets powered by a remote compressor are referred to as cold tip jets, while those powered by combustion exhaust are referred to as hot tip jets. An example of a cold jet helicopter
11716-483: The skies. Since helicopters can achieve a unique aerial view, they are often used in conjunction with police on the ground to report on suspects' locations and movements. They are often mounted with lighting and heat-sensing equipment for night pursuits. Military forces use attack helicopters to conduct aerial attacks on ground targets. Such helicopters are mounted with missile launchers and miniguns . Transport helicopters are used to ferry troops and supplies where
11832-600: The state. Reviews commissioned by NSW Ambulance during 2004 and 2005 identified a number of systemic weaknesses with the services provided by both the WLSHRS and by CareFlight , delivered under a mix of government funding, corporate sponsorship and fundraising. During 2006, a competitive tenders process commenced to provide helicopters in Greater Sydney, which covers the Sydney, Wollongong and Orange areas, as well as other locations across NSW. In December 2006, John Hatzistergos ,
11948-512: The summer months. It now operates two helicopters: Perth Metropolitan Service and South West Service. The Perth Metropolitan Service patrols from Mandurah to Yanchep and out to Rottnest Island. The Perth Service operates on weekends in September and daily from October to April. The South West Service started in 2013 at Busselton Regional Airport and patrols the areas between Bunbury and Hamelin Bay. It
12064-479: The tail rotor, such as the ducted fan (called Fenestron or FANTAIL ) and NOTAR . NOTAR provides anti-torque similar to the way a wing develops lift through the use of the Coandă effect on the tail boom. The use of two or more horizontal rotors turning in opposite directions is another configuration used to counteract the effects of torque on the aircraft without relying on an anti-torque tail rotor. This allows
12180-540: The team. This enables the crew to provide critical care to patients anywhere it is needed. The following aircraft, bases and coverage summarise the activities of the Service: Newcastle, Lismore, Tamworth are part of the Westpac operations but fall under the name Westpac Northern Region Rescue Helicopter service. They operate 24/7 using 4 AgustaWestland AW139 . The Sydney and South Coast operation replaced
12296-448: The throttle is to maintain enough engine power to keep the rotor RPM within allowable limits so that the rotor produces enough lift for flight. In single-engine helicopters, the throttle control is a motorcycle-style twist grip mounted on the collective control, while dual-engine helicopters have a power lever for each engine. A compound helicopter has an additional system for thrust and, typically, small stub fixed wings . This offloads
12412-417: The thrust produced by the tail rotor and causing the nose to yaw in the direction of the applied pedal. The pedals mechanically change the pitch of the tail rotor altering the amount of thrust produced. Helicopter rotors are designed to operate in a narrow range of RPM . The throttle controls the power produced by the engine, which is connected to the rotor by a fixed ratio transmission. The purpose of
12528-579: The type is G-NESV (s/n 0067), operated by Cleveland Police Air Operations Unit based at Durham Tees Valley Airport , UK. Originally delivered to the North East Air Support Unit in April 1999, it was the first EC135 worldwide to attain 10,000 flying hours. In 2009, the EC135 was the first aircraft selected for offshore wind support in the UK, after the Civil Aviation Authority approved helicopter operations to
12644-572: The vertical flight he had envisioned. Steam power was popular with other inventors as well. In 1877, the Italian engineer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer Enrico Forlanini developed an unmanned helicopter powered by a steam engine . It rose to a height of 13 meters (43 feet), where it remained for 20 seconds, after a vertical take-off from a park in Milan . Milan has dedicated its city airport to Enrico Forlanini, also named Linate Airport , as well as
12760-584: The year and will be available all hours for call-outs. Life Saving Victoria also works closely with the police air-wing and marine rescue units which enables the fastest response to emergency calls. In Tasmania , the Service provides emergency services and has a contract with Ambulance Tasmania as well as the Tasmanian Police . In South Australia , Service helicopters patrol beaches on weekends, public holidays and busy weekdays over summer from November through to March each year. Its patrolling region
12876-716: Was achieved in July 2001, and the first EC135 with the new engines was handed over to the Swedish Police Authority in August 2001. In September 2002, the EC135T2 equipped with the improved Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 was made available, providing for improved single-engine performance. In 2002, the EC135 active control technology demonstrator/flying helicopter simulator (ACT/FHS), a research aircraft designed to test fibre optic -based flight control systems, undertook its first flight. In 2014, Airbus Helicopters began flying
12992-486: Was badly burned. Edison reported that it would take a motor with a ratio of three to four pounds per horsepower produced to be successful, based on his experiments. Ján Bahýľ , a Slovak inventor, adapted the internal combustion engine to power his helicopter model that reached a height of 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) in 1901. On 5 May 1905, his helicopter reached 4 meters (13 feet) in altitude and flew for over 1,500 meters (4,900 feet). In 1908, Edison patented his own design for
13108-399: Was currently providing roughly 25% of the world's total emergency medic services flights, and that over 500 EC135s have been delivered to in an aeromedical configuration. By late 2013, during which a brief grounding of the type was instigated due to safety concerns of fuel gauges, the EC135 made up half of the UK's operational air ambulance fleet. In October 2014, the first EC135 air ambulance
13224-591: Was delivered in the Chinese market. The German Army operates 19 H135s as basic trainers at the School of Army Aviation in Bückeburg . These have had an average operational availability in excess of 95 per cent. In 2014, the German Army noted that there was potential for vibration-induced rotor cracking during autorotation training, shortening the life of the main rotor. 13 EC135 trainers have been procured by
13340-483: Was removed from service to be transitioned to operate as Polair , and was replaced by VH-SLQ. In late 2021 Surf Lifesaving Queensland took delivery of former PolAir 4 from NSW Police (VH-POF) for modernisation of the current QPS Polair fleet towards a Eurocopter EC135 P2 operation. NVG and SLQ are switched between Lifesaver 45 and Lifesaver 46 depending on operational requirements and engine hours. The Service formerly operated 3 MBB Bo 105s as Polair 1-3. In Victoria ,
13456-418: Was the low noise levels produced, in part due to its Fenestron tail, the EC135 was the quietest aircraft in its class for more than 15 years. Despite the helicopter's design being primarily oriented towards emergency medical operators, the EC135 had considerable appeal to a wide range of operators. European JAA certification was achieved in June 1996, with FAA approval following in July. In December 1999,
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