News Safety & Training
First Canadian operator receives AS350/EC130 crash-resistant fuel tank

StandardAero and Robertson Fuel Systems at Heli-Expo in Anaheim, CA, announced the delivery of two crash-resistant fuel tanks to the first operator in Canada to their technology. Zimmer Air Services Inc., with bases in Blenheim, Thunder Bay and St. Thomas, ON, will have the crash-resistant fuel tanks (CRFTs) installed on one AS350 BA helicopter and one AS350 B2 helicopter. Both of these ships have incorporated HeliLynx FX2 or Soloy SD2 modifications utilizing LTS101 engines.

“Our multi-purpose missions often involve a great deal of low-level flying, often with underbelly installations such as cargo swing/hooks or spray equipment, so we recognize the risk and that we must remain proactive in the safety of our operations for both our crews and our passengers,” said Paul Zimmer, president of Zimmer Air Services Inc. “For more than 40 years, we have established a reputation within the industry as a company committed to quality, service and safety, and the addition of these crash-resistant fuel tanks to our fleet is one more example of that continued determination.”

The StandardAero and Robertson CRFT, according to the companies, is the only Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) approved Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) solution for virtually all models of the H125/AS350 helicopter. It also holds approvals from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

StandardAero explains customers such as Zimmer Air Services operating B2 and older variants of the AS350 platform can achieve modern standards of fuel system crash-resistance and occupant protection comparable to that of new production aircraft only through the StandardAero and Robertson CRFT, as no other solution is available for these legacy models.

“We are pleased to have Zimmer Air Services as our first customer in Canada to take on a leading role in improving helicopter safety in Canada by introducing the CRFT,” said Julien Roy, StandardAero’s general manager in Langley, British Columbia. “We received TCCA approval of our CRFT STC in October of last year, and within just a few short months we have already received significant interest. We believe the prompt delivery of these first two tanks in Canada is the start of what will be many more to come.”