HELIPOOL Europe Gmbh
P.O BOX 94
7417 Paspels
Switzerland

Tel Fax : +41 84 655 20 12

Bahrain Airshow : 17-19 Jan 2012

Heli-Expo : 12-14 Fev 2012

Singapore Airshow : 14-19 Fev 2012

IBAE (India) : 22-23 Fev 2012

Business Airport World Expo/Business Jet Interiors : 22-23 Fev 2012

Baselworld : 8-15 Mar 2012

India Aviation : 14-18 Mar 2012

HAC : 16-18 Mar 2012

ABACE : 27-29 Mar 2012

Marrakech Airshow : 4-7 April 2012

Hainan Rendezvous : 5-8 April 2012

SIBAS : 11-13 April 2012

Aero Frierichshafen : 18-21 April 2012

EBACE : 14-16 May 2012

HeliRussia : 17-19 May 2012

Cannes Airshow : 7-9 June 2012

Eurosatory : 11-15 June 2012

Aviation Expo Europe : 22-24 June 2012

Farnborough : 9-13 July 2012

LABACE : 16-18 August 2012

ILA Berlin Airshow : 11-16 September 2012

Monaco Yacht Show : 19-22 September 2012

The Helicopter Show : 26-27 September 2012

Dubai Helishow : 06-08 Nov 2012

Milipol Qatar : 26-28 Nov 2012

NBAA : 11-13 Dec 2012

Le Chabichou is closely linked to Courchevel history, and is a name that evokes the name of a light opera figure as well as to an item of fresh local
produce, thereby embodying the luxury aspect of a star-studded resort and the spirit of its roots. Its opaline alpine chalet shape melts into the whiteness
of the ski runs, and is one of those places that softens the mountain and makes it as smooth as a dash of delightful whipped cream. Whilst a sizeable
number of speed-skiers slalom through the manicured runs of Courchevel, the area is synonymous with gastronomic meals enjoyed at the edge of the
ski runs, while the freshness of the newly delivered food turns its talents to cauliflower tabbouleh with lobster pieces one day, wild turbot with bacon
pieces the next, or duck breast and creamy black olive polenta… no more the heavy flan dish or indecently calorific fondue! The owner Michel Rochedy proudly displays his two Michelin rosettes, having occupied centre stage in the culinary world for two decades. He has made Le Chabichou into a hotel that is friendly, warm and gourmet a real ambassador for the new wave Savoie.

The place is well known for its lively and bracing cuisine, the jazzy atmosphere of its bar and the mountain-style comfort of its cosy rooms framed in warm wood. Le Chabichou has taken on a new look to welcome in the new winter season. On the menu is: le Chabotté, a second restaurant with contemporary alpine decor featuring a ‘bistro’ menu featuring Savoy-style specialities. And more significantly, the opening of a superb spa featuring Carita and Decléor branded treatments. All that was missing from the sensory experience of the Chabichou was an ultra design and glamour style wellbeing centre – now, the job is done! Within its 1100 m² space dedicated to the latest technological innovations, this marvel features a large pool and multi-sensory water pools with various water features such as against-the-current swimming, aquagym and aqua-bike. The facilities also include a polar bath that is exceptionally toning, a ‘Dead Sea’ pool heated to 40 °C, geyser massage stations, bubbling benches and underwater berths, not forgetting an exfoliation by affusion room and the indispensable fitness room.
There are other surprises: a relaxing cave area with sprayed saline water and a Banya-Sauna, a kind of Russian bath with heat input that keep coming, so as to find an optimal energy. With so many new features, Le Chabichou now attracts gastronomic enthusiasts as well as relaxation enthusiasts. Luckily for us,
the hotel is open all year round!

DYNAMIC LINES

This newcomer is in perfect harmony with the times we live in. It has retained the somewhat pronounced lines of the Range Rover Sport, and has faithfully re-cast the outstanding mould of the Land Rover LRX design, and – moreover – the British manufacturer has had the bright idea of making available right from the launch date a coupé version and a 5 door version. The Evoque is also very compact, measuring just 4.35m in length (the equivalent of a people carrier or compact saloon), with an impressive width (1.97m) – a feature which makes it possible to provide remarkable capacity. The vehicle has an imposing front and looks like something of a firebrand from this angle. The roof recedes, and the look is streamlined with glass surfaces that are scaled back, particularly in the rear. The car exudes a skilled composition in which a dynamism, class and charm come together in harmony that is, needless to say, Oh so British. After a substantial trial both on and off the tarmac, as far as we were concerned this was truly a genuine distillation of the Range Rover.

A COSY PASSENGER CABIN AREA

Getting settled in is rather like settling into a very well made next generation helicopter cockpit area – you feel great straight away! There is nothing bad to say about the ergonomics of the controls: everything is right where it should be and is at your fingertips. Everywhere you look there is elegance – brushed aluminium, topstitched leather, and varnished wood. All of which come together to create an ambiance that is elegant without being ostentatious. The generous capacity, including the rear seat area, has not been sacrificed for the sake of its design. Access to the rear seats is not all that graceful in the coupé version, but the forward seats slide around easily, using electrics. This is a lounge on the move – it’s comfortable enough for us to have found it a pleasurable experience next to the lounge of the skies that is the latest EC Dauphin. The Baby Range has 16 interior looks available, 4 kinds of metallic inserts, and 2 kinds of woodwork – all of which are available by way of 16 interior looks. The boot volume varies between 575 and1,445 litres and will easily accommodate leisure or outdoor equipment, including a complete golf set!

The Evoque handles well and is nice and agile in town traffic thanks to its restrained length. An adjustment period is needed as the rear and side vision are made difficult by the architecture itself of the vehicle.
But the Range has thought of everything, and the remarkable panoramic cameras turn out to be accurate and efficient.

It’s on the road that this newcomer shows itself in the best light: the comfort is outstanding thanks to seats with perfect support and a performance that is reassuring and more dynamic than anything else. Three engines are available at the launch, all of which are 4-cylinders – two diesel engines that are calibrated at 150 and 190 hp and one petrol engine (2.0 Si4) at 240 hp. In addition to the 4 wheel drive, Land Rover is also making available a 2 wheel drive with the 150hp 2.2 Diesel.

NO SLIPE-UPS ON AN OBSTACLE COURSE

In order for us to see for ourselves the actual off-road capabilities of the Evoque, the British manufacturer invited us to take it for a trial in extreme conditions: the first day of a snow storm along the back roads of Austria, where visibility was so restricted that an automatic instrument landing would not have been allowed, and where the ground was ultra-slippery. A minor navigational error that occurred as a result of fresh snow covering a road sign meant that we ended up off the beaten track and found ourselves in deep snow with just the contact tyres in place, specifically the ContiWinterContact. During some magical and heartfelt moment, the Evoque drove itself with the lightest of touches and as gently as can be! The second day was spent overcoming obstacles. These were extraordinary tests both up and downhill, with pronounced gradients and sliding episodes worthy of a choreography contest, with the most spectacular of bridge crossings. The Evoque turned out to have all the necessary features to deal with this: a 21cm ground clearance, downhill descent support, a Terrain Response system that meant all surfaces could be negotiated including road, gravel, snow, mud and sand. Needless to say, there is nothing like a simulation session as provided by the Land Rover Experience, and this is something that is highly recommended as a way of exploiting the vehicle’s full potential, which by the way is considerable!

The fact is that today, Agusta Westland – a 100% subsidiary of the Finmeccanica group – has become the second place helicopter manufacturer worldwide, behind the Franco-German heavyweight Eurocopter which is a significant element of the EADS group.
A frenetic race between these two competitors has been going on for several years in a bid to address the growth market beyond the military sector that is giving rise to the renewal of helicopters in the para-public sector, a sector whose needs are growing all the time. Military activity often triggers the development of new products in the civilian market as far as research and development is concerned.

The British Agusta Westland teams are the foundation of the AW149, which was presented to the press in April 2009 in Istanbul. This is a machine that was designed to meet a specific in Turkish defence, and this model now serves as the basis for the civilian version of the AW189 which is specifically geared towards offshore transport, the kind of work for which the aircraft has the requisite features.

Agusta Westland is turning out to be an unrelenting competitor against its perpetual rival with the arrival of a new next generation civilian helicopter, which is designed to encroach on the territory of the eagerly awaited EC175 as well as the next segment up for 19 passengers which is being claimed by the EC225.

EFFICIENCY ABOVE ALL ELSE

The users have become the decision-makers. It is their needs that dictate the fine-tuning of increasingly high performance and high reliability helicopters that are also adaptable. With the AW189, the Milan helicoptermanufacturer brings to the market greater flexibility for the different types of missions carried out by commercial and governmental operators

First of all, the performance figures are in line with the two turbines of 2,000 horsepower each, controlled using FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control), an electronic engine regulation system. This power level is a response firstly to the initiative to meet the most stringent standards envisaged within Cat. A, PC1 /PC2e. This is most of all to safeguard the success of the delicate upkeep of the engine for its operation on para-public missions as well as on medical or search and rescue and oil platform missions.

These specific kinds of usage can take place in poor weather conditions, in hostile zones (inhabited or otherwise), or on terrace areas where the loaded aircraft needs to be able to remain stationary out of ground effect without any difficulty. Furthermore, it should be able to run with an inoperable engine in such a way as to carry out all phases of flight safely, even at high altitudes and in high temperatures. As far as this is concerned, the power reserve drawnin by the two CT7-2E1 turbines selected by Agusta Westland represents a considerable asset (see insert).
It is also worth noting that the main transmission box withstands usage for 30 minutes without any lubricant, a reliability issue that Eurocopter was the first to foreground. Comfort remains a priority – an auxiliary power unit is fitted as standard which enables an air-conditioning system to work as well as the functioning of accessories plugged in within the cabin area.

This is independent of the engines.
A CAREFULLY WORKED VERSATILITY

Throughout the world, offshore oil and gas missions and missions that broadly speaking require lengthy flights over stretches of sea are core to the tasks being carried out by many operators, who are very demanding with respect to the quality of the solutions being put forward to them.
With its modular cabin for 12 to 18 passengers and its detachable and very straightforward fuel tank that can be used where the range requires it, the AW189 meets the entry level needs of its clients. The cabin is free of obstacles and has a flat floor, thereby providing a multitude of combinations, be this seats facing each other for long distance flights, or two horizontally positioned stretchers with five personnel seats for medical evacuations.
In its standard configuration, the four large side windows mean that the aircraft can be evacuated quickly by providing an emergency exit for two passengers, an unquestionable advantage for the safety of the people being transported. Energy is absorbed in the frame, the storage space and the fuel system as well as the seats. The capacity of this work platform means that in other versions, optimum space usage is made possible across its 11 m3, which can be used for helicopter winching operations, the carrying of specific research material, technical video shoots with image transmission to the ground in real time in police configuration or, more straightforwardly, for the transport of passengers.

21ST CENTURY AVIONICS

Developed for its pilots based on a mono IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) certification, the avionics featuring next generation digital screens meet the flexibility needs required by the operational conditions encountered on a daily basis by crew members. Fully kitted out, the basic version already presented on the AW169 features a fully digitalised suite with, this time, four optimised 8×10 inch screens.
The FMS has full redundancy as does the 4 axial digital automatic flight control system which reduces the workload and makes it possible, if desired, to fly in monopilot mode in visual flight mode or using instruments, or as crew, depending on the regulations applicable in the country where the aircraft is being used. The in-flight anti-collision system, such as the ground impact warning system, is provided in standard configuration and completes the NextGen satellite navigation system for vertical navigation and for precision approach operations.
Add to this a pilot’s cabin that is fully kitted out for the use of night vision binocular then this all amounts to an improved machine usage as well as guaranteeing better availability for specialist operators.

THE IDEAL RESPONSE?

3,6,8…tons. For each category of helicopter, Agusta Westland is suggesting a model with proportions that most closely meet expectations: the AW139, 160 and now the AW189. While early deliveries of the AW169 are not expected until 2015, the Italian manufacturer has, since its presentation at the most recent
Le Bourget show in June 2011, brought forward its entry into service date to ‘imminent’. It so happens that it is expected in early 2014, this being two years between the first prototype flight and first deliveries. Such reactivity to the needs of the market demonstrates the manufacturer’s drive to take on the competition at high speed, or maybe to make up for its tardiness when compared to a competition that has already taken the lead.

Whatever the case, the AW189 is clearly targeting the EC175, certainly as far as tonnage is concerned and with a slightly lower capacity, as well as the higher range of its more obvious competitor the EC225. Its capacity for carrying passengers in relation to its modular fuel arrangements gives it a variable range that is of particular interest to operators.
This is an adaptability that foregrounds an Agusta Westland marketing service that has fully taken on board the old adage “He that can do the most can also do the least.”

GE AVIATION’S CT7-2E1

Always less to get more – this could be the motto for General Electric Aviation. Less weight in order to use lighter and more resistant materials, less consumption, and a lower operational cost so as to keep the end-user happy. Such is the positioning for this new turbine. The turbine engine selected by Agusta Westland hails from the prestigious T700/ CT7 line that includes the famous Black Hawk – for which it was designed – as well as the Bell 214 and the S-70, and more recently the military version of the NH90. The CT7-2E1 turbine has benefitted from General Electric’s fantastic feedback on its engine types since 1978. With 21 kinds of aircraft equipped with the turbine in nearly 55 countries for over a hundred clients with varying demands, its operational capacity and reliability needs no further proof maintenance or performance-wise.
The engine-maker has not faltered here, and has devoted two pages of its internet site – ‘Material’ and ‘Asset Management’ – to the commercial version of the CT7-2 in addition to providing the usual information on product maintenance and training, evidence of a personalised asset management service within the company. GE is no longer addressing just the users, it is also addressing above all what you might call the financial people, proof were it needed of the development towards an outright economic partnership with its clients.

From Los Angeles to the Riviera, Olivier, the dynamic person behind the company H2I, has carved out a unique background that he is now placing at the service of helicopter operators from here and from elsewhere.

He knows only too well the helicopter’s exceptional magic and character. Having arranged for a helicopter to be in place for various event solutions for VIPs or luxury Tour Operators, Olivier Neuville certainly knows what he is talking about. He is a passionate and interested entrepreneur, having left the City of Angels and cast aside the sequins for the Riviera, where he developed a company that dealt with prestigious French destinations and unforgettable events. Not content with this, he is also a figure as unknown to the general public as he is crucial to operators who are unable or unwilling to invest in the aircraft that they operate. The solution? Rental of ready to use helicopters.

GOING FROM BEING THE CLIENT TO BEING THE SUPPLIER

Who better than the client himself to understand the needs and operational requirements of the final user? Having been the client himself, he has crossed over to the other side and become the supplier for helicopter companies and airborne work company. A rigorous and demanding environment is a permanent feature of the industry, as well as humility. These qualities can be found in this business leader, who s no desire to take centre stage, preferring to discuss the aircraft he is providing, the care taken over the model selected, the rigorous maintenance, and his insistence on having a catalogue of recent and reliable machines.

A SIMPLE ECONOMIC MODEL

The concept is simple, and does not involve any mixing up of types, as the object of H2I is the purchase and rental of items. Managing the finances and the rentals – which can be over any period of time from a few weeks to a few years, is very careful work which, says the manager, is not to be confused with the operation itself, which is an entirely different matter. H2I is uniquely a renting entity, and as such is not in competition with its own clients who operate the machines on a commercial basis.

A TAILORED PRODUCT

The fleet speaks for itself. Uniquely, it comprises helicopters bought new, all with less than 1,000 flying hours, and most of them still under the manufacturer’s guarantee. The flagship model is still the AS350 in its most powerful version, the B3+.
As a result of this performance, embraced by the industry, the machine made by the manufacturer based in Marignane in Southern France is preferred as the workhorse of the skies, be this in mountainous areas or for fighting forest fires.
The machines are truly client-orientated and are minimally equipped in order to be as light as they can be, and therefore as operational as they can be.
This chasing after weight loss is highly valued by the airborne work operators, particularly lifting operation specialists for whom payload is a determining factor. The only frivolity that can be detected is in the paintwork, recognisable for its cream and dark green livery which is common to all its aircraft.

A GLOBAL SOLUTION

Who better than the client himself to understand the needs and operational requirements of the final user? Having been the client himself, he has crossed over to the other side and become the supplier for helicopter companies and airborne work company. A rigorous and demanding environment is a permanent feature of the industry, as well as humility.

These qualities can be found in this business leader, who s no desire to take centre stage, preferring to discuss the aircraft he is providing, the care taken
over the model selected, the rigorous maintenance, and his insistence on having a catalogue of recent and reliable machines.

GOING FROM BEING THE CLIENT TO BEING THE SUPPLIER

Olivier has the good fortune to experience the industry from every facet of the helicopter’s work in just a few months, a rare opportunity for one single operator. Rather like living the life of one of the machines, he may work alongside a client for a main transmission box for the repair of Fort Boyard, provide a partnership for fish farm stocking in the province of Bearn, or work with fire-fighters in the Iberian peninsula. It is worth noting one considerable asset: the making available to companies specialising in aerial photo shots of a Cineflex HD gyro stabilised camera. There is not much time to carry out CAVOK production in the Mid Pyrenees region. H2I is always monitoring its situation, and is presently considering investing in a twin engine aircraft in order to better meet its clients’ needs for whom, for example, flying over urban areas is crucial.

PRESENTLY AT H2I THE FOLLOWING CAN BE SEEN :

A recent fleet comprising an EC120, an AS350 B2, 6 AS350 B3+. (3 AS350 B3e aircraft are already expected to be delivered during 2012).
A range of optional extras such as a Bambi bucket, baskets, bear paws, cargo swing, electric hooks, etc. Partner PART 145 workshops spread across France for the monitoring and maintenance of its aircraft.

It would be overstating the case to say that nobody saw this coming. A recent development in legislation, introduced into French legislation by means of a public regulation published in the French legal gazette on 23rd August 2011, establishes the principle of the “two-person crew” for medical transport missions using a helicopter acting on behalf of the French emergency services SAMU [Service d’aide médicale urgent]. Whilst this new input is not in itself much of a surprise, it has provoked real anxiety in the French private operators’ camp, given that it invites helicopter operators working on French national territory to introduce a second crew member on board, without actually imposing such a measure on them (for now). The operators are looking at a situation where the wage bill linked to running the aircraft risks doubling before too long, or not far off that anyway. So it goes without saying that this increases in costs taken on by the transporters , an increase that would have to be factored in, would be passed on to those who impact on the hospital’s balance sheets, when these balance sheets are so beset by severe budget restrictions. At a time when France’s public finances have attracted a downgrading from a credit agency whose very word appears to carry weight across the globe, this prospect would appear to be puzzling to say the least.
Meanwhile, the regulatory provisions referred to above demonstrate what appears to be a lack of preparation on the part of the global helicopter emergency transport services in mainland France, whilst the primary figures on the scene – private operators on the one hand and hospital management on the other – acknowledge that they do not necessarily share the same vision of how the provisions being discussed will be implemented.

IN THE BEGINNING WERE THE JARS

The basis of this French regulation is a European document referred to as « Opinion 04/2011 Air Operations » which was distributed in 2011 by the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). The document essentially includes the regulatory material that was to become the cause of the turbulence to come. In order to really understand the contents, you need to go back to a time when the civil aviation authorities from various European states were working on the drafting of a common regulatory plan, the JAR (Joint Aviation Requirements). Codes of best practice were set out under the aerial operations (OPS) section
and, in the creation of the JAR OPS-3 plan (passed down to helicopter operators), the Europeans working on the regulations had already envisaged the presence of a second crew member on board when working on public transport missions. At the time, the French regulations (the OPS-3) had not integrated this impending regulatory requirement.
Meanwhile in France the supervisory authority, the French civil aviation authority the DGAC (Direction générale de l’aviation civile), would in principle have moved these same operators gradually to the point envisaged by the JAR OPS-3 (which are presently going through their fifth draft). Whilst there have in fact been efforts to move towards the requirements set out by the European draft regulation (the obligation to bring in twin engine aircraft for the transportation of wounded people or patients being a part of this), this work has yet actually been wrapped up.

SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFERENCES

Just now, the ‘definitive’ Europeannregulation is still being worked on. It is understood that this is working towards only permitting emergency helicopter transport through the use of a two-person crew – a pilot plus a second crew member whose task is to make the commander’s job easier. There is no point in pointing out that this provision would appear to increase the safety margins of the crew and of those being transported, and indeed ‘unconnected third parties’ or in other words the people over whom the emergency services helicopters are flying. This argument in itself is hard to break down, and yet its adaptation to the real world would require quite a few adjustments. Why might this be? Mainly because from one end of the European Union (the EU) to the other, the notion of emergency service using a helicopter is not understood the same way.

Or to be more specific, it is supported by different administrative cultures, and falls back on the fact that the missions being carried out are not necessarily entrusted to the same kind of operator.So in France, a helicopter rescue is classed as a public service and primarily falls to a state organisation, in this case to the state emergency services department, of which a portion falls to the French national Gendarmerie and, on the coastline, a portion to the navy who are given a mission that is interestingly referred to as being a ‘public service’ mission.

As far as access for all to hospital treatment is concerned, a key element of the management of the health portfolio in France is that the use of a helicopter takes place through the intermediary of specialist private companies – helicopter transport companies that are duly monitored. These respond to tenders for contract and when they are taken on, they sign fixed term renewable contracts with the French emergency services (SAMU) of the relevant department.

NOT MUCH IN COMMON

Ultimately, given the way in which these different missions are distributed among the various bodies, the work of the French emergency services (SAMU) helicopters consists mainly in carrying out so-called ‘secondary’ transport missions, in other words, taking patients from one hospital to another. This kind of transfer provides a certainty that a sick or wounded person will have access to the best treatment available, taking into account his ailment or his condition. Less frequently, the helicopter that is made available to the SAMU will carry out so-called ‘primary’ transport missions, during which the aircraft will set down in the immediate vicinity of an accident (or a vital medical emergency) before making its way to the nearest hospital. There is no question of there being any winching operation in a hostile environment (such as a mountainous area or a sea environment) nor of any activity being undertaken at night-time, with a few exceptions.

By way of comparison, the German and Swiss provisions do not have much in common with the French way of doing things. So in Germany, helicopter emergency missions fall, within the remit of the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Auto-Club, the German Federal Automobile Club) or to the DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht, the German aerial rescue guard service that also operates in Austria and Denmark) regardless of the nature of the job. Furthermore, these organisations do not draw on public funds, their financial base comes from donations and contributions collected in advance from those that benefit from their services.

In Switzerland, the Rega (Rettungsflugwacht – the Swiss air rescue guard service, a privately founded public utility) also draws a proportion of its resources
from donations as well as payment for its services from insurance companies, among others.

MAKING THEIR CASE IN COLOGNE

For the ADAC, the DRF and Rega, the question of sharing the work between private companies and state entities is not discussed. And, once again, these operators between them deal with all of the tasks that might be allocated to them regardless of the location at which their services are required. So, nothing in common with the French system then.
This dissimilarity in the distribution of roles even across four or five European countries, quickly highlights a very obvious stumbling block that has been noticed, in France, by the Helicopter Operators’ Union the SNEH ( Syndicat national des exploitants d’hélicoptère). This is because while it is would on the face of it appear relevant to boost helicopter crew that are going to work in very varied situations, it is not at all clear how a second crew member would
ease the task of the pilot on secondment to the SAMU as far as the French are concerned. SNEH Vice-President and General Manager of Mont-Blanc Hélicoptères Samu Yannick Métairie said “We made our case to the DGAC in order to point out this fact,” going on to say “ But at the most recent Le Bourget show, we realised that the EASA had not been told of our initiative. But the DGAC is supposed to bring up our point of view. Since then, the EASA has met with us at its office in Cologne. They listened to us. But we were asked to go back to the DGAC so that they could take our grievances to the European Agency. This is the procedure.” At the time of going to press, a meeting had been arranged between the SNEH and the DGAC.

DISCREPANCIES ACROSS THE BOARD

In addition to the danger of seeing operating costs go up without this step being fully justified, the SNEH drew attention to another negative effect that could be attributable to European plans: “In the specifications that are set out to us by SAMU management, the distance that can be covered by our aircraft is fixed at a minimum of 1h30m flight time, plus a 30m safety margin. This requirement means that we have to carry a certain amount of fuel on board.
If in the future, if we had a second crew member forced upon us, this would entail an additional 80kg load, meaning that we would not be able to guarantee this range. Unless we bring in aircraft with greater capacity, that are even more costly.” It is worth remembering by the by that our German and Swiss neighbours “only rarely set down on hospital sites and work within ranges that barely exceed 50km.” In other words, their capacity for being a noise nuisance is reduced, in contrast to the ongoing situation in France. Were France to take on larger and more powerful aircraft, there would be no holding back of an increase in the noise nuisance experienced by the population living close to hospitals

« Gigantic. » If there is one adjective that best describes China – be it the country’s geography, population or economic prospects – then this is it. China is in the throes of a full economic boom, with growth at 9.1% and a GDP that is still low at $6,900 per head (in 2009), and it is a country that is keen to invest for success. Its ambitions are ultimately pretty clear, and they are lucidly set out in the State’s five year plan. They include an ambition to make the helicopter industry, and air transport in general, a governmental priority. For a few years now, the Middle Kingdom has not concealed its drive to become the world’s premier helicopter-using country, and this is an aspiration that it would like to see become a reality within a decade or so, as the present number of helicopters in China in proportion to the country’s size and population is not high enough to meet demand.

GREAT POTENTIAL FOR THE CIVILIAN MARKET

There are 800 aircraft in China, of which 200 are for the civilian market and 600 for the military market.
At the first helicopter trade show in Tianjin, the State announced that they were looking to source 200 rotary aircraft between now and 2020 solely for the purpose of carrying out of emergency missions, an illustration of a target that falls within the scope of a much larger economic picture. The Chinese authorities are looking to have 2,500 aircraft in 2020. Possession of the largest fleet in the helicopter world has certainly given wings to a number of manufacturers, and they have been quick to invest in and ramp up their manufacturing and financial base to establish their expertise
in a country that has a deficit in the supply of aeronautical supplies.

TURBOMECA PLAYS THE CO-OPERATION CARD
Turbomeca leads the world in the construction of light turbines, and for over 30 years has been co-operating with the locals and developing its presence in the territory with TBHE (Turbomeca Beijing Helicopter Engine). The group’s Asian regional director Muriel Duthon recalled that “The sale of the Dauphin licence by Aerospatiale in 1980 is a little bit the founding act of Safran relations in China,” going on to say that “Turbomeca had then sold the Arriel 1 turbine licence and Sagem had done likewise with the Dauphin automatic pilot.”
For Safran, this translates as the introduction of co-enterprises and the signature of sub-contracting agreements with local partners for the manufacture and maintenance of parts. Turbomeca presently employs about twenty personnel on Chinese territory at the moment in order to provide maintenance services and operational support, with a representative at Harbin. If China’s economic growth continues, and if Avicopter – the main rotary aircraft manufacturer – develops in the right way then Turbomeca would like to sell as many engines to the manufacturer as it does to Eurocopter. Avicopter is keen to please, and in any case is building the foundations for success by concentrating mainly on the domestic market as well as on export opportunities.
During the Tianjin show, the group’s management set out the key anchor points where it would like to see growth. In order of importance, Asia leads the way with Laos, Cambodia and Pakistan. Then comes Africa (with Mali, Mauritania, Kenya and Zambia) then South America with Bolivia. Mindful of the economic repercussions that could be felt as a result of signing contracts with the Chinese, Turbomeca and Eurocopter have positioned themselves in such a way as to get a larger slice of a pie that is growing in size.

THE FUTURE IS MAPPED OUT WITH CONTRACTS SLOTTED INTO PLACE

At the China Helicopter Exposition, the French turbine manufacturer announced the signing of a new co-operation contract for 85 additional Arriel 2C turboshaft engines with AVIC International.
First deliveries are expected for 2012. Another announcement was made regarding the signature of a partnership with COHC (Citic Offshore Helicopter), who provide external technical support staff that are trained and qualified by Turbomeca.
These technical staff that will be providing the support needed to Chinese operators. Presently, one in two helicopters is equipped with Turbomeca engines or products manufactured under licence. Over the course of the next decade, the trump card for Safran ought to be the Ardiden 3 (the new engine developed by Turbomeca) from which the WZ16 was developed, the next generation turbine produced by the French and the Chinese in equal parts that equips the Z-15 helicopter (the Chinese version of Eurocopter’s EC175).

EUROCOPTER HOLDS ONTO 40% OF THE CIVILIAN AND PARA-PUBLIC MARKET

Eurocopter has also positioned itself as a top flight player in the civilian and parapublic sector. The main orders taken have been for the Ministry for Telecommunications, the Search and Rescue department, offshore companies and also private entities. By way of example, in September 2010 the Public Safety Department of the province of Guangdong took delivery of an EC225 to be used for fighting forest fires. Presently, ten EC225s are working in Chinese skies, of which two are used for search and rescue missions by Chinese public emergency service entities. It’s reckoned that the civilian and para-public sector accounts for 40% of the market and 160 helicopters sold.
In 2010, Eurocopter China reached the €34M revenue mark and its order book was in the region €128M. In order to cement its presence on Chinese soil,
as Turbomeca has done, Eurocopter set up four subsidiaries in December 2006 in Peking, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. This was followed by
three new openings this year in Chengdu, Harbin and Wuhan.
Eurocopter has been working with Avicopter for 30 years, and ramped up a notch in this partnership with the signature in December of an agreement for the manufacture and commercial development of the Chinese Z15 on an equal part basis. This project ended up in November 2008 with the delivery of the first airframe by Harbin Aviation Industry Co (HAIG).
First deliveries began this year with the certification having been obtained in December 2009. Eurocopter is working on the development of a flight simulator, whose agreement was finalised in 2011 between the European manufacturer, China and Indra. This is a simulator that is designed to train
the Chinese professional pilots of the future.

AVICOPTER POSITIONS ITSELF IN A PRIME SLOT

In the not too distant future, the Chinese will be very keen to develop their own helicopters.
Avicopter, whose turnover is likely to reach between 30 and 40 billion yuan (€3.5bn) over the next few years, is looking at the large and medium sized aircraft market. For now, the majority of aircraft are still the fruit of co-operation among Western manufacturers.
The Z10 has a Eurocopter rotor and an Agusta-Westland transmission gear box. The Z15 is the result of a partnership with Eurocopter. And the future H10 is to be half financed with Russian Helicopters. China has an aeronautical manufacturing sector that is in the throes of developing, and in any case a number of Chinese firms are able to design and manufacture modern helicopters, the majority of which are earmarked for military usage. These include Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, the ACAC consortium, the China Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation, and the Guizhou Aircraft Industry Co.
Altogether there are 14 groups given over to this activity, so it is safe to bet that in 10 years’ time, the Chinese will manage to get their act together so as to get to the level so coveted by the main helicopter manufacturers. The long march has truly begun.

“Our first wish was for the annulment of the Borloo decree by the ‘Conseil d’Etat’ [StateCouncil], a decree that restricts helicopter traffic in high population density zones.,”
With these words, the UFH President Dominique Orbec rails against the governmental initiatives that undermine the growth of economic activity that is represented by the helicopter industry in France. UFH deputy leader Thierry Couderc recalled that “In the face of the serious danger that is burdening the entire helicopter industry, the Decree n°2010-1226 of 20th October 2010 published in the Official Journal of the French
Republic 2010”, he said, “The UFH submitted an appeal to the ‘Conseil d’État’ to set aside this Decree just over a year earlier.” In the submission of the appeal, UFH members and particularly the Helicopter Operators’ Union the SNEH [Syndicat national des exploitants d’hélicoptère] expressed a wish for the Decree’s basic principles to be reviewed so as to incorporate the future of the French helicopter, taking into account the potential for the sustainable and harmonious development of the population over which the helicopter flies whilst also acknowledging the social role played by the helicopter in the public’s day to day life. However, this appeal was rejected on 16th December; a rejection which the UFH is sad to say will hinder the economic operation of some operators.

A EUROPEAN LEGISLATIONDEEMED INAPPROPRIATE TO SOME MISSIONS

Just now, the helicopter carries out fifty or so missions in France and worldwide, including the maintenance and monitoring of electricity networks,transport using slings, off-shore missions, medical evacuation, and agriculturalspraying among others. UFH President Dominique Orbec talked of hisexasperation with the situation: “We note with some distress that there is a real lack of understanding among the authorities of the benefits that the helicopter brings to society and that public opinion as a whole likens it to a billionaire’s plaything, when this kind of usage accounts for less than 2% of flights taken.” He went on to question to a much greater extent the regulatory framework set out by the EASA at European level which he deems to be “inappropriate to the day to day activity of French operators.”

As well as the fight being led against the Borloo Decree, the industry has taken offence at the EASA’s decisions to set down the law without actually taking the realities on the ground into account. With this in mind, the SNEH is challenging the requirement to systematically carry a second crew member on medical emergency helicopter flights. The organisation is also challenging the numerous directives that restrict the operators’ room for manoeuvre through the creation of a regulatory environment that takes the form of exceptions to general prohibitions, particularly for missions taking place in mountainous areas and in an agricultural work environment. After making their feelings known to the French Civil Aviation Authority the DGAC, the UFH intends to convince the EASA of the problems surrounding the single and twin engine issue – “Switching from the single to the twin engine for public transport will result in an increase in cost to helicopter transport,” explained SNEH President Christophe Rosset, adding that “In the name of safety, the EASA will unfortunately not take into account the economic and environmental importance of the use of rotary aircraft.”

JOBS AT RISKIF NOTHING CHANGES

Dominique Orbec explains that “What is hardest for the operators to accept is that France is a leader in the manufacture of rotary aircraft, and that the country has an expertise that is recognised across the world, but that we are confronted with legislation that prevents the aircraft from flying, and prevents us from building on this economic godsend.” This is a harmful situation when the helicopter industry is a powerful economic activity.
The President went on to point out indignantly that “5,000 jobs could be affected and we could see our expertise reduced.”
Just now, there are 1,627 helicopters in circulation in France, of which 1,046 are being used for civilian purposes. The civilian operators alone account for 1,000 jobs in France and generate a turnover of 280 million € (of which 100 million are generated by the oil and gas sector). In France, 7,000 jobs are related to or affected by this line of business. In view of these numbers, the President looks ahead to a future that could become a reality if nothing is done today: “this would have an effect on those whose daily lives involve the helicopter. This is a reality that will have an impact on all French people who, without realising it, benefit from what the helicopter brings to them every day, even if this is nothing other than to enjoy the benefits of a high quality electricity network.”

00°41′ 23.9″E 47°16′ 48,8″N

This charming XVI and XVII century manor, located on the western outskirts of Tours, finds itself in the heart of a 140 hectare wooded park, facing Lake Briffa. On the Domaine de Beauvois, nature takes its place above everything else. At this charming hotel with refined comfort, you will enjoy delicious food served in traditional dining rooms or on the terrace as soon as the warm weather arrives. The decor is refined and thoughtful, combining talent with traces of a glorious past with carefully measured modern touches. It has 36 rooms, all decorated with elegance and having modern comfort.
This elegance continues with the restaurant, offering a varied menu. In short, it’s a high flying gastronomic journey under the aegis of one of the sacred Master Chef of France.

Domaine de Beauvois

37230 Luynes

02 47 55 50 11

www.beauvois.com

Domaine de Beauvois

00°41′ 23.9″E 47°16′ 48,8″N

Ce ravissant manoir des XVIe et XVIIe siècles, situé aux portes ouest de Tours, prend place au coeur d’un parc boisé de 140 hectares, face à l’étang Briffaut. Au Domaine de Beauvois, la nature est reine. Dans cet hôtel de charme au confort raffiné, vous apprécierez une cuisine savoureuse servie dans des salles à manger de caractère ou sur la terrasse dès les beaux jours.  Le décor est raffiné et étudié, mariant avec talent les traces d’un passé prestigieux passé à des touches de modernité savamment dosées. Il dispose de 36 chambres, toutes décorées avec élégance et d’un confort moderne. Le raffinement est aussi de mise en cuisine avec une carte variée. En bref, c’est une promenade gastronomique de haut vol que vous propose le domaine sous l’égide d’un Chef, sacré Maître Cuisinier de France.

Domaine de Beauvois

37 230 Luynes

02 47 55 50 11

www.beauvois.com