newstodate.aero
Jun 26, 2017 (newstodatre): Air Greenland had little success with its acquisition in 2015 of a Canadian S-61 helicopter for SAR purposes.
The helicopter will now be cannibalized to provide spares for maintenance of the company's last own remaining S-61 aircraft.
The Canadian helicopter was younger than the aircraft in Air Greenland's fleet but turned out to be in a worse state of corrosion than expected due to operations under other environmental condition.
Some systems had also been removed by the authorities as being US military equipment, and the helicopter's auto pilot could not be certified by the aviation authority.
In the end the helicopter and its systems were indeed certified - but in the meantime General Electric had closed down the company responsible for the auto pilot - and Air Greenland had no alternative but to scrap the aircraft.
SAR services in and around Greenland thus once again rest on the carrier's sole remaining S-61.
Earlier, plans were for the SAR service to be provided by two EC225 Super Puma Helicopters slated for delivery in 2014.
These aircraft were ordered in 2011 by Air Greenland in expectation of a future boom in oil and gas in the Arctic region - but these hopes receded and Air Greenland cancelled the order again in 2014.
The helicopter will now be cannibalized to provide spares for maintenance of the company's last own remaining S-61 aircraft.
The Canadian helicopter was younger than the aircraft in Air Greenland's fleet but turned out to be in a worse state of corrosion than expected due to operations under other environmental condition.
Some systems had also been removed by the authorities as being US military equipment, and the helicopter's auto pilot could not be certified by the aviation authority.
In the end the helicopter and its systems were indeed certified - but in the meantime General Electric had closed down the company responsible for the auto pilot - and Air Greenland had no alternative but to scrap the aircraft.
SAR services in and around Greenland thus once again rest on the carrier's sole remaining S-61.
Earlier, plans were for the SAR service to be provided by two EC225 Super Puma Helicopters slated for delivery in 2014.
These aircraft were ordered in 2011 by Air Greenland in expectation of a future boom in oil and gas in the Arctic region - but these hopes receded and Air Greenland cancelled the order again in 2014.