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The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bell Textron Canada Model 407 helicopters. The AD was prompted by a report of a fractured pilot cyclic stick tube and subsequent findings of other pilot cyclic stick tubes with fatigue cracking. The AD, effective Aug. 21, requires repetitively inspecting the pilot cyclic stick tube assembly for a crack and, depending on the results, repairing or replacing the pilot cyclic stick tube assembly.

VAI applauds Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), for introducing the McCarty and Heideman Air Safety Enhancement Act, which strengthens aviation safety by requiring the FAA to review and update policies related to low-altitude airspace hazards. The bill follows the Jan. 2, 2026, accident near Superior, Arizona, in which a helicopter struck a slackline, killing four people. Following the accident, VAI led a coalition of 37 aviation associations urging the FAA to review the risks posed by slacklines and similar suspended hazards.

Operators in the New York City–New Jersey area should plan for five overlapping temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) associated with POTUS (president of the United States) travel and the FIFA final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Friday, July 17, and Sunday, July 19.

Global air logistics platform e-Smart Group has signed an agreement with aerospace asset finance specialist SLI to lease up to 20 BETA Technologies all-electric aircraft for e-Smart’s air cargo operations, initially in Europe. The agreement covers a combination of BETA Alia CX300 electric conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft and BETA Alia A250 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Legislation seeks to improve pilot awareness, hazard marking, and reporting of temporary low-altitude obstructions. Alexandria, Virginia, Jul. 17, 2026 – Vertical Aviation International (VAI) applauds Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), for introducing the McCarty and Heideman Air Safety Enhancement Act, which strengthens aviation safety by requiring the FAA to review and update policies related to low-altitude […]

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, confirmed Jul. 16 that it is actively pursuing the establishment of a next generation rotorcraft (NGRC) production line in Europe. The move underscores Sikorsky’s commitment to deepening its partnership with NATO and advancing collaborative research and development in Europe, the company announced.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has introduced a new regulatory framework for flight simulation training devices (FSTDs), marking the most significant evolution of flight simulation qualification in Europe in decades, the organization announced Jul. 15.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause of this accident to be the inadvertent entanglement of a longline with the skid, which resulted in a loss of flight control. Contributing to this aerial application accident was the use of nylon lines instead of steel cables to secure the fertilizer bucket.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause of this accident to be the pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the hover taxi with a quartering tailwind.

The global helicopter sales and market intelligence firm has released its 2026 Half Year Heli Market Trends Single-Engine report, which examines retail sales activity, supply, pricing, regional market dynamics, and liquidity trends across the industry’s most actively traded single-engine (SE) helicopter models. The first half of 2026 was marked by declining retail sales and shrinking inventory for sale.