German operator SP Luftbild has won a contract to survey gas pipelines in the Netherlands for Gasunie, a Dutch natural gas infrastructure and transportation company operating in the Netherlands and Germany.  The company’s network ranks among the largest high pressure gas pipeline grids in Europe, consisting of over 15,000 kilometres of pipeline in the Netherlands and northern Germany, dozens of installations and approximately 1,300 gas receiving stations.

The previous contract holder for this helicopter operation was local Dutch company Helicon.

The application for exemption from the low-flying rules requests SP Luftbild exemption for “Schweizer 300C, Schweizer 333, MD 500E, Eurocopter AS350, Robinson R44 Raven II, or an equivalent replacement helicopter”.  The time period given is from 1st February 2012 to 31st January 2013, and there is no indication whether this is the entire contract period or the request has to be made anually.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com