Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
Eurocopter developed the EC130 from the AS350 Écureuil, changing the tail arrangement to an enclosed Fenestron. The product later took the H130 name under Airbus Helicopters. The two names reflect that corporate and product history. Equipment varies by model and operator.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗A quiet introduction to the T2
Erdos joined Airbus test pilot Eric Vincent to explore a new EC130 T2 at Marignane. Sitting on the left opened up the view while keeping the other seats accessible to passengers. The cockpit’s presentation made the introduction straightforward, and a nearby grass field provided room to become familiar with the hover. The low vibration made a strong impression, especially for an aircraft of this size.
Vertical · June 2014. Autumn demonstration from Marignane with Eric Vincent in EC130 T2 F-WWPI; light loading, calm weather and 8°C.
Vertical · Read more ↗Give collective and throttle separate assignments
CowanSim’s H130 guide separates the collective axis from the engine twist grip. A user without a second hardware axis can leave throttle unassigned and operate it with the mouse. The guide also recommends an aircraft-specific control profile to avoid duplicate assignments.
Airbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130 · CowanSim · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
CowanSim · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Ed Whisenant Aviation · 19 min ·
Airbus H130 / EC130 Training in Executive Helicopter Eurocopter N130CZ (Crashed on 02-09-2024)
Cockpit footage from an EC130 flight. The publisher also records the aircraft's later accident in the description.
Real aircraft · Airbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Airbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130
Eurocopter developed the EC130 from the AS350 Écureuil, changing the tail arrangement to an enclosed Fenestron. The product later took the H130 name under Airbus Helicopters. The two names reflect that corporate and product history. Equipment varies by model and operator.
Airbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130
Eurocopter → · Explore the family →
Airbus H130
Wikipedia contributors · Eurocopter EC130 ↗CowanSim · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 →Eurocopter EC130
Wikipedia contributors · Eurocopter EC130 ↗CowanSim · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 →Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
The T2 revises an established passenger helicopter
Erdos’s 2014 report describes the T2 as a substantial development of the EC130, with structural changes and active vibration control. The emphasis on cabin comfort complements the family’s sightseeing and passenger-transport roles.
Vertical · Multifunction people mover ↗T2 development reported in 2014
Development milestones
First flight: 24 June 1999
Developed from: Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil
Wikipedia contributors · Eurocopter EC130 ↗Eurocopter EC130 · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1372405412
Systems & details
Hover performance needs its conditions
Airbus gives different hover ceilings in and out of ground effect: 11,250 and 9,700 ft at maximum takeoff weight in standard atmospheric conditions. A simulator comparison therefore needs the same weight, atmosphere and hover condition.
Pilot accounts
A quiet introduction to the T2
Erdos joined Airbus test pilot Eric Vincent to explore a new EC130 T2 at Marignane. Sitting on the left opened up the view while keeping the other seats accessible to passengers. The cockpit’s presentation made the introduction straightforward, and a nearby grass field provided room to become familiar with the hover.
The low vibration made a strong impression, especially for an aircraft of this size. Erdos also tried positioning above an abandoned vehicle as though preparing for a sling operation; they did not actually lift it. His Canadian flying experience required an adjustment to the helicopter’s opposite rotor direction. Throughout the outing, the attention given to passenger comfort remained striking. His report describes a lightly loaded demonstration in favourable conditions, rather than the performance of a fully loaded aircraft.
Vertical · June 2014. Autumn demonstration from Marignane with Eric Vincent in EC130 T2 F-WWPI; light loading, calm weather and 8°C.
Read the full account · Vertical ↗The pilot sees the mountains through his passengers’ eyes
Hewlett helped Richard Losee search for a replacement pilot for Cirque Lodge, then accepted the role himself. His first flight with residents of the addiction-treatment centre left a lasting impression: he had been unsure how to relate to his passengers, but their response to the mountains changed his understanding of the job.
Flying the EC130 B4 became part of a very different working life from examining other pilots. Hewlett respected passengers who were apprehensive about flying and let them take their time. He also recalled a period when familiar trips began to feel routine, until an emotional visit to a mountain landing site reminded him why the work mattered to him.
Vertical interview · February 2025. Hewlett, known as Hewy, flies an EC130 B4 for Cirque Lodge near Provo, Utah. The account describes his experience, without establishing a medical benefit.
Read the full account · Vertical ↗A tourist helicopter goes to work on an oil spill
When the Wakashio grounded off Mauritius, a leased H130 was already on the island, unable to return to Réunion during pandemic border restrictions. Corail’s chief pilot Jeremy Heuls described adapting the passenger helicopter for a very different assignment, with a cargo hook, sling and an open doorway for the work over the ship.
The aircraft carried equipment out and recovered containers of pollutants. Conditions changed again when the vessel broke apart, while masts complicated the approach and the water offered poor visual references. Heuls stressed how much he relied on the trained team on the ground.
Airbus operator interview · September 2020. Corail Hélicoptères used an H130/EC130 T2 during the Wakashio response off Mauritius; the manufacturer reports the mission.
Read the full account · Airbus ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Airbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130
CowanSim · Released
Airbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130
CowanSim · Released
X-Plane 12EC130B4
AlpineStudio · Released
EC130B4
AlpineStudio · Released
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
Give collective and throttle separate assignmentsAirbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130 · CowanSim · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
CowanSim’s H130 guide separates the collective axis from the engine twist grip. A user without a second hardware axis can leave throttle unassigned and operate it with the mouse. The guide also recommends an aircraft-specific control profile to avoid duplicate assignments.
Gathered MSFS H130 manual · PDF pp.1–3; undated
CowanSim · Read the source ↗Pilot account
A quiet introduction to the T2Vertical · June 2014. Autumn demonstration from Marignane with Eric Vincent in EC130 T2 F-WWPI; light loading, calm weather and 8°C.
Erdos joined Airbus test pilot Eric Vincent to explore a new EC130 T2 at Marignane. Sitting on the left opened up the view while keeping the other seats accessible to passengers. The cockpit’s presentation made the introduction straightforward, and a nearby grass field provided room to become familiar with the hover. The low vibration made a strong impression, especially for an aircraft of this size.
Robert Erdos
Vertical · Read the source ↗The pilot sees the mountains through his passengers’ eyesVertical interview · February 2025. Hewlett, known as Hewy, flies an EC130 B4 for Cirque Lodge near Provo, Utah. The account describes his experience, without establishing a medical benefit.
Hewlett helped Richard Losee search for a replacement pilot for Cirque Lodge, then accepted the role himself. His first flight with residents of the addiction-treatment centre left a lasting impression: he had been unsure how to relate to his passengers, but their response to the mountains changed his understanding of the job. Flying the EC130 B4 became part of a very different working life from examining other pilots.
Matt Hewlett
Vertical · Read the source ↗Developer documentation
EC130B4 — product listingEC130B4 · X-Plane 12
Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue
X-Plane.org Store · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Aircraft background
Eurocopter EC130Wikipedia contributors · Research background · retrieved 2026-09-12Product
H130/EC130 for MSFSCowanSim · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 EC130 B4 X-Plane 12-AlpineStudio-EC130X-Plane.org Store · Product listing captured 2026-09-30; edition scope from the reviewed catalogueType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Developer documentation
User ManualCowanSim · Gathered developer documentationAircraft reference
H130 technical informationAirbus · Current H130 technical table; not EC130 B4 performanceBuilt-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 3 profile choices
AlpineStudio EC130 B4
AlpineStudio · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
AlpineStudio EC130 B4: The spring and damping approximate this turbine helicopter’s cyclic balance.
CowanSim H130 / EC130
CowanSim · Free and Pro · Revision 4 · Inherited starting point
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024
CowanSim H130 / EC130: The spring and damping approximate this turbine helicopter’s cyclic balance.
Airbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020
Airbus H130 / Eurocopter EC130: The spring and damping approximate this turbine helicopter’s cyclic balance.
Discuss this aircraft (0)
Questions, observations and useful sources from the community.
No published discussions yet. Bring a question or share a useful source.
Open aircraft discussions →Content expanded · What’s new
Something missing or a source that needs attention?
Suggest a correction ↗
