Two Recent Certification Approvals Received For The Medium Twin Helicopter

AgustaWestland said this week at Heli-Expo that the AW139 has recently obtained certification for offshore take off and landing procedures for operations according to Performance Class 1 (PC1) and PC 2e (enhanced) requirements, as defined by the stringent JAR OPS 3 rules. This allows take-offs and landings from helidecks with a minimum diameter of 45 feet (less than the overall length of the helicopter, equal to about 48 feet), at MGW above 14,000 lbs. Additionally the AW139 has recently obtained certification to operate in sea state six conditions providing the AW139 with unique capabilities in its class thanks to its emergency floatation system design.

Since entering service with its launch customers in 2003, AgustaWestland says the AW139's capabilities have steadily grown through a number of developments. A Maximum Gross Weight (MGW) of 14,991 lbs), a 882 lb increase on the basic MGW, is available as an optional kit to enable the AW139, with a maximum range of over 500 nm (, to target the long range offshore transport market currently being met by larger 19-seat types or allow even longer patrol and further extended SAR endurance. The introduction of an advanced 4-axis AFCS with SAR modes enables the AW139 to accomplish the most demanding search and rescue operations. The development of the unique in class FIPS (Full Icing Protection System), allows flights in known icing conditions giving an all weather capability, meaning the aircraft will successfully accomplish the mission of saving lives even in the most demanding conditions when other types would be confined to the hangar.

With more than a third of sales placed for the offshore energy transport market, AgustaWestland says the AW139 has become the point of reference among prime large fleet operators in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Australasia.

The latest development is the AW139M, a customized military version of the multi-role AW139. The variant is being offered for the U.S. Air Force's Common Vertical Lift Support Program. The rapidly increasing demand for the AW139 in the world market has led to a progressive expansion of the production activities. The AW139 is currently being assembled in Vergiate (Italy) and Philadelphia (USA) while a third assembly line is being established in Russia to be run by HeliVert, a joint venture between AgustaWestland and Russian Helicopters. Fuselages are also being manufactured and supplied by PZL-Swidnik from Poland and TAI from Turkey.

In a related development, AgustaWestland announced that the AW139 medium twin helicopter fleet operated by the CHC Helicopter group of companies is the first to achieve the milestone of 50,000 flying hours. CHC is the largest AW139 operator worldwide with 25 units in service and an undisclosed number of aircraft on order. CHC introduced the AW139 into service in 2005 as part of its fleet renewal and expansion plans and the aircraft is now performing roles such as offshore transport, emergency medical service and search and rescue around the world.

Emilio Dalmasso, Senior Vice President Commercial Business Unit, AgustaWestland said, "We congratulate CHC on becoming the first operator to achieve this milestone, which is particularly notable given the demanding operational and environmental conditions encountered supporting oil and gas facilities globally. Achieving so many flight hours in such a short period is evidence of the effectiveness, safety and reliability of the AW139 and our commitment to support offshore operator's requirements."   

FMI: www.agustawestland.com