Facility Home To An EC225 Simulator At Aberdeen In
Scotland
Eurocopter officially inaugurated its new North Sea Service
Center in Aberdeen, Scotland Monday, providing a highly capable
training, technical support and logistics facility in close
proximity to helicopter operators who support the region’s
vital oil and gas industry – as well as the emerging wind
farm sector. Eurocopter rotary-wing aircraft constitute the largest
helicopter fleet in the UK.
(L-R) Derek Sharples, Eurocopter, Lord Provost of Aberdeen,
Markus Steinke, Eurocopter UK
A focal point of the North Sea Service Center is its new EC225
helicopter full-flight simulator, which underscores
Eurocopter’s commitment to investing in solutions that
support its customers’ businesses. It also demonstrates the
company’s dedication to enhancing flight safety and reducing
operators’ costs. At today’s inauguration ceremony, a
long-term training agreement was signed with CHC Helicopter for at
least 800 hours of annual EC225 simulator utilisation. CHC
Helicopter is one of the world’s largest helicopter services
companies, and the simulator training at Eurocopter’s
Aberdeen center will host pilots from CHC’s operations
worldwide.
Eurocopter selected Aberdeen for the new facility because of its
location at the heart of UK oil and gas exploration. As the hub of
North Sea helicopter offshore operations, Aberdeen is
Europe’s busiest heliport, and the EC225 simulator will
respond to the training needs of the hundreds of pilots based
there. In anticipation of future expansion for the North Sea
Service Center, sufficient space is available to add another
simulator at a later date, potentially for Eurocopter’s new
EC175 helicopter.
“Our customers have been telling us they need easier
access to training, notably to simulators ... and we are responding
to those needs,” said Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling.
“This strategy is in line with Eurocopter’s reinforced
commitment to improving flight safety by providing simulated
alternatives to real flight. We are fully dedicated to enlarging
our service offer and ensuring our simulators are in the right
place at the right price for Eurocopter customers, with coverage in
all our key markets around the world.”
The sustained pace of North Sea helicopter activity –
performed predominantly in airline-type flight operations –
demand the highest availability of aircraft and aircrew, which
requires quality helicopter maintenance and continuing pilot
training activity for operators. Eurocopter’s new North Sea
Service Center addresses the provision of top-level support to meet
both demands, literally at the users’ doorstep. With
technical and logistics support offered around-the-clock, the
facility meets operators’ requirements for continuous support
capacity – especially as their helicopter maintenance is done
systematically during night-time hours.
(L-R) Markus Steinke, Eurocopter UK, Lord Provost of
Aberdeen
In addition, the facility’s repair and overhaul resources
ensure fast turn-around times for complex and bulky dynamic
components, such as the EC225 rotor head and mast assembly.
Jim Mather, the Scottish Minister for Enterprise, Energy and
Tourism, stated: “Eurocopter’s welcome new facility
will create new highly skilled jobs and a first-class training
environment for helicopter pilots working in the North Sea, helping
improve further the safety of our oil and gas industry.”
Currently, 100 Eurocopter helicopters are operated in the North
Sea, generating more than 100,000 flight hours a year.