Rotor - Eurocopter

EUROCOPTER UK
Retrofits: fi Our Core Business
Demand for personalized support services continues to increase,
and Eurocopter UK, which has been a forerunner in this area,
has allowed the entire Group to benefit from its specialized skills.
THE ENTIRE GROUP
CAN BENEFIT FROM THE
SPECIALIZED SKILLS THAT
EUROCOPTER NOW POSSESSES
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM TO
PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH
OPTIMIZED SOLUTIONS ONCE
THEIR HELICOPTERS HAVE
ENTERED SERVICE.
ARTICLE: REGINA R A LANGE
©Eu © ©E Eu E rocoo r pter pte err UK U /Ge / /G / Ge G off o Bake kewell wel
The United Kingdom long ago developed
its own brand of specialized skills
in helicopter design, certification and
equipment installation. Because of the island
country’s geographic isolation, its long and
storied aeronautics tradition, and the particularly
demanding needs of UK markets such
as law enforcement, aerial work and VIP,
these unique skills had already flourished
well before Eurocopter acquired McAlpine
Helicopters Ltd.
With McAlpine Helicopters now integrated
in the Eurocopter Group, its specialized
services have been expanded even further
to become the reference in the field. The
British authorities are known to be sticklers
when it comes to the certification of helicopter
systems, which is yet another reason
why McAlpine’s know-how is so important.
Markus Steinke, managing director of
Eurocopter UK, sums it up this way: “To put
it simply, the British engineers have a knack
for finding pragmatic solutions that will satisfy
the exacting demands of customers while at
25
the same time complying with the strictest
aeronautics regulations.”
By offering customized retrofit programs,
Eurocopter is at the leading edge of new
helicopter system development. Throughout
their expected service life of 30 years, helicopters
must constantly adapt to new work
methods, new regulations and new technological
innovations. Whereas demand
for new helicopters is in decline, the need
for customized high-tech conversions and
overhauls continues to increase.
Beyond the UK
In addition to British customers such as the
Metropolitan Police, more and more international
operators are also interested in these
types of services. A typical example is the
EC135 operated by the Polish company
Heli Invest. Eurocopter recently equipped
the helicopter with a TV/news platform
comprising an impressive array of systems
including digital radio, cameras, data storage
units, and a real-time broadcast relay system
with a two-way link. The contract also covered
the integration of new components
and the EASA certification. In Romania,
Eurocopter UK was called on to validate
new communication system prototypes and
to obtain their certification from the EASA.
The company’s vast experience in this area
proved to be especially useful.
“As these two examples clearly demonstrate,
the skills we have developed here in the
United Kingdom are available to everybody
in the Group,” stresses Markus Steinke. “It’s
all part of our support and services strategy,
which is focused on providing the optimal
response to all the questions our customers
may have after their helicopter enters into
service.” ■
R OTOR JOURNAL - NO. 83 - OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER 2009