EC-135 User Feedback

[Heli-Ops]

This is for our EC-135 user members. Could you outline the use of your aircraft and any problems or hurdles you have had to overcome. Also if you could outline where you operate and the geographical conditions.

 

Heli Ops

[Guest Reinhard Kraxner]

Hello to all EC135 operators, I´m the Flight Ops Manager of an ec135-fleet of 18 helicopters of the EC135 T1 - type. We operate the EC135 since 1997, now on 15 EMS bases in Austria, you know a very mountaineous region of Europe up to nearly 12.000ft.

Since we started with the EC135 1997  in the beginning we had a lot of minor electronical troubles. The stability of the systems increased and developed, so now we have a very relieable ship, having a lot of positive characteristics:

 

a lot of available power, up to EMS-sites at the highest peaks of Austria

 

low noise

 

very compact ship with enough volume of the cabin for EMS-operations

 

continueous drop of maintenance time

 

Of course, there are items to be improved:

 

??? costs for spare parts

 

??? accuracy of troubleshooting by Eurocopter

 

??? costs for optional equipment

 

For more information have a look to our hompage.Homepage of OEAMTC EMS program

[Rotormec]

We have operated our SPIFR EC135P-1 for a little over a year now and have been very happy with it.  The EC went through a lot of "growing pains" over the years but it is a good aircraft now and we have had very few problems with ours.

The Pratt & Whitney engines have been outstanding and I would recommend them over the Turbomecca Engines as they have less maintenance, better reliability, and much better support (at least in the U.S., don't know about elsewhere)

 

Our operations are mostly low altitude and we also operate in cold enviroments in the Winter.

[Heli-Ops]

Rotormec

 

What sort of environment are you operating in.

 

Heli Ops

[Rotormec]

We operate in the U.S. in the Midwest (Great Lakes Region). We use our EC in EMS and it has worked quite well.  We have done 2 patient transfers, ride-a- longs, Neonate missions, and are looking into Ballon pump misssions now. We currently fly VFR only but are looking into flying SPIFR in the future.

 

Our operating environment is lowland flying with typical upper midwest seasonal changes.

[MightyGem]

We use a 135 T1 as a Police aircraft here in the UK. Does anyone else have the same problem with ARIS pot failures that we in the UK suffer. I think we've had 5 or 6 fail in the 8 months that we've had the aircraft, and other operators have had similar numbers. The only good thing about it is the company that makes them are replacing them for free.