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8/10/2019 Helicopters Fall 2007

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5/48

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

6 EditorialNay-sayers have their saySome oppose policecopters even in Calgary

8 On the Fly

12 McWhirterCountdown to 2010

46 ArmstrongThe Passenger Safety Briefing

Cover Story

Canadian Helicopter MROspg 22

MD 902pg 32

Paris Air Show 2007pg 2414 So Much Data, So Little Information

Bill de Decker discusses techniques to put your

data to good use

16 Prairie Helicopters Succeeding on the Fire Lineby James Careless

20 Getting a Handle on Rotorcraft Icing:DND NRC joint research project

26 Corrective Eye SurgeryWhat every pilot should knowBy Tarek M. Sardana, MD

32 The MD 902 ExplorerKen Armstrong reports on the market versatility of the

MD 902 that is attracting operators

I neverworry aboutaction, butonly about

inaction.

Sir Winston Churchill

PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710

RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS

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Stoney Creek, Ontario, provides MROservices. (Photo and cover photo by

Brian McNair)

Fall 2007 HELICOPTERSmagazine.com 5


6/48

6 HELICOPTERSmagazine.comFall 2007

EDITORIAL

his magazine has faithfully followed the progress ofCanadas first municipal police helicopter operation, which

it fell to the Calgary Police Service (CPS) to introduce. The

first CPS helicopter entered service 12 years ago this sum-mer, dubbed HAWC1 the initials stand for Helicopter AirWatch for Community Safety. There is now a second

machine, HAWC2, enabling at least one helicopter to be available forduty at all times.

The successes of the CPS Air Services Unit, now safely into its seconddecade, have been well chronicled in these pages, and the operation

enjoys wide support moral and financial from the Calgary public.Thats where this writer happens to have been living since 1980, so I

vividly remember the night in October 1993 that set in motion the pro-curement of helicopters for Calgarys police. Const. Rick Sonnenberg was

run down and killed by a stolen car being pursued by police and drivenby a young thug down the north-south freeway that cuts through town.

The killing shocked the community. Few murder victims are widelyremembered after so many years, but Sonnenbergs name is still remem-bered by all Calgarians who had reached the age of consciousness at the

time of his death. To this day, flowers bedeck the memorial site on theembankment adjacent to the murder scene.

The immediate goal of the campaign for police helicopters was to

move police pursuit of vehicles to the safer realm of the air, but of course

the HAWC helicopters have made themselves useful in many ways.Still, there are always nay-sayers, and we have a few in Calgary.

Among them is a local writer, Kevin Brooker, whose musings appear fre-quently on the Calgary Heralds op-ed page. In a July opinion column

headlined The HAWCs noisy, costly, and intrusive Brooker insisted:I know for a fact that many of my fellow citizens feel exactly as I do

about cop choppers: Theyre a warrantless intrusion on the peace whosebenefits are outweighed by their harm.

Brooker lives in the central city, where he says the HAWCs irritatingwhomp is a persistent feature of too many nights. But his major objec-

tion, one that he says is shared by many of the people he has spoken with,

is the symbolic one. Police departments publicly tend to pooh-pooh theBig Brother connotations so readily visible in aerial surveillance, but I

believe they are both real and corrosive to a truly orderly society.

Brooker says he was personally targeted by HAWC1 on three occa-sions in its first decade of operation, once having the spotlighttrained on me for an uncomfortable minute or more while crossing a

pedestrian bridge at night.Yes, that sounds uncomfortable. Maybe I would have some agreement

with him if I had had such an experience. But I dont live in the centralcity, and in fact do my best to avoid it because it is infested with the type

of people who no doubt were the real target of that spotlight that souncomfortably fell on Brooker.

From my place on a height overlooking the central city (from a com-fortable distance), often on a summer night when my window is open, I

hear the soft whirr of HAWC circling high overhead, and actually find itrather reassuring. It has never descended in my neighbourhood to the

point of the whirr becoming an irritating whomp.Another writer in the Calgary Herald, this time one its own reporters,

Valerie Fortney, weighed in a couple of months after Brookers opus. She

had also had a noisy encounter, when HAWC came down and close overher own place at 5 am, going after a trio of young men who had

been breaking into neighbourhoodgarages.

Fortney complained to CPS thatmorning September 13 and was

told by Const. Troy Rudy, an AirServices Unit tactical flight officer,

that hers was only the sixth officialcomplaint that CPS has received

about the helicopters this year!There is heavy vandalism of cars

at night in my own buildings park-ing lot. I wouldnt mind seeing HAWC hovering overhead occasionally,

Night Sun blazing, especially if it helped catch the miscreants whichapparently it failed to do in the case cited by Fortney.

So complaints are few official ones, anyway. Maybe a lot of quiet

griping goes on among the people Brooker speaks with, but not amongthe people I speak with and perhaps not among the people Fortney

speaks with, either.She writes that she was prepared to be angry but wasnt anymore after

speaking with Rudy, who had been a police school classmate ofSonnenberg. She closed her article with these words:

Later, I bump into several neighbours, all of whom were targets ofthe busy thieves. On this day at least, I dont feel so bad about being

jolted awake in the middle of the night.

RICHARD PURSERis senior associate

editor of Helicopters

T

Nay-sayershave their saySome oppose police copters even in Calgary

I hear the soft whirr of HAWC

circling high overhead, and actually

find it rather reassuring


7/48

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8 HELICOPTERSmagazine.com Fall 2007

Setting out to demonstratethat the helicopter can

transcend its traditionalrole, Eurocopter and Herms

unveiled their experiment in

collaborative engineering anddesign lHlicoptre parHerms at Septembers NBAA

conference in Atlanta.The baseline for the Herms

and Eurocopter partnership wasa reappraisal of the helicopters

potential as a form of personaltransportation. With a determi-

nation to address even the mostchallenging design issues, in-

cluding a complete redesign ofthe helicopters landing gear, the

culmination of the undertakingis a special edition of the EC 135helicopter.

Herms not only reviewedthe internal fitting of the aircraft,

but also worked on its exteriorto create true cohesion between

shapes and materials. Ever con-scious of technical constraints,

Gabriele Pezzini, a freelancedesigner regularly hired by the

House of Herms for specialprojects, worked closely with

Herms development, craftsmenteams and Eurocopters engi-

neers to bring the concept toreality. Some 50 hard aspects of

the aircraft have been redefined.

Dubbed Elegance in Mot-

ion, lHlicoptre par Hermsrepresents a new approach to the

business aviation marketplace.

Surfaces from floor to ceilinghave been covered in Toile H, asignature Herms canvas used to

manufacture the firms travelwaresince the 1920s. Seats and ban-

quette are handcrafted andupholstered in calf leathers, natu-

rally grained and highly resistant.Comments Eurocopter sen-

ior executive vice president,Philippe Harache: Helicopters,

given their flexibility, are a per-fect complement to business

jets. While growth in businessaviation is robust with promis-

ing upside potential in both the

US and other key markets it isa segment that also places an

extremely high premium onquality of design. Given its

knowledge, background andexpertise in addressing such

demanding audiences, theHouse of Herms represented

the indispensable partner re-quired to bring the project to

maturity.Adds Franois Taverne,

chairman of Herms Gainier:This is a genuine collaboration

in industrial design and one that

is unusual given our respectiveareas of expertise. By working so

closely together, and combiningthe talent of Eurocopters engi-

neers with that of our designer,Gabriele Pezzini, and our skilled

craftsmen, both companies have

taken a major step forward inimproving the experience of

travel by helicopter.First deliveries are scheduled

for 2008, with aircraft availabilityworldwide.

Precision Helicopters Inc. of Grande Prairie, Alta., has recently

acquired a Eurocopter AS350D2 from Eagle Helicopters ofSpokane, Wash.

The D2 comes equipped with the first Sagem IntegratedCockpit Display System (ICDS) series Engine Management

System (EMS) and Primary Flight Display (PFD) glass screencockpit in Canada. The screens are also linked with a Bendix

King KLX135A GPS/com moving map display.

Precision owner John Carlton says: This is a very user-friendly system that enhances cockpit management and keeps

us moving forward with new developments in avionics. Also,in response to customer requirements, Precision Helicopters

has installed Latitude Technologies Skynode GPS tracking sys-tems in all its helicopters..

PRECISION HELICOPTERS ACQUIRES EUROCOPTER AS350D2

Herms and Eurocopter:Landmark DesignPartnership

The EC 135 was selected for the joint enterprise. Herms distinctivesignature is apparent across the aircrafts design treatment.

Herms artisans have optimized the use of fabrics andleathers to soften ambient noise and vibration.


9/48

Helijet International Inc. hasbeen awarded a two-year

extension to its existing BritishColumbia Air Ambulance heli-

copter contract.The contract has an esti-

mated value of $10 million.Thecontract extension means

Helijet will continue to operatetwo dedicated air medical heli-

copters for the province intoSeptember 2010. Both helicop-

ters will continue to be based atHelijets hangar at Vancouver

International Airports South

Terminal and will be used pri-marily for critical-care patient

transfers between communitiesand Greater Vancouver critical-

care centres. The helicoptersand their crew will be on call

24/7 year-round.Every year, Helijet air ambu-

lance pilots and BC AmbulanceService paramedics provide air

medical transfers and critical

care for approximately 600adult and infant patients on

Vancouver Island and in south-western BC. Helijet is celebrat-

ing its 20th anniversary in busi-

ness and has won numerousawards for outstanding cus-

tomer service and safetystandards.


HELICOPTERS MAGAZINE

P.O. Box 530

105 Donly Drive South

Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5

Tel.: 519-428-3471 Fax: 519-429-3094

Toll Free: 1-888-599-2228

Website: www.helicoptersmagazine.com

PUBLISHER TIM MUISE

e-mail: [email protected]

EDITOR DREW MCCARTHY


ASSOCIATE EDITOR ANDREA KWASNIK


SENIOR EDITOR RICHARD PURSER

PRODUCTION ARTIST GERRY WIEBE

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

KENNETH ARMSTRONG, MARK MCWHIRTER,

KEN POLE, JAMES CARELESS

ADVERTISING SALES JAYLYN CORPUS


SALES ASSISTANT MARY BURNIE


VP/GROUP PUBLISHER DIANE KLEER


PRESIDENT MIKE FREDERICKS


Published four times a year by Annex

Publishing & Printing Inc.

Printed in Canada

ISSN 0227-3161

CIRCULATION


Tel: 866-790-6070 ext 208

Fax: 877-624-1940

Mail: P.O. Box 530 Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Canada 1 Year - $28.00(includes GST - #867172652RT0001)

USA 1 Year $31.00

Foreign 1 Year $45.00

From time to time, we at Helicopters Magazinemake our subscription list available to reputablecompanies and organizations whose productsand services we believe may be of interest toyou. If you do not want your name to be madeavailable, contact our circulation department inany of the four ways listed above.

No part of the editorial content of this publica-tion may be reprinted without the publisherswritten permission 2007 Annex Publishing &Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinionsexpressed in this magazine are not necessarily

those of the editor or the publisher. No liability isassumed for errors or omissions. All advertisingis subject to the publishers approval. Suchapproval does not imply any endorsement of theproducts or services advertised. Publisherreserves the right to refuse advertising that doesnot meet the standards of the publication.

Helicopters Magazine is a corporate memberof the

Helicopters Magazine is an associate memberof the following Canadian aviation associations:

Helicopter Associationof Canada

Canadian Owners

& Pilots Association

Air Transport Associationof Canada

Member of the CanadianCirculations Audit Board

Canadian BusinessAviation Association

SEI Industries Ltd. has an-

nounced the release of the

BB2226, a 1,000 litre/264 USGBambi Bucket designed specifi-cally to provide an optimum bal-

ance between capacity andweight for the Eurocopter AS

350B3 Series and similar-sizedsmall and medium helicopters.

The compact BB2226 com-

plements the existing BambiBucket line, closing the gap

between the 240-gallon BB2024and the 324-gallon BB2732

Bambi Bucket. Like all Bambi

Buckets, the BB2226 allows hel-icopter operators to access virtu-ally any water source, and is sta-

ble and responsive in flight. TheBB2226 can be enhanced with

the Powerfill system to addrapid shallow-fill capability, and

the Aqualanche Valve to enablevariable dump capacity.

The BB2226 allows helicopter operators to access virtuallyany water source, and is stable and responsive in flight.

Helijet awarded air ambulancecontract extension

New Bambi Bucket forsmall/medium helicopters

Helijet will continue to operate two dedicated airmedical helicopters for British Columbia.


10/4810 HELICOPTERSmagazine.com Fall 2007

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2007OCTOBEROctober 17-20

SARSCENE 2007Victoria, BChttp://www.nss.gc.ca

or call 1-800-727-9414.

October 17-19

CAMC Forum and AGM

Mississauga, ON

http://www.camc.ca

October 24-26

ALEA Canadian Regional

Safety Seminar

Hosted by the RCMPVancouver Air SectionVancouver, BC

http://www.alea.org/pub-lic/seminars/index.htm

October 25-26

Rotor Focus 2007River Rock Casino

and ResortVancouver, BC

http://www.rotor.com

October 25-26Ontario AME Workshop& Symposium

Mississauga, ONhttp://www.ame-ont.com/

NOVEMBERNovember 6-8

Heli-Power 2007

Expo XXIAmsterdam, Netherlands

www.shephard.co.uk

2008FEBRUARYFebruary 24-26

HELI-EXPO

Houston, TXwww.heliexpo.com

APRILApril 6-8, 2008

HAC Annual Convention

& Trade ShowCalgary, AB

http://www.h-a-c.ca/hac-main.html

ACROHELIPRO GlobalServices Inc. has teamed with

Carson Helicopters to outfit thefirst two of Carsons fleet of

Sikorsky S-61s with SAGEM

Avionics Integrated CockpitDisplay System (ICDS) retrofit.

In addition, Carson has selectedto work with ACROHELIPRO on

an S-61 airframe rewire program

for 10 helicopters, with the worktaking place over the next twoand a half years.

The innovative system pioneeredby Carson, SAGEM and ACRO-

HELIPRO that has previouslybeen integrated by ACROHE-

LIPRO into the Bell 205, 206 and210 platforms, includes five ten-

inch cockpit displays. Each sys-tem also incorporates two

Primary Flight Displays (PFD)

and two Multi-Function Displays

(MFD); one for both the pilotand copilot. An additional centre

instrument panel-mounted MFD

houses a Caution

Advisory Panel (CAS) tofacilitate easy viewing by

both pilot and copilot.

Successful groundruns for H-92 fly-by-wire

ACROHELIPRO teams with Carson

to develop S-61 Glass Cockpits

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. hasreported the successful ground

testing of new fly-by-wire technol-ogy designed to improve signifi-

cantly the maneuverability, safetyand effectiveness of aircraft. It will

debut on 28 H-92 helicopters thatthe Canadian military forces will

begin receiving in early 2009.

The fly-by-wire system elec-tronically links the controls inside

the cockpit with the exterior actu-ators, the movement of which

enable the aircraft to maneuverwhere and how the pilot intends.

Eliminating the traditional mech-anical linkage saves weight,

reduces maintenance costs, adds

capability and improves perform-ance. The new system was devel-

oped in association with BAESystems.

The H-92 is a military variantof the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter.

The Canadian Forces will use theaircraft for search and rescue, anti-

submarine warfare, anti-surfacewarfare and utility transport. In

addition to the fly-by-wire system,they will feature the Rotor Ice

Protection System, which Trans-

port Canada certified in 2005 asenabling safe flight into known

icing conditions. Other featuresinclude a full glass cockpit, 360-

degree radar, forward lookinginfrared system, acoustics mission

equipment, torpedo armamentsystem, full defensive protection

suite, shipboard haul-down sys-tem, and automatic blade and

tail fold.

Enhanced cockpit for the S-61: Rockwell Collins FDS 2000 EFIS,Dual Garmin GNS 530s and Proline II avionics.

The H-92 is a military variant of the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter.


11/48


12/48


COLUMN

he 2010 Vancouver Olympics are quickly approaching.Despite ongoing controversy, significant progress has

been made in infrastructure development and venue con-

struction. But much of the media spotlight has beenfocused on labour unrest, cost overruns and escalatingsecurity costs.

Part of the reason for this grim view of the prelude to the Olympicsis differing perceptions of time. The Olympic Games were announced

over four years ago, but are now only two and half years away. A sig-nificant portion of time has already passed, but few have taken advan-

tage of the upcoming opportunity. Why? There are two problemsources the Olympic Committee, and heli-operators.

On one hand, the Olympic Committee is not the most forthrightwith regard to information. This is understandable concerning security

or other confidential information, but is it necessary to be so tight withinformation on transportation or other broad-based topics? It is down-

right difficult trying to find media releases or other information regard-ing helicopter opportunities.There is a wealth of information that needs to be presented before

the start of the Games, and maybe the best answer is to be patient. Butin a business climate which often focuses on the importance of long-

term strategy, is patience really the answer? I argue that it is not.Business strategy is a critical component of any companys success;

it outlines the objectives and hurdles that a company must overcome to

achieve its goals, while providing a relative benchmark against todays

performance. Strategy is always forward looking a proactive approachto the future and so are the Olympics themselves. Although the

Games encompass only 17 days, they have taken over a decade of plan-ning, and they will make a profound and everlasting legacy.

These 17 days will be a significant portion of the year, particularlyfor small business, and consequently for revenues. A great challenge is

posed when questions exist regarding operational capabilities, limita-tions, and obstructions that operators will face. I commend companies

who have already starting planning for different scenarios, as the efforts

will benefit those companies immediately and in the long term.

On the other hand, many heli-operators have a wait-and-see atti-tude toward the Olympics, or are looking to capitalize exclusively onthe post-Games opportunities. While this line of thinking is under-

standable, it will not be the most successful long-term approach.Opportunities have already been missed, and in all reality, better busi-

ness practice is the proactive approach for a multitude of reasons.I would certainly like to commend the Helicopter Association of

Canada and particularly the Air Taxi Committee. As I discussed in aprevious column, membership in

associations provides great benefitsand information for members.

Better yet, active participation onlybuilds possibilities for members.

This is due to both the influence ofthe association, and the wealth of

experience and knowledge of themembers. The HAC has steadily

grown its involvement with theOlympic Committee and the plan-

ning for the event itself. This participation will most definitely continue

and is a valuable association that will open many doors for members.Quite possibly the best resource for helicopter operators is the Air

Taxi Committee, and particularly the efforts and presentations of SteveFlynn, general manager of Blackcomb Helicopters, and HAC director.

Steves success and knowledge should provide an excellent example forthe importance of planning ahead.

Long-term business strategy is a fundamental concept which isoften overlooked in smaller companies. Ultimately, it provides a

framework of success for the Olympics and beyond.

Countdownto 2010HELICOPTERS OlympicBusiness Watch

MARK MCWHIRTER

It is downright difficult trying to

find media releases... regardinghelicopter opportunities

TMany heli-operators have a wait-and-see attitude or are looking to

capitalize exclusively on post-Games opportunities.


13/48

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14/4814 HELICOPTERSmagazine.com Fall 2007

FEATURE

hey say we live in the information age. But most of the

time, all we get is reams of data that do not tell us muchof anything. In fact data is pretty useless, from a man-

agement point of view, until someone has tabulated,organized and analyzed it. Because thats when data

becomes information you can use to better manage

your operation.

The maintenance of aircraft is an excellent example of this.Consider the drawers full of work orders, log book pages, part tags,purchase orders, inventory records, etc. that reside in any mainte-

nance department. Usually, this data is carefully filed and neverlooked at again unless there is some specific maintenance problem or

question. And so the data sits in a filing cabinet, until moved to long-term storage or transferred to the new owner when the aircraft is sold.

Obviously, it is very important to have all of this data available in casethere is a problem, but it does not help one bit in managing the main-

tenance department. And yet that same data contains a treasuretrove of information, waiting for the smart manager to mine and put

to use.One way good information can make you a smarter manager is by

focusing attention on the things where extra effort will make a big dif-ference. Weve all suffered from examples where that focus was on the

wrong thing. For example, one large company I worked for had a pol-icy, and Im not making this up, that you couldnt get a new pencil from

the supply room unless you turned in a pencil stub less than 2.5 inches

long! The policy didnt last very long, but while it was in effect, Im sureit saved a bunch of money on pencils. However, there was also a com-

plete mismatch between the effort required and the impact on the com-panys bottom line.

There are a number of techniques used to match effort and impact.One frequently used technique divides a task into its sub-tasks and

then focuses on the five most expensive ones. Typically, these five mostexpensive sub-tasks will account for 60 to 90% of the total cost of the

task. In short, this technique focuses attention on the high-impactitems.

A second technique to match effort and impact is to list the cost for

every occurrence of a particu-

lar maintenance action for aspecific component or task,

such as the overhaul of a gearbox. This focuses attention on

the variation in cost that oftenoccurs from one overhaul to

the next. The goal, of course,is to understand what causesthese variations.

A third technique is to benchmark the various cost factors experi-enced by your operation against data from other operators, databases

and manufacturers published data. The idea here is to see how wellyou are doing when compared with others, and to understand what is

causing the differences.Our company has analyzed work orders for tens of thousands of

flight hours covering various fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Someexamples of the potential impact of this type of analysis follow:

One analysis we did of work order data for 14,000+ flight hours inthe life of three light single-engine helicopters focused on the cost of

maintenance by ATA chapter. Refer to Table 1.This highlights the fact that almost 90% of the total maintenance

cost is caused by the engine and the drive train. This probably does notcome as a surprise to anyone involved in helicopter maintenance. But

it does emphasize the importance of focusing attention on these costdrivers.

But there is more to be learned from this type of analysis that can

lead to further savings. For example, analyzing overhaul costs for a par-ticular component will often show that each individual overhaul costs

either considerably less than the average or considerably more than theaverage, as shown in Table 2.

In this case, the average cost of overhaul was about $16,500.However, the actual cost was either $5,000 to $10,000 or it was about

$35,000 to $40,000! This cost data leads to the obvious question: whatdo we have to do to get low-cost overhauls every time? A further

detailed analysis showed that the variation was always associated with

T

Techniques to put your data to good useBY BILL DE DECKER

So MuchData, So LittleInformation


15/48Fall 2007 HELICOPTERSmagazine.com 15

a particular part. If it did not meet tolerances, it needed to be replacedat a cost of over $30,000, since there was no repair procedure.

Development of a repair procedure lowered the average repair costsand eliminated almost all $35,000 to $40,000 overhauls.

And sometimes this type of analysis contains real surprises, asshown in the data in Table 3 for about 5,000 hours of flight time for a

mid-size business jet:The surprise is the maintenance cost for the navigation system.

Further investigation showed a large part of the problem was the factthat the operator had installed 12 vertical gyros over the 4,900 flight

hours, instead of the one the factory data would predict. Further dis-

cussions with the manufacturer of this component and subsequenttroubleshooting revealed that a collapsed cooling duct had caused the

premature failures. Interestingly, the manufacturer really didnt believethere was a problem until they were presented with the hard data.

Benchmarking is a powerful way to measure the performance ofyour maintenance department from year to year and against others. For

example, one analysis we did of a small fleet of twin-engine helicoptersshowed that over a period of five years this operator had averaged 1.65

labour hours per flight hour. This compared with a benchmark (froma published database) of 1.79 labour hours per flight hour good con-

firmation that this companys efforts to control maintenance labour

were headed in the right direction.

How do you get the data to accomplish this kind of analysis?Assuming you have the work orders, there are two ways. The first, and

by far the best, is to use integrated maintenance management softwarethat records work order data and provides this type of in-depth analy-

sis capability. The second is to develop your own database and thenenter the work order data into it. In either case, youll take all that data

and turn it into powerful information you can use to effect real savings.

Analyzing overhaul costs for a particular component will often

show that each individual overhaul costs either considerably lessthan the average or considerably more than the average.

Cost of maintenance by ATA Chapter% of Total Maintenance Cost

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Engines 72) Main Rot or 6 2) Rotor Drive 64) Tail Rotor 6 4) Fuel Cont rol 7 3)

Cost of Transmission Overhaul(50,000 Flight Hours Single Engine Helicopter)

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cost per Overhaul

Average

Percent of maintenance cost by ATA Chapter(4,900 Flight Hours Mid-size Business Jet)

0

5

10

15

20

25

Engi nes 72) Navi ga ti on 34 ) Eng ines Other

73-83)

Landing Gear 32) Air Conditioning

21)

TABLE 1

TABLE 2

TABLE 3


16/48


uly 4, 2007: In the US, its Independence Day. But in

northern Manitoba, all eyes are on the 13 forest fires cur-rently burning. Lightning that occurred on July 3 was

responsible for igniting the fires, says the Manitoba gov-ernments Forest Fire Update. So far this summer,

Manitoba has reported 174 fires having burned6,526 hectares.

To reach these remote fires, firefighters rely on helicopters. Theycount on rotorcraft to get them into these areas, and to evacuate them

fast when the fire gets out of control. Helicopters also haul supplies,take out casualties, and waterbomb the fire sites from the air. In the

truest sense of the word, they are the workhorses of Manitobas forest

firefighting service.Prairie Helicopters of Gimli based at the same airstrip where the

infamous Gimli Glider (Air Canada B767 C-GAUN) once landed isone of the companies that provide the workhorses. During the summer

months, Prairie Helicopters Bell 206B JetRanger, LongRanger III, andBell 407 aircraft are constantly in the air up north, moving men, mate-

rials, and water to wherever they are needed. Forest firefighting is ourbread-and-butter, says company president and co-founder Michael

Persoage. During the summer months, our five pilots and threemechanics are working round the clock, keeping our fleet flying.

STARTING SMALLBefore 2001, both Perosage and his business partner Derek Longleyworked for other people in the helicopter industry. Derek was a main-

tenance engineer/pilot, and I was a pilot, Persoage says. So when wedecided to open Prairie Helicopters, he became the mechanical engi-

neer, and I became the chief pilot and flight instructor.Prairie Helicopters started small. We began with a single

JetRanger and a little hangar in Gimli, he recalls. We were the onlypeople in the company, and money was very tight. But we had been

bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, and wanted to be our own bosses.So by the skin of our teeth, and a lot of help from the bank, we went

into business.

To pay the bills while they looked for business, Prairie Helicoptersopened its own flight school. We had one student that first year,

Persoage says.As for other work? Prairie Helicopters had hoped to make its

money in crop spraying. However, a lack of work in this area motivat-ed them to diversify into charter flights, film production and heli-

skiing; anything that would keep cash coming in.Money wasnt the only challenge, he says. There was a lot of

Transport Canada paperwork that we had to deal with; way more thanwe had planned for. As well, getting insurance was extremely expen-

sive, because as luck would have it we opened up just after 9/11.

PROFILE

J

Prairie

HelicoptersSucceeding on the fire lineBY JAMES CARELESS

LEFT: During the summer months,Prairie Helicopters Bell 206B

JetRanger, LongRanger III, andBell 407 aircraft are constantly in

the air up north, moving men,materials, and water.

BELOW: (L to R): Mike Persoage,

president/chief pilot, Grant

Olender, senior engineer,Lynn Werry, technical records,

and Derek Longley, vicepresident/DOM celebrate the

arrival of their Bell 407.


17/48

R E A D Y T O S E R V E

A R O U N D T H E W O R L D

24/7

ngines | Dynamic Components | Avionics | Airframes | Structures

E X C E L L E N C E I N H E L I C O P T E R M A I N T E N A N C E

F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N

1 . 8 8 8 . 7 2 9 . 2 2 7 6 O R

W W W . A C R O H E L I P R O . C O M

)

NDUSTRY-LEADING TIP-TO-TAIL MAINTENANCE, REPAIR & OVERHAUL SERVICES


18/48

FIREFIGHTING TO THE RESCUEFortunately for Prairie Helicopters, Mother Nature came to the rescue

in 2002. As always, the summer months brought lots of wildfires tonorthern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario both within Prairie

Helicopters territory. It didnt take long for us to get firefighting

work, says Perosage. It helped that both Derek and I had a lot of

experience flying these missions before we started the company. Sincethen firefighting flights have become our mainstay. In the summermonths, they are aided by veteran pilot Leo Vergano.

Flying in forest fire conditions is anything but easy. Besides the dan-gers of approaching acres of burning woodlands, theres the problems

of smoke, airborne debris, and changing air pressures due to heat,which can change the lift capacity of the air being flown through. Then

theres the challenge of dipping, lifting, and releasing long-lined buck-ets filled with thousands of gallons of water. All told, this is work that

requires experienced pilots with more than their share of steel nerves.Ive flown in some pretty tough situations, as has any pilot who

does this work, Persoage says. In one instance, we were called in toevacuate a fire crew trapped by an out-of-control wildfire that had

turned toward their camp. They had about 20 people, who we couldonly take out in batches of three. So we got in there fast, flew the evac-

uees to a nearby hill of gravel out of harms reach, then came back formore. We couldnt even see where the fire was, the smoke was so

thick.

The next morning, Persoage flew over the camp, or what remainedof it. The fire had gone right through it, he recalls. Tents, vehicles,

equipment all burnt and destroyed. I hate to think what would havehappened had we not been able to get the men out. It would have been

disastrous.

OTHER DUTIESAs mentioned earlier, firefighting is just one of Prairie Helicopters

many missions. Others include charter flights, sightseeing, aerial pho-tography and surveying, and traffic reporting. Thats right: Prairie

Helicopters has a Robinson R44 in its fleet that recently served as the

traffic helicopter for CJOB-AM in Winnipeg.

Thats not all: Prairie Helicopters continues to run a small flightschool. Weve got 2-3 students, Perosage says. All training is done on a

one-to-one basis, with bush flying being the schools specialty. As forstaff? We have five pilots, three mechanics, and three flight instructors.

HANGING TOUGHGiven its expansion over the past six years, Prairie Helicopters canclearly be called a success. Yet there are times when Persoage wonders

if he might be better off working for someone else. If its a rainy sum-mer, we can find ourselves sitting around, paying financing and insur-

ance costs on our helicopters as they sit on the tarmac. Sometimes it isdifficult to find new work, and to keep the cash flowing. It can also be

tough to find the right pilots: You need to have the right mix of skills

and personality to do this job. So yes, there are times when I wonderwhat I have got myself into.

On the other hand, Perosage enjoys being his own boss and runninghis own company. Derek and I arent quitters, he laughs. When

things get tough, we just work harder. This said, we wouldnt be heretoday without the help of our bank; theyve really been there for us. As

well, there are three local semi-retired pilots James Gray, K.O.Ostertag, and Tom Arbuckle who have really helped us out over the

years, and continue to help. I dont know where we would be withoutthem.

As for the future? Well just keep plugging away, looking for newwork while trying to keep our current customers happy, Persoage con-

cludes. Besides, this is a great place to fly, and a great place to live!


PROFILE

LEFT: In the truest sense of the word,

helicopters are the workhorses ofManitobas forest firefighting service.

BELOW: Firefighting is just one of

Prairie Helicopters many missions.Others include charter flights,

sightseeing, aerial photography and

surveying, and traffic reporting.


19/48


20/48


STAND HEAD

esting a search-and-rescue helicopter under icing condi-tions is sometimes a risky business. Recently, when

Canadas Department of National Defence (DND) testedits new Cormorant helicopter by flying it through a spray

cloud generated by a specially equipped US military heli-copter, as advised by NRC Aerospace, it was in for a

shock. In one particular trial, ice that had built up on the main rotorbroke off and struck the tail rotor where it dislodged more ice, trigger-

ing severe tail vibrations in the process and alarm among the crew.Finding a way to prevent this from happening in real situations became

a priority. It grew more acute when a search of existing ice sheddingstudies turned up little useful data.

NRC Aerospace and DND therefore decided to set up a jointly

funded research project to study helicopter icing and then use theirnew knowledge to develop predictive tools. The five-year study will

explore various aspects of the problem, including ice formation, iceshedding and ice trajectories. Trends in ice adhesion and shedding will

be identified through small-scale experiments in which ice samples willbe grown on an object in the NRC Altitude Icing Wind Tunnel. The

object will then be attached to the rotating arm of a spin rig, located ina cold room, and spun around until the ice breaks off.

The knowledge gained from the tests will aid in developing a pre-dictive tool for ice shedding. That tool will be created using an award-

winning, patented morphogenetic model devised by Dr. Krzysztof

Szilder, a senior research officer at NRC Aerospace. His technique isunique among those that already exist because it predicts the structure

of ice, rather than assuming its bulk properties. For example, themodel's discrete and random characteristics enable it to successfully

simulate, for the first time, a complex peculiar structure called 'lobstertail' ice that can form on swept wings.

In a later project phase, full-scale tests on a helicopter tail rotor willbe carried out under realistic conditions in NRC's Propulsion and Icing

Wind Tunnel to determine how well the numerical model predicts iceshedding. Experimental and numerical results will be used to improve

de-icing systems on actual helicopters.NRC researchers also plan to extend the full-scale rotor ice accre-

tion and shedding studies to supercooled large drop (SLD) icing. The

knowledge generated will enable authorities to incorporate SLD condi-tions into their certification requirements.

The consensus is that these studies cant come too soon. Canada isinternationally known for its helicopter operations, which in winter are

frequently carried out in icing conditions particularly off the eastcoast when sea states get too rough to safely ferry people by boat to and

from oil platforms. De-icing systems exist but they're expensive toinstall, their weight reduces payload, and their complexity results in

more frequent breakdowns. Better, more cost-effective ice protectionsystems are therefore increasingly being sought by helicopter operators

and manufacturers.

FEATURE

T

DND NRC joint research project

Getting a handle on

rotorcraft icing

LEFT: Canadas CormorantSearch and Rescue helicopter

immersed in an artificial icing

cloud produced by the USArmy Helicopter Icing SpraySystem.

BELOW: Experimental lobster

tail ice shape forming on aswept wing.


21/48


22/48


COVER STORY

uch to their delight, Canadian helicopter MROs (mainte-nance, repair and overhaul shops) have stayed busy over

the last year. As with most companies in the industry,business is booming, says Chris McDowell, Heli-Ones

VP Business Development and Sales. With Canadian facil-ities in Richmond, BC, Heli-One employs over 900 in

Canada, US, UK, Norway and the Netherlands. We provide MRO sup-

port to companies all over the world and find that worldwide this indus-

try is very busy, McDowell says. Our R&O revenue in fiscal 2007 wasapproximately $396 million up more than $30 million from last year.Overall, [its been] a busy and successful year, with most areas of

the MRO businesses running close to capacity, says Phil Kemp, VPSales with ACROHELIPRO Global Services in Richmond, BC. This is

pretty much the feeling across all businesses in this field.However, the past 12 months would have been even more profitable,

were it not for the strong Canadian dollar. We had a good year, but notas good as expected, says Mike Guntner Jr., vice-president of Essential

Turbines in Dorval, Quebec. The continued drop in the US dollar defi-nitely impacted our business, but we concentrated on some key inter-

national contracts that are now paying dividends in this fiscal year.

BUSY TIMES EVERYWHEREWhat kind of helicopter work is keeping Canadian MROs busy?

Everything, Guntner replies. There are no slow areas, he explains.

This said, Things such as quick repairs and leaks take up most of ourtime because customers require a quick turnaround time. Large

repairs/overhauls are received with advance notice and thus our plan-ning allows for breathing space.

At Canadian Helicopters, which owns and maintains 132 aircraftoperating from 43 base locations across Canada, weve increased our

component shop staff by 50% over the last 12 months just to keep upwith our internal demand, says vice-president Ed Bergnach. Our

shops are extremely busy, because aircraft activity is up almost acrossthe board.

With a global customer base, if one part of the world slows down,there are always others that are doing well, McDowell observes. We

dont really have a slow area.

All of this activity is being driven by a booming global heli-

copter industry. To paraphrase Bergnach, helicopters are being

flown everywhere for all kinds of missions, including oil and min-eral exploration, firefighting, transport, and air medical services.

NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE: GETTING GOOD HELPAs mentioned, the strong Canadian dollar has dampened thedomestic helicopter MRO sector, at least when it comes to attract-

ing work south of the border. But there are other challenges beingfaced by Canadian MROs as they stay busy.

Of these challenges, finding and keeping qualified techniciansremains at the top of the list.

Finding talented, qualified people is the number one

M

CanadianCanadianHelicopter MROsHelicopter MROsStaying busy, despitethe challenges

BY JAMES CARELESS


23/48


challenge in the hot labour markets of western Canada, says Kemp.

Providing good work environments and opportunities for positivepersonal growth within the organization is perhaps the most important

challenge for employers. There is a very skilled and dedicated work-force in our area and they are all extremely cognizant of their potential

and the opportunities being provided by the marketplace.

At CHC/Heli-One we offer competitive salaries and comprehen-sive benefits plans as a means of attracting and retaining staff, saysMcDowell. Meanwhile, Essential Turbines is improving staff morale

(and thus retention) by bringing them into the decision process. Welisten to our employees, Guntner says. This has been the biggest

learning curve we are going through. It is also the toughest. We cannotdo everything they request, but we do listen and now have given our

employees every opportunity to present a solution to a concern.

THE PROS AND CONS OF OLDER AIRCRAFTThese days, helicopter owners are flying their machines longer thanever before. Older aircraft have to be properly maintained for their

age. You cant just follow the manufacturers minimum recommenda-

tions and expect no surprises during the major inspections, explainsBergnach. With demand outpacing supply, waiting lists for new air-craft are growing longer and longer. A one- to three-year wait for a new

aircraft is not uncommon these days, so people are keeping oldermachines flying, and looking for used aircraft to expand their fleets.

On the positive side, keeping the same helicopters in service longercan be good for both the operator and the service support company,

says Guntner. If someone keeps an aircraft for a long period of time,the operator and service support facility understand the helicopter and

its requirements and capabilities. The service/repair facility also

Continued on page 31

LEFT: AME, Bentley Thistlethwaite, and Heli-Lynx Director ofMaintenance, Matt Trahearn, inspect a Eurocopter 350 belonging toABITIBI that has just received their FX2 upgrade.

BELOW: Essential Turbines has concentrated on some keyinternational contracts that are now paying dividends in this fiscal

year. Pictured back to front: Stephane Allard, Michael Guntner (Jr.) &Michael Guntner (Sr.)

BELOW LEFT: Canadian Helicopters, which owns and maintains 132aircraft operating from 43 base locations across Canada, has

increased its component shop staff by 50% over the last 12 months.


24/48


FEATURE

he 47th Paris Air Show took place June 18-24 at LeBourget Airport. The show hosted more than 2,000

exhibitors from 42 countries, 361 company chalets, 140aircraft including 40 in-flight demonstrations, and

153,920 professional visitors. Although the Paris AirShows main focus is on fixed-wing aircraft, most major

helicopter manufacturers exhibited this year with memorable andunique demonstrations.

This years event hosted Sergei Sikorsky, the son of Igor Sikorskywho built the worlds first practical helicopter, the VS-300. As part of

his worldwide conference circuit, Sergei Sikorsky entertainment atten-

dees at the United Technologies stand with his special presentationabout his father, Recollection of a Pioneer.

FLIGHT DEMONSTRATIONSDespite the spectacular daily aerial demonstrations given by fixed-wingaircraft, numerous demonstrations by helicopter manufacturers also

turned many heads. For the first time, the convertible or tiltrotorBell/Agusta BA609 flew in Paris, 26 years after the Bell XV15, the pio-

neer of the concept, and 12 years after her big military brother, theBellBoeing V22. Once again, the Eurocopter Tiger and NHI NH90

wowed the crowd by doing loops.

At the static display, Eurocopter displayed eight helicopters: an

EC130, EC135, EC145, EC155B1, EC225, Tiger EC665, EC725Caracal and a Tiger HAP. AgustaWestland displayed a Grand, A109

LUH; A119 Koala; AW139 and Super Lynx. Bell/Agusta presented theBA609 and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited displayed the Dhruv Pole

Star in Sanskrit. The US Department of Defense exhibited a UH60L,AH64D Apache and CH47D Chinook.

NEW TECHNOLOGY FROM SIKORSKY

Sikorsky president Jeff Pino revealed more details about the X2 tech-nology demonstrator helicopter. This hybrid design which looks like a

helicopter with two contrarotating coaxial main rotors and one tail

propulsor has had its fly-by-wire system tested in a Schweizer 333 heli-copter. The first X2, already basically built, will fly late this year or early

next year. New rotor blade designs, rotor hub drag reduction, fly-by-wire, advanced flight control laws, transmission with greater power-to-

weight performance and the ability to transfer power seamlessly frommain rotors to a tail propeller, and the active vibration control will

enable the X2 to reach 250 mph, well beyond the 170kt maximumspeed for conventional helicopters with a range of more than 500 miles.

Compared to a tiltrotor, the X2 will fly slower but does not need aninflight reconfiguration. Despite the small size of this experimental air-

craft, Sikorsky has already completed studies for the application of this

Paris AirShow 2007BY PHILIPPE CAUCHIT

LEFT: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) displayed its Dhruv at the show.

(Photo courtesy of Richard Clairoux)

BELOW: Eurocopters Tigre Attack

Helicopter at the static display.(Photo courtesy of Richard Clairoux)

Continued on page 28


25/48


26/48

ired of wearing glasses while flying? Howabout contact lenses, not the most convenient

option at times! Corrective or refractive eye

surgery has come a long way over the past 20years and is becoming increasingly more com-mon in the civilian aviation community. Most

major communities have several facilities that provide cor-rective eye surgery. Nowadays, much more highly sophisti-

cated technical equipment is utilized, such as lasers, result-ing in procedures that are more precise and safer, with faster

recovery times. However, corrective eye surgery isnt neces-sarily for everyone.

REFRACTIVE SURGERY TECHNIQUESThe basic concept of refractive surgery involves changing the

shape of your cornea, which changes where a visual object is

focused on your retina (the back of your eye). In people who have per-fect or normal vision, the point of focus occurs on a small spot on theretina, and you can make small changes to your lens at the front of your

eye to fine-tune this focus using the muscles in your eye to change theshape of your lens.

Many pilots do not have perfectly shaped corneas. Some corneasare too flat, resulting in far-sightedness (hyperopia), while others are

too pointy or long, causing near-sightedness (myopia). Myopia is byfar the more common condition for most people who wear glasses.

Other corneas are curved irregularly, causing a condition called astig-matism. For most pilots who do not have perfect vision, your glasses

are doing the task of changing your focal point on your retina and thisis what refractive corrective surgery will change.

It is important to note that the age-related problem of close-upvision difficulties (called presbyopia) have really nothing to do with the

shape of your cornea, as it is the lens of the eye that has become lesspliable over time and you are no longer able to shape your lens to focus

while reading, hence the requirement for reading glasses.

There are some newer techniques available on the market whichinvolve actually exchanging the refractive lens with an artificial lens in

your eye and this can correct both near- and far-sightedness. This pro-cedure is referred to as a Refractive Lens Exchange. Another related

procedure, the Implantable Contact Lens (ICL), is also available atsome centres to correct conditions that may be too extreme for laser

vision correction. However, it is very important to appreciate that theseprocedures are not approved by Transport Canada for use on pilots at

this time. At present, refractive corrective surgery does not fix the con-dition of presbyopia, so if you are now wearing bifocals you will still

require reading glasses post-surgery.

The two most common techniques performed in Canada to correctvision are Photo Refractive Keratectomy (PRK) and Laser Assisted in-

Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), with LASIK being the more common pro-cedure. PRK involves literally burning or vapourizing the outer layer

of your cornea to change the focal power of your eye, while LASIKinvolves slicing a thin three-sided flap off your central cornea and then

reshaping the cornea underneath with a laser. Once the desired shapeis obtained the flap is placed back on the cornea and allowed to heal.

AEROMEDICAL CONCERNS

It must be appreciated that, as with any surgical procedure, complica-tions do occur, even if they may be rare. Refractive corrective eye sur-

gery has an extremely low significant complication rate, much lower

than one percent. However, occasionally potentially vision-threateningcomplications do occur, including: infection, significant haze develop-

ment, scarring, night glare, perforation of the eye and prolonged post-operative steroid drop use, which can result in cataracts or glaucoma.

Less serious but more common complications of LASIK includedetachment or movement of the flap, resulting in double vision; growth

of corneal tissue into the flap; bleeding into the white part of the eye;and technical problems associated with surgical instruments them-

selves. Very common, but usually temporary side effects include mildirritation, dryness, sensitivity to bright lights and tearing. Despite these

possible complications, hundreds of pilots in Canada have had the pro-cedure done. Its cost varies significantly but is usually in the $2,000

range for both eyes. These procedures are generally not covered by


FEATURE

Corrective EyeSurgeryWhat every pilot should knowBY TAREK M. SARDANA, MD

T

The basic concept of refractive surgery involves changing the shape

of your cornea, which changes where a visual object is focused onyour retina (the back of your eye).


27/48


provincial health-care plans and in fact are

not covered generally by additionally pur-chased health care/drug plans, so the individ-

ual is usually on the hook for the entire fee.Transport Canada has strict guidelines

about flying after refractive surgery which

can be found on its Web site at: www.-tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Cam/eyesurgery.htmThere are significant grounding periods

between the withdrawal of eye drops afterrefractive surgery and medical certification

ranging from three to six months dependingon the correction required and type of proce-

dure. Generally PRK has a longer grounding

period than LASIK, potentially as much asthree months longer. The following require-

ments must also be met in order to return toflying duties:

1. Visual Acuity must meet the required

standards.2. No haloing, haze or night visionproblems.

3. Refraction and visual acuity remainingstable, as demonstrated by refraction and

visual acuity measurements at 3 and 6months post-surgery.

4. No significant reduction in contrastsensitivity measurements

5. No ongoing medical treatment of theeyes.

6. Completion of specific questionnaire byyour vision care specialist (available on

the TC Web site).7. Follow-up report by a vision care special-ist 12 months after medical certification.

The FAA also has similar requirementsand as such, if you hold a US certificate,

please review its specific requirements on itsWeb site and/or talk to your designated FAA

examiner.NOTE: If you are thinking about joining

the Canadian Forces, at present, pilots whohave had corrective eye surgery are not being

accepted for enrollment.

FINAL WORDBefore considering refractive corrective eye

surgery I would recommend that you do

some significant background research so thatyou can make an informed decision before

proceeding with your correction. This wouldinclude finding out about your potential eye

surgeon, including such information as num-ber of procedures performed, technique

utilized, complication rate, cost, etc.Advertisements in local papers often indicate

a very low cost for laser eye surgery. I wouldencourage you to find out details as to what is

included with the advertised price and whatother additional costs you may incur. You

may want to speak to former patients and

perhaps even get a second opinion. Also, it

would be worthwhile discussing your planswith your CAME for guidance from an

aeromedical perspective. You only have twoeyes and you dont want to have poorer vision

or an annoying side effect after your proce-

dure. A poor outcome may have significantcareer and financial implications if you are aprofessional pilot. So do your background

work and proceed once you are satisfied thatyou are making an informed decision. One

final note: See if your ophthalmologist wears

glasses and if he does, ask him why he hasnthad the procedure done!

Dr. Sardana is a pilot, a Civil Aviation

Medicine Examiner (CAME), Coroner and pres-

ident of Aviation Medicine International (AMI)Inc. (www.aviationmedintl.com.)Comments on this article or future topic sug-

gestions gladly appreciated at [email protected]


28/48


FEATURE

technology for the 20-ton payload US Army Joint Heavy Lift Concept.Sikorsky confirmed that the first flight of the upgraded medium-

twin S76D helicopter will take place in the fourth quarter of 2008 forFAA and EASA certification one year later. The S76D will feature super

quiet all-composite main rotor blades equipped with an anti-icing pro-tection system derived from the S92, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210

engines and a Thales TopDeck glass cockpit derived from the newIntegrated Modular Avionics concept that the company developed for

the Airbus A380.

Sikorskys commercial helicopter production has steadily increased

since 2000 to reach 70 S76s and S92s next year while total sales, mili-tary and civil, reached US$4 billion in 2006 compared to US$2.2 billionfour years ago. Full-rate production of the UH60L has been reached in

Stratford, Conn. The US Navy will take 500 to 600 SH60R/S; theS76C++ has a backlog of 70 orders, and high demand for the S92 will

force an increase in production. Further in the international market,Black Hawk production will start in Poland in 2010.

Briefings were given on the new three-engine heavy military cargoCH53K; Sikorsky is under contract with the US Marine Corps for 156

machines. The first flight is scheduled for 2011; 600 engineer customerrepresentatives are already dedicated to this program at Sikorsky.

BELL/AGUSTAS TILTROTOR STEALS THE SHOW

Bell Helicopter and its partner AgustaWestland, joined together withinBell/Agusta, stole the show with flight demonstrations offered by one of

the two prototypes of its civil convertible or tiltrotor, the BA609. Shown

in mock-up form in 2005, the BA609 was the star of the daily flightdemonstrations.

The BA609 displayed this year is the Italian-assembled second pro-totype flown for the first time on Nov. 9, 2006. Launched in 1996 by

the V22 partners, Bell and Boeing, the latter withdrew in early 1998 andwas replaced by Agusta a few months later. The No. 1 BA609 prototype

made its first test flight at Bells Arlington, Tex. research facility onMarch 6, 2003, four years later than planned.

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67A turboshaftengines, the BA609 has a maximum takeoff weight of 7.6 tons. It can

carry from six to nine passengers at 510 km/h up to 25,000 feet. TheBA609 is designed to meet the requirement of the offshore industry as

well as corporate customers and parapublic agencies. It will provide the

fastest possible way to fly from one downtown to another

located less than 750 nautical miles away and cut the typ-ical offshore mission flying time by an hour.

With a backlog of 70 machines, the certification of theBA609, originally planned for 2007, is expected in 2010.

Developed in parallel with the BA609, the heavy mili-

tary convertible BellBoeing MV22B Osprey has achievedinitial operational capability. The Osprey and the VMM-

263 Thunder Chickens, the first US Marine Medium

Tiltrotor Squadron, are ready for expeditionary operations and will joincombat operations in Iraq next September for troop transport, resupplyand medevac.

Bell Helicopter officials reported that test flights of its new 429developed and to be built in Mirabel, north of Montreal, are proceeding

well for Transport Canada certification in mid-2008.

CHINESE PARTNERSHIP FOR EUROCOPTERIn 2006, Eurocopter delivered 381 new civil and military helicopters

compared to 334 in 2005, and booked 615 orders, a 40% increase. Sofar this year, Eurocopter has registered 464 orders including 78 during

the show. Last December, Eurocopter started delivering the UH-72A

Lakota to the US Army and the NH90 to international customers.

After a 40-year presence in China and 20 years of cooperation, theEuropean helicopter manufacturer has confirmed plans for develop-ment of the new seven-tonne EC175 helicopter on a 5050 share pro-

gram with Chin AVIC II. Designed to compete with theAgustaWestland W139, its flight development program is scheduled to

start in 2009. Eurocopter claims to hold 45% of the civil and para-public market in China.

As part of an industry-wide action to dramatically reduce fatal heli-copter accidents over the next decade, Eurocopter announced the

appointment of Pierre Dedieu as head of a new flight safety directorate.The industry action is being pushed by the International Helicopter

Safety Team which held its biennual symposium in Montreal inSeptember.

GROWTH AT AGUSTAWESTLANDFlagship of the Finmeccanica Group, AgustaWestland projects sales to

reach 3.5 billion euros by 2010. This growth is fueled by the sales suc-cess of the medium-size 15-seater AW139. In the first quarter of 2007,

28 machines were ordered, for total orders of 240.Although AgustaWestland was an unsuccessful bidder for the US

Army Light Utility Helicopter, the AW139 serves the civil markets forcorporate and EMS platforms, and offshore for the public and military

markets. Sales are also increasing for the AW109, Grand and AW119.

SAFETY DEVELOPMENTS FROM HONEYWELLAfter developing the first high-end synthetic vision system (SVS) for

fixed-wing aircraft, Honeywell is working to bring this technology tohelicopters. The challenge is to generate a very high resolution wide-

view synthetic vision picture on low-level, low-speed operations to be

Paris Air ShowContinued from page 24

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada

PT6C-67A turboshaft engines, Bell/AgustasBA609 tiltrotor realizes the dream of taking off

and landing like a helicopter and flying like a

plane. (Photo courtesy of Richard Clairoux)


29/48

relevant to helicopter operations. EMS and law enforcement opera-

tions that fly in the most hostile environment are targeted: 32% of allfatal helicopter accidents are due to object or wire strikes and 41% are

due to controlled flight into ground or water, or loss of control in poorvisibility. A developmental system is already flying in a Honeywell

AS350 AStar.

Under contract to the US Defense Advanced Research ProjectsAgency, Honeywell is working on a system called Sandblaster toenable helicopter pilots to land safely in blowing sand, brownouts,

snow and whiteouts without reliance on outside reference points.Blowing sand and brownout landing accidents are persistent problems

for helicopter crews in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Sandblaster SVS isbeing developed for the US Army UH60M and will be standard equip-

ment starting on the 200th aircraft. Development of the Sandblaster is

due to be completed in 18 months.

TURBOMECAS NEW ARDIDEN ENGINEIn 2006, the French small turbine manufacturer Turbomeca boosted its

production by 26% to reach 1,087 units; it expects an increase of 47%

for 2007. Turbomeca chairman and CEO, Emeric DArcimoles, project-ed that his company could produce around 1,700 units in 2008. Thissuccess is underlined by the US Armys selection of the Arriel 1E-2

powered EC145 and UH72A Lakota for its Light Utility Helicopter pro-gram. More than 400 UH72A Lakotas could be purchased at term.

In the process of doubling the output of its Grand Prairie, Tex.assembly plant by February 2008, Turbomeca will open a parts plant in

North Carolina.Taking advantage of the show, Turbomeca showed its latest engine,

the Ardiden 1H. With its very simple architecture, the Ardiden1H/Shakti is made up of three modules for easy maintenance: a reduc-

tion gearbox/accessory gearbox, a gas generator and a power turbine. Ithas a time between overhauls ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 hours. After

its first flight in May, certification and the first deliveries of Ardiden 1Hproduction engines are to take place later this year. The first applica-tion will be the HAL Dhruv helicopter ordered by the Indian Army and

Air Force.

PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA JOINS FORCES WITH HONEYWELLThanks to the introduction of the PW200 turboshaft, Pratt & Whitney

Canada (P&WC) helicopter engine deliveries have tripled in the pastten years. With over 1,800 engines delivered, the PW206 and PW207

powers all new-generation light twin-engine helicopters, including thelatest additions, the Agusta Grand and the Bell 429.

By incorporating the latest advances in compressor design technol-ogy and turbine materials, the new-generation 1,000-shp class FADEC

PW210 today offers the best power-to-weight ratio and fuel burn, andwas selected by Sikorsky in 2005 to power the latest version of its top-

of-the-line medium twin-engine Sikorsky S-76D helicopter.To go after the US Army Aviation Affordable Turbine Engine

(AATE) technology demonstration program, aimed at developing a

3,000-shp engine to boost the performance of the Apache andBlackhawk in hot and high environments, P&WC and Honeywell

joined forces. P&WC will bring its knowledge of big engines alongwith Honeywells light helicopter engine expertise to bid on the pro-

ject. A fuel consumption reduction of 25%, a boost of the power-to-weight ratio by 65%, an increase of the design life by 20%, and a 35%

cut in production and maintenance costs are expected. GE Aviation isalso expected to bid on this project.

HROUX-DEVTEKS DEBUTGilles Labb, president of first-time exhibitor Hroux-Devtek of



30/48

Longueuil, Quebec, announced a contract with Sikorsky for the design,

development, manufacture, certification, assembly and delivery of

landing gears and tail shock absorbers for the 156 CH53K heavy lifthelicopter ordered by the US Marine Corps. Sikorsky chose Hroux-Devtek to supply eight sets of prototypes that will be followed by the

delivery of two systems in 2013 and four in 2014 before full produc-tion. Hroux-Devtek supplies both the military and civilian aerospace

sectors with landing gear systems, repair and overhaul services andparts as well as airframe structural components and assembly.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS BY CMC ELECTRONICSMontreal-based CMC Electronics, now part of Esterline Corp. ofBellevue, Wash., exhibited the SureSight M-Series EVS sensor, a cost-

effective infrared-based safety tool for helicopter flight crews flyingin darkness, smoke, smog or other poor-visibility conditions.

This system provides the pilot with infrared imaging of the area

in the forward flight path of the helicopter to provide early detectionand avoidance of obstacles such as towers, trees, vehicles and build-ings. The ultra-compact, low-cost M-Series EVS sensor improves sit-

uational awareness by providing pilots with a daytime-like image atnight and in low-visibility situations for commercial, business, cor-

porate and paramilitary operations. It weighs 2.2 pounds and meas-ures 2.4x2.5x6 inches, and as a line replacable unit can be easily

installed on a helicopter fuselage or strut or in the tail fin or nose of

an aircraft.

LOCKHEEDMARTIN, BOEING AND CANADAFollowing the decision to equip Canadian Forces with the Boeing

C17 Globemaster III, the LockheedMartin C130J Hercules transport

aircraft and the Boeing CH47 Chinook cargo transport helicopter,the issue of regional industrial benefits was front and centre for thenIndustry Minister Maxime Bernier during the Paris Air Show. (He

has since been appointed foreign minister.) Information briefingsand meetings with representatives of Boeing, LockheedMartin and

General Electric attracted about 50 Canadian industrial representa-tives each time.


FEATURE

EH Industries NH90.(Photo courtesy of Richard Clairoux)

508.255.5975

www.costs.conklindd.com

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benefits from any scheduled/unscheduled maintenance.On the negative, with the increased levels of operational activity,

comes an increase in parts consumption. Kemp says. The problem

currently being encountered is many OEMs had slowed production tomeet the declining fleet activities for many types, planned productionaround current or projected utilization, and have seen flight utilization

at unprecedented levels. Other serious problems have occurred fromraw material shortages, vendor capacity and vendor and production

capacity being lost through attrition.Bergnach agrees that helicopter parts supply is a major hurdle. Its

happening across the board, he says. Parts supply shortages have

been a major cause of downtime with almost every supplier we dealwith. Some are doing a better job than others, but in general the cur-

rent helicopter boom is keeping components in very high demand.Concludes Kemp, There will always be a lag in parts production

when operational levels increase, and we are in the midst of the con-

sumption/production curve at this time.

OTHER CHALLENGESAsk Guntner what other issues Canadian helicopter MROs are facing,and he replies: Lack of Transport Canada assistance. There is a serious

shortage of PMIs [Principal Maintenance Inspectors] and our businessis expanding which requires their input and at times, their approval.

When PMIs are in short supply, business expansions can be stalled.In addition, cash flow is becoming an ever-present concern,

Guntner says. Suppliers want to be paid within 30 days, and manyoperators struggle to pay their service support facilities in 30 days. We

have even noticed that provincial governments have seriously con-

tributed to this concern with ridiculous accounting issues that haveheld up cheques or not having the appropriate money transferred fromone government account to another in a reasonable amount of time.

LOOKING AHEADWith demand for helicopters continuing to increase, Canadian heli-copter MROs are bullish about the future. We expect the upcoming

year to be a good year for Heli-One, says McDowell. We believe the

industry will continue to grow, and are building a new 235,000-sq-ftfacility to help ensure we have the capacity to grow with the industry.

We see the business continuing at the same or increased levels,says Kemp. Parts will continue to be a significant issue, but capacity

issues within the entire MRO sector may become an increasing con-

cern to operators. As the newer types enter the overhaul cycle this mayalso impact existing capacity as MRO providers gear up for the future.2007/8 will be our best year ever, enthuses Guntner. Several key

and profitable contracts are in place. In addition, we expect to imple-ment several new capabilities that will be very exciting for our employ-

ees and the helicopter industry. The future looks better today than atany other time we have had the opportunity to reflect upon it.

Canadian Helicopter MROsContinued from page 23


32/48

n 1987 McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company (MD)

invited 177 major helicopter operators to help createthe perfect helicopter for their worldwide needs.

Representing 26% of the helicopter fleet leadership, thesebusinessmen specified the new design should be a twin

that elevated the state of the art for safety, reliability, per-formance and low operating costs while maintaining or improving on

simplicity. A tall order. Nonetheless, these goals have been achievedwith novel techniques and engineering.

During recent test/evaluation flights the question arose: Where

does this helicopter fit in the marketplace and which operators wouldbenefit most from its strengths? My first flight in the MD 900 series a

few years ago confirmed what the marketplace already knows this isa great helicopter for EMS, hoisting, overwater and police operations.

My latest flight evaluation turns up more of the Explorers strengths.The 902 would also make an excellent executive transport and is

very competent in the utility category as well. My flight in the LUH(light utility helicopter) competition prototype revealed a helicopter

that led in technological advances and had arguably the safest twin tur-bine on the market. Its not just the incredibly crashworthy structure,

impact-absorbing seats and undercarriage that maximize protection

from occupant injury, but a host of other design considerations.

Advanced technology also provides the ability to meet Category A per-formance requirements for OEI (one engine inoperative) operations

that allow the machine to fly away from potential accidents that couldclaim competitors. Moreover, the easily read instrumentation when

coupled with the Chelton flight instrumentation system virtually elim-inates pilot workload. It should be noted the Chelton system is option-

al and while it provides many useful cues for VFR flying, its greateststrength is during IFR operations when it really excels at allowing a

pilot to picture his position and be very situationally aware.

Psychologists determined long ago during bio-feedback testing thataviators with reduced stress levels had more highly tuned senses to

assess outside stimuli and were more effective in their aircraft handling.The fact that the Explorer was so easy to fly made my broad spectrum

testing easier to assess and quantify, and this characteristic also impliesgreater safety margins for occupants of this helicopter type.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

In the beginning, there was the MD 900 and it was technologicallygrand but overpriced by $1 million in the competitive marketplace.

Nonetheless, the Explorers were very popular in Europe with their


FEATURE

I

The MD 902

ExplorerMarket versatilityBY KEN ARMSTRONG

LEFT: Standard configured 902used by the factory. The 902s

Category A capability makes itsuitable for low level ops over

water.BELOW: The 902 Explorer is an

enhancement (Category Aversion) of the 900 model with

advanced Pratt & Whitney

207E engines.


33/48

safety-oriented JAR-OPS 3 requirements and since the series provided

the only light twin that met the lifting and noise restrictions as well asFAA and JAA certification for single-pilot Category A IFR operations,

the Explorer excelled overseas. However, sales languished in NorthAmerica where service/support issues arose. These problems are con-

sistently evaporating under the guidance and capital investment of the

new owner, Lynn Tilton, with the result that MD is poised to gain mar-ket share. Moreover, MD has held the line on acquisition/operatingcosts and even significantly reduced the prices, making the Explorer a

bargain especially considering the low operating costs that competewith fixed-wing twin turboprops.

INTO THE FUTUREThis helicopter is actually an optimized cabin with the helicopter com-

ponents built around the enclosure. Although the same size as theJetRanger (and shorter than the 407 or Astar), the interior dimensions

are huge with a flat floor, high ceiling and 124 cubic feet for occupants plus another 48.7 cubic feet for baggage (accessible through the cabin

or a large, hinged door under the tail boom).

The helicopter is rather tall, placing the blades well above thedomain of occupants. The NOTAR anti-torque system not only pro-duces whisper-quiet operation but also eliminates the ability of feckless

passengers walking into a shredder-like tail rotor. The cockpit isroomy, well laid out and visibility is exceptional. The seats move for-

ward and up or down and aft to accommodate virtually any crewheight. For police, EMS, executive and other operations, the left seat

occupant has a virtually unrestricted view as the low-browed, smallish

instrument panel utilizes an Integrated Instrument Display System(IIDS, pronounced idzz) that eliminates the need for dozens of instru-

ments cluttering a large panel. The IIDS also allows the pilot to displayonly the mission essential instrument readings in the liquid crystal dis-

play. Nonetheless, any malfunction such as an engine spool down

would immediately present itself as an audible warning with automat-ic data readouts for the pilots attention. From the safety standpoint,cabin occupants sit in vertically stroking seat supports that absorb

impact energy (11-13 gs) and the Explorer pilot seats can dissipate 30gs of impact at 30 feet per second without causing occupant injuries.

That should pretty much eliminate anyones rough landings whetherdue to judgment or vortexes.

ENGINEERING ADVANCESThe 902 Explorer is an enhancement (Category A version) of the 900

model with advanced

helicopters fall 2007

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