ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR THE EC225 FEATURED ARTICLES MEXICO, ALL EYES ON A GROWING MARKET DAUPHIN AND EC135 ONE THOUSAND AND COUNTING WWW.EUROCOPTER.COMWWW.EUROCOPTER.COMWWWWW.EUE ROROCOPTTERR.CCOMM ROTOR91_GB_V3_CB.indd 1 10/11/11 16:25 Thinking without limits 2 TEMPS FORT A helicopter designed to meet every operational challenge. Even the future. Designed in collaboration with our customers to cope with anything from a business trip to the most advanced SAR mission, the EC175 sets a benchmark for decades to come. The largest and quietest cabin. The highest levels of comfort, accessibility and visibility. The lowest fuel cost and CO2 emissions per seat. The EC175 is first in its class for them all. When you think future-proof, think without limits. ROTOR JOURNAL - NO. 91 - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 new ROTOR EC175Bus indd 1 18/11/10 19:14:44 ROTOR91_GB_V3_CB.indd 2 10/11/11 16:25 EDITORIAL 03 STRENGTHENING OUR LOCAL PRESENCE TO BETTER SERVE YOU Reinforcing our proximity to under the auspices of a joint venture with customers remains one of the local manufacturer Kazakhstan En- our strategic priorities as we gineering. In addition to the assembly believe we can best support line, the new entity will also provide lo- your success by being close cally based maintenance and training © Daniel Biskup to you. With this in mind, we are con- services. We are also taking steps to tinuing to make investments to best strengthen our presence in Brazil, where meet your needs. In all the countries in a new EC725 assembly line is scheduled which we are based, our goal is to gen- to go into operation in the very near fu- erate more added value locally and to ture. While the fi rst EC725s have already signifi cantly improve your overall satis- been delivered to Brazil and are now in faction. With a reinforced international service with all three branches of the presence, Eurocopter will be in a better country’s armed forces, the remaining position to serve you for all of your activi- helicopters on order will be assembled ties. Our strategy has become a reality on the new production line in Brazil. over the years, the latest examples be- These investments are in line with our ing the ongoing deployment of Full Flight strategy of international deployment Simulators in Malaysia, Singapore and whose objective is to reinforce our pres- China or the cooperation agreement we ence in all of the key markets for Euro- signed with Kazakhstan at the end of copter. The success of your missions is June for the production of 45 EC145s our ambition. Lutz Bertling, President and CEO of Eurocopter ROTOR JOURNAL - NO. 91 - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 ROTOR91_GB_edito.indd 3 23/11/11 10:45 04 CONTENTS 06 UP ABOVE 08 AT A GLANCE And the Winner Is… Eurocopter News in Brief 10 RETROSPECTIVE Paris Air Show: A Commitment to Innovation With both the EC175 and the X3 per- forming daily fl ight demonstrations, Eurocopter made its commitment to innovation known during this year’s Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget air- port outside of Paris, France. Rotor Journal takes a look back at how © Jérôme Deulin/Eurocopter Jérôme © Eurocopter fared at this year’s show. © Helibras/G. Wiltgen 18 FEATURED ARTICLES MEXICO, ALL EYES ON A GROWING MARKET Business in the Mexican market has been par- ideal way both to escape traffi c congestion and ticularly brisk thanks to a combination of factors. to address security concerns. The fi erce com- Boom times in the oil and gas industry mean petition in this sector can also be found in ever more helicopters are needed to serv- the parapublic market, which is expanding in ice the growing number of offshore platforms. tandem with the country’s economic growth. On Currently, given how close these facilities are the military side, Mexico has demonstrated that to the Mexican coast, demand is being met its geographical proximity to the United States by light twin-engine aircraft, but things are ex- does not overly affect its independence. This pected to shift in favor of heavier helicopters policy has allowed Eurocopter to score several © American© Eurocopter over the long term. Another growing market is notable victories – and to position itself for the business aviation, since helicopters are an country’s future requirements. © Frédéric Lert IN THE 16 INTERVIEW 14 SPOTLIGHT Bristow Test Pilot Tries Out the EC175 One Thousand and Counting Last March, the veteran pilot and Glo- Eurocopter delivered the 1,000th Dauphin and the bal Flight & SAR Standards Manager 1,000th EC135 within just a few months of each at Bristow Helicopters, Mark Prior, put other. As both these milestones clearly demon- the EC175 to the test during a fl ight at strate, the two helicopters are still very popular Marignane, France. He spoke to Rotor members of the Eurocopter family. © Patrick Penna/Eurocopter Journal about his fi rst impressions. ROTOR JOURNAL - NO. 91 - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 ROTOR91_GB_V3_CB.indd 4 10/11/11 16:26 24 LIFE OF THE RANGE • The Dauphin N3+ SAR Enters Service • Another Success for the EC225 • The EC145: A Rising Star • NVG Certification for Civil Operators © Patrick Penna/Eurocopter IN OPERATION + FOR MORE The EC725 Flying High in the Tropics 28 INFORMATION, The first three Brazilian EC725s, which Navy, H-36 Caracal by the Air Force and CHECK OUT were delivered in December 2010, have Jaguar by the Army, the EC725 is beginning been operating from their respective bases to mark its territory. since April 2011. Renamed UH-15 by the JOURNAL ROTOR • Hélisécurité: More than Just a Name • Air Methods: Strength in Numbers PLANET EUROCOPTER 13 SERVICES 32 Industrial Cooperation between • The Cougar’s Turn for Intermediate Inspections Eurocopter and Kazakhstan Engineering • PBH Contract for On June 27, 2011, Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling and Bolat 90,000 Flight Hours Smagulov, president of Kazakhstan Engineering, signed a cooperation contract for the manufacturing in Kazakhstan of the 45 EC145s ordered by the country. On hand for the ceremony were the French Prime Minister François Fillon Read the full INTERVIEW and his Kazakh counterpart, Karim Massimov. with Gorden Wagener, professor • 15 Years of Eurocopter in Russia honoris causa and head of design at Mercedes-Benz (page 26). 34 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK Eurocopter Has the Wind in Its Sails Eurocopter recognized the enormous potential for offshore wind parks many years ago. The Check out the following VIDEOS Group is now a world leader in this market - The Ecureuil Event (page 10), segment, which should increase by nearly 30% by 2020. - Retrospective: The EC135 © HTM and the Dauphin family Publication Director: Cécile Vion-Lanctuit, Editorial Director: Monique Colonges, Editor in Chief: Regina Lange, Iconography: Jérôme Deulin/ (pages 14/15). Erin Callender, Translation: Burton, Van Iersel & Whitney, Munich, Proofreading of the English version: Erin Callender, Proofreading of the German version: Regina Lange, Proofreading of the Spanish version: Belén Morant, Proofreading of the French version: Monique Colonges, Published by: , Printed by: SPI, N° ISSN 1169-9515 (Copyright Eurocopter 2011, all rights reserved). A-Star, Alouette, Arms, AS332, AS350, AS355, AS365, AS532, AS550, AS555, AS565, Bluecopter, Blue Edge, Blue Pulse, BK117, B0105, Cigalhe, Colibri, Cougar, Dauphin, Djinn, Dolphin, EC120, EC130, EC135, EC145, EC155, EC175, EC225, EC635, EC645, EC725, Eco-Star, Ecureuil, E-Techpub, Eurocoat, Fenestron, Fennec, Frelon, Gazelle, Horizon, Indoc, Keycopter, Lama, M’arms, Miniarms, Minihums, Panther, Puma, Sarib, Sirina, Spherifl ex, Starfl ex, Steadycontrol, Stylence, Super Puma, Thinking without limits, Tiger, Tigre, Twin-Star, Vemd, Vertivision, VSR700 are trademarks of the Eurocopter Group. WWW.EUROCOPTER.COM 10-31-1565 Magazine printed on Triple Star, paper originating from sustainable forests. ROTOR JOURNAL - NO. 91 - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 ROTOR91_GB_V3_CB.indd 5 10/11/11 16:26 06 UP ABOVE AND THE WINNER IS... Article ERIN CALLENDER Photo PHILIPPE FRAGNOL ECUREUIL PHOTO CONTEST ROTOR JOURNAL - NO. 91 - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 ROTOR91_GB_V3_CB.indd 6 10/11/11 16:26 As a part of the Ecureuil celebration during this year’s Paris Air Fredriksen, who were attempting the fi rst ascent of a diffi cult Show, Eurocopter organized a photo contest inviting its custom- and demanding route on the Les Drus mountains in the French ers with aircraft from the tried and true Ecureuil family to submit Alps,” explained Mr. Fragnol. “The pilot, my friend Pascal Brun, their best shots of an Ecureuil in action. Chosen from among 30 pointed out to me to the way the shadow of the helicopter hit the fi nalists, the winning photo was submitted by Chamonix Mont- mountain, and I found the resulting image quite graphic.” Cha- Blanc Hélicoptères and was taken by Philippe Fragnol, who was monix Mont-Blanc Hélicoptères, which will soon celebrate its on assignment in one of the operator’s Ecureuil AS350 B3s. 20th anniversary, specializes in high altitude aerial work in the “I was photographing climbers Martial Dumas and Jean-Yves Mont-Blanc mountain range. ROTOR JOURNAL - NO. 91 - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 ROTOR91_GB_V3_CB.indd 7 10/11/11 16:26 08 AT A GLANCE LASD 12th AND FINAL AS350 B2 DELIVERY During a ceremony at the Delivery Center in Grand Prairie, Texas, American Eurocopter celebrated the delivery of the 12th and final Ecureuil/AStar AS350 B2 to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. This aircraft com- pletes the order for 12 of these single-engine aircraft placed in 2010 as part of the LASD Aero Bureau’s fleet replacement program. In their final configuration, these aircraft represent the most technologically advanced fleet of airborne law enforcement AS350 B2s in the world. The AS350 has become a reference for law enforce- ment missions in the country for its reliability and high performance and it supports mission requirements for multiple federal, state and lo- American© Eurocopter cal agencies.