Helo News

Aerotechnics Become McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Agent

The first McDonnell Douglas 500E (nee Hughes) to be seen in Australia has arrived in Sydney and is destined for Perth, based Skywest Airlines. This is the first new 500 sold in Australia since Rex Aviation relinquished the Hughes distributorship in favour of Aerospatiale several years ago. The Hughes dealership was originally picked up by Crowley Air Services with bases in Cam- den and Canberra but it is now represented in Australia by Aerotechnics based at Canberra Airport and backed by the full facilities of the giant McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Aerotechnics have also sold a second 500E to UAA Films and this aircraft is being leased back for one year by Aerotechnics for use as a demonstrator.

Commercial Aviation Winds Up

The end of October marked the close of Commercial Aviation Pty Ltd’s activities in Australia. The company started operations in 1979 as a partnership between Rex Aviation and Evergreen Helicopters of Oregon, USA. The first contract involved an S-61 and Bell 212 working offshore out of Wyndham, WA. At the height of their operations, the company also had an operating base at Welshpool in Victoria, supporting Shell operations in Bass Strait When Rex Aviation’s parent company, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation sold its subsidiary last year, C. A. C. acquired Rex’s share of CommAv. But the times they are a ‘changin’ – and without new contracts, the hard decision was taken to close the operation.

Offshore News

The eagerly awaited “Jabiru” contract mentioned last issue has been awarded. Adelaide-based Lloyd Helicopters picked up the deal and are expected to move a Bell 214ST and a Bell 412 onto the job. It is understood the first Super Transport will remain at Devonport, Tasmania working for Amoco.

In other offshore news, the Bond Corporation has issued invitations to tender for oil exploration support in a lease located to the north of the Jabiru fields – approximately 180 miles offshore with the closure of CommAv, the lineup of potential tenderers changed in the early 1980s. Lloyds and Mayne-Bristow are presently working on offshore contracts. Brambles- Okanagan still maintain an office in Perth although they have not flown in Australia for at least a year. Jayrow-Schreiner are no doubt eager to pick up an offshore job and Vowell Air Services have just formed an offshore division to be headed by former CommAv manager Phill Gant.

1985 was a year of considerable growth for Vowell’s. As Brambles moved out of the helicopter business in Australia, Hookway Aviation was sold to Vowell, which also acquired a float plane operation in the west. It is thought their recently formed offshore division will be based in Sydney.

1985 a Year of Change for the Helicopter Industry

While the face of the helicopter industry changed in 1985, so too did some of the rules. The long-awaited revision of AGA-7 was finally promulgated. It was generally welcomed by the industry, though some still feel the changes didn’t go quite far enough. As well as the helicopter lanes introduced in July. Sydney and NSW helicopter operators faced changes in Noise Pollution Laws with all helicopter landing places becoming “scheduled premises under the Noise Control Act. And the New South Wales State Pollution Control Commission has published its noise assessment guidelines which will be used to determine whether a site gains a “licence” under the Noise Control Act or not. The first major helipad development to be evaluated under the SPCC guidelines was the temporary helipad site at Pier 22, Pyrmont in Sydney.

At press time, an application for an injunction to restrain the state government from allowing helicopter operations from that site without an Environmental Impact Study has not yet been heard. However, difficulties in meeting the SPCC guidelines which appear to require calm wind test conditions have been experienced so that noise studies have been delayed.

The state government’s announcement of a casino/hotel to be located on the eastern shores of Darling Harbour has further complicated the matter by eliminating one of the alternative sites to Pier 22 as a permanent Central Business District Heliport in that the hotel will apparently protrude in the night approach profile. More chapters to the sorry saga. . .