Offshore based helicopters

[Geoffersincornwall]

Can anybody help me produce a complete list of those platforms that have benefitted from a resident chopper with the type operated and whether a hangar was provided or not.

I believe the Nogs have a Super Puma located on a platform in their sector - anybody know the name.

If you feel strongly for or against then please feel free to add comments
:ok:

[NorthSeaTiger]

There is a 365 in the forties field

[Geoffersincornwall]

Yes - I was once that man! But are there, were there any others worthy of a mention

[Hummingfrog]

Hello Geoff

Lots of questions what are you up to now??

365N2 in Forties at present no hangar
In past 365N2 x 2 in 40s on Iolair with hangar
332L on Safe Felicia in 40s for 1 yr no hangar at least 2 head changes:{
Bolkow 105 was on 40s for a few months until BP realised it was too small

365N at present in Leman Field I don't think they have a hangar

365N was on Tharos by Claymore with a hangar

365N2 was on Poly Confident? by Piper Bravo no hangar

365N was on Frigg with Hangar

S76 was on Claymore CAP during the summer periods now replaced by 332L - no hangar

Bolkow 105 was on Ninian not sure about hangar

Bolkow 105 was on Fulmar not sure of hangar

Bell 212? was on Brent with hangar?

Norwegians have a 365N2 on Ekofisk but I believe it is due to be replaced by a 332L or L2

Hope all is well with you and we are on the 40sB at the moment:ok:

332L2 is due on Miller in Feb 06 - no hangar JIGSAW aircraft

[Helioil]

On the Norwegian side:

Ekofisk area: 2 AS-365 in hangar at ekofisk and valhal
Frigg: S-76 in hangar
Oseberg: AS 332 in hangar
Statfjord: B-214ST in hangar
Heidrun: AS-332 in hangar

[roundwego]

I understand the hangars on some of the Norwegian plateforms are quite impressive. Does any of our Norwegian readers have any photos. Would like to see the one on the Oseberg which lowers the Puma down under the helideck.

[Geoffersincornwall]

My thanks guys - just the kind of background I need. What about in other parts of the world?

:ok:

[Farmer 1]

How far back do you want to go?

BO105 on the Brent.
BO105 on the Auk.
365N2 on LLOGS.
365N2 on the Viking.

Hangar? What hangar?

[diginagain]

No hangars on any of the Ninians, last time I checked.

[Gomer Pylot]

A hangar offshore? We don't even have hangars at most of our onshore bases. In the GOM, it's mostly small ships offshore, and I don't know of any mediums permanently based offshore. For special projects, occasionally a 412 or S76 stays offshore for a short time, but it's not common.

At one time, there were many dozens of offshore helicopters, but the number has dwindled as the number of manned platforms has dwindled, mostly because of mergers, leading to economy of scale, and automation has also had a large effect. I have no idea how many are still out there, but it's still a few dozen at least.

[Aesir]

AS332 in hangar at Heidrun.

http://home.c2i.net/john_erik/Norsk/images/bilder16.jpg

[Farmer 1]

SA365C on the 40's.

[flyer43]

Back in the good old, bad old days, the Treasure Finder in the Brent field had two helidecks either side of a hanger which comfortably housed 3 x Bell 212s and could probably have housed another couple at a pinch! On high wind days you could invariably turn the vessel a small amount to gain a lee deck for start-up/shut down.
Most in-field specialists lived on Finder, and there was a reasonably equipped hospital too.

I used to be with Bell 212s based on MSV Tharos, Sedco 704, Gulnare (during the build of the Murchison Platform) etc....

[John Eacott]

f43,

Treasure Finder came after Nordraug (sp?), which had two decks and a long hangar: I can't remember whether we got 1 or 2 x 212's in it, but the "back" deck was fitted with a trolley on which a 212 had a fairly spectacular dynamic rollover one quiet Sunday.

TF started with manual wheeling of the 212's in and out of the shed, a real pita across the nets, until a trolley was commissioned to access via rails. Unfortunatel it was very close to the deck edge, and the first ever landing was one windy night, when a brave soul of an engineer finally stood in the safety net to give me some visual reference to find the deck :( Things couldn't get worse? We were so close to the edge of the accommodation block that a strong gust flapped the blades at about 20%Nr, and the aft blade neatly hacksawed through the tail rotor drive shaft.

No doubt it all improved with time and experience :rolleyes: ;)

[flyer43]

John

You will no doubt be referring to the world famous Echo Rollover accident. Thankfully nobody was seriously hurt in that one, at least to my recollection.

I forgot to mention in my previous note that I was also based for a time in the little shoe box hangar on the Claymore Alpha with a rather tall trolley on rails used to move the 212 to and from. The sides of the trolley were quite tall but sloping outwards and our vertical and horizintal references for alignment were a couple of old broomsticks! Exciting times in reasonably strong winds!!

Claymore also provided some interesting reverse airflow problems when the wind was around 10-15 knots from the North West if I remember. (Around the front edge of the hangar and over the Claymore's generator turbine eflux)

[ALTSEL]

North Scottish then Bond BO105 on Ninian North from 1977 to around 1993 - first class service, servicability very good despite living on the helideck. Got swipped by a crain load once i recall

[bondu]

Hi ALTSEL,

Thanks for your comments on the service on the Ninian North: I was there for the final three years!
Were you there on Hogmany 1991 when MF was damaged by the overnight gales? One blade ripped off, another broken and a damaged tail boom! I brought up the replacement, TI on 2 Jan, through a very battered Unst!
Apart from that one incident, the main problem of not having a hangar was that it could be damn cold trying to do any maintenance on the 105!

bondu

[Farmer 1]

MF? TI? Sigh!

I believe the latter is the only aircraft to have been on every single lighthouse and lightvessel off the British mainland.

[cpt]

In the Gulf of Guinea area, I have seen Alouette 3 , AS 355, SA 365Cs and AS 365 N offshore based. Mainly on FSO / FPSO but also on some production platforms. No hangar, except for AS 355.
It seems obvious that despite fresh pressure water every day, corrosion takes its tol an main overhauls are much more costly than when mainland based.
Nowaday, at my knowledge and in my area of operation, there is no more regular offshore based helicopters.

[TipCap]

I remember a Bell 206 on the Forties many many moons ago!!!

[Geoffersincornwall]

Yes I remeber it too - its last flight was indeed the last flight of a single engine helicopter in the UK offshore world - it ran out of fuel during a shuttle flight and had to ditch!!

G

:\

[ALTSEL]

Check your private mssg's