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Bristow Helicopters

Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, which is currently a part of the U.S.-based Bristow Group which in turn has its corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas, U.S. In 2020, Bristow Group was merged with Era Helicopters, a large U.S.-based commercial helicopter operator that was previously a division of Era Aviation, with the two companies then continuing to use the Bristow name.

History
Bristow Helicopters Limited traces its origins back to the endeavours of British inventor and business man Alan Bristow. A former test pilot for both the Royal Navy and Westland Helicopters, Bristow had chosen to invest his earnings into forming multiple companies, the first of which being Air Whaling Ltd. In 1960, Bristow Helicopters chose to enter the African market via the acquisition of crop-spraying specialist Fison-Airwork, which had also operated in locations in Central America and the UK. Throughout the 1970s, Bristow would expand its Aberdeen operation, its main oil and gas support hub being based at Dyce Airport; in 1972, the company allocated the first of several Sikorsky S-61N to Sumburgh Airport in support of Shell's offshore rigs. Following an expansion programme, which included the building of new on-site accommodations for workers and their families, around thirty S-61N flights were routinely flying daily from Sumburgh, supported by round-the-clock maintenance coverage, at the peak of operations during the 1970s. Starting in 1971, Bristow Helicopters began providing civilian search and rescue (SAR) services in the UK, replacing military Westland Whirlwinds with Bristow-operated Sikorsky S-55s at RAF Manston, Kent. That same year, Alan Bristow stood down from his active role in managing the company. In 1996, Bristow Helicopters was purchased by Offshore Logistics, an American offshore helicopter operator which previously operated as Air Logistics in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, and was structured as a reverse takeover. The group operates and maintains a global fleet of over 400 aircraft. In February 2006, Offshore Logistics decided to re-brand itself as The Bristow Group. In January 2010, Bristow announced the retirement of the Air Logistics name and Gulf of Mexico operations would operate under the name Bristow. The Bristow Group expanded their portfolio in April 2007 with the purchase of Helicopter Adventures, a Florida-based flight school, Helicopter Adventures was subsequently renamed Bristow Academy. The deal also provided the Bristow Group with the world's largest civilian fleet of Schweizer aircraft. In January 2019 it was announced that Bristow would acquire Columbia Helicopters for $560 million. The deal was later cancelled and Bristow paid Columbia a $20 million termination fee. It was announced in April 2022 that Bristow Group was to acquire British International Helicopters in an all cash transaction. The sale was completed on 2 August 2022. The purchase included all of BIH's aircraft, employees and existing contracts. The BIH name and branding will be phased out and replaced by that of the wider Bristow Group. ==Current operations==
Current operations
Joint ventures In addition to its wholly owned international operations, Bristow Group maintains service agreements and equity interests in helicopter operators in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Mexico, Norway and Russia (Sakhalin) and the United Kingdom. This allows Bristow to extend its range of services into new and developing oil and gas markets and helps provide a lower cost structure in some operating areas. Partners include: • Cougar HelicoptersHelicopteros Nacionales de Colombia, Helicol S.A., Colombia • Petroleum Air Services, Egypt • Atyrau Bristow Airways Services (ABAS), KazakhstanTurkmenistan Helicopters Limited, Turkmenistan • Heliservicio Campeche, MexicoNorsk Helikopter, Norway – now Bristow Norway • Sakhalin Bristow Air Services AKA Aviashelf, Sakhalin, RussiaFBH Limited, UK Fixed Wing Bristow has controlling interests in Eastern Airways which is a regional airline based in the U.K. operating fixed wing regional jet and turboprop aircraft and Airnorth, also a regional airline, based in Australia operating fixed wing regional jet and turboprop aircraft. Both Eastern Airways and Airnorth operate scheduled passenger services, shuttle flights for oil and gas industry personnel, and charter services. Although not a joint venture, in 2015 Bristow and AgustaWestland agreed to develop offshore and search and rescue capabilities for the AW609 tiltrotor. This could simplify a typical trip from Clapham Common to an oil rig by using just one aircraft. Bristow intends to order more than 10 tiltrotors. Search and Rescue . G-JSAR was a Search and Rescue helicopter. Bristow helicopters operated Sikorsky S-61N helicopters on behalf of HM Coastguard, the United Kingdom's coastguard, until July 2007 after which there was a 12-month transitional period whilst CHC Helicopter took over the contract replacing the S-61N with new helicopters. Bristow operated four dedicated Search and Rescue (SAR) sites in the UK, on behalf of HM Coastguard. The units were located at Portland (EGDP) and Lee-on-Solent (EGHF) on the south coast of England, at Stornoway (EGPO) in the Outer Hebrides, and at Sumburgh (EGPB) in the Shetland Isles. Northern North Sea services operated from Aberdeen (EGPD), Scatsta (EGPM) and Stavanger (ENZV). Southern North Sea services operate from Norwich (EGSH), Humberside (EGNJ) and Den Helder (EHKD) with its support organisation based at Redhill (EGKR). Bristow S-61N's were responsible to carry out SAR tasks, operating from Den Helder Airport on behalf of the oil and gas industry. On 26 March 2013, Bristow was awarded a 10-year contract to operate the search and rescue operations in the United Kingdom, at the time being provided by CHC Helicopter (on behalf of HM Coastguard), the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Bristow is currently operating AgustaWestland AW139, AgustaWestland AW189 and Sikorsky S-92 helicopters in support of this contract. As part of its acquisition of British International Helicopters, Bristow also operates support as well as search and rescue helicopters out of RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands. Two Sikorsky S-92 helicopters are used for everyday military transport and land logistic support around the islands, where there are few roads and a strip of sea separates the two main islands. Search and rescue is conducted using two AW189 helicopters. In July 2022 it was announced that Bristow had been awarded a second ten-year contract. ==Fleet==
Fleet
Bristow operates a large fleet of over 450 helicopters and aircraft, which includes unconsolidated affiliates and joint venture partners. Bristow intends to reduce fleet variety from 24 helicopter types to six. For subsidiary Airnorth fixed wing jet and turboprop aircraft, see Airnorth. ==Incidents==
Incidents
• On 4 April 1967, 5N-ABQ, a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer Series 1, crashed in Nigeria during a single engine approach. • On 13 August 1981, G-ASWI, a Westland Wessex 60 helicopter lost power to the main rotor gearbox, going out of control during the ensuing autorotation. The flight was carrying 11 gas workers from the Leman gas field to Bacton, Norfolk. All people on board were lost. • On 14 September 1982, G-BDIL, a Bell 212, crashed into the North Sea near the Murchison oil platform while on a nighttime search and rescue mission. • On 4 July 1983, G-TIGD, an Aerospatiale AS332L Super Puma crashed on landing at Aberdeen. During the approach to Aberdeen from the North Hutton platform, a loud bang was heard, followed by severe vibration. A PAN call was made to ATC by the crew. Shortly before landing control was lost and the helicopter struck the runway heavily on its side. 10 of 16 passengers received serious injuries. A tail boom panel had become detached in flight and damaged all five tail rotor blades. The resulting imbalance to the tail rotor assembly led to the separation of this unit and subsequent loss of control. • In 1984, G-BJJR, a Bell 212, crashed with the loss of two crew on approach to the Cecil Provine. • On 5 December 1991, VR-BIG, an Aerospatiale SA-330J Puma, ditched in Mermaid Sound, Dampier, Western Australia, after a pick-up from departing LNG tanker in night VFR conditions, entered a vortex ring state. After ditching, it stayed afloat for over two hours. • On 14 March 1992, G-TIGH, a Bristow's Tiger (Aerospatiale Super Puma), lost altitude and crashed while ferrying passengers from the Cormorant Alpha to the flotel Safe Supporter. Of the two crew and 14 passengers on board, one crew member and ten passengers were lost. • On 19 January 1995, G-TIGK, an AS-332L Super Puma helicopter on Bristow Flight 56C between Aberdeen and oil rigs in the North Sea, was struck by lightning. The flight was carrying 16 oil workers from Aberdeen to an oil platform at the Brae oilfield. All people on board survived. • On 16 July 2002, G-BJVX, a Sikorsky S-76A helicopter operated by Norwich-based Bristow Helicopters, crashed into the southern North Sea while it was making a ten-minute flight between the gas production platform Clipper and the drilling rig Global Santa Fe Monarch, after which it was to return to Norwich Airport. The 22-year-old helicopter was flying at an altitude of about when workers on the Global Santa Fe Monarch heard "a loud bang". Witnesses watched the rotorcraft steeply dive into the sea; one also reported seeing the helicopter's rotor head with rotor blades attached falling into the sea after the body of the helicopter had impacted. The accident caused the death of all those on board (two crew members and nine Shell workers as passengers). The body of the eleventh man was never recovered. • On 22 November 2006, G-JSAR, a Eurocopter Super Puma SAR ditched in the North Sea. G-JSAR was operated from Den Helder Airport in the Netherlands on behalf of oil companies. All on board survived uninjured. • On 12 August 2015, 5N-BGD, a Sikorsky S76C+ returning to Lagos from an offshore rig with ten oil workers crashed into the Lagos lagoon close to the long third mainland bridge, the longest of three bridges connecting the Lagos mainland to the Island. The helicopter was five minutes away from landing at the Muritala Muhammed airport in Lagos. Four oil workers and the two crew died while six others were rescued alive. helicopter of the UK coast guard, operated by Bristow Helicopters, arrives at the 2018 RIAT, England ==In popular culture==
In popular culture
Whirlwind (novel) – A novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986, which was inspired by the true struggle of Bristow Helicopters to escape the revolutionary forces and get their employees and equipment out of the unstable, deteriorating situation in Iran. Much of the story mirrors these and other contemporary events. ==See also==
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