Comprobación de seguridad en toda la flota de H175 tras aparecer una grieta

Airbus Helicopters H175. Imagen: ©NHV

Se han iniciado exhaustivas inspecciones en toda la flota mundial del helicóptero súper-medio de la clase de 7 toneladas H175, cuyo mayor mercado se encuentra en el sector Oil & Gas principalmente en el Mar del Norte, tras encontrar una grieta en uno de ellos durante una postvuelo.

El fabricante Airbus Helicopters ha emitido un boletín a los operadores del modelo en el que indican que para mayor seguridad limiten la velocidad máxima permitida en los H175 de forma temporal, hasta que finalicen con todos las controles necesarios para averiguar el origen, que se ha localizado en uno de los estabilizadores horizontales (sin afectar en principio a los End Plates).

El cliente de lanzamiento del modelo, el grupo belga NHV (Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen), ha decidido en un primer momento paralizar todas sus unidades hasta inspeccionarlas minuciosamente y garantizar la máxima seguridad durante los vuelos, tras lo que han reanudado las operaciones con su flota de H175 esta misma mañana.

Por otro lado el operador británico Babcock está realizando un profundo control sobre los dos H175 que tiene en propiedad, puesto que la grieta apareció en uno de ellos.

Airbus HC mantiene contacto directo con los clientes para mantener un constante flujo de información sobre el asunto y, en caso necesario, aportar la solución definitiva una vez establecida la causa.

Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service receive first H175s in public services configuration

First H175 un public service configuration

Marignane, Hong Kong based Government Flying Service (GFS) has received three H175s in public services configuration, becoming the world’s first operator of this new variant which enlarges the H175 mission capacity to search and rescue (SAR), emergency medical services, law enforcement, firefighting as well as land and maritime border control operations.

In 2015, GFS became the launch customer of the H175 in public services version with an order for seven helicopters. The four remaining helicopters will be delivered before the end of the year.

“The Government Flying Service has been very involved in the development of this new H175 version and it is a great honor to be here today to receive the first three aircraft”, said Michael Chan, Controller Head of GFS. “Thanks to the H175’s speed, advanced technology and versatility we will not only be able to strengthen our response capability but also be able to intervene in the most complex situations and in a large variety of scenarios.”

GFS’s new H175 will progressively replace their current fleet of AS332 L2 and H155, which currently provide 24-hour emergency support services from their base at Chek Lap Kok Airport.

“I am grateful to GFS for their constant support and I am committed to ensuring that the H175 will fulfil their most demanding operations” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “We are very honoured to have the confidence of a world-renowned public service and SAR operator and longstanding customer to introduce this latest version of the H175 into service. With 23 aircraft currently in operation worldwide, the H175 keeps delivering on its promises in terms of performance, range and cabin comfort for oil & gas, private and public services customers”.

The public service version of the H175 benefits from more than twenty cabin configurations which can be easily re-configured based on mission requirements. The great versatility of the aircraft is backed by approximately seventy different types of optional equipment which include an electro-optical system for observation and tracking and a digital map display, both of being managed by an operator’s console installed in the cabin. Mission equipment also includes a dual hoist, a search light, an infrared camera, as well as a radioactivity detector, which is a GFS-specific equipment.

The H175 benefits from the latest developments of Airbus Helicopters’ state-of-the-art Helionix avionics suite, which bolsters the helicopter’s search and rescue capabilities with advanced SAR modes, allowing for instance the aircraft to hover automatically above moving vessels. 

NHV AWARDED OFFSHORE CONTRACT BY NAUTICAL PETROLEUM/CAIRN ENERGY

Aberdeen  –  May  31st,  2018. The  NHV  Group  today  announced  a  new  contract  with  Nautical  Petroleum,  a  wholly  owned  subsidiary  of  Cairn  Energy LTD,  to provide  helicopter  services  in  support  of  their  upcoming  drilling  project  at  the  Ekland  Field.    The  operations are  expected  to  start  early  summer.  Flights  will  depart  from  NHV’s  base  in  Aberdeen  to  the  Ekland  Field,  which  is approximately  120nm  East  from  Aberdeen.   

NHV  will  support  this  project  utilizing  the  state-of-the-art  H175  aircraft,  an  Airbus  Helicopter’s  Super  Medium  type. The  H175  is  specifically  designed  to meet  evolving  mission  needs  in  the  oil and  gas  industry.  Being  the  launching operator  for  this  aircraft  type, NHV’s  H175s  have  accumulated  extensive experience in  the United  Kingdom, The Netherlands,  Ghana  and  Denmark  since  2014.  NHV  Group  ultimately  will  increase  its  fleet  to  16  of  these  newgeneration  helicopters. 

NHV  started  operating  out  of  Aberdeen  at  the  beginning  of  2016  and  announced  the  opening  of  a  new  hangar,  apron and  passenger  handling  facilities  in  October 2016. 

NHV’s  base  manager  Jamie  John  commented:  “We  at  NHV  are  delighted  that  Nautical  Petroleum  have selected  NHV  to partner  with  them  in  their  upcoming  drilling  project.  The  award  of  this  contract  strengthens  our  long  standing relationship  where  we  have  previously  supported  projects  in  West  Africa.  The  new  operation  in  Aberdeen  signals  the start  of  the  first  North  Sea  operation  between NHV  and  Nautical  petroleum,  and  we  are  looking  forward  to  providing support  on  this  new  project.’’ 

Certification of the Rig’N Fly automatic oil platform approach mode for the H175

London, Airbus Helicopters has received EASA certification for the Rig’N Fly (Rig Integrated GPS approaches with eNhanced Flyability and safetY) for its H175 super medium helicopter.

Already certified for the H225, this avionics upgrade enhances the H175’s offshore mission capability providing fully automatic rig approaches. The automated mode also reinforces flight safety by allowing the crew to focus on the flight parameters and the external environment.

“With 19 helicopters now in operation, the H175 continues to evolve to meet the demanding Oil & Gas industry mission needs,” said Marc Allongue, head of the H175 programme. “This automatic approach procedure is a key element to increase the reliability and safety of our customers’ offshore operations. Thanks to the Rig’N Fly mode, their approaches to and take-offs from platform-based helipads will be safer and simpler.”

Rig’N Fly uses a combination of sensors (GPS, barometric altimeter, radar altimeter, weather radar, etc.) to provide enhanced flight precision and situational awareness for automatic rig approaches. The system also includes offset approaches, which can be tailored according to weather conditions and oil rig environment for the safest, standardized approach, placing the helideck in the most easily visible position for the crew.

By providing a repeatable path computation, the ability to couple the Automatic Flight Control System along with the flexibility to take environmental elements into account, Rig’N Fly reduces the workload of the crew, while enhancing situational awareness.

The H175 upgraded avionics suite also include advances in the Synthetic Vision System - offering a better display resolution and decluttering capability- and in the Helicopter Terrain Avoidance System, which optimises crew alerting time. Approach-deviation alerts have also been improved while enhancement of the maintenance functions and associated ground tools allow for better detection of failures and simplification of data downloading.

Certification of the Rig’N Fly automatic oil platform approach mode for the H175

Airbus Helicopters has received EASA certification for the Rig’N Fly (Rig Integrated GPS approaches with eNhanced Flyability and safetY) for its H175 super medium helicopter.

London, Airbus Helicopters has received EASA certification for the Rig’N Fly (Rig Integrated GPS approaches with eNhanced Flyability and safetY) for its H175 super medium helicopter.

Already certified for the H225, this avionics upgrade enhances the H175’s offshore mission capability providing fully automatic rig approaches. The automated mode also reinforces flight safety by allowing the crew to focus on the flight parameters and the external environment.

“With 19 helicopters now in operation, the H175 continues to evolve to meet the demanding Oil & Gas industry mission needs,” said Marc Allongue, head of the H175 programme. “This automatic approach procedure is a key element to increase the reliability and safety of our customers’ offshore operations. Thanks to the Rig’N Fly mode, their approaches to and take-offs from platform-based helipads will be safer and simpler.”

Rig’N Fly uses a combination of sensors (GPS, barometric altimeter, radar altimeter, weather radar, etc.) to provide enhanced flight precision and situational awareness for automatic rig approaches. The system also includes offset approaches, which can be tailored according to weather conditions and oil rig environment for the safest, standardized approach, placing the helideck in the most easily visible position for the crew.

By providing a repeatable path computation, the ability to couple the Automatic Flight Control System along with the flexibility to take environmental elements into account, Rig’N Fly reduces the workload of the crew, while enhancing situational awareness.

The H175 upgraded avionics suite also include advances in the Synthetic Vision System - offering a better display resolution and decluttering capability- and in the Helicopter Terrain Avoidance System, which optimises crew alerting time. Approach-deviation alerts have also been improved while enhancement of the maintenance functions and associated ground tools allow for better detection of failures and simplification of data downloading.

Babcock introduces two H175s to the Southern Hemisphere

Global offshore service provider Babcock International has taken delivery of two H175s at a ceremony in Darwin, Australia. Babcock’s aircraft are the first H175s to be introduced into the southern hemisphere and will be based in Dili, Timor Leste. The new aircraft will be used to transport personnel and provide search and rescue and medevac support in the Timor Sea, approximately 500 kilometres northwest of Darwin.

Both H175s were freighted to Australia on a single Antonov cargo plane to secure their quick introduction to service on 1 January 2018. The Airbus team has worked closely with Babcock to train 27 pilots and engineers in the assembly, flight and maintenance of the H175s. Babcock will employ a further 19 Timorese to support the aircraft at their base, including four local engineers who will attend training at Airbus Helicopters’ headquarters in France in early 2018. 

In making their selection of the H175, Babcock noted that the aircraft is the ‘best of type’ for their purposes, offering excellent payload and superior single-engine performance. The two new helicopters join Babcock’s existing global fleet of xx H175s and will support the company’s regional footprint as they transfer more than 9000 passengers and 30 tonnes of freight each year. 

For Airbus, Babcock’s delivery further demonstrates the success of the Airbus H175 programme in offshore operations, following the aircraft’s introduction in the North Sea, Western Africa and the Gulf of Mexico. With extremely powerful engines, up to 270 nautical miles radius of operation and the latest technology in avionics and automation, the H175 was specifically designed to be extremely safe and competitive in the oil and gas, and search and rescue sectors. 

Airbus has been a proud partner in the Australasian oil and gas market for many decades. The H175 continues this partnership and paves the way for the decades ahead.