Features Commercial EMS
VIH Buys First Canadian EC135

Right to left: Charlie Mooney, General Manager, VIH Helicopters Ltd., Ken Norie, President, VIH Aviation Group Ltd., Marie-Agnès Veve, President & CEO, Eurocopter Canada Ltd., Tony Brown, Vice President Sales & Customer Service, Eurocopter Canada Ltd.

Dec. 21, 2007, Victoria, B.C. – The VIH Aviation Group has purchased and received the first Eurocopter EC135 to be delivered into the Canadian market.  Soon to be in service, this EC135 will be based in Calgary and serve charter customers in the oil and gas sector.  It is among 700 EC135s sold to date globally, with more than 600 already in service.  The VIH Aviation Group is headquartered at the Victoria (BC) International Airport with bases strategically located throughout Western Canada, Newfoundland, the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and China.  The VIH Aviation Group, through its operating entities VIH Helicopters Ltd. and Cougar Helicopters, operate 65 helicopters of varying sizes and have an additional 26 more on order.  The VIH Group is well positioned to service all sectors, some of which include natural resources, EMS, Tourism and Off Shore Oil.

“The EC135 meets FAR 29 requirements, which is exactly what our oil and gas clients have been asking for,” says Charlie Mooney, VIH Helicopters Ltd., General Manager. “They want new technology equipment with twin engine reliability.  With the variable operating conditions in Canada we feel the EC135 will excel at providing the quality of service our customers require.  When it comes to meeting these customer demands, “there’s nothing out there that can compete against the EC135,” Mooney notes.

Already the favoured choice for air ambulances and law enforcement in
other countries, the Eurocopter EC135 is a light yet powerful
twin-engine helicopter. With space for 6/7 passengers plus a pilot, the
EC135’s unmatched maneuverability, up-to-the-minute technology and
panoramic visibility make it a safe bet for any challenging situation.
The EC135’s low-noise, low-maintenance Fenestron tail rotor makes it the quietest helicopter in its class. In fact, the EC135’s noise emission is 7 dB below the ICAO limit.  As for versatility, the EC135 can be equipped with two FADEC-equipped Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2 or Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 engines.

“The EC135 is one of Eurocopter’s most successful and popular helicopters,” says Marie-Agnès Veve, President and CEO of Eurocopter Canada Limited.  “We are delighted to bring it to Canada, where, I suspect, it will soon become a familiar sight in our skies.”

The Eurocopter EC135 is a light yet powerful twin-engine helicopter with space for 6/7 passengers plus a pilot.

Eurocopter Canada Limited (www.eurocopter.ca) is a subsidiary of Eurocopter.  Eurocopter Canada, based in Fort Erie, Ontario has a customer support network which spans the country.  Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defense and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 14,000 people.  In 2006, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 3.8 billion euros, orders for 615 new helicopters, and a 52 percent market share in the civilian/commercial and Para public sectors. Overall, the Group’s products account for 30 percent of the total world helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 17 subsidiaries on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centers. More than 9,800 Eurocopter helicopters are currently in service with over 2,800 customers in 140 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest range of commercial and military helicopters in the world.