Building your second AW169 helicopter

Salvatore Aiovalasit is the Manager of the Final Assembly Line (FAL) at the Vergiate facility.

Speaking about the process of the AW169 build, he said: “The duration of the assembly line for the AW169 is 42 days, split into six stages. Every seven days the helicopter will move onto the next part.

“In stage one there is the mechanical activity and hydraulic system, stage two is the full environment system of the helicopter, stage three is the components for the aircraft nose and the main landing gear, stage four is the driver system and the major avionic equipment as well as the tail rotor, then stage five is the testing of all the installation components that have taken place, both mechanical and avionics, the final step is stage six, which is the completion of the helicopter installation including the floor, door panels and pilot seats, making it ready to leave the FAL and be transferred to the flight line for engine starts and testing.”

Representatives from Cornwall Air Ambulance visited the facility three times to monitor the build of G-CNLL and attended regular progress meetings online.

Once the build was complete, the aircraft exited the assembly line and was moved to the flight line where it underwent preparations for delivery. A series of test flights were conducted by Leonardo Helicopters and our Unit Chief Pilot, Adam Smith, went out to Italy just before Christmas in 2024 to carry out an acceptance flight. This process allowed Cornwall Air Ambulance to check that all functions were working correctly and within the expected parameters. Any required modifications are identified at this stage, so any configurations can then be made along with the completed paint job of the charity’s brand colours and logo, making it ready for the final acceptance.