Helicopters in central Asia

[Bry78]

Hi all,

Does anyone know who is flying helicopters in Kazakhstan, Azerbijan, Armenia, etc?
I have a friend that asked me about operators in the area, but all I know is someone once told me Bristow or CHC in Kaz.

Thanks,

Bryon

[sox6]

CHC fly for BP in Azerbijan (S61 & 332).
Bristow operate new S76C++ in Kazakhstan for Agip and S76A+ in Turkmenistan for Petronas & Maersk

[Chris P Bacon]

Just back from Kazakhstan and there are several small operators in the Almaty area. Avia Consulting operate a MD 500E and there is an Eurocopter 120, 135 and Robinson 22 at the same airfield along with lots of local stuff.

[Savoia]

All the non-Bristow Kazakhstan threads I found were closed .. hence this one.


Kazakhstan is to expand its cooperation with Eurocopter after signing a letter of intent linked to the proposed local assembly of 20 EC725 transports (below) and finalising an order for eight more EC145s.

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/getasset.aspx?itemid=45698
EC725 such as that which is to be assembled in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan to assemble 20 EC725 helicopters (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/kazakhstan-to-assemble-20-ec725-helicopters-371737/)

In an unrelated but nonetheless interesting article:

Western energy companies developing a giant oil field in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea have agreed to pay a £628 million investment that Kazakhstan needs to make into the project.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02232/kaz_2232624b.jpg
An artificial island on the Kashagan oil field in the north part of the Caspian Sea

Western oil firms pay Kazakhstan's oil field investment bill - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/kazakhstan/9295583/Western-oil-firms-pay-Kazakhstans-oil-field-investment-bill.html)

Can anyone apprise us of the current state-of-affairs with regard to offshore support in Kazakhstan?

[malabo]

It would be nice if Kaz had state-sponsored heavy SAR to look after the oil industry. Thought the 92 had the inside track, but never underestimate those wily Frenchmen.

CHC is in there now helping a local operator with their 139 fleet, before that Bristow with the 76. That Karshygan field is pretty close, maybe 20 minutes from Atyrau, so even a 365 or 155 would be fine.

Lots of good Kaz helicopter pilots, so all you expats can expect to get run out as soon as the locals figure out that all they need is a consultant or two to run an SMS program. The foreign oil companies will howl in protest, but in the end will swallow it - like they did in Azerbaijan, Angola, Brazil....etc.

[noooby]

malabo, you mean as soon as they can pass an IFR sim ride. Totally different to what you are saying, and a much much longer time frame involved.