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Heli-One, a leading provider of helicopter maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, has seen continued success working directly with end-users to develop customized solutions based on their specific mission needs.
The design teams in Norway and Canada are working directly with crews to highlight key priorities, identify efficiencies, and maximize operational benefits. The teams collaborate and pool their collective expertise, grown from developing solutions for every type of rotary-wing mission.
As a result, Heli-One’s designs combine industry best-practices and solutions across mission types to maximize operational potential. This means they can integrate the latest navigation/communication tools in EMS cabins to lessen crew workload or implement multi-configuration cabin solutions that allows crews to adjust them to their specific mission strategy.
The team has discovered how impactful small enhancements can be for crews. The team in Stavanger, Norway, recently implemented a minor modification for a Sikorsky S-92 utilized in search-and-rescue (SAR) operations, creating a thumb stick extension for the hoist pendant controller. The request came directly from SAR crews that share the Sola Heliport merely hundreds of meters away. The engineers were able to quickly iterate a solution for the team that would enable more precise aircraft positioning in dynamic mission environments – a small fix that could have life-saving consequences.
Heli-One Norway has a long-standing service agreement with a Super Puma law enforcement operator. Over time, Heli-One’s ongoing work and understanding of the needs of the team has resulted in a number of new supplemental type certificate (STC) developments. More recently, the Heli-One team was able to implement a multi-mission cabin solution for an aircraft which allows crews to quickly customize the equipment needed for specific mission types, including SAR, law enforcement, surveillance, and transport.
“Our design teams continue to produce what we believe are the best solutions in the market,” said Eddie Lane, president, Heli-One. “Their close collaboration with crews and customers, as well as excellent working relationships with OEMs and regulatory agencies ensure solutions are of the highest safety and quality standard.
“With every project, our design teams grow their expertise and leverage their knowledge to look at new opportunities with a refreshed and objective perspective, ultimately helping our customers achieve their operational goals.”
Heli-One invites interested parties to its booth (K50) at the Helitech International exposition to try the thumb stick extension demo model and watch footage of the cabin equipment installation. Design engineers and Heli-One representatives will be on hand to answer any questions about these and other projects.
