Now it's rotorcraft feeling the bumps

摘要

Helicopters have enjoyed a smooth ride in a turbulent general aviation marketplace - until now. As the fixed-wing light aircraft sector struggled with the financial crisis post-2008, demand for rotorcraft continued at a steady pace. Even as the military market slackened, the oil and gas sector propelled backlogs for medium and large helicopters to new heights. Meanwhile, Robinson Helicopter proved demand for a cheap, single-en-gined turbine helicopter was as strong as ever, as long as the price was low enough. But then the helicopter market hit an unexpected bump. New figures show overall deliveries declined in 2014. Robinson experienced the steepest reduction in the light single category, but demand for medium aircraft also stagnated.