112704_Erickson datasheet v6 24/02/2015 17:12 Page 5 LEADING THE BELL 214 INTO THE FUTURE OUR LEGACY In 1971, the Erickson Lumber Company leased an S-64 Skycrane helicopter from Sikorsky Aircraft for timber harvesting and renamed the company Erickson Air-Crane, purchasing several more over the next few years. By 1992, with the S-64 considered to be at the end of its life, Erickson purchased the Type Certificate from Sikorsky and put in place a comprehensive and fully integrated service operation to support it. Since then, Erickson has developed specific expertise in supporting a variety of legacy aircraft, as well as continued to manufacture and maintain the S-64, now renamed the Aircrane. Over the years, Erickson continually upgraded and expanded the Aircrane’s capabilities in support of some of the toughest missions globally, from firefighting and logging, to infrastructure support and oil & gas exploration. Erickson is uniquely positioned as an Original Equipment Manufacturer, as a global operator, with a fleet of close to 90 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, and as a fully integrated service provider. With its comprehensive range of maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities, supply chain management expertise, component manufacturing and extensive reliability and design engineering resources, Erickson has become a leader in the support of legacy helicopters. A NEW PARTNERSHIP As an OEM, Bell Helicopter faced the inevitable difficulties of providing support to a legacy aircraft like the Bell 214, with parts becoming scarcer and more expensive and the supply chain breaking down. In addition, fewer engineering and technical resources were available to support any efforts to improve component reliability or design on such a legacy aircraft. Faced with these issues, but determined to provide world-class support to all its customers, Bell Helicopter chose to transition full product support to a third party with a proven track record and a relentless focus on servicing legacy aircraft: Erickson. As a result, an agreement was made for Erickson to assume full product support responsibility for the Bell 214B and 214ST helicopters, including spare parts manufacture and supply, technical assistance, maintenance training and MRO services. Under this agreement, Erickson will make, buy and distribute Bell 214 part numbers to support legacy customers throughout the world. As an OEM and global operator of legacy aircraft, Erickson is in a unique position to understand the essential requirements of safety, airworthiness and quality embedded in the support of such products. By transferring responsibility to one of the world’s most respected legacy support companies, Bell Helicopter made certain that the future of the Bell 214 was assured. THE BELL LEGACY The Bell 214B ‘Heavy Lifter’ is the largest, most powerful single engine helicopter currently in the world. With a maximum lift capacity of 3,000kg, plus a 2.5 hour endurance (with reserve) it is the most productive and cost effective in its class. The Bell 214ST is a rugged, reliable workhorse known for its multi-mission capabilities and impressive power. With outstanding hot and high capability, it can handle impressive payloads up to 2,495kg at lower elevations. ERICKSON MRO LEADING YOUR LEGACY INTO THE FUTURE “ Erickson has been a trusted partner of Bell Helicopter for more than 30 years. As a specialist in offering services for heavy-lift aircraft, we know the Bell 214 community will be in great hands with Erickson. Jason Johnson, Director of Sales and Customer Support, Bell Helicopter 112704_Erickson datasheet v6 24/02/2015 17:12 Page 6 LEADING THE BELL 214 INTO THE FUTURE SUPPORTING YOUR INVESTMENT Erickson’s uniquely integrated capabilities and focus on legacy aircraft, together with unrivalled experience as a global operator, allow us to offer viable solutions to Bell 214 operators, whatever their mission, anywhere in the world, with a view to sustain and enhance their organization’s capabilities, maximize the return and insure the business continuity. Erickson’s focused support delivers: Improved spares availability and lead time – Erickson’s extensive in-house manufacturing capability and global supply chain management expertise will largely improve the supply of parts and sub-assemblies, as well as reduce acquisition lead times. Development of DER repairs – Erickson’s DER team continuously seeks to develop repair solutions as an alternative to new parts, allowing for shorter lead times, reduced direct maintenance costs, and less inventory to carry. Access to reliability engineering data and solutions – Erickson has a comprehensive in-house reliability engineering process that works hand in hand with flight operations and personnel to continuously investigate causes for early removals and failures, and we seek ways to improve component reliability and overall fleet availability for a wide range of design, structural analysis and certification projects. SAFEGUARDING THE BELL 214 LEGACY As an operator of the Bell 214, Erickson recognizes and values its exceptional capabilities and is dedicated to keeping it operational for many years to come through a program of capital investments, upgrades and enhancements. More importantly, as the support organization for the Bell 214 community throughout the world, Erickson is committed to putting its uniquely integrated capabilities and legacy support experience to work to safeguard the Bell 214 legacy, by maximizing the value of operators’ investment and their business continuity. A dedicated organization focused on supporting legacy platforms – Erickson has over 25 year's experience of developing innovative MRO services to support legacy platforms. Its entire workforce is geared towards caring for legacy helicopters, from its maintenance staff, buyers and logisticians, to its engineering team. A willingness to invest in legacy platforms – Erickson does not hesitate to invest in the support of legacy platforms. On the Bell 214, Erickson is engaging in a multi-million dollar project to re-start the production of rotor blades, with investment in capital equipment, tooling and engineering. The benefits to operators are: Greater aircraft availability – With an improved supply chain, lower lead times, and a greater number of options (PMA, DER), operators are able to reduce their aircraft downtime both during scheduled maintenance events and unscheduled removals. Reduction of direct maintenance costs – By spending time and effort optimizing the program’s supply chain, and by leveraging its internal manufacturing capabilities as well as its DER/PMA engineering staff, Erickson is able to not only make more parts available faster, it is also to work on parts affordability and to provide operators with options they never had before. Improved asset utilization – Along with greater aircraft availability, Erickson’s impact on the supply chain’s performance in terms of speed, cost and overall reliability is allowing operators to improve their inventory levels and subsequently reduce the number of assets needed to support their fleet. Peace of mind – There is tremendous value for operators to know that their fleet is supported by an organization whose entire business is built around legacy aircraft. Operators are cared for by a team of professionals which knows their product, understands their business, and has a proven track record in supporting their mission profiles. “ Sustainable operations – Erickson is dedicated to keeping the Bell 214 helicopter fleet operating safely and efficiently for many decades to come. Sustainability of this program has a direct impact on operators’ business continuity and competitiveness, with that in mind, Erickson’s team of professionals is constantly looking to improve the products it supports. The goal is not just to keep the program alive, but to allow it to thrive. Kerry Jarandson, Vice President Manufacturing & MRO, Erickson Inc. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION www.ericksonaviation.com +1 503 505 5800 5550 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97239, USA © 2015 Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated. All rights reserved. ERICKSON MRO LEADING YOUR LEGACY INTO THE FUTURE We currently have nine Bell 214 aircraft in our fleet with more than 30 years flying them. We are excited and ready to fully support the aircraft and their operators around the world.
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