Alouette III, Air ambulance

[airaid]

Hi guys,

I am on here because I thought it would be a great way to get some real expertise and advice on the feasibility of my project.

I started out with the simple idea of utilising the versatility, availability, and low unit cost of Alouette III too found a charity to provide an air ambulance service to third world countries unable to afford to operate their own.

I am still very much in the research stage of the project and would like some advice on the

Suitability of the aircraft for the role
True operating costs
Maintenance costs
Availability of part
Other aircraft that might be suitable for the role
Any other thoughts or advice you may have

[Rotorbee]

Well, the Alouette III has been used for this role for a very long time.
It certainly worked well for the REGA and other rescue operators back in the stone age. Today ... I am not so sure. AH will not like you, since they really would like to stop having to produce parts for it. I think they even gave a date once, when they will stop. I don't remember when this will happen.
Other helicopters have been used in this role for years. Even a JetRanger would be a good alternative for a region where no such service exists and would save lives from the start. Even a R44 could do quite a bit of good only by transporting a doctor to a remote area.
A JetRanger or a LongRanger would be much easier to maintain and operate.
To start such an operation I would recommend not to use a legacy helicopter, that will be harder and harder to maintain. The low prices of Alouettes have a reason.

[vfr440]

Legacy Alouette

Yes, not an easy task. I heard a couple of years ago that AH were looking at pulling the TC 2018-2020 but do not have an update on this. Parts and component/engine O/H will be increasingly difficult to achieve, though I believe HAL (India) build a military variant of the Lama for high altitude work. But it IS military, with all the constraints built in.
I concur, the Alouette is a wonderful machine, nothing to touch it, but the design is 60+ years old; a JetRanger would be a smart and cost effective substitute - VFR

[mtoroshanga]

An Alouette 3 in medevac config can take two causulties with reasonable access in flight.
A 206 cannot
It is possible to use diesel fuel in an Alouette providing fuel is filtered and refuelling monitored
Ground handling is easier and performance better though air filters may have to be fitted

[ericferret]

I believe that 2020 is the cut off point for the Alouettes and the Lama.

[Rotorbee]

That's a report from an Alouette seminar in 2010.
(found here)

A number of issues leading to the retirement of the fleet, with one of the main reasons being loss of technical knowledge (EC & vendors), high effort to maintain erratic spares production & R&O capacities, obsolescence affecting majority of low rotation items. Another aspect is that the reindustrialization or redesign is getting more &and more complex:
Old technologies
Lack of equipment / parts specifications to reallocate
Development / industrialization processes and Certifications basis far more demanding today
EC and Major suppliers tendency to allocate in priority design resources to new developments increased by lack of forecasts on Alouette needs
This is leading to
Increase of sustaining costs & lead-time
Focus on high rotation parts / equipments
EC price / availability parts database not kept permanently updated (erratic parts, unforeseen obsolescence), which leads to a reduced spare part catalogue.

Eurocopter says that the type certificate will be supported until the end of the decade, with the EC support scope reduced step by step. Degradation in the following order: Blades/Equipments, MRO, New Spares and untimately TC revocation. Alouette II will be retired prior to Lama/Alouette III (2018 vs. 2020).

You have four more years with less and less parts becoming more and more expensive.
Unless you get a good deal on an ship with about a half a shipping container full of BRAND NEW parts I would look into something else. It would have been a great ship to start with about ten years ago, but not anymore.
If you want something similar with wheels it will be expensive. Otherwise how about an older A-Star/Ecureuil? That one fits the needs of many.
Do you have any minimum requirements? Number of patients? Range? Speed?

[airaid]

Air ambulance

Thanks for all the advice so far

It really sounds like I should rule the Alouette III out due to lack of spares and start looking at the Jet Ranger and Eurocopter Écureuil.

With that in mind could any one provide some estimates of these two aircraft operating and maintenance costs.



Just to let every one know where I am with this project

To cut a long story short I started out with the simple idea of utilising the versatility, availability, and low unit cost of Antonov An-2s to found a charity to provide an air ambulance service to countries unable to afford to operate their own.

After floating the idea about I got a really positive response from the regional Government of the KRG, as a potential solution to their problem of dealing with the large number of casualties they are suffering in their fight against ISIS and their lack of an effective casualty’s management system.

While the An-2 would be very effective at rapidly transporting casualties, medical personnel and equipment around the KRG, it obviously as a fixed wing aircraft it has limitations in the CASEVAC role. Which brings me to the Alouette III.

I have attached the proposal the KRG are considering at the moment and who be very interested in any thoughts you may have about the use of helicopters in this project or the project in general.

[whoknows idont]

Sounds like a very bold project to say the least... You might want to consider Mi-2, it could tick all your boxes. Low unit cost, built to last and spares will likely be produced until the cows come home...
Although I'd say the rotary equivalent to the AN2 would probably be the KA-26.