H130 Vs B407GXP Vs AW119Kx for Tourism missions

[Alex23]

Hello!
I have a question regarding commercial, tourism, charter helicopter flights.


Which A/C is the most suitable to this kind of missions between H130, B407 and AW119?


Are the B407Cxp and AW119Kx already available on the market?


Thanks guys

[bgdfly]

Hi Alex,
in tourism, it is all about giving the customer the best experience for their dollar. And in a helicopter, that is all about visibility and comfort. If you are able to put the pilot ego aside and concentrate on what is best for your paying guest rather than what the pilot would like to play with, the 130 wins every time. Remember, these machines were virtually built from spec by the end-user, the Blue-Hawaii, Maverick helicopters etc who knew what the customer needed - great visibility of the wondrous sights they paid to fly over, around or to. That's why there are massive fleets of the 130's in all the really cool places worth flying around.

Good luck with your shopping.

[tottigol]

119Kx is already available and being sold to EMS and tour operators in the USA and China.

[krypton_john]

Surely it has to be the H130 as it's the only one with 6 forward facing passenger seats?

Who wants to pay for a tour where you have to sit in a seat facing backwards? Or a forward facing seat where most of your view consists of the broom closet?

[havick]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't 130 built primarily FOR the tour market?

[Matvey]

For what it's worth, I spend my days about 1000' away from the Downtown Manhattan heliport, probably one of the busiest tourist heliports in the world (14 pads, all in fairly constant use).

The 407 is the clear winner in that market - probably 8-10 B407s active across multiple operators. AS350s are in second place, just behind the 407s (don't know my B2s from B3s, if it makes a difference, though I could look it up). I can only think of 1 or 2 EC/H130s running tours, and no 119s.

[Ian Corrigible]

Based on fleet data from Ascend (www.ascendworldwide.com), the current heli-tour fleet worldwide includes:

2 AW119s (AW119Ke's, both with Kaan Air in Turkey)
24 Bell 407s (incl. 3 407GXPs)
193 H130/EC130s (incl. 109 H130s)
Heli-USA did operate the AW119 for a couple of years in the Grand Canyon, but they went bankrupt back in 2013 (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/327645-helicopter-over-grand-canyon-company-wont-kill-me-4.html#post8155576) and their aircraft are now up for sale (http://www.mba-as.aero/files/upload/160412%20-%20Spec%20Sheet%20N191NT%20&%20N192NT.pdf).

The big 407 operator in the NY region is Helicopter Flight Services (https://heliny.com).

I/C

[Matvey]

Thanks, I/C. Weird that almost half of the 407s flying tours worldwide are in New York, and there's only a couple of examples of the bird that otherwise has a dominant market share!

[crunchingnumbers]

As a previous tour operator, the EC130 is without any doubt the airframe that provides the best customer experience. The largest tour operators in the world operate it, including Maverick and Blue Hawaiian so take note.

From a customer experience perspective, the other two are second. BGDFLY said it first.

[victor papa]

H130 all the way here because of 6 pax. 350 has got 5 pax and noise issues. We did the trials with 120 and 130 and they now the greenies best friends due noise. 130 all pax can take same pics and videos facing forward and no noise complaints for operating company. 407 makes a racket sorry and where I am Airbus's now killing market due even if you here them they dont sound like a helo and pax on shared helipad seeing them with other companies going sorry no wanna fly in that!

[Reely340]

100% true: Last year I did the Grand Canion tour complete with wife and 11 year old daughter, all three of us in the front row. A year earlier my kid had claimed a friends BO105 to be noisy, she's a girl who did stick some cotton into her ears when watching StartWars in cinema!

That same girl actually took off the noise cancelling A20 headset and almost fell asleep in the 130 on our way back to Vegas. My concerned inquiry if it won't be way too load w/o headset was answered with "no, its very ok".

I'd guess, currently there is nothing as quiet at a 130,
and the view has already been established as designed to be great.

[Flugplatz]

As a former 'tour' pilot on the H130 I would second all the positive comments so far (especially with the upgraded aircon that the T2 now has). Customers like it because not only do they get a great view in comfortable seats, but they can chat to each other and discuss what a great time they are having without high-frequency sound-waves setting their teeth on edge.

One other thing that the H130 offers is the very reduced external sound-footprint if it is flown to the right profile. So it is not just the people onboard who benefit; the aircraft can be spookily quiet if flown conservatively on disciplined flight-paths. This can make all the difference to those neighbours who might object to the thought of regular helicopter traffic.

Mind you, none of this is cheap and pilots agree that the B407 is a fine aircraft; but then they aren't paying the bills.

Regards,

Flug

[Matvey]

Funny you should mention this. I notice the H130 much more than the 407s (or 350s), mostly because of what I think is the whine of the Fenestron. The lone 130 is the only Fenestroned helo that regularly operates from the pad, so maybe it just sticks out against the background noise.

[victor papa]

Funny you should mention this. I notice the H130 much more than the 407s (or 350s), mostly because of what I think is the whine of the Fenestron. The lone 130 is the only Fenestroned helo that regularly operates from the pad, so maybe it just sticks out against the background noise.
Yes it is a distinctive sound but not one that makes people look upwards who do not know it. As said previously as well the fenestron whine depends on how you fly her pretty much-can be indistinctive enough to sound like a bike or truck passing by due the sound or can scream like a African Grey looking for attention esp during autos. Point is its not thats she doesnt have a noise signature, point is its not a sound generally associated with a helicopter and yes below 86db.