The Snowy Mountains Authority is evaluating whether or not to replace its Nomad with a helo in the Longranger class. According to SMA chief pilot Bill McIntyre, this would provide considerable cost savings in addition to allowing operations at times when the Nomad cannot operate due to weather. The nine Nomad also uplifts around just 33kg of cargo on a typical flight while the average passenger load isjust three. The SMA air wing flies around 600 hours annually in the Nomad (which also has a Cessna 310 as a backup) and a further 200 hours in hired Jetrangers for powerline surveillance, sling work and remote area operations. Established in 1956 with a DHC Beaver, the SMA has operated wide variety of types including Comanche, Twin Comanche, Pilatus Porter (boasting the first application of a PT6 in Australia with a TBO of just 600hrs, a far cry from today!) Piaggios, Grand Commander and Islanders prior to the Nomad being introduced a decade ago. The Nomad, with 7200 hrs on the clock is one of the oldest still operating though due to excellent maintenance over the years and its avionics fit would be worth around $300,000+ on the market against roughly twice that figure for a used Longranger. (Jim Thorn)