Rotor Torque

Frustrated after spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours in discussions with the SPCC, the HAA has sought a meeting with the NSW Premier, Mr Greiner, in an attempt to reach an understanding with the SPCC officials over modern helicopter operations in the urban areas.

It is understood the SPCC is also attempting to impose noise limits on helicopter operations on airports. It must be assumed all the SPCC operatives are two stroke bike and big truck fans as five minutes spent on the kerb in any busy street in Sydney will confirm these vehicles are much more intrusive and frequent but apparently completely immune from any action by state public service officials.

New Zealand Squirrel Sale

Aerospatiale Helicopters Australia has sold an Aerospatiale AS350B Squirrel helicopter to New Zealand, its first sale into the country since it took over the marketing of Aerospatiale helicopters and Socata fixed wing aircraft there.

The Squirrel will be delivered to Jet Sprint Executive Services of Auckland for general charter work. The company already operates an earlier model AS350B which is now being listed for sale in New Zealand.

The Sydney based distributor is also soon to take over a secondhand Twin Squirrel and a single engine version as stock and demonstration helicopters. The single was previously based in Western Australia with Leuwin Estates, the winery operator.

The Careflight Aerospatiale Dauphine. The NSW Department of Health is recalling tenders issued for the operation of emergency medical service helicopters in NSW. (Peter Ricketts)

Ems Tender Recalled in Nsw

The NSW Department of Health is recalling a tender it had issued previously because of possible legal flaws. The Department has called for bids to operate the various Emergency Medical Service helicopters which operate around the state but principally in Sydney.

The EMS fleet consists of the CareFlight Aerospatiale Dauphine and Child Flight’s MBB Bo 105, which are both based in the western suburbs of Sydney, the State Life Saving Association’s Twin Squirrel and a Bo 105 at Maroubra, a Sydney suburb, a Lloyd Bell 412 at Albion Park on contract to the NSW Ambulance Board, a Jetranger (soon to be replaced by a Dauphine) at Newcastle with the Surf Living Saving Association which also has a Jetranger at Lismore. Although the operations are commercially funded and carry much advertising to confirm the fact, the major expenses of the operations are met by the state government.

It is understood some studies into their operation has recommended the Health Department buy and operate its own helicopters in the role or that one company take over one main contract and subcontract certain roles to other specialist operators. The NSW Air Ambulance is also known to be interested in adding to its fixed wing duties by taking over the various rescue and EMS jobs in the state.

V-22 Receives Development Funding

The US Senate Armed Services Committee has allocated $US238m in research and development funding to the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor for fiscal year 1992.

The V-22 Osprey program was cancelled this year by the US Secretary of Defence, Dick Cheney, in favour of updated versions of Sikorsky’s H-60 Black Hawk and CH-53E Super Stallion. A recent Institute for DefenceAnalysis (IDA) paper, however, has found in favour of the V-22which, it says, despite its high immediate development costs is more suited to US Marine Corps needs and would be 1. 3 to 2. 2 times more cost effective for USMC missions. The tiltrotor also offers lower short term and 20 year life cycle costs, it is the most survivable of the helicopter options, requires the least manpower and has the least developmental risk.

No funds have been allocated for production of the V-22, but with the USMC, the Bell-Boeing team and Congressional supporters now lobbying hard for the project to be officially reinstated, the V-22 Osprey should not yet be written off as a future USMC front-line aircraft.

RN Studiesseahawk for Asw

A computer evaluation of the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk in LAMPS Ill configuration has been completed at the Royal Aerospace Establishment, Farnborough.

The evaluation comes at a time when the Anglo-Italian EH101 Merlin is under increased scrutiny from both the UK Treasury and MoD, with increasing evidence that the helicopter’s prolonged and costly development program will not produce a helicopter to suit full Royal Navy ASW requirements. While the RN may be prepared to accept a reduced endurance capability for the Merlin, it is not willing to abandon the low frequency active dipping sonar, considered essential for ASW helicopter shipborne operations, yet which may be beyond the EH101’s payload capability. The Seahawk, therefore, has undergone evaluation to establish if it would meet RN operational requirements for a shipborne ASW helicopter.

Several problems do arise should the LAMPS Ill configured Seahawk be chosen over the Merlin. Added costs would include about £500m for Type 22 and Type 23 shipboard modifications, the acquisition of more maritime patrol aircraft and an increase in personnel aboard frigates (none of which are considered necessary with the Merlin). Westland would also need to negotiate a new MoU with Sikorsky because, at this stage, it can license manufacture the Black Hawk, but not the Seahawk.

Dutch Auction for Police Twin

The ongoing saga of the NSW Police Department’s helicopters has entered a new phase with the recent calling for tenders for a twin engined helicopter to be operated by the State’s boys in blue. No time limit was set in the document for the finalisation of a deal, with a proviso that all offers will be considered until one is found that the NSW bureaucrats, those people who brought us the harbourtunnel, a hopeless road system and the filthy beaches, find satisfactory. All the distributors and many secondhand dealers are expected to bid in what must be one of the loosest deals ever enacted.

Meanwhile, Polair Two VH-PHX, the Bell 206B which ditched in Sydney Harbour on July 3 last year, has completed its rebuild and returned to Police Air Wing service on July 31.

New Mbb Demonstrator Plans

MBB helicopters is to place a new MBB Bo 105-LS in Sydney as a demonstrator. The 105-LS is a hot and high version of MBB’s twin engined utility machine which has sold well in Peru and Chile where its excellent low density performance has been of use in work carried out in the Andes mountains. The machine is expected to be on show around Australia next November.

MBB is also planning to deliver a new BK117 high performance twin to Child Flight, the EMS service which specialises in transport of prematurely born children from outlying hospitals to specialist units which have more advanced equipment for their treatment. Child Flight currently operate a Bo 105 on lease from the manufacturer which will be sold locally when the new helicopter arrives.