Chuck Aaron and the Red Bull Helicopter

The only aerobatic helicopter show in North America will appear at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009. Red Bull's BO 105 CBS helicopter, a stock Eurocopter/Messerschmitt Boelkow Blohm (MBB), will perform its unique maneuvers.

Pilot Chuck Aaron holds the distinction as the only pilot licensed in the United States to fly aerobatics in a helicopter. His performances feature aerobatic maneuvers achieved previously only in fixed-wing aircraft, including loops and rolls, but also nearly the entire regimen of maneuvers reserved for fixed-wing aircraft; the Split-S, Immelman, Half Cuban Eight, and even the challenging Lomcevak, slightly modified by Aaron for the helicopter.

He’s been in charge of NASA’s Space Shuttle Air Rescue Program and done stunt flying in films like The Rock and television shows like NCIS. He helped the U.S. Department of Defense develop and test night-vision systems and rebuilt three Cobras from leftover military parts. He’s been a crop duster and traffic reporter and has flown banners at the beach. But it’s what he does these days in a helicopter - back flips, 360-degree rolls, and a heart-stopping combination known as the Chuckcevak - that has earned him daredevil status.

The MBB derives power from two 425 hp Allyson Rolls Royce C-20B turbine engines that drive composite rotor blades mounted to a solid titanium fixed rotor head. Normal versions of the rotorcraft can be configured for a variety of flight operations, from air ambulance to off shore oil drilling support. Red Bull's helicopter is certificated in experimental exhibition category, allowing the pilot to push the envelope of its own flight capabilities.

The Red Bull aerobatic helicopter made its worldwide debut in November 2006 at Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB.

.