Eurocopter is showing two EC130 single-engine light helicopters at AAD which demonstrate the mission and configuration versatility of this latest member of the best-selling ‘Squirrel’ helicopter family. These aircraft, configured for air medical service and corporate/charter belong to SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service and Jemax Aviation respectively.

The EC130's cabin offers 23 per cent more space than the other versions of the Ecureuil/Squirrel family of which it is a member. It can be equipped with an arrangement of either seven seats (high comfort) or eight seats. It is also a spacious EMS (Emergency Medical Services) helicopter allowing for the installation of latest state-of-the art medical equipment while providing comfortable conditions for crew, medical staff and patients alike.

The EC130 is derived from the AS350 B3, and shares the same central structure with the B3. The enlarged cabin floor provides the same width as the former Alouette III, which enables the EC130 to meet the demanding missions this popular helicopter was or is still used for. It also benefits from all the latest technological advances in the Eurocopter new-generation helicopters.

The EC130 is one of the quietest helicopters in the world, with its noise level being 8.5 dB below ICAO limits and 0.5 dB below the Grand Canyon National Park Standard, this being the strictest ruling in the world. This has been made possible through the incorporation of noise-reducing technology, including the quiet Fenestron® tail rotor known to customers from the EC135 model. The helicopter is also equipped with an automatic rotor speed control system, which adjusts the engine to match flight conditions, ensuring a minimum noise level at cruise speed.

Another advantage of the EC130 is its extraordinary visibility from inside the cabin, thanks to a larger canopy.

The Starflex main rotor, the main gearbox, and the engine (a Turbomeca Arriel 2B1, which has a maximum take-off power of 847shp, and has proven its abilities many times over) are the same as on the AS350 B3 and guarantee the helicopter's high performance level.

Eurocopter thanks its two customers for making their helicopters available for AAD.

The SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service (AMS) was established in 1966 by the SA Red Cross Society and formed into an independent trust in 1994. It is a non-profit organisation with bases in the Western Cape (Cape Town & Oudtshoorn), Northern Cape (Kimberley), KwaZulu-Natal (Durban & Richards Bay), Mpumalanga (Nelspruit) and the Free State (Bloemfontein) that

provides an air ambulance network, outreach and emergency rescue service to metropolitan areas and remote rural communities. The AMS plays a vital role in providing not only emergency rescue and air ambulance services but also a community outreach programme taking critically needed healthcare to impoverished communities. The AMS will provide help whenever and wherever it is needed. The AMS is committed to Changing Lives, Saving Lives.

Jemax Aviation was established in 2005 commencing services with two Bell Jetrangers. The company rapidly converted from being an aircraft owner dry leasing to other operators to being a fully fledged non-scheduled air service. The fleet of aircraft has subsequently grown to six, with six full-time pilots being employed. Jemax Aviation is privileged to operate a 2007 model EC130. This helicopter is the “flagship” of the Jemax air service operation. ZS-CTE forms an integral part of passenger charter operations being conducted in South Africa and further afield. Although based at Grand Central Airport (Midrand) Jemax Aviation, through its association with an UK based mining concern, services mining operations in Lesotho, Botswana, the DRC and Central African Republic. A diverse fleet of light helicopters and light turbine engine aeroplanes are used for logistical support and passenger transport. Although small in size, Jemax Aviation prides itself in a proficient and quality air service operation.

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