To answer some questions and make some points about the 609:
The FAA under Part 61 (pilot certification) talks about a POWERED-LIFT category rating, it is similar to airplane requirements.
In a previous post one of pprune’s fans mentioned some cost numbers about the 609. He gave an example of a corporation flying 300 hours a year. Having been involved in both air taxi and corporate flying there are two different mindsets. In air taxi you need to make money with your aircraft or you are OOB (out of business). In the corporate world the aircraft are a justifiable expense that is primarily used by the chairman and a few other higher ups. Gold plating cabin fixtures in a medium business jet for an extra $20,000 was only worthy of a 15 minute discussion between company officials and completion center reps before "yes" was reached. They did spend money on a good avionics package. In the air taxi Lear Jet we did have two HSI’s.
A corporate aircraft can fly 300 hours a year and be justified. No commercial operator can fly 300 hours a year and survive. The corporation I worked for flew 500-600 hours a year for corporate work.
From a previous post flying the 609 for 300 hours a year would cost $5,400 an hour (without reserves). However, flying it 600 hours a year would result in $2,900 an hour.
In believe in my area the S-76 walk in rate are $3,000-4,000/hr. Some folks are picked-up at their homes/estates and flown 150nm to their destinations. A cruise speed of 275 looks pretty good over a helicopter especially when the folks have to pay both ways even if it’s a dropoff. And 10 million for a 609 versus 8 million for a S-76 is close. Another factor is with the speed of a 609, an operator who has multiple helicopters may need less 609’s to do the same work of helicopters.
Last spring I looked into some Super Puma training in the U.K. I was quoted 3,800 pounds/hour, with currency conversion and the VAT the total would be about $7,000/hr.
Surely, the oil companies must get a better rate.