Eurocopter EC145 At Bankstown

[Grahame Hutchison]

Taxiing out this morning I noticed this gleaming Eurocopter EC145 sitting on the apron outside the Australian Aerospace hanger, so on
my return, I walked over for a closer look. This appears to be brand new and the registration is not listed on the register at present.
Equipment includes a Spectrolab Serachlight and a starboard mounted swing boom winch.

This is a large and impressive machine, with wide side doors and double rear doors.
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/D300-2009-08-15_001.jpg

Wire cutters above and below the cockpit, and double windscreen wipers for bad weather visibility (and a cute little red nose)
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/D300-2009-08-15_003.jpg

The winch boom is tucked in against the fuselage here, but swings out at rightangles
to the fuselage and has a downwards facing light.
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/D300-2009-08-15_006.jpg

Spectrolab Serachlight
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/D300-2009-08-15_007.jpg

Double doors at the rear allow good access to the large cabin area behind the crew up front.
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/D300-2009-08-15_010.jpg

The boom mounted winch, note the inspection window for the cable reel, and downward facing light.
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/D300-2009-08-15_012.jpg

[Gerard M]

Great looking helicopter there, nice photos Grahame. A stab in the dark here but possibly a new ASNSW rescue chopper?

[AdamC]

Aawesome shots grahame, did you get a sneek shot through the window of the avionics by any chance?

Cheers

Adam

[Grahame Hutchison]

It was all locked up Adam, and in the brilliant sunshine today, too many reflections to get anything decent through the windows.

[Nigel C]

Where's the polarising filter when you need one?

It's BK-117 heritage is quite obvious.

According to Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocopter_EC_145 :

2 undergoing fitout and testing for the Ambulance Service of New South Wales Greater Sydney Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. They will be deployed at the Bankstown and Orange Bases in mid to late 2009.

[Jethro H]

I think your on the money. As per the CHC Contract, they are suppose to supply two EC-145's. One is to be based at Bankstown, one at Orange.

Interesting parts from ASNSW Contract:
Three (3) AW 139 and two (2) EC 145 Aircraft are to be provided by the Contractor to meet the medical retrieval and rescue requirements of the ASNSW. Four (4) Aircraft shall be considered operational, and one (1) Aircraft shall be a back-up. They shall be based as follows:
Sydney:
1 x AW 139 Operational
1 x EC 145 Operational
1 x AW 139 Back-up (nominally based from Sydney)

Wollongong: 1 x AW 139 Operational

Orange: 1 x EC 145 Operational


The EC 145 Aircraft are to be capable of the carriage of two stretcher patients, but are to be normally configured for the carriage of one stretcher patient.

The Aircraft shall be new, and the ASNSW contract shall be the first operation for each Aircraft.

The Sydney and Wollongong based Aircraft are to be hoist equipped and operate with a hoist qualified Crew. The Orange based Aircraft is not required to be hoist equipped but is to have the hoist fixed fittings installed. The Orange based Aircraft is not required to operate with a hoist qualified Crew.

The AW 139 Aircraft are to be installed with emergency flotation equipment. The EC 145 Aircraft are not required to be installed with emergency flotation equipment, but are to have the flotation fixed fittings installed.

[Gerard M]

There was a discussion at uni recently about the orange ambulance helicopter cant remember the whole lot. But is orange air ambulance 24/7 because i thought they were saying that they wanted to make it 24/7 like the others?
And excuse my lack of knowledge but is the flotation equipment mentioned in the second last paragraph for the aircraft itself or to be used for the patients they rescue?

[Jethro H]

I know Orange was still day shift only a few months ago.

Flotation devices are for the aircraft itself... big balloons that come out the sides.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe all helicopters must be fitted with PFD's for individual PAX on board at all times.

[Adam P.]

Same as single engine fixed wing - if flying offshore outside of gliding distance to land there's a requirement for all on board to be wearing lifejackets (the company I used to work for used the little yellow packages you wear around your waist for everyone). Only useful if you're flying over water of course!

Doesn't look like that machine has the popout floats installed on the skids yet. They sit on top of the skids in packages (DON'T STEP ON THEM WHEN GETTING IN OR OUT OF THE HELICOPTER!!!) and like Jethro said, are big balloons that inflate from a CO2 cylinder. I've seen the results of a Jetranger that had cause to fire the floats a few years back - they gave the guys on board enough time to get out before one of them popped and the machine turned turtle.

It's a pretty schmick looking beastie though!

[Jethro H]

Here is a link to what they can look like (on an EC135):
http://www.rotor.com/Portals/12/RotorNews/EC135%20Tri-Bag%20Floats.jpg

and this is what they look like when packed up:
http://www.aerazur.com/images/visuels/evacuation-flottabilite3.jpg

[Grahame Hutchison]

Here is the Helicopters Australia 2008 model EC145 MBB-BK 117 C-2 (9209) VH-WKC parked out at Bankstown on 17th July 2009. You
can see the four popout flotation pods mounted forward and aft on the skids.

http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/D300-2009-07-17_009.jpg

[Philip Argy]

Thought I'd tag onto this old thread since it came up in my Eurocoptor search but it's related to the new X3 hybrid - a fascinating machine on any view. Here are a couple of articles with pics:

http://australianaviation.com.au/2011/05/eurocopter-x3-demonstrator-hits-232-knots/

http://www.gizmag.com/eurocopter-x3-hybrid-helicopter-232-knots/18669/

Both are based on the same media release at http://www.eurocopter.com/site/FO/scripts/myFO_publication.php?news_id=776&lang=EN but have some extra photos.