The EBACE show in Geneva has a total of just three helicopters on display.  Bell have taken their demonstrator 429, while AgustaWestland have brought a GrandNew from a French customer and Eurocopter have an EC135 from a Swiss customer.  EBACE, like NBAA in the US, is clearly focussed on the corporate fixed wing market, and do not give focus to helicopters at all.  In balance, the manufacturers see an opportunity to meet potential customers who see the value in corporate aviation

For the record, the three aircraft are
– N10984 Bell 429 (the demonstrator which has spent time around Europe – see HeliHub.com story)
– F-HIDE AgustaWestland AW109SP GrandNew – a 2010-build mentioned in this HeliHub.com story
– HB-ZTJ Eurocopter EC135P2+ – delivered around a year ago to Eliticino

Interesting discussion to be had here – is this a missed opportunity for the helicopter industry or something we should just leave as it is?

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com

Bristow has registered their first AW139 in the UK.  Now officially G-CHBY, the AW139 was ferried from Denmark to Norwich as OY-HLB on 3rd May.  It is expected to operate on rig shuttle flights in the Southern North Sea very soon, and we are endeavouring to find out who it is contracted to.

The UK aircraft register marks the helicopter as “Chartered” rather than “Owned”, which likely indicates that Bristow have leased the aircraft in from Bel Air rather than bought it from them.  The aircraft is serial 31310, delivered new to Bel Air in early 2011.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com

Photo copyright (c) 2012 Steve Mitchell