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- greatansett
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Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Do any airlines still operate Helicopters on service routes. AN used to operate services to Hamilton Island in the early 80's but that's all I can think of, can anyone help?
Ron Paul 2012
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Helijet Airways in Vancouver BC Canada is one that operates both copters and airplanes. They actually started out with the former (hence the name) and now operate a couple of turboprops.
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- greatansett
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- greatansett
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
KI911-Thanks but do you know where they operate from?
Ron Paul 2012
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
How economic is it to operate Helis in comparison to props on very short routes.
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- greatansett
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
I don't know JoFMO but Ansett dropped its Helicopter services for 737-200's.
Ron Paul 2012
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
I am especially thinking about routes of under 30min flight time. For example UAExpress has 8 flights from LAX to Ontario and 6 to Santa Ana with their Embraer 120.
They easily could replace these flights by helis without needing more flight time. Also I guess that helis doesn't need slots, so they could free up 14 slots.
They easily could replace these flights by helis without needing more flight time. Also I guess that helis doesn't need slots, so they could free up 14 slots.
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
GREATANSETT,
I've seen them at AMS, EIN and Den Helder.
KL911
I've seen them at AMS, EIN and Den Helder.
KL911
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- greatansett
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Copterline flies scheduled operations between Helsinki heliport (Hernessaari) and Tallinn heliport (Linnahall). 17 minutes and the only scheduled service linking two capitals. 
 Photo © Suresh A. Atapattu |  Photo © Suresh A. Atapattu |
World Wide Aerospace Photography
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Don't forget the NICE - CANNES service...
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Photo © Peter Unmuth - VAP
http://la-cote-dazur.com/heliair/
Settled in 1976, the regular line is active 365 days a year, with a flight every 20 minutes, making then 40 flights in the both way, in connection with the arrival and the departure of the planes in Nice Airport. During the Monaco Grand Prix, Heli Air Monaco makes a real aerial bridge between Nice and Monaco.
[Edited 2004-08-21 02:52:23]
Photo © Peter Unmuth - VAP
http://la-cote-dazur.com/heliair/
Settled in 1976, the regular line is active 365 days a year, with a flight every 20 minutes, making then 40 flights in the both way, in connection with the arrival and the departure of the planes in Nice Airport. During the Monaco Grand Prix, Heli Air Monaco makes a real aerial bridge between Nice and Monaco.
[Edited 2004-08-21 02:52:23]
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Didn't PAN AM once have some sort of Helicopter service in NY???
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Photo © Bill Hough
???
Photo © Bill Hough
???
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- SafetyDude
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
I believe that Pan Am had helicopter service from JFK to the landing pad on top of the Pan Am building in mid-town Manhattan.
-Will
-Will
"She Flew For What We Stand For"
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
GL, Greenlandair operates several helicopter services. I flew two summers ago from UAK (Narsarsuaq) to JJU (Qaqortoq). It was about a 20 minute flight in a 24 seat Sikorsky 61. UAK is a hub for Greenlandair services in the southern area of Greenland. There were several communities which relied on helicopters for transportation.
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
I know before the USSR disbanded that Aeroflot did but don't know if they do anymore.
Just My 2 Cents
FlyIGuy
Just My 2 Cents
FlyIGuy
The opinions I post are of mine and mine alone, not of the airline I work for.
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- star_world
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Greenlandair also operate some Sikorsky S-61s to reach some of the more difficult airports up there....
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Photo © Zvi Harpaz
Photo © Zvi Harpaz
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- petertenthije
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
KLM operates their helicopters to oil rigs in the North Sea. Not sure if they still do though, I thought the helicopter operation had been sold?
The first thing to remember is always treat your kite like you treat your woman.
Get inside her five times a day and take her to heaven and back!
Lord Flashheart, 1989
Get inside her five times a day and take her to heaven and back!
Lord Flashheart, 1989
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- northseatiger
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Yes,
I beleive the KLM operation was Schreiner Helicopters which was baught over by CHC, The helicopters you will see at Den Helder are Offshore Oil Helicopters. I would imagine running props on short flights would be cheaper than running a helicopter as the maintenance costs are so high. I Beleive the cost of running a large helicopter for 1 hour is something between £1000 - £2000.
I beleive the KLM operation was Schreiner Helicopters which was baught over by CHC, The helicopters you will see at Den Helder are Offshore Oil Helicopters. I would imagine running props on short flights would be cheaper than running a helicopter as the maintenance costs are so high. I Beleive the cost of running a large helicopter for 1 hour is something between £1000 - £2000.
T's And P's look good....Rotate
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- sabenapilot
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Those are all nice, but they are/were not really regular routes you can just book with an airline, can you?
In the second half of the 1950s and for about one decade Sabena was one of the few airlines who actually operated many short haul scheduled routes with a large fleet of Sikorsky helicopters! I remember them serving DUS, Paris Centre, London City (not the airport with the same name, but landing almost in front of Big Ben) some other places on a regular basis.
Although these pioneering routes were very convenient, they were also loss making, so SN stopped them somewhere in second half of the 1960s...
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Photo © Fernand Van de Plas
[Edited 2004-08-21 12:27:32]
In the second half of the 1950s and for about one decade Sabena was one of the few airlines who actually operated many short haul scheduled routes with a large fleet of Sikorsky helicopters! I remember them serving DUS, Paris Centre, London City (not the airport with the same name, but landing almost in front of Big Ben) some other places on a regular basis.
Although these pioneering routes were very convenient, they were also loss making, so SN stopped them somewhere in second half of the 1960s...
Photo © Fernand Van de Plas
[Edited 2004-08-21 12:27:32]
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
Yes,
I beleive the KLM operation was Schreiner Helicopters which was baught over by CHC, The helicopters you will see at Den Helder are Offshore Oil Helicopters. I would imagine running props on short flights would be cheaper than running a helicopter as the maintenance costs are so high. I Beleive the cost of running a large helicopter for 1 hour is something between £1000 - £2000.
yes, they indeed sold it to Schreiner, wich is still fying 1 or 2 helicopters wich came from KLM . the main reasons KLM stopped with the helicopter service were :
1) the helicopter crash, almost everybody on board died
2) the cost of running helicopters from out of AMS were way more expensive than the earned with it....
i miss the helicopters, they were always flying over our house, i even remember them when i was 4 years old.... hope we will see new helicopter
greatings maurice
I beleive the KLM operation was Schreiner Helicopters which was baught over by CHC, The helicopters you will see at Den Helder are Offshore Oil Helicopters. I would imagine running props on short flights would be cheaper than running a helicopter as the maintenance costs are so high. I Beleive the cost of running a large helicopter for 1 hour is something between £1000 - £2000.
yes, they indeed sold it to Schreiner, wich is still fying 1 or 2 helicopters wich came from KLM . the main reasons KLM stopped with the helicopter service were :
1) the helicopter crash, almost everybody on board died
2) the cost of running helicopters from out of AMS were way more expensive than the earned with it....
i miss the helicopters, they were always flying over our house, i even remember them when i was 4 years old.... hope we will see new helicopter
greatings maurice
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- star_world
- Posts: 943
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
The Greenlandair example I gave above is a regularly scheduled service that you can book - with a GL flight number, etc. Ok so it is probably slightly difficult for the vast majority of A.net members to go and actually fly on these routes, but they do exist!
Current schedule is here: http://www.greenland-guide.gl/gla/viewPage.php?id=204
Current schedule is here: http://www.greenland-guide.gl/gla/viewPage.php?id=204
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
British International Helicopters operate from Cornwall to the Silly Isle.
See https://www.airliners.net/discussions/trip_reports/read.main/47897/ for a recent trip report.
GreatAnsett
"Ansett dropped its Helicopter services for 737-200's"
Not exactly. The S61's were replaced by a boat which connected to the air srip on Hamilton Island, to which Ansett operated B732's
It was an inresting operation. the helicopter was based in the town of Prosapine, the closest airport to the islands, but most pax arrived by DC9/B727 at Mackay, about a 100 miles south. So the heli would position empty to Hayman, then fly to Mackay, via Daydream, South Mole & Long Islands, this was for pax from these islands not Hayman. It would then return non stop to Hayman and then non stop to Mackay, with Hayman pax.
At Mackay pax were exchanged with the jets, the heli returned non stop to Hayman with Hayman pax, then returned to Mackay non stop to pick up pax for the other islands, ending back at Hayman. The last leg of the day was then a ferry back to Prosapine.
One little known perk, sold only thru the Ansett office in Prosapine was a $5 ticket (1973) that entittlred you to travel to Hayman on the early morning ferry, spend the day as a guest at the resort, incl lunch, then fly back on the late afternoon return ferry. Best value ticket I ever purchased, about $500 worth of flying, resort usage and food for $5!!!
Gemuser
See https://www.airliners.net/discussions/trip_reports/read.main/47897/ for a recent trip report.
GreatAnsett
"Ansett dropped its Helicopter services for 737-200's"
Not exactly. The S61's were replaced by a boat which connected to the air srip on Hamilton Island, to which Ansett operated B732's
It was an inresting operation. the helicopter was based in the town of Prosapine, the closest airport to the islands, but most pax arrived by DC9/B727 at Mackay, about a 100 miles south. So the heli would position empty to Hayman, then fly to Mackay, via Daydream, South Mole & Long Islands, this was for pax from these islands not Hayman. It would then return non stop to Hayman and then non stop to Mackay, with Hayman pax.
At Mackay pax were exchanged with the jets, the heli returned non stop to Hayman with Hayman pax, then returned to Mackay non stop to pick up pax for the other islands, ending back at Hayman. The last leg of the day was then a ferry back to Prosapine.
One little known perk, sold only thru the Ansett office in Prosapine was a $5 ticket (1973) that entittlred you to travel to Hayman on the early morning ferry, spend the day as a guest at the resort, incl lunch, then fly back on the late afternoon return ferry. Best value ticket I ever purchased, about $500 worth of flying, resort usage and food for $5!!!
Gemuser
DC23468910;B72172273373G73873H74374475275376377L77W;A319 320321332333343;BAe146;C402;DHC6;F27;L188;MD80MD85
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
I flew last week on a purely helicopter airline: British International (my TR is the one linked above). They operate S-61s.
BA used to operate them for the LHR-LGW shuttle, but the M25/M23 killed that really.
BA used to operate them for the LHR-LGW shuttle, but the M25/M23 killed that really.
Once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned forever skyward
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- star_world
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RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
I'd take an S-61 between LHR-LGW rather than having to sit in that M25-M23 traffic any day
RE: Airlines Operating Helicopters?
There is a little known state-owned carrier called "Pawan Hans" which operates only Helicopters. Mainly charter services, but it operates some scheduled services as well between Jammu (IXJ) and a holy shrine called Vaishnodevi in Kashmir as well as from some North-Eastern airports to remote cities in that region. They operate Ecureil and other French made choppers.
Private operators liek Air Deccan and MillionAir also oeprate choppers on scheduled flights.
-Roy
Private operators liek Air Deccan and MillionAir also oeprate choppers on scheduled flights.
-Roy
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