German rotary operator Wiking Helikopter has signed a contract for two H145s in offshore configuration. The aircraft will be the first Airbus Helicopters products in the Wiking fleet. The delivery of the first H145 is scheduled for the end of the year, and both helicopters will be used for the transfer of harbour pilots to ships and service technicians to offshore wind farms, as well as for air rescue missions over the North Sea.

“The H145 perfectly meets our requirements regarding operations over the sea,” says director Alexander von Plato. Fellow director Holger Stockmeyer adds: “At the beginning of this year during an offshore demon-stration we were convinced about the advantages of the Helionix cockpit of the H145 and its four-axis autopilot with auto-hover function. It offers high performance reserves as well as a large interior, and it satisfies our strict safety requirements for the transfer of persons over the sea.”

By increasing the engine performance in single-engine operations, the H145 can now bear up to 200 kg more payload during winch operations. In offshore configuration the aircraft is equipped with an emergency flotation system certified for Sea State 6, weather radar, a helicopter emergency egress lighting system and an automatic deployable emergency locator transmitter. The helicopter can transport up to eight passengers, has compact external dimensions, a comparatively small rotor diameter and a large interior for its class.