British International Helicopters (Brintel) has completed a week-long trial of the three-engined EH Industries EH101 Heliliner at its Penzance, Cornwall base.
The evaluation forms part of the operator's long-term strategy to replace its two Sikorsky S-62Ns. "The trials were successful and the local community responded well, but we are looking at various options, including the S-92, and Eurocopter products like the Super Puma M2 and M3 when it becomes available," says Brintel's managing director, Neil Calvert.
Canadian Helicopter (CHC) subsidiary Brintel has its headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is undergoing a financial feasibility study to determine the commercial viability of replacing the aircraft.
Brintel's Penzance base operates the world's longest-running scheduled helicopter service, having recently celebrated 35 years of operation between the south west town and the nearby Isles of Scilly. It has ferried nearly 3 million passengers. "We have seen a year on year increase in this service and expect to carry 120,000 passengers in 1999," says Brintel senior pilot, Phil Keightley.
GKN Westland has delivered nearly 100 military EH101 variants and is aiming the Heliliner at civilian operators, having delivered only one aircraft to Japan's Tokyo police following UK, Italian, US and Japanese certification.
"Two EH101s are taking part in a 6,000h flight operations programme [in Aberdeen] to prove the aircraft's reliability and maintainability and to establish the support and maintenance regimes that will be necessary to support the aircraft in service," says GKN.
Source: Flight International
