Shawn, as you have been there and seen it with your own eyes, can you confirm for me:
They fly 1 x R44 for 9 hours every day for a week? It is physically up in the air for that same length of time?
Assuming this is correct, that would mean an annual flying budget of about 3000 hours (accepting maintenance downtime etc).
What is the running cost for a
policeR44? I'll hazard a guess: $300???
That means the unit is costing: $900,000/year just for the a/c alone. (Not including their other R44).
Your average twin unit here in the UK costs about $1000/hr to run, and on average because it is mainly reactive, utilises 1000 hours /year. That means $1,000,000/year for the a/c alone.
BUT to fly their rate would require at least twice probably three times the manpower to sustain such a programme.
Whereas we are reactive and target specific activities, the yanks seem to devote most of their time burning avgas/tur
Who would appear to be providing best value, then?
Statisticians would have a field day!
Could you enlarge, please on Brit turbine operators having trouble meeting their financial budgets?????