Rotor Torque

While it was not the intention of the DofA to make any formal decisions at the meeting they advised those present that they would be using the information gathered to prepare new draft legislation covering the requirements for aerial work and charter at night.

Most operators agreed with the Department’s preference for twin-engined helicopters for this type of operation although they expressed concern that customers may not be prepared to accept the additional cost involved resulting in a further loss of work to the industry when it can ill afford it.

As a result of the meeting the DofA is now fully aware of the problems faced by operators and hopefully the new legislation while increasing the safety and equipment standards for this type of operation will place the minimum burden on operators and their customers.

Aerospatiale Helicopters Australia

French helicopter manufacturer Aerospatiale has combined with OFEMA and Rex Aviation Ltd to form a joint venture company, Aerospatiale Helicopters Australia Ltd which will have its headquarters at Bankstown Airport in NSW. A number of Rex Aviation personnel have moved over to the new company resulting in the following administrative lineup: Mr Mike Neil – Managing Director; Mr Bill Robertson – Marketing manager and Managing Director of the Aerospatiale holding company; Mr Terry Summers – Commercial Manager and Chief Pilot; and Mr Jean Claude Reboulet – Manager, Product Support.

At a recent meeting, a company spokesman made the following statements: “Aerospatiale is determined to dominate the helicopter market in Australia with special attention being given to product support. Aerospatiale make the best helicopters in the world and are determined to provide the best after-sales service in Australia. Our intention is to assist every Aerospatiale helicopter operator in Australia to be as cost-efficient as possible. ”

Aerospatiale are making a sincere effort to provide first-class support for their products and I am sure that operators of their products, in particular those who have had problems with product support in the past, wish them every success.

History Making Helicopter for Museum?

The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney is attempting to purchase the Bell 2068 Jetranger flown by Dick Smith on his history-making round-the-world flight as part of its policy of preventing items of historical interest to Australia from being sold overseas.

The purchase is being negotiated through the Committee on Taxation Incentives for the arts and if successful the aircraft will become a static exhibit at the museum.

Helitech 86

The Department of Aviation is planning to hold Helitech 86 at the Australian Academy of Science Conference Centre in Canberra on the 28th and 29th of October. This will be the sixth Helicopter Technical Liaison Meeting that has been held and will be largely devoted to discussions on engineering matters primarily involving designs, defects, failure mechanisms, inspection techniques and Airworthiness Directives.

Previous Helitech meetings which involved the armed forces and local and overseas organisations have been well attended and judged by all to be well worthwhile. Some lively debate can be expected when the meeting is thrown open to general discussion.

Rotortech 86 Looking Good

. With the decline in the resources industry of late the helicopter industry may have been looking somewhat soft if the HAA have anything to do with it though the industry is preparing to fight back and in a big way. Following in the highly successful steps of the US-based Helicopter Association International (HAI) the local Helicopter Association of Australia is sponsoring Rotortech 86, a rotary wing expostition set for this coming October.

The HAA expect more than 2000 key decision makers to attend the two day event, which will be held in the relatively sophisticated environment of the Canterbury Racecourse convention centre, a pleasant change from the hot and dusty or either wet and confines of an airfield. It is believed that up to 300 delegates will attend the series of interesting discussions and seminars that the HAA will host in addition to having up to two dozen helicopters actually operating from the site.

Rotortech 86 looks the best thing that has happened to Australian rotary wing aviation in years and will be held between the 22nd and 23rd October, 1986. For further details contact the HAA, PO Box 468, Paddington 2021. Phone (02) 332 4622.

Helicopter Engineers Seek Increases

Representatives of employer groups and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association have been meeting in an attempt to resolve differences on pay scales and operational leave for engineers involved in the maintenance of helicopters in the field.

The union is pressing for an agreement based on that reached with Mayne Bristow Helicopters some time ago while the operators in general are saying that they simply cannot afford it. Both parties are trying to find common ground on which an acceptable compromise can be based.

Dauphin 365N Demonstration

The Aerospatiale Dauphin 365N is completing a successful demonstration tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea under an agreement reached between Aerospatiale Australia and the Singapore distributor Samero who currently own the aircraft. The Dauphin 365N is the latest development currently available in the Dauphin 365 series of helicopters and boasts a significant increase in speed, payload and range over previous models. It has a radius of action of 250nm in the IFR configuration with an economical cruise speed of 140kts. The aircraft comes with a number of options in cabin layout but the most popular with overseas operators is the 11/12 seat comfort layout. The aircraft was demonstrated to a number of potential customers including corporate operators, public utilities and offshore operators and all were impressed with the quiet, smooth ride and generally pleasing cabin layout.

Increases in component overhaul times coupled with the extensive use of fail-safe components and improved product support have made this aircraft very competitive to operate with Aerospatiale Australia claiming a seat per nm cost of A$0. 93. Although the offshore industry in Australia is currently in what some operators describe as the worst recession ever, Aerospatiale are hoping for improved sales opportunities in the long term as a result of the tour and expects short-term success in the corporate area.