Helicopters for Rescue Missions in MALI and Tanzania?
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
From: In the Haven of Peace
My understanding is that Bristow didn't have the preferred aircraft type available, simple as that.
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 384
Likes: 8
From: Out West
Everett didn't make anything difficult for Bristow. My understanding is that Bristow didn't have the preferred aircraft type available, simple as that.
Everett had some excellent people at that time but a disfunctional individual at the top of the food chain made life difficult. Everett had established a business in East Africa that was very competent at bush flying operations. That does not necessarily translate to providing an EASA standard, deep water, daily, offshore operation with suitably qualified and experienced offshore flying and engineering crews supported by a LIMSAR operation with qualified and experience SAR crews that was acceptable to Statoil.
Because of this and local political sensibilities the Everett/Bristow arrangement was established.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: Canada
I was talking about this time around; i'd heard that BRS didn't have a 139 for the job. Everett did this current contract alone. The standards must have been acceptable to Statoil otherwise they wouldn't have contracted them. I'd also say that, knowing a few genuine bush operators, Everett is quite a way better than that both in its people and systems.
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 384
Likes: 8
From: Out West
The standards must have been acceptable to Statoil otherwise they wouldn't have contracted them
Or perhaps Everett has now convinced Statoil that he can do the job with one 139 and no SAR cover. He did originally propose quite seriously to Statoil that the SAR cover was to be provided with an AS350. It takes far more qualified and experienced people to run an offshore contract with SAR cover flying to legal flight and duty time limits than Everett can provide.
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 481
Likes: 0
From: Lost and Legless somewhere in LaLaLand
He did originally propose quite seriously to Statoil that the SAR cover was to be provided with an AS350.
It takes far more qualified and experienced people to run an offshore contract with SAR cover flying to legal flight and duty time limits than Everett can provide.
Well hopefully this contract is not the same as the previous one which required 2 offshore AW139's and one winch equipped LIMSAR standby aircraft available and crewed during all times that the offshore machines were flying.
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 384
Likes: 8
From: Out West
Sorry - I meant the VFR AS355 that he proposed to use 120nm offshore at night with a FLIR as a SAR search platform. I must have imagined the rest of the whole sorry saga - or it really was a bad dream. Not that there was much sleep to be had there in portakabins next to the Air Tanzania dispersal.
You were obviously associated with Everett at that time. I was obviously associated with Bristow so our recollections and loyalties will differ somewhat.
You were obviously associated with Everett at that time. I was obviously associated with Bristow so our recollections and loyalties will differ somewhat.
Last edited by Same again; 12th February 2018 at 08:09.
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,205
Likes: 276
From: GMT
Then you would presumably need an AS355, IFR, FLIR, NVG, SAR rated pilot on standby at the base overnight to actually fly it?
No need - Simon Everett could have just beckoned his disciples to the shore and walked the 120NM across the water.
