At the beginning of May, AgustaWestland’snew helicopter for EMS, SAR, law enforcement and other transport duties - the AW169 - completed its maiden flight. The helicopter was flown by AgustaWestland’s Chief Test Pilot, Giuseppe Lo Coco, Test Pilot Giuseppe Afruni, and Flight Test Engineers Massimo Longo and Stefano Rognoni at the company’s Cascina Costa plant in Italy.
The first prototype will be joined by two more aircraft later this year and a fourth prototype in 2013. The AW169 is part of AgustaWestland’s family of new generation helicopters that includes the AW139 and AW189 models.