Page 12: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Nov/Dec 2014)

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Editor’s Column

Colloquy

Nina Rach magazine (May 2014).

Offshore helicopters

Russian Helicopters is opening pilot service centers in key markets, including (On a rotary wing and a prayer)

India, China, and Latin America.

ffshore activity drives the global subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA.

O • Operators market for oil and gas-related Airbus Helicopters, a division of Airbus offshore helicopter services, which is Group NV, formerly Eurocopter Group. CHC Helicopters, based in Richmond, • estimated to be worth US$24 billion Texas-based Bell Helicopter, a division British Columbia and part of CHC Group over the next ? ve years, 2014-2018. of Textron Inc. Ltd., says it is the largest commercial •

Companies that provide rotary wing ferry Connecticut-based Sikorsky, a United helicopter services company in the services to and from rigs and vessels have Technologies Corp. company. world, and recently ordered 33 more new been expanding ? eets and ordering new A major manufacturer of light civil heli- helicopters. CHC subsidiary Heli-One, aircraft. A few months ago, investment copters is Robinson Helicopter Co., based headquartered in Delta, British Columbia, bank Barclays predicted that the oil and at Zamperini Field in Torrance, California. provides international maintenance, gas industry will need 300 new helicop- The company has produced more than repair and overhaul (MRO) operations, as ters between now and 10,000 aircraft since well as offshore transportation.

2013 global helicopter sales 2020. 1979, and was the top Houston-based Bristow Group says units >1300kg

New models have manufacturer world- it controls about one-third of the global # units been developed with wide in 2013, selling ? eet that services the oil and gas indus-

Company delivered greater range to support 523 light helicopters. try. Bristow Group said it is investing

Airbus Helicopters 497 operations further off- more than $1 billion in 47 new helicop-

Vertolyot shore. These include ters, “more in one year than in the previ-

Bell Helicopter 291

Another very large the AgustaWestland ous 30 months combined,” according to

Russian Helicopters 275 manufacturer, Russian

AW189, Bell 525, Airbus

Jonathan Baliff, who became CEO in July.

Sikorsky Aircraft 240

Helicopters JSC, was

EC175, and new Russian

Houston’s Era Group Inc. runs Era

AgustaWestland 230 established in 2007 as

Mi-38, which will begin

Helicopters LLC, which primarily serves part of state corporation production in 2015.

the oil and gas industry. The company is

Boeing 81

Rostec. It is now the sole

A recent offshore focused on the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska,

Russian rotorcraft designer and manufac- civil helicopter market report expects but also operates in China, India, and turer, with headquarters in Moscow. There increasing growth in Asia, Australasia,

Australia, among other countries. Sten are more than 8500 Russian helicopters

Africa, and Latin America and notes

L. Gustafson resigned as CEO in August currently operating, representing 14% of that 60% of service expenditures are for and the Era board named Christopher S. the world’s ? eet, but they are not as widely medium helicopters. New-generation

Bradshaw, Era’s EVP and CFO, as acting distributed as the other manufacturers.

models, such as EC175 and AW189, have

CEO, effective 29 August 2014. Era is “Market demand for medium and acquiring 20 more helicopters, including advanced safety systems for offshore work.

Most helicopters for the oil and gas heavy commercial helicopters is largely four Sikorsky S92 heavy helicopters for industry are built by four rotorcraft driven by operators servicing the oil and $129 million.

manufacturers: gas industry,” and these comprise 76% of • Flight simulators Anglo-Italian AgustaWestland, a Russia’s ? eet, according to the company’s

The boom is also bringing a surge of new ? ight simulation training devices, as

OE (O