H145 Helicopter Passes Offshore Wind Test

Following a two-day flight trial in late January, the H145 helicopter has proved its operational capabilities for offshore missions.

Airbus Helicopters reported today that aviation companies Wiking Helikopter Service GmbH and HTM Offshore have tested its twin-engine multipurpose helicopter H145 in all the relevant fields of offshore operations.

The flight test programme included missions such as approaching the wind park alpha ventus in the German Bight, landing on the transformer platform and hoisting technicians onto the offshore wind turbines.

Bernd Brucherseifer, Managing Director at HTM Offshore, said: “The technicians are increasingly used for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance missions on wind turbines, for instance if the turbine is not, or hardly accessible by ship due to rough waters.

“With wind parks emerging increasingly further away from the coastline we are reliant on a versatile but also efficient helicopter fleet. The H145 would be an ideal addition to our 11 Airbus Helicopters H135, as it can carry more passengers and travel for longer distances. Despite its spacious cabin the main rotor has a very small diameter, making it perfectly suited for approaching wind turbines.”

Lars Hilgert, Chief flight coordinator at Wiking Helikopter Service, said: “We are very positively surprised with the intuitive Helionix® cockpit of the H145 and its 4-axis autopilot with auto-hover function. These systems contribute to the helicopter’s high levels of safety in every scenario. At the same time the workload of the crew is reduced, allowing them to safely accomplish their mission even in the harshest of weathers.”

“Our rescue helicopters are constantly on stand-by for offshore HEMS [Helicopter Emergency Medical Services]. Every unit is staffed with a doctor and an assistant and ready to embark on a mission in a minimum amount of time. The H145 would qualify perfectly for these missions, given that it features tremendous levels of performance and a spacious cabin,” said Alexander von Plato, Managing Director at Wiking Helikopter Service.