Originally Posted by
Spanish Waltzer
Any ideas on operating cost comparison between SAR S92 and SAR AW189? I would assume with Bristow now committing to put S92 into 2 of the original planned AW189 bases with the associated set up costs, it might make sense to leave them there and operate with 7 S92 bases with 15 aircraft and (in time) 3 AW189 bases with perhaps just 6 machines. This would also provide a saving on one airframe.
A couple of problems with that.
It dents the government's effort to turn Westland into a proper commercial civil aviation supplier so not likely to happen.
S-92 is Helibus but AW189 is heli-sports-estate and as such has its uses in craggier corners of the Kingdom.