Med helo comes to GTRA

The University of Mississippi Medical Center will be bringing a medical-transport helicopter to the Golden Triangle Regional Airport for use in emergent cases needing to be sent to UMCC at Jackson. It’s capable of being a flying “advanced ICU Critical Care” helicopter, says Sam Marshall of UMMC Air Care Service. Locals also agree that critical care in the air is good for area patients. It’s an Airbus Helicopter, but wasn’t built at AHI’s Mississippi facility in Lowndes County. (Source: WTVA 03/25/16)

Court upholds lawsuit against AFS

The Mississippi Supreme Court supported a West Point man’s lawsuit against Aurora Flight Sciences for firing him after the firm found a firearm inside his locked vehicle on company grounds. The March 24 decision states that employers in Mississippi cannot fire employees for keeping a firearm in a locked vehicle in a publicly-accessible parking area. West Point native Robert Swindol filed a federal lawsuit against AFS in 2013. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 03/25/16)

Army may seek more ‘Lakotas’

The Army may want 16 more UH-72A “Lakota” helicopters – built at Airbus Helicopters’ production facility in Columbus, Miss. The Navy has ordered 12 UH-1Y “Venoms” and 16 AH-1Z “Vipers” from Bell Helicopter. An Army contract process for the 16 UH-72s is "anticipated" to be awarded about June 30, according to a contracting notice published March 10. Delivery would be between December 2017 and March 2018. The tentative award appears to extend production beyond a 12-helo order from last November. Delivery from that award is anticipated by August 2017. Venoms and Vipers are primarily operated by the Marine Corps. This order reflects the Corps' transition to the AH-1Z light-attack helicopters from legacy AH-1Ws, which will be phased out by 2020. (Source: Flight Global 03/14/16) Gulf Coast Aviation Note: The Marine aviation unit at NAS/JRB New Orleans is the only regional site still flying the legacy AH-1W “Super Cobra.” They are tentatively to be replaced by the UH-1Y.

MDA: Canada conference info

The Mississippi Development Authority plans to lead business and economic development professionals to the 9th annual Southeastern U.S.-Canadian Provinces Alliance Conference in Nashville on May 25-27. Information on the program is available by contacting the MDA at (601) 359-3155. Early registration deadline is March 31. (Source: Mississippi Development Authority 03/09/16)

Mississippi NASA ambassadors

NASA has selected 11 educator teams – including one from Mississippi - for its 2016 Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program. The program is a professional development opportunity for educators designed to improve teaching methods that inspire students. As preparation, the ambassadors are to complete a graduate-level astronomy course; partner with professional astronomers as scientists conduct research aboard NASA’s flying telescope, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. SOFIA is a modified Boeing 747SP jetliner fitted with a 100-inch telescope to study celestial objects on 10-hour overnight science missions. (SETI Institute 03/04/16) Central Mississippi Note: The 2016 team from Mississippi includes Connie Gusmus of Guntown Middle School and Robert Swanson of Itawamba Community College in Fulton. The educators are to take what they’ve learned back into their classrooms and communities to convey the value of scientific research and career path options available to students.

Voluntary buy-outs at LM-Miss.

Lockheed Martin Corp. announced that its aeronautics division is seeking to part with up to 1,000 workers to stay competitive by offering a voluntary program to mid-level employees at its Meridian, Miss., facility and six others in Texas, Georgia, California, West Virginia, and Maryland. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, based in Fort Worth, builds the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; and the out-of-production F-22 Raptor. (Source: PR Newswire 03/08/16)

Miss. ammo contract: $97.2M

JACKSON, Miss. - Ammunition manufacturer Nammo Talley has announced it was awarded a $97.2 million defense contract, creating 12 jobs in Crawford – about 20 miles southwest of Columbus – for production of ammunition for the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) system. “This is a huge win for our program team and for our operation in Mississippi,” said Jim Mullis, general manager of NT’s Mississippi operations. Supporters of the facility included the Mississippi Development Authority, Golden Triangle Development LINK, East Mississippi Community College Workforce Training, and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. “Mississippi has a strong, growing presence in the defense sector, and Nammo Talley’s new contract further strengthens the state’s foothold in the industry,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. (Source: Mississippi Development Authority 03/08/16) Central Mississippi Note: Nammo Talley’s Mississippi manufacturing operation was specifically designed for high volume final assembly of shoulder-launched munitions - like SMAW projectiles. The facility was also designed for high rate pyrotechnic operations and storage. The firm is the only manufacturer of man-portable, unguided, shoulder launched munitions in the United States.

OCSD orders Airbus helo

The Orange County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department has ordered an Airbus Helicopters H125 AStar helicopter as an upgrade to its existing law enforcement helicopter fleet. The H125 AStar contracted March 2 at the Heli-Expo 2016 in Louisville, Ky., will be delivered to the agency later this month, and is expected to be in service by summer. (Source: Airbus Helicopters 03/02/16) Central Mississippi Note: AHI has a helicopter production facility in Columbus, Miss.

DHART contracts for new AHI helo

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART), an air medical transport services provider for Northern New England, has contracted with Airbus Helicopters Inc. for an H135-series helicopter. With bases in Lebanon and Manchester, N.H., DHART provides air ambulance services throughout New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. DHART operates more than 1,400 missions per year with two EC135 aircraft equipped with the latest instrument flight rules avionics and medical technology. The new aircraft, to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2016, will replace an older Airbus EC135, which will be transitioned to a dedicated backup role. Metro Aviation of Shreveport, La., will operate and provide aviation services for the new DHART aircraft. (Source: Airbus Helicopters Inc. 03/01/16) Central Mississippi Note: AHI has a large production and manufacturing facility at Columbus, Miss.

AHI books new helo for UHP

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Airbus Helicopters Inc. has booked an order for one of its H125 AStar helicopters from the Utah Highway Patrol. UHP already has an AHI AS350 B2 helicopter it uses to conduct a wide variety of law enforcement missions. The new aircraft is expected to be delivered in March and in service by summer. Produced at AHI’s plant in Columbus, Miss., the single-engine H125 is the latest version of the firm’s AStar family of helicopters. (Source: Airbus Helicopters Inc. 03/01/16)