Rotor - Eurocopter

36
IN OPERATION
R O T O R JO URNAL - NO . 8 3 - OCT O BER/ N O VEMBER 2009
SERVICIOS AÉREOS LOS ANDES
The High g Altitude
Specialist
To successfully complete missions at over 4,000 meters altitude and in temperatures
of over 20°C, you have to have quality staff and machines that you know you can count on.
With its two AS350 B3 Ecureuil/AStars, the operator Los Andes has proven time
and again that it has what it takes.
Performing aerial work for oil & gas
production and transportation companies
in Peru is no simple matter.
For the operator Los Andes, which flies two
AS350 B3 Ecureuil/AStars in the Andes
Mountains, operating in difficult conditions
is a daily affair. The company’s pilots often
ARTICLE: BELÉN MORANT
have to take off at high altitudes and in hot
weather—“high and hot” conditions that
are typical of the equatorial region. “The
Ecureuil is a light helicopter that offers
high power and cutting-edge technology,
which means we can fly in excellent conditions
and in complete confidence,” says
© Andes
Walton Mery Pinto, CEO of Los Andes.
“Not every helicopter is capable of flying
over the Andes, but for the AS350 B3 it’s
no problem. No other helicopter on the
market offers more efficient output at high
altitudes.” Los Andes is so satisfied with
its AS350 B3 that the company recently
placed an order for a third machine, which
is slated for delivery in early 2010.
A large part of Peru is covered by tropical
forests, where the relative humidity is
approximately 95% and the temperature
often climbs above 25°C. Air transportation
activity has risen sharply in Peru
in recent years, and the fleet of helicopters
owned by private companies has
increased threefold. “The time is ripe to
consolidate our activities,” comments
Carlos Augusto Dammert, a senior executive
at Los Andes. “We want to strengthen
our position in other sectors so that we
can perform both passenger and cargo
transportation missions.” After four years
of cooperation with Eurocopter Chile, the
management team at Los Andes is quick
to express their satisfaction. Its pilots and
technicians have completed ab initio and
recurrent training courses at Eurocopter
Chile and in the United States. “There still
may be a few rough spots to smooth out,
but the quality of Eurocopter’s services
has drastically improved over the last few
years,” says Mr. Pinto. ■