Australia : 2000 helicopters today, 4000 soon !

[HeliHenri]

In late 2012, the 2,000th helicopter was added to the CASA register :D

Based on current growth rates, Australia's total helicopter fleet could grow to 3,000 in about six years or 4,000 within 11 years. :ooh:

A very interesting link :ok: : IN FOCUS: Surging growth propels Australian rotorcraft sector (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/in-focus-surging-growth-propels-australian-rotorcraft-sector-381864/)
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P.S : so in fact it's true when PPRuNers from Down Under say they fly helicopters for real ! ;)
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[GoodGrief]

Wow, you have one helicopter per 11,000 people :ok:
We have one per 105,000 :bored:

[industry insider]

But many of them are either Robbies or very old. 2nd tier operators continue to import old and tired aircraft from the USA thinking that they will be able to undercut their neighbour and make a buck. Many skimp on the hours and skimp on the maintenance.

They also think that the end user wants cheap. My company cannot find a qualifying light twin in Darwin to use for charter, there are none available (with the possible exception of one EMS aircraft not normlly available for charter)

I would rather have 1000 quality aircraft than 2000 old beaters.

[DauphinDude]

You could have plenty available, if you went a little easier on immigration by qualified personel. Those are not the people who choose to stay around exploiting your benefit-system either:p

[Sick or ski]

I'm just wondering how changing the immigration quotas is going to improve quality of the machines that are imported into the country.. or did I miss a step here.

[Freewheel]

Dauphin dude is probably referring to the claim in the article of a shortage of operating and maintenance personnel.

Trouble is, there's no pilot shortage in Australia, there are shortages of engineers with specific qualifications, but not all types.

To claim that the industry is being held back by Immigration restrictions is misguided and the fluff piece in the link doesn't help anybody.

[Heliringer]

Come on guys, Rob has been trotting out this shortage stuff since the 90's. I've yet to see a shortage. There are heaps of engineers out there too, you just have to be prepared to tour and pay them very well, otherwise you won't get them.



Now what about those Vietnam vets retiring and the market in China expanding :ugh::D:E

[topendtorque]

At least there is a photograph of one decent helicopter out doing a man's job. You should have noticed that Thomas Coupling, referred to recently

cheers tet

[Sick or ski]

I'd love to see some numbers for how many Viet vets have been flying for the last ten years versus the number of CPL's trained in that time to counter the impending pilot shortage (gotta be 10/1 or more). Whoever came up with that little gem must still be laughing.

[Semi Rigid]

That is not accurate at all - "Heliwest's considerable success in PNG"

[SuperF]

in NZ we have got one helicopter for every 6000 people!!!

but if you guys have a shortage of pilots we could send you a few more...:oh: