Bond Cork
 

Anyone hear that Bond have won the contract in Cork off CHC in support of offshore gas production,using an EC135.

No, I haven't.

Is this something to do with the Blackpool contract that was mentioned ? Do CHC do anything other than SAR in Ireland ?

NST

Got a brief mention here last week. The rumour is Bond won the contract using a 135. CHC have been operating out of Cork airport, servicing gas rigs off Kinsale for quite a few years now using a 365. As I understand it current contract finishes May 10.

Dont know about Cork but am pretty sure that the SAR contract is due to be tendered fairly soon

Yes the contract has been awarded to Bond, they are going to operate EC135's to the Kinsale field. Another loss to CHC, one wonders how many more they can take.

Interesting point CVR, if true then they do seem to be losing a fair few. Is it due to First Reserve i wonder?

Seem to be loosing all of them!

Had a quick look at CHC's website and the last contract award that I can find for the UK was July 2006 for an S92 out of Abz for Apache. SAR interim contract was Dec 2005.

Top marks for the commercial departrment! :D

Does that mean Marathon are agreeing to go back to single pilot ops. There is a significant amount of IFR flying required on that contract, and I do mean IFR down to the vinegar strokes on minima's :eek:

So much for safety if that's the case :{

I undrstand it won't be SPIFR.I would be very surprisd if the IAA signed off on that one :}.

Multi-pilot ops in a 135... Err... How does that work ???? :E

Should be cosy with 5 in the back ! :hmm:

if you can even get 5 in the back with the available payload.

so blackpool then??
 

Ok,

we know cork has gone, whats the news on blackpool then??

Bond in cork
 

from what I have seen of the Irish helicopters EC135T2+ boot space or rather lack of it is an issue. I may be wrong but I believe there was even talk about putting a panel in and making it a 5 seater to try to get more boot space. Cant imagine a 135 doing the rigs? Maybe they mean a 145?

Bond in Cork
 

No....EC 135T2 it is.

Sure it is not EC155 cant see EC135 doing the rigs

Then again I could well be wrong

After all, it's not as if we used to 'do the rigs' in Bo105's is it :)

TeeS

Oh, and Griff, we find it works best with one in the left seat and one in the right seat :D

Just means the customer will probably have to fly more with a max of 5 !

Distances aren't great but given that Cork spends alot of time in fog - at least thats what I've been told , plenty of IFR practice and diversion fuel then.

Stick in a couple of liferafts , and all the extra gubbins required by the oil companies for offshore fit and it will be a nice cosy fit:eek::eek:

cork
 

I well remember when the Bell 212 operated those rigs and some days it did multiple trips to the kinsale oilfield which I understand may only lie 40 miles offshore, but I think an ec135 will be doing multiple flights where a medium size chopper would halve the flight time. So its a chc EC135 then? I wonder if its going to be a new build.