Sikorsky delivers first of record S-92 helicopter order

Bjorn Seljevold, Managing Director and Chairman of Norsk Helikopterservice, speaks at the S-92 delivery ceremony in Coatesville, Pa. Photo courtesy of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
Bjorn Seljevold, Managing Director and Chairman of Norsk Helikopterservice, speaks at the S-92 delivery ceremony in Coatesville, Pa. Photo courtesy of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

Sikorsky Global Helicopters, the commercial aircraft business of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., has delivered the first of 16 completed S-92 helicopters to the U.K.-based Avincis Group.

The order by Avincis, a global aerial services provider for mission-critical operations, was first announced in February 2012 and represents the largest single purchase of Sikorsky S-92 helicopters to date.

The aircraft will first go to Norway before being deployed in Avincis’ U.K.-North Sea sector, where the company provides transportation for its customers’ offshore oil and gas crews and for search and rescue missions.

The S-92 is a multi-mission helicopter used in various roles and known for its safety features and performance in harsh environments such as the North Sea, according to Sikorsky. The Stratford-based helicopter manufacturer and United Technologies Corp. subsidiary expects to deliver its 200th S-92 helicopter in the second quarter of 2013.

All 16 of the S-92 helicopters ordered by Avincis will feature equipment and systems required under European Aviation Safety Agency rules for operations in the North Sea. Those features include five flotation devices, two auto-deployable life rafts, satellite flight following communications and a main rotor blade ice protection system.

Currently, 47 S-92 aircraft are deployed by five countries in the North Sea region for offshore transport and search and rescue missions.