The Airbus H125, long known as the AS350 Ecureuil or AStar, is a light single-engine helicopter used for tours, news, police, firefighting and utility work. It is one of the most common turbine helicopters over US cities and scenic areas.
H125 / AS350 at a glance
- First flight
- 1974
- Length
- ~42 ft 5 in (12.9 m) rotors turning
- Wingspan
- 35 ft 1 in (10.7 m) rotor diameter
- Engines
- 1 × Safran Arriel turboshaft (H125: Arriel 2D)
- Seats
- Pilot + 5–6 passengers
- Cruise speed
- ~135 kt (155 mph)
- Service ceiling
- ~15,000–23,000 ft
- Range
- ~350 nmi
How to recognize the H125 / AS350
The H125 has a rounded, bubble-like cabin, a long tail boom and an open tail rotor. Its profile is familiar from news broadcasts and police chases.
- Rotor: a three-bladed main rotor with a compact Starflex hub.
- Engine: a single turboshaft behind the rotor mast, with an exhaust pointing back and slightly up.
- Tail rotor: a conventional two-bladed tail rotor, not a shrouded fan.
- Landing gear: skids; tour versions may carry floats.
- Cabin: a large curved windshield and a wide, rounded nose.
- Tail: a horizontal stabilizer with small endplate fins and a fin with a lower ventral fin.
- Sound: a medium-pitched whine with a light rhythmic thump from the three-blade rotor.
The H135 has two engines and a shrouded Fenestron tail fan. The Robinson R44 is smaller, with a two-blade rotor and a piston engine. The EC130/H130, a widened derivative, has a Fenestron and code EC30.
The H125's tail boom is long and thin, and the cabin has wide, curved windshields that give passengers a big view. Tour versions often have extra-large windows, while utility versions may carry a cargo hook or a long line under the fuselage. Police and news versions usually carry a camera ball under the nose and a searchlight on the side.
Where and when you'll see it
Tour operators fly H125s and AS350s over the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Hawaii and Alaska. News stations, police departments including the LAPD, US Customs and Border Protection, firefighting contractors and utility companies use them too. They are a common sight over Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Most flights are 500 to 2,000 ft above ground. On ADS-B the type code is AS50, and the emitter category is rotorcraft. News and police helicopters often circle a scene for long periods; see why helicopters circle.
Tour flights over the Grand Canyon, the Hawaiian Islands and the Las Vegas Strip run all day in good weather, often following set routes at fixed altitudes. In the West, H125s are widely used for firefighting with water buckets, powerline work and moving crews into remote mountains, where their high-altitude performance helps. News helicopters often follow traffic and breaking stories during morning and evening commutes.
Easily confused with
- Airbus H135 (EC135): The H135 has two engines and a shrouded tail fan.
- Robinson R44: The R44 is smaller, with a two-blade rotor and a piston engine.
Quick facts
- In 2005 a stock AS350 B3 landed on the summit of Mount Everest, the highest helicopter landing ever recorded.
- Its Starflex rotor hub uses composite and elastomeric parts instead of complex hinges, reducing maintenance.
- The AS350 was sold in North America as the AStar before Airbus renamed it the H125.
H125 / AS350 questions
Is the H125 the same as the AS350?
Yes. The H125 is the current name for the latest AS350 B3e; older aircraft keep the AS350 name. Both use the type code AS50.
Why do news helicopters hover over one spot?
They are filming a scene and orbit slowly to keep the camera on it.
Cities where it's a regular
Los Angeles · Las Vegas · Buffalo · Honolulu
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for AS50 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.