FlyInG StronG

JAN2011
COMMERCIALLINKS
A COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER NEWSLETTER
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Flying Strong
VIHAG S-61 Helicopter
Still Flying Strong at 50
™
By Marianne V. Heffernan, Sikorsky Communications
The oldest operating S-61 helicopter recently reached a major milestone,
marking 50 years of solid, superior performance since its heralded beginnings
in 1960.
The aircraft, assigned serial number 61-032, today is owned and operated
by VIH Aviation Group Ltd. in Canada, and is logging an impressive average
of 915 hours per year. The aircraft’s track record as a sturdy workhorse is of
note, said VIHAG Senior Vice President Global Business Development
Didier Moinier, because it continues to perform valuable life-saving
operations that are the epitome of the helicopter’s origins.
“We are very proud of this event,” Moinier said,
noting that VIHAG officials and employees
marked the aircraft’s “birthday” with cake and
First female search and
a simple celebration that included the crews
rescue pilots for China MOT
and firefighters who use the firefighting tanker
First flight on tap for helicopter
today.
“Project Firefly” in 2011 “I
think
it
should be marked in this industry.
Q&A with Sikorsky
Some may say the S-61 is too old; not true. It’s in
Aerospace Services’
Joe Homza Australia right now, saving lives,” Moinier said.
What Moinier refers to is the aircraft’s current
assignment: fighting fires in western Australia
Prevue
Photo above,left to right: Terry Shehan (FESA), Bill Ross (VIHH), Adam
Bannister (FESA), Merrick Wilton (VIHH), Brian Wienmeyer (VIHH), Mark
Drew (VIHH), Nigel Tindall,(HA) Nick Demarinis (VIHH), Trevor Haight
(VIHH), Sen Fudger(VIHH), Cliff Williams (FESA), George Bishop (VIHH),
Rohan Aird, (FESA), John Landwehr, (FESA), Bryn Stopp, (FESA),
Peter Copeland (FESA).
for a season that runs from early December until April. Based in Perth,
the S-61 aircraft is in the second year of a five-year contract, managed by
Capt. William (Bill) Ross. “It’s crewed every day from sun up to sundown,”
Moinier said.
The mission is a modern-day use
that the initial owners of this first
S-61 aircraft may not have foreseen,
A Message to Our Customers
at a time when it was heralded as
a new vehicle for commercially
transporting passengers. When
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. launched
Sikorsky is
the S-61 helicopter in 1960, it
focused on:
was one of seven S-61 helicopters
acquired by Los Angeles Airways
››Safety
(LAA), the launch customer for
the commercially certified aircraft.
››Reliability
The first aircraft, 61-032, was
››Innovation
delivered in 1961, according to the
Sikorsky Archives.
Continued on page 2
23
Sikorsky Commercial Links
January 2011
››Reliability
First S-61Continued from cover
With a total airframe time of 45,749.7 hours
as of its December birthday, the aircraft has
belonged to VIHAG since it purchased in 1993,
rebuilt it, and has flown it for 19,353.6 hours (and
counting) since.
Moinier said the aircraft has been used for a
variety of heavy-duty activities including logging,
supporting construction and oil rig activities, in
addition to its fire-fighting job. “We have a mixed
Canadian and Australian crew; it’s supported by
VIH, of course; it’s our machine.”
The aircraft is equipped with a 1,000-gallon
tank for water as well as foam, and has drawn the
respect of pilots and crew who fly it, Moinier noted.
“It was involved in quite a few fires last year and
this year so far. It’s very reliable. We’ve flown almost
20,000 hours with it. The pilot enjoys working with
it, the engineers enjoy supporting it. Most of the
customers are amazed when they see the age of the
machine,” Moinier said.
VIHAG reconfigured the aircraft upon purchase,
converting it to a shortened airframe to lighten it
up. It has continued to perform well in a variety of
climates and environments, adding more evidence
that 61-032, at the age of 50, is still a vigorous
performer. “She’s been all over the world, starting
from Canada, from the Arctic to the jungles of
South America, and the desert of Africa,” he said.
The log book from
the delivery of the
first S-61 helicopter.
The longest operating S-61 helicopter, serial number 61032 is logging an impressive average of 915 hours per year.
››Reliability
S-61™ Helicopter Delivered
to U.S. Department of State
Submitted by Alicia Hutchins, SAS Communications
Marking an important milestone for the S-61 helicopter program, Sikorsky
Aerospace Services recently celebrated the delivery of the first upgraded S-61
helicopter for the United States Department of State at Carson Helicopters Inc.
in Perkasie, Penn. In early 2010, the DoS signed an indefinite delivery/indefinite
quantity contract to procure up to 110 upgraded S-61 aircraft. To date, the DoS
has purchased 26 aircraft.
Based on its worldwide mission requirements to provide safe transportation
for embassy personnel, the Office of Aviation for the DoS completed an analysis
of the available aircraft in the market. The study confirmed the upgraded S-61
helicopter as the best value aircraft to meet the DoS’s worldwide missions.
Known as a “workhorse” of the industry for
more than 50 years, the aircraft is newly equipped
to perform demanding missions in a wide range of
challenging and hostile environments worldwide.
The S-61 Upgrade Program is a comprehensive
plan to enhance aircraft performance in high/hot
operating conditions.
The S-61 helicopter is newly equipped to perform demanding missions in a wide
range of challenging and hostile environments.
Sikorsky Aerospace Services celebrated the delivery of the first upgraded S-61 helicopter for the
U.S. Department of State at Carson Helicopters Inc. in Perkasie, Penn.
www.sikorsky.com
January 2011
Sikorsky Commercial Links
3
China MOT Accepts Two S-76C++
Helicopters While Welcoming
First Female SAR Co-Pilots
™
The first female rescue co-pilots in the People’s Republic of China have begun flying
missions for the China Ministry of Transport.
Wan “Peggy” Qiuwen and Song Yin, both age 25 and from Shanghai, began flight
training in 2008 after graduating from the Shanghai Maritime University. They are the
first female civil aviators in China to hold two commercial helicopter licenses, a CASA
license from Australia and an HK CAD license from Hong Kong. They both fly the
S-76C+™ and the S-76 C++™ helicopters. Each has a degree in marine navigation.
Sikorsky pilot, Stacy Sheard, met Quiwen and Yin when she traveled to Shanghai,
China, in December 2010 to perform return-to-service flights on two new Sikorsky
76C++™ helicopters purchased by the China MOT to perform search and rescue missions in China. Sheard conducted a “return-to-service” flight, a routine procedure that is
conducted when an aircraft is partially stripped down to remove rotor blades, wrapped,
and shipped to another country. When the blades are re-installed, the aircraft must be
flight tested before it can be returned to service.
Sheard also conducted demonstrations of the rescue hoist and aircraft capabilities for
the China MOT during the visit.
“These female pilots were specially selected to become pilots out of the Shanghai
Maritime University, to become China MOT rescue pilots. They had never flown before
beginning their training in Australia, where MOT cadet pilots train at a facility called
Flight Training Adelaide,” Sheard said.
China’s CCTV news broadcasted the acceptance of the two new Sikorsky S-76C++
helicopters, as well as to mark the achievement of China’s first women helicopter pilots
that fly them on life-saving rescue missions.
Wan “Peggy” Qiuwen
(left) and Song Yin are
Rescue Co-pilots for the
China MOT.
Song Yin, Stacy Sheard, and Wan “Peggy” Quiwen.
It’s always inspiring to meet people who
are breaking barriers. I assumed the road
would be difficult for them, but I learned
that they had the full support of the men
they flew with at China MOT.
– Stacy Sheard
Q&A With Joe Homza
Sikorsky Aerospace Services Saudi Support Program Manager
With more than 25 years experience in aftermarket services, Joe Homza and his team provide integrated solutions - known as the
Saudi MOI Program - to the Saudi Ministry of Interior, Civil Defense Aviation Command. SAS sustains a customized platform
of operations and maintenance support for comprehensive national security operations.
Q: Explain the genesis of the Saudi MOI program.
A: Sikorsky’s Operations & Maintenance Support Program for the Saudi Ministry of Interior and its Civil Defense Aviation Command
includes operations, maintenance, training, transportation, material support, consultative programs, and a wide range of sustainment
support services that offer a total support system package. SAS enjoys a collaborative and positive work association with our customers in
the Kingdom.
Q: What support does SAS offer? How does the Saudi MOI relate to the overall SAS mission?
A: SAS logistics support services for the Saudi MOI’s full spectrum of national security operations - including VVIP transport, search
and rescue, law enforcement, MEDEVAC and troop transport. We support its current fleet of S-92® and S-434™ aircraft, and plan to
include its S-70i™ and S–76D™ aircraft in our program. The Saudi in–country support program is exemplary of SAS’s mission – to enhance
international service commitments by bringing our globalization initiatives to every region of the world where our customers operate.
Q: What are the program’s key accomplishments to date?
A: We have successfully integrated the Saudi Civil Defense Aviation Command into new aircraft that have provided countless training,
fire-fighting, VVIP, MEDEVAC, and security missions – all with a 90 percent or greater readiness rate. We have been integral in two
successful missions during the Mecca Pilgrimage (Hajj). During last year’s Hajj pilgrimage, sudden flash floods in the port city of Jeddah
prompted a large-scale rescue operation. SAS worked with the Saudi CDAC to execute repeated SAR missions where more than 300
people were saved. During 86 missions, seven S-92 helicopters tallied more than 250 flight hours with no maintenance-related
mission cancellations.
www.sikorsky.com
41
Sikorsky Commercial Links
January 2011
Final Briefing
“Project Firefly” on Track for First Flight
in 2011
Submitted by Jonathan Hartman, Sikorsky Innovations
STRATFORD, Conn. – Project Firefly, the testing and safety of flight reviews will precede the
all-electric helicopter technology demonstrator start of the flight test phase. Firefly is an S-300C™
from Sikorsky Innovations, continues to aircraft with an all-electric propulsion system
progress towards achieving first flight this year. consisting of a high efficiency electric motor
The project team, consisting of Innovations and digital controller coupled to a lithium ion
personnel, USHybrid (Torrance, Calif.) and energy storage system. The aircraft was publically
Eagle Aviation Technologies, LLC (Hampton unveiled at the Experimental Aircraft Association
Roads, Va.), made substantial technical progress (EAA) AirVenture exhibition last August and has
on the platform in 2010, completing system since received substantial international media and
development and marking the start of component aviation community attention.
testing. Successful completion of system ground
Launch of Sikorsky Innovations Introduced a
Year of Achievement
Since its launch in February 2010, Sikorsky Innovations,
Sikorsky Aircraft’s technology development organization, has
lived up to its name, launching a variety of technological programs
that have given the aerospace industry much to talk about and
look forward to.
Here’s a look back at some of the achievements logged in 2010:
• The X2 Technology™ demonstrator unofficially broke the
world speed record for helicopters, reaching 250 knots cruise
speed and attracting worldwide media attention for its feat. The
demonstrator is slated to be presented on static display in 2010 for public viewing of the historic
aircraft.
• The first flight of the Sikorsky Autonomous Formation Flying (AFF) system was carried out. The
AFF Project is aimed to reduce a helicopter pilot’s workload by automating routine formation flight.
The AFF system will allow a pilot to designate a lead aircraft and engage the system to maintain
flight at a specified relative position.
• The Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA) selected Sikorsky Innovations for a contract to
develop active rotor technologies that will allow aircraft to adapt to a changing environment and
dynamically enhance performance. The program will create new options for the next generation
of aircraft and retrofit possibilities for the existing fleet.
• The Firefly Technology Demonstration Aircraft was unveiled at the Experimental Aircraft Association
AirVenture exhibition in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, (see story, above), as part of the world symposium
on electric aircraft.
Parting Shot
Accepted
China’s Ministry of Transport held a ceremony
in Shanghai on Dec. 19, 2010, to accept two
S-76C++™ search and rescue helicopters. Ken Bates
(left) presented the aircraft to the customer. MOT
Capt Song praised the high quality of Sikorsky aircraft
and the support for MOT from the company.
(See related story, page 3)
“Project Firefly” was unveiled at the Experimental Aircraft Association
AirVenture exhibition in August 2010.
From the Field
Calling all customers! From the Field is looking
for your input. Are you a commercial pilot or crew
member who flies missions in the field using a
Sikorsky helicopter? Whoever you are and whatever
story you have to tell, Sikorsky Aircraft wants to
share your photos and stories.
The From the Field site can be accessed from
the Product button on the www.sikorsky.com home
page. Click the “Register” button at the top right
of the page to become a sikorsky.com User and
begin uploading your
own personal photos
and stories.
From the Field spotlights Sikorsky customers.
With customer permission, photos and stories are
featured on the Web site and may even become
part of the company’s calendars or posters.
This publication contains forward-looking statements concerning
future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially
from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties,
including but not limited to changes in procurement priorities
and practices or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges
in the design, development, production and support of advanced
technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but
not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies
Corporation’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
COMMERCIALLINKS
A COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER NEWSLETTER
Sikorsky Commercial Links is a special newsletter
exclusively for our commercial aircraft customers, to
keep you informed of events, products and technologies,
program updates and support services information.
We created Sikorsky Commercial Links for you, and
we welcome your input, ideas, and stories to make
this publication as enjoyable and useful as possible.
To offer comments or receive Commercial Links
via e-mail, contact: Editor Marianne V. Heffernan,
Communications Manager, mheffernan@sikorsky.com.
Sikorsky Commercial Links is Copyrighted © 2011,
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, all rights reserved.
3480 1/2011