CHC Helikopter Service

Infobox Airline
airline=CHC Helikopter Service
logo=Chctitle new.pnglogo_size=250
IATA=L5
ICAO=HKS
callsign=HELIBUS
parent=CHC Helicopter
founded=1956
hubs=Stavanger Airport, Sola
focus_cities=Bergen Airport, Flesland, Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy, Florø Airport, Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
frequent_flyer=
lounge=
alliance=
fleet_size=28
destinations=
headquarters=Stavanger
key_people=
website= http://www.chc.ca

CHC Helikopter Service, previously just Helikopter Service is the Norwegian division of Canadian Helicopter Corporation. The airline was an independent company until 1999. It operates primarily to oil platforms on the Norwegian continental shelf in the North Sea, with crew change, infield shuttle and search and rescue operations. Though the global headquarters lay in Vancouver, Canada, the company has its main base at Stavanger Airport, Sola.

The company also operates out of the airports Bergen Airport, Flesland, Brønnøysund Airport, Brønnøy, Florø Airport and Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget in addition to the oil installations Ekofisk and Statfjord. It also operates a public service obligation on the route Bodø-Værøy.

History

The company started out operating under the name Scancopter-Service A/S in 1956, using various small helicopters. But in 1966 the first steps in the Norwegian oil exploration started, and the company acquired two Sikorsky S-61 helicopters and at the same time changed its name to Helikopter Service. By 1980 the company was operating 20 such helicopters. The airline had by then been acquired by Scandinavian Airlines and Fred. Olsen.

In 1982 the company started to renew its fleet, introducing the Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma and later the Eurocopter Super Puma 2. In 1993 it also started operating the Eurocopter Dauphin with possibilities for search and rescue purposes.

In 1996 the company changed its name to Helicopter Services Group and bought the British Bond Helicopters, its Australian subsidiary Lloyd Helicoptes and later the South African Court Helicopters.

CHC Helicopter bought Helikopter Services Group in 1999 and in 2000 the company changed name to CHC Helikopter Service. In 2000 the company sold the subsidiaries Lufttransport to Norwegian Air Shuttle and Heliflyg to Osterman Aero.

Fleet

* 1 Bell 214ST
* 8 Eurocopter AS332L Super Puma
* 8 Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma 2
* 3 Eurocopter AS365N2 Dauphin 2
* 5 Sikorsky S-61N
* 3 Sikorsky S-92A

Accidents and incidents

* On June 26 1978 all 18 crew and passengers on Sikorsky died when it crashed convert|87|nmi|km|0 northwest of Bergen, probably because the rotor loosened from the rotor head.
* On March 1 1988 a Super-Puma helicopter had to perform a controlled emergency landing on a cargo ship convert|100|nmi|km|-1 west of Egersund. No one was hurt.
* On July 16 1988 a Super-Puma helicopter had to perform an emergency landing in the North Sea. Everyone was picked up by another helicopter.
* On January 18 1996 a Super-Puma helicopter registered "LN-OBP" was forced to perform an emergency landing in the North Sea some 200 kilometers south-west of Egersund. All passengers survived and the heicopter was still floating 3 days later. Currently the remains of the helicopter is undergoing rebuilding by the students at the aviation technical school at Sola, Norway