29-Apr-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Siemens has received a major order for its offshore wind power business – to supply, install and commission a total of 102 wind turbines, each with a capacity of seven megawatts and a rotor diameter of 154 meters. This falls under the East Anglia ONE project, for which the customer is ScottishPower Renewables, and is... Read more
25-Apr-2016Source: HeliHub.com
British based operator Bond is finally rebranding its operations to the corporate image of parent company Babcock today. This is just short of two years since the announcement mid May 2014 that engineering support services company Babcock International Group PLC officially completed its acquisition of the Avincis Group. All aspects of Bond in the UK... Read more
15-Mar-2016Source: Scottish Ambulance Service
The Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing, Shona Robison, formally opened a new, purpose built base for air ambulance and clinical retrieval teams at Glasgow Airport today. The new facility brings Scottish Ambulance Service Air Ambulance helicopter and fixed wing operations from the West into a single location. Scotland’s national specialists retrieval service for critically ill... Read more
14-Mar-2016Source: Police Scotland
A new state-of-the-art helicopter will be brought into service for Police Scotland as part of a new seven-year air support contract. Bond Air Services secured the contract with the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland after they were selected as the preferred bidder following a competitive tendering and procurement process. The new helicopter – an... Read more
3-Dec-2015Source: HeliHub.com
PDG Helicopters – based in Scotland – has this week started a new seven year contract to support of lighthouses around the coasts of UK and Ireland, the first time this has been flown as a single contract. Up to now there have been three separate contracts for the Corporation of Trinity House (covering England... Read more
30-Nov-2015Source: HeliHub.com
Bond have renewed their contract with Kinsale Energy for a further five years from 1st January 2016 to 31st December 2020. The British-based operator and will continue to base an offshore-configured EC135T2+ at Cork Airport for this work, which calls for the transfer of personnel and equipment to and from the gas fields 50km off... Read more
27-Oct-2015Source: HeliHub.com
HeliHub.com was the first media outlet to confirm that Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance were going to update from their Bo105 to the larger EC135 helicopter, in our article on 22nd September, the day after the EC135 was registered by the Civil Aviation Authority as G-SCAA. What we can now reveal is the colour scheme of... Read more
26-Oct-2015Source: HeliHub.com
We are hearing more and more that Bond will change its name to bring it in line with parent company Babcock. The onshore element Bond Air Services, along with Bond Offshore Helicopters, were both represented under the Babcock name at the recent Helitech International event in London, and Bond staff told us there that they... Read more
22-Oct-2015Source: Gama Aviation
Gama Aviation (LSE:GMAA), the global aviation services company, has opened a new purpose built base at Glasgow airport to support its contract with the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS). The base will house Scotland’s national specialist transport and retrieval service (SCOTSTAR) for critically ill NHS patients and will be the first time anywhere in the UK... Read more
12-Oct-2015Source: Bond Air
Bond, A Babcock International Group company, formally handed over the first of seven redesigned and upgraded EC135 T2+ helicopters to the National Police Air Service (NPAS) at Helitech International today (October 7). The aircraft features a new custom-designed mission suite with a range of integrated technologies including a next generation mission management system, advanced and... Read more
22-Sep-2015Source: HeliHub.com
Scotland is the only part of the UK to have Government-funded EMS helicopters, and two H145s are now flying as G-SASN and G-SASS in this role. Additionally, a charity-funded air ambulance was launched in November 2012 by the predictably worded Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance, and started operating in May 2013 with an aging Bo105. Ironically... Read more
16-Sep-2015Source: HeliHub.com
The new Airbus H135 helicopter for Thames Valley Air Ambulance has been revealed and shows a much greater attention to branding than the previous unimaginative red and yellow scheme. Our photo here by Dave Webb shows the aircraft returning from a pre-delivery flight test at Gloucestershire Airport, The helicopter arrived into the UK on 5th... Read more
1-Apr-2015Source: NHS
The first helicopter test landing has taken place on the new south Glasgow hospital’s helipad. Yesterday a Scottish Ambulance Service EC135 air ambulance operated by Bond Air Services performed a perfect landing on the state-of-the-art helipad on the roof of the 14 storey hospital. The helipad has a dedicated rapid access lift which can transfer... Read more
17-Mar-2015Source: Bond Air Services
The third H145 (formerly EC145T2) to arrive in the UK was delivered to Bond Air Services last week, joining the only other two aircraft of this type in the country, which are both already at the company’s Staverton headquarters. [Editor note – the aircraft was delivered on a German test registration D-HCBW on Wednesday 11th... Read more
28-Jan-2015Source: Bond Air Services
The UK’s second EC145T2 has become the latest addition to the Bond Air Services fleet. The brand new aircraft arrived at Bond Air Services’ Gloucestershire Airport headquarters last week and was welcomed by Andy Moir and Rob Dalziel from the Scottish Ambulance Service, Tom Wells from Gama and Paul Westaway from Bond Air Services. The... Read more
15-Jan-2015Source: Babcock
Following the acquisition of Avincis Group (Avincis) by Babcock International Group PLC (the Group) in May 2014, the process to integrate the business into the Group has progressed well and it is therefore appropriate to reflect this by taking the Babcock name. Avincis will therefore now become Babcock Mission Critical Services (Babcock). The local companies... Read more
18-Nov-2014Source: HeliHub.com
Late last week, Bond Air Services took delivery of the first EC145T2 in the UK – serial 20012 – arriving by air on a German test registration D-HADM. This helicopter has since been registered with the UK CAA as G-HEMC and would be ordinarily expected to go through various certification and paperwork exercises before commencing... Read more
17-Nov-2014Source: Britannia 2000
We are pleased to announce that B2K has been selected and contracted by Bond Helicopters Europe for the supply of the Compact Airborne Mission Computer (CAMC) for the National Police Air Service (NPAS) mission system upgrade programme. The CAMC is designed for civil and military applications on rotary and fixed-wing platforms, providing a variety of... Read more
16-Oct-2014Source: Airbus
The two latest-version aircraft will support Bond Air Services’ EMS operations in the UK. [Ed – as recently reported, one for Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance, and one for Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance] Airbus Helicopters is proud to build on its partnership with Avincis, a Babcock International Group company, with an order for... Read more
30-Sep-2014Source: The Herald
MORE lives are set to be saved after the air ambulance service that operates in Oxfordshire revealed it will begin night flights. See full story... Read more
4-Sep-2014Source: Bond
Bond Air Services has announced the appointment of Tim Shattock as new Managing Director. Tim succeeds current Managing Director, Chris Greenhill, who is retiring after 34 years with the company. Tim comes to Bond Air Services with more than 30 years of senior management experience in the aviation industry, most recently as Chief Executive Officer... Read more
6-Jun-2014Source: HeliHub.com
Bond Air Services have confirmed to HeliHub.com that the contract they have with Great Western Air Ambulance will see an aircraft upgrade in October 2014. The move is largely prompted by their current Bo105 being incapable of operating from the newly-opened helipad at Bristol Royal Infirmary, one of two hospitals in the centre of GWAA’s... Read more
4-Jun-2014Source: NPAS
Brand new state-of-the-art camera and mission system equipment is being installed across a third of the National Police Air Service Fleet. The new equipment integrates a new high end camera with mission planning and mapping systems while retaining existing airframes with plenty of service life left. This enhancement will allow these aircraft to continue to... Read more
30-May-2014Source: Irwin Mitchell
HeliHub.com editor note – The press release below from Irwin Mitchell is followed by a response from Bond Air Services, requested by the HeliHub.com team Lawyers representing families who lost loved ones in The Clutha helicopter crash six months ago have described the initial offers of compensation from the company responsible for operating the aircraft... Read more
16-May-2014Source: HeliHub.com
Plans to move Glasgow Heliport were first aired at least four years ago as the site owners wanted to use the land for a hotel. Ever since its launch, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre have been supportive of the heliport in one corner of its site alongside the River Clyde, so there was no... Read more
15-May-2014Source: HeliHub.com
On May 3rd, Bell’s 429 demonstrator was shipped into their European base at Prague in the Czech Republic. Within four days it had arrived in the UK where it has been demonstrated to Bond Air Services this week and is expected to visit other operators in the air ambulance market as well. The helicopter is... Read more
26-Feb-2014Source: HIOWAA
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance are pleased to announce a further step in the continuing development of the Air Ambulance service. With effect from June 2014, the charity will be operating with an enhanced model of the familiar Eurocopter 135. The new model will also be a Eurocopter 135, but it will be... Read more
24-Feb-2014Source: STV
A report to go before the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) meeting on Wednesday asks members to approve the proposals to the next stage. See full story... Read more
16-Feb-2014Source: Bond Air Services
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has issued its latest Special Bulletin detailing information as part of its ongoing investigation into the accident at the Clutha Vaults, Glasgow on 29 November 2013. The Special Bulletin provides more factual information and an update on the progress of the investigation. The report can be found here: http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/special_bulletins/s2_2014___eurocopter_ec135_t2___g_spao.cfm... Read more
3-Feb-2014Source: HeliHub.com
From the 1st December 2015, the support of lighthouses around the coasts of UK and Ireland is to merge into one contract. Up to now there have been three separate contracts for the Corporation of Trinity House (covering England & Wales), Northern Lighthouse Board (Scotland) and the Commissioner of Irish Lights (Ireland and Northern Ireland).... Read more
30-Jan-2014Source: Irwin Mitchell
Specialist aviation lawyers representing a growing number of victims of the Clutha tragedy in Glasgow have written to Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin, urging him to launch a public inquiry into commercial helicopter safety in the UK and review the laws that exempt helicopters from having to carry crucial black box equipment. In... Read more
26-Jan-2014Source: Irwin Mitchell
Specialist aviation lawyers acting for injured victims and families who lost loved ones in the Clutha helicopter tragedy in Glasgow in November have welcomed Bond Aviation Group’s admission of liability in relation to the incident, but warned much more needs to be done to improve helicopter safety. Irwin Mitchell’s Aviation Law team, ranked as one... Read more
13-Jan-2014Source: Irwin Mitchell
Specialist aviation lawyers representing persons injured and bereaved as a result of the Clutha helicopter crash in Glasgow have formally launched their fight for justice in relation to the tragedy and outlined their hopes that the move will lead to increased efforts to review and improve flight safety. Irwin Mitchell’s Aviation Law team, which is... Read more
23-Dec-2013Source: Irwin Mitchell
LAWYERS representing a family bereaved in the Clutha helicopter crash have called for all passenger-carrying helicopters to be fitted with black box recording devices. Aviation legal experts from Irwin Mitchell, who also act for the victims of North Sea helicopter ditchings, have been instructed by John McGarrigle, whose 57-year-old father, also called John McGarrigle, died... Read more
16-Dec-2013Source: Bond Air Services
We note that Eurocopter has today issued a Safety Information Notice 2673-S-28 to operators of the EC135 across the world confirming that some of their aircraft have a fault in the fuel indication and alert system which means that warning system may not work properly. This was a fault discovered by Bond during normal service operations on Wednesday 11th,... Read more
13-Dec-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Bond Air Services, the operator of the Scottish Police EC135 which had a tragic accident on 29th November, issued the following statement on Thursday 12th:- “During normal operations yesterday, one of our EC135 fleet has experienced an indication defect that requires further technical investigation. Therefore as a precautionary measure we have temporarily suspended service operations... Read more
9-Dec-2013Source: HeliHub.com
The AAIB has in the last three hours published an initial summary of their findings to date of the Scottish Police Eurocopter EC135 accident in Glasgow on 29th November. The accident killed the pilot from Bond Air Services, and the two police offciers in the helicopter – and a further six on the ground. The... Read more
29-Nov-2013Source: Avincis Group
Avincis Mission Critical Services Group S.A.U (“Avincis”) (previously Prioris Aviation Spain S.A.U) today reported strong results for the third quarter of 2013, including improved margins, a growing order book and continuing efficiency gains. [Editor note – This really is “selected highlights only”. We requested the full numbers, but Avincis declined to provide them] Financial Highlights ... Read more
25-Nov-2013Source: Avincis & Babcock
HeliHub.com editor note – Below we reproduce the statements from Avincis and Babcock following the original article in the Sunday Times which HeliHub.com ran yesterday. There is a clear difference in these statements to the general media approach. Both statements refer to “Joint Venture” while the press are saying Babcock is seeking to buy Avincis for... Read more
24-Nov-2013Source: Sunday Times
Engineering company Babcock International – who run Devonport and Rosyth military dockyards in the UK – is in advanced talks on a blockbuster £1.5bn takeover of Avincis Group. See story ... Read more
21-Oct-2013Source: Bond Air Services
Gloucestershire-based Bond Air Services (Bond) is delighted to announce the start of a new air ambulance operation for North West Air Ambulance in the Merseyside area. The new service will be provided by a Eurocopter EC135T2 aircraft, which has been modified for Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operations [Editor note – not specifically modified for... Read more
25-Sep-2013Source: Turbomeca
During Helitech, Turbomeca (Safran) and Avincis Group are pleased to announce the signature of a global support contract that covers engines operated by Inaer, Bond Air Services, Bond Offshore Helicopters and Australian Helicopters. This agreement further enhances the strengthening relationship between Avincis and Turbomeca. This agreement includes the incorporation into Turbomeca’s Support By the Hour... Read more
18-Sep-2013Source: HeliHub.com
PDG Helicopters has retained its contract with Network Rail. A new five year contract starts on 4th December, and contains an option to extend for a further five years as well. This extends the working relationship between the companies which began formally in 2006 after PDG won the work from Jarvis Rail – an infrastructure... Read more
13-Sep-2013Source: UK Treasury
The scheme is designed to create new private sector sources of lending for small and medium sized businesses, to fill the gap left by the reduction in bank lending. It has so far raised £5 of lending for every £1 of taxpayers’ money. Six new lending funds have been created by the scheme and are... Read more
8-Aug-2013Source: Bond Air Services
Bond provides helicopter support to deliver maintenance technicians by hoist to the wind farm’s 140 turbines – the first helicopter operation of its kind in the UK. The wind farm has a generation capacity of around 500MW, enough to power approximately 530,000 homes. The service uses a Eurocopter EC135T2i aircraft, operating seven days a week... Read more
25-Jul-2013Source: Trakka Corp
Trakka Corp Pty Ltd today announced that the A800 Trakkabeam Tactical Searchlight has been successfully installed and operated on the first UK Air Ambulance cleared for full night operations. The aircraft installation from Bond Air Services for the East Anglian Air Ambulance EC135 aircraft marks a first for UK HEMS operations. The Trakkabeam searchlight’s primary... Read more
5-Jun-2013
Scottish Air Ambulance EC135 ferrying a sick patient from a remote island to a mainland hospital was forced to divert to an airport after the pilot spotted doctors having a barbecue near the helipad. (see full story)... Read more
24-May-2013Source: Avincis Group
Avincis Group (Avincis), a leading global provider of aerial services for mission critical operations, is pleased to announce the appointment of Manuel Lopez Aguilar as Regional CEO Western Europe with immediate effect. Manuel will also hold the position of Director General for INAER Spain. Based in Alicante, Spain, Manuel will be responsible for Avincis’ business... Read more
8-Apr-2013Source: AeroSimulators
AeroSimulators announced today that it has entered into simulator maintenance and support agreements with Bond Air Services and INAER Helicópteros Off-Shore. Under the support agreements, AeroSimulators will be responsible for the delivery and provision of spares, support equipment, maintenance and re-certification services, as well as on-site training and documentation. These support services will cover an... Read more
5-Apr-2013Source: Bond Air Services
Bond Air Services (Bond), the largest operator of air ambulance aviation units in the UK, has been awarded a new seven-year contract by North West Air Ambulance (NWAA). The contract, worth just over £10 million, is to provide air ambulance support across five counties in North West England. Under the new contract, Bond will continue... Read more
7-Feb-2013Source: Bond
Bond Helicopters Europe (Bond) is delighted to confirm that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has approved one of its EC135 aircraft for night vision goggles (NVG) operations to ground level, a significant step towards the UK’s first night air ambulance operations. At present, no air ambulance service in the UK is able to operate... Read more
17-Jan-2013Source: Bond Air Services
Bond Air Services (Bond) is proud to announce that one of the two helicopter air ambulances it operates on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has reached 10,000 flying hours. The aircraft, a Eurocopter EC135T2i (registration G-SASA), reached this milestone transferring a maternity patient with abdominal pains from Cambeltown hospital to Crosshouse hospital in... Read more
28-Nov-2012Source: Bond Air Services
Bond Air Services (Bond) is proud to have presented cheques totaling over £5,000 to three charities at the company’s base at Gloucestershire Airport earlier today. Staff at Bond have raised a total of £5,254.83 through a variety of fundraising efforts over the course of the year, exceeding the target of £3,000 the company set itself... Read more
13-Nov-2012Source: Bond Air Services
Bond Air Services is delighted to congratulate the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC) on winning an Air Ambulance Team Award from the Ambulance Service Institute. The award, presented at a ceremony in London earlier today, recognised MAAC’s exemplary response to an incident in Lucton, Herefordshire in February this year, when all three Midlands Air Ambulance... Read more
22-Oct-2012Source: Bond Air Services
HeliHub.com editor note – The EC135 was first shown at Helitech 2009 fully kitted out. At Helitech 2011 we reported that the helicopter had not yet started offshore wind farm operations as expected two years prior, and a further year has now passed. We are pleased to see this finally working on the contract it... Read more
16-Oct-2012Source: Avincis Group
Avincis Mission Critical Services (Avincis Group) has established itself in the UK today as the world’s leading provider of mission critical aviation services. The Group’s mission is to save lives, protect the environment and provide safe transport for mission critical people and assets for public services and blue chip corporations. Avincis’ operating companies deliver across... Read more
10-Oct-2012Source: HeliHub.com
The South Georgia Heritage Trust has purchased a third Eurocopter Bo105 to add to the two it already has for rat eradication. The helicopters are involved in a five year project on the remote south Atlantic island of South Georgia, where the weather is so poor that the maximum weather window is just ten weeks... Read more
26-Sep-2012Source: Bond Aviation Group
The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC) has awarded a new seven-year contract to Bond Air Services Ltd. Under the contract, valued at approximately £26 million, Bond will continue to provide air ambulance services cover across six counties in the West Midlands until 2019. Bond will support the contract for three Eurocopter EC135T2i helicopters on a... Read more
24-Sep-2012Source: Midlands Air Ambulance
Since 1991 Midlands Air Ambulance has been airlifting critically ill and injured patients to hospitals across our region. Starting with just one aircraft, the fleet has grown to three aircraft and has responded to over 38,000 missions, making it the busiest and largest Air Ambulance operator in England and Wales. In that time the operation... Read more
19-Sep-2012Source: HeliHub.com
Bond Air Services have delivered Eurocopter EC135T2e G-HEMN to East Anglian Air Ambulance on Monday 17th September. The helicopter is fully night-compatible for the time when EAAA commence NVG operations as planned – reportedly in December assuming training and approvals are in place by then. EAAA commenced operations hurriedly with Bond in February 2011 after... Read more
23-Jul-2012Source: Bond Air Services
In 2011, one of our dear friends and work colleagues was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. It was decided that the company should undertake a fundraising challenge to support a charity of her choice; FOCUS (Fund forOncology Centre Users and Supporters) based at Cheltenham Hospital. When the Company Librarian, Mark Lloyd-Davies suggested the Three Peaks Challenge, he initially thought... Read more
5-Jul-2012Source: HeliHub.com
The new headquarters building for Cornwall Air Ambulance was opened yesterday by the Duchess of Cornwall. It is the first time in the UK that the fundraising and admin side of an air ambulance charity has been co-located with the operational side of the helicopter – the new hangar can hold two helicopters and is... Read more
14-Jun-2012Source: Gama Aviation
Gama Aviation Limited (Gama), part of the global Gama Group, announced today that the Scottish Ambulance Service has selected Gama to be its dedicated provider of Air Ambulance services for a further 7 years (2013 – 2020). Gama’s long association with the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Scotland which commenced in 1993 was today furthered... Read more
28-May-2012Source: Bond Aviation Group
Bond issue a two-part announcement of people changes, here is part 1… The Bond Aviation Group announces the appointment of Richard Mintern to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Mintern comes with nearly 30 years’ experience leading different functions of international aviation businesses, most recently as Group COO of The Monarch Travel Group. Prior to... Read more
10-May-2012Source: Bond Air Services
Bond Air Services, the UK’s largest independent emergency and mission critical helicopter operator providing air ambulance helicopter services, police and marine support to offshore wind farms and lighthouses, will resume flight operations of the EC 135 fleet at 07:00 on 9th May. Bond Air Services took the decision to suspend all flight operations for the... Read more
27-Apr-2012Source: Bond Air Services
Bond Air Services has been awarded a new, five-year contract, worth £8 million, by air ambulance charity, Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance. The contract will see Bond continue to provide a complete helicopter support service, including aircraft, crew and maintenance support until 2017. Bond has been providing the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service for the Air... Read more
26-Apr-2012Source: HeliHub.com
Bond Aviation Group has merged separate websites for each of its onshore and offshore operations into one Group website. Gone are www.BondOffshoreHelicopters.com and www.BondAirServices.com – both replaced by www.BondAviationGroup.com While the intent to merge two websites into one is understandable, and the willingness to expand on the predecessor sites with a new “Media” section, the... Read more
23-Feb-2012Source: BBC
Helicopter developed a fault, with crews being forced to leave it there overnight. A security guard saw a number of youths running from the craft on Sunday and noticed a side window had been smashed (see full story)... Read more
3-Nov-2011Source: East Anglian Air Ambulance
The East Anglian Air Ambulance has awarded a contract to aviation company Bond Air Services for two new aircraft which will provide the region with the most advanced air ambulance fleet in the UK. Both aircraft will also, for the first time, be capable of night flying, bringing the prospect that the life-saving air ambulance... Read more
29-Sep-2011Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, and Bond Aviation Group, are pleased to announce that they have signed an MoU today that will see both companies work together to establish a multi-year contract covering the purchase of AW139, AW169 and AW189 helicopters for offshore oil and gas support, HEMS, SAR and emergency service missions, together with support... Read more
28-Sep-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Bond Air Services confirmed to HeliHub.com at the Helitech show that their windfarm Eurocopter EC135T2+ has still yet to carry out any missions. Readers will likely remember it in the static park at Helitech in 2009, but Bond’s customer has decided not to start operations until the wind farm construction has been completely finished... Read more
8-Aug-2011Source: HeliHub.com
East Anglian Air Ambulance “EAAA” have had a rough time in recent months, starting with their previous vendor Sterling Helicopters losing their operating certificate after internal procedural irregularities (see story). Sterling owned and operated the two Eurocopter BK117s that EAAA used, and thus the air ambulancd charity without a ride. Within a couple of weeks,... Read more
2-May-2011Source: World Helicopters
Bond Aviation Group becomes an integral part of World Helicopters, together with the Inaer Helicopter Company and Australian Helicopters. Creates the world leader in the emergency helicopter services industry. Creates a leading player in the international oil and gas helicopter services industry. World Helicopters will operate ca. 360 aircrafts (rotary and fixed wing). World Helicopters,... Read more
7-Apr-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Britain’s Longmint Aviation, a group of 5 operators, appears to be very close to ceasing trading. Longmint includes the following operators Sterling Helicopters – at Norwich Alan Mann Helicopters – at Fairoaks Fast Helicopters – at Shoreham and Thruxton Total Air Management Services – previously at Sheffield and staff redeployed to Sterling/Fast Skydrift – a... Read more
28-Mar-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Bond Aviation Group, the UK company encompassing the onshore operator Bond Air Service and its sister company Bond Offshore Helicopters, is set to be sold by Stephen and Peter Bond for a figure thought to be around £300 million (approx $480M). The buyers are the two private equity groups that own Spanish operator INAER, which... Read more
