News:North Sea operators looking for EC225 replacement

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ts-378314/

04:30
30 Oct 2012

North Sea helicopter operators are scrabbling to acquire additional aircraft
as they struggle to cope with the effective grounding
of certain Eurocopter Super Puma types following a controlled ditching of an EC225 on 22 October.

Although a European Aviation Safety Authority emergency airworthiness directive states the aircraft are allowed to fly,
providing data collected by vibration monitoring systems is downloaded with increased frequency,
a ruling issued by the UK's Civil Aviation Agency on 25 October prohibits overwater flights of EC225s and AS332s fitted with a potentially faulty gearbox component.

CHC Scotia, which operated the helicopter (G-CHCN) involved in the incident, has nine UK-based aircraft out of service
- five EC225s and four AS332 L2s.
Bristow Helicopters, meanwhile, has grounded 11 EC225s from its UK fleet.
The other large-scale operator in the region, Bond Offshore Helicopters, has also pulled four AS332s from service, along with three EC225s.

"We are trying to bring in helicopters where we can, but there's not a lot of them just lying about," says CHC Scotia.

Its comments are echoed by Bond: "The whole industry up there has been thrown up in the air.
We are trying to bring in additional assets but there is a chronic shortage of airframes."

Bristow adds: "[Our] European fleet comprises 55 helicopters, of which at least 75% remain operational across the region. We are currently calling on additional support from other areas of the business to help us best match capacity with our customers' critical needs in the short to medium term."

The problem is not only affecting the UK.
Bristow is not flying three EC225s in Australia, another EC225 in Norway, and an AS332 L2 in Nigeria, it says. CHC has grounded its EC225 and AS332 L1 and L2 fleets globally - a total of 64 airframes, including those in the UK.

For its part, Eurocopter has begun a detailed examination of G-CHCN's gearbox, which arrived at its factory in Marignane, France on 29 October.

It is still trying to trace the root cause of the incident,
which was triggered by the failure of the bevel gear vertical shaft in the main gearbox. A ditching in May involving an EC225 operated by Bond was downed by the same fault.

It is also testing the emergency lubrication system fitted to the EC225 using a test bench at a site belonging to engine supplier Turbomeca.

In the May ditching, the back-up system was functioning correctly but sensors indicated a system failure.
Although Eurocopter says it is too early to definitively link the events, indications are that a sensor was again at fault.

[Pete]

Confidence in the EurocopterEC-225 seems to be fading away indeed.

Bristow snaps up Sikorsky S-92s in wake of Super Puma grounding


By: Dominic Perry London

21 hours ago

Source:








Texas-based helicopter operator Bristow Group has responded to the grounding of 16 Eurocopter Super Pumas in its fleet with an order for 10 additional Sikorsky S-92s with 16 options.

The commitment was disclosed on 7 November in the company's half-year earnings.

Its grounded fleet - 15 EC225s and a solitary AS332 L2 - are spread across the UK, Australia, Norway and Nigeria and remain out of action following the 22 October ditching of an EC225 in the North Sea near the Shetland Islands.

Bristow says it is too early to quantify the financial impact of the potentially lengthy grounding, however it says it has "increased utilisation of other in-region aircraft and has moved, or is moving, available aircraft to minimise or eliminate the impact to our clients".

It says: "Bristow has the financial strength to handle this challenge and thrive in this environment and be proactive. The contract for ten additional Sikorsky S-92 large helicopters is an example of our ability to manage through this issue."

Bill Chiles, Bristow Group president and chief executive, says the company has the "financial profile" to be able "to fill in some of the holes" the groundings have created.

It estimates that about 60-70 EC225s remain grounded globally, with the North Sea and Brazil particularly affected. "That's why we have gone out and acquired the additional S-92s," says Mark Duncan, senior vice-president, commercial at Bristow.

Aircraft moved into the area to replace the EC225s include AgustaWestland AW139s and Sikorsky S-76 and S-92 types, says Chiles.

As part of the deal to acquire the S-92s, Sikorsky has agreed to take the remaining 15 S-76As in Bristow's fleet, adds Duncan.

In the three months to 30 September, the operator recorded revenue of $326 million, up 9.7% on the same period last year, with EBITDAR of $84.9 million, a rise of 19.2% against the prior year.

The company had a total of 349 helicopters in its fleet at 30 September.

Source:http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ng-378836/

Regards Pete