Moscow / 22 August 2012 – Russian Helicopters, part of state defence holding company Oboronprom and a leading global designer and manufacturer of helicopters, is the general partner of the 14th Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Helicopter Championship, which gets underway today near Moscow.
The Championship runs from 22-26 August at the Drakino airbase near Moscow. Teams from 11 countries – Austria, Belarus, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, the UK and Ukraine – will take part, and more than 7,000 spectators are expected to attend.
The opening ceremony will take place today, on 22 August, with competition running from 23-25 August. The final day, Sunday 26 August, will see enthralling helicopter races, a display by the legendary Golden Eagles aerobatics team in Mi-28N Night Hunters and a festival of air sport, as well as the closing and awards ceremonies.
Other organisers of the championship alongside Russian Helicopters are the Russian Air Sports Federation, the Russian Helicopter Sport Federation, DOSAAF (a volunteer association supporting the armed forces) and the Moscow Region branch of the ROSTO air sports club. The Championship is supported by the Russian Ministry of Sport, the Government of Moscow Region, the Administration of Serpukhov District (Moscow Region) and the Russian Air Force, and is held under the auspices of the FAI Rotorcraft Commission. UTair Aviation is also an official partner of the competition.
Russian Helicopters is an active supporter of the civilian helicopter sector in Russia and works hard to popularise helicopter sport. Holding the 14th World Helicopter Championships in Russia is a significant event for the country’s civil aviation industry and gives Russian teams a great chance to demonstrate their skills in front of their home crowd and foreign guests.
To follow 14th FAI World Helicopter Championship news and media, visit official website (14whc2012.org/en) and Russian Helicopters page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RussianHelicopters).
Russian Helicopters, JSC is a subsidiary of UIC Oboronprom, which in turn is a part of Russian Technologies State Corporation. It is one of the global leaders in helicopter production and the only helicopter design and production powerhouse in Russia. Russian Helicopters is headquartered in Moscow. The company comprises five helicopter production facilities, two design bureaus, a spare parts production and repair facility, as well as an aftersale service branch responsible for maintenance and repair in Russia and all over the world. Its helicopters are popular among Russian ministries and state authorities (Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Emergency Control Ministry), operators (Gazpromavia, UTair), major Russian corporations. Over 8000 helicopters of Soviet/Russian make are operated in 110 countries worldwide. Traditionally the demand is highest in the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Russia, and CIS countries. Russian Helicopters was established in 2007. In 2011 its IFRS revenues increased 27.8% to RUB 103.9 billion. Deliveries reached 262 helicopters.
