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The investment will include renovations and the construction of new facilities to accommodate the helicopter and crew, which will arrive from 2025.
Though an initial review has not found any safety issues from airspace arrangements, CASA has called for pilots and operators to give feedback as part of a broader investigation. CASA’s review is separate to an ongoing ATSB investigation into the crash, expected to finish in the second half of next year, but the authority will cooperate with the ATSB as part of its work.
The base, which cost $3.4 million, will include a hangar large enough to house a Leonardo AW139 helicopter, and will be home to the LifeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS), which is provided by LifeFlight on behalf of Surat Basin Gas companies.
The pilot of the LongRanger, VH-ZMF, was killed when the helicopter crashed on 9 July, 2022, after colliding with the eagle just below the front left windscreen, which according to the ATSB resulted in the aircraft breaking up due to the pilot’s reaction.
Babcock will operate two multi-mission Leonardo AW139 helicopters with “increased speed, range and operational capability” to provide 24/7 services in the region.
John-Paul Thorbjornsen flew the seven-seater helicopter home from the UK in a 41-day journey spanning 10,000 nautical miles, making 39 stops across 21 countries along the way. The ACH130AM is a collaboration between Airbus and luxury car company Aston Martin, which contributed to the aircraft’s interior and exterior design.
