New This Week

AVweb’s search of aviation news around the world found a first flight for Bell’s new helicopter, executive changes at Airbus Group, new helicopter services in Sedona, Arizona, and a milestone for Women in Aviation International’s scholarship program.

AVweb's search of aviation news around the world found a first flight for Bell's new helicopter, executive changes at Airbus Group, new helicopter services in Sedona, Arizona, and a milestone for Women in Aviation International's scholarship program. Bell Helicopter announced the successful first flight of its new 525 Relentless. The maiden flight of the super-medium helicopter took place at the company's aircraft assembly center in Amarillo, Texas. The Bell 525 is the world's first fly-by-wire commercial helicopter designed to operate safely and reliably in austere environments with decreased pilot workload. In Toulouse, France, Airbus Group has appointed Jean-Pierre Talamoni, 58, as Executive Vice President Marketing & Sales for Airbus Defence and Space. In this position, he will become a Member of the Executive Committee of Airbus Defence and Space and report to Bernhard Gerwert, the Division's Chief Executive Officer. At Airbus Defence and Space, Talamoni will replace Christian Scherer, 53, who in turn will take over Talamoni's current position as Head of Airbus Group International. Scherer will report to Marwan Lahoud, Airbus Group Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer. Both appointments will become effective Sept. 1.

Hillsboro Aviation announced the launch of a helicopter tour operation in Sedona, Arizona. The operation, called Hillsboro Aviation - Sedona, offers helicopter tours over Sedona's most famous landmarks and is one of the only tour operators to partner with the Forest Service to provide employee training on the geological, biological and archaeological history of Sedona. Hillsboro Aviation - Sedona partners with various tour agencies and resort properties to offer packages that provide guests with a wide array of tour options. With the announcement of the 2016 Women in Aviation International scholarship winners in March 2016, WAI's scholarship program will award a cumulative $10 million worth of scholarships to over 1,300 members, changing thousands of lives and launching and enhancing hundreds of aviation careers. To date, 98 scholarships are offered for 2016, totaling more than $488,000. The 2016 winners will be recognized at WAI's annual conference, which will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee, from March 10-12, 2016.