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Eurocopter’s EC175 tour takes to the skies

This tour uses Eurocopter’s No. 1 series production EC175 – which is configured for oil and gas operations – and kicks off with a two-week U.S. visit starting at New Iberia, La. in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.
 

It is the first of multiple stopovers through March 15 that will enable the helicopter’s evaluation by companies specialized in passenger transport and supply missions for the off-shore oil and gas industry. These visits underscore Eurocopter’s development of the EC175 through extensive consultation with operators and end-users, ensuring their needs and requirements were incorporated into the design at an early stage – resulting in an optimized rotary-wing aircraft with the latest state-of-the-art technology.
 
Included on the EC175’s U.S. demonstration circuit is a March 5-7 appearance at the Heli-Expo helicopter industry convention in Las Vegas, where the helicopter will be shown on Eurocopter’s exhibit stand (Booth #C2922).  Follow-on segments of the demonstration tour are planned later this year, bringing the EC175 to destinations in Latin America, Europe and Asia.
 
During these stopovers, the operators’ field visits will include flights with pilots and passengers, accompanied by presentations on topics that range from operations and performance to Eurocopter’s innovative support and services available for the EC175.
 
“This aircraft is living up to its promise, confirming the full capabilities in range, cruise speed and payload lift – all with high comfort levels for passengers and the most interior volume, along with the latest in avionics for pilots.” said Eurocopter president/CEO Lutz Bertling.
 
 
The EC175 has a recommended cruise speed of 150 kts. (10 kts. faster than the previous figure, without affecting payload range). The maximum cruise speed exceeds 165 kts. – all achieved at low vibration levels. The helicopter’s range provides the reach needed by off-shore service providers and other operators, transporting 16 passengers in an oil and gas-configured EC175 to distances of 100 NM, increasing to 110 to 160 NM when carrying 12 passengers.

High levels of mission flexibility and safety are provided by the EC175’s new Helionix avionics, which extends the undisputed superiority of in-flight envelope protection, pilot assistance and situational awareness proven on the EC225. Meeting the latest international avionics standards, the Helionix avionics suite incorporates the most innovative alerting and self-monitoring system.  The EC175 becomes Helionix’s second aircraft application, following the Airbus A380.