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.

FMI: www.eurocopter.com