KLM Helikopters
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| Founded | October 1965 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 1998 | ||||||
| Hubs | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Den Helder Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 11 | ||||||
| Destinations | North Sea oil rigs | ||||||
| Parent company | KLM | ||||||
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||||||
| Key people | Dr M. S. Kamminga (Manager) H. Zeedijk (Chief pilot) | ||||||
KLM Helikopters N.V. was a Dutch civil helicopter operator founded in 1965, and was wholly owned subsidiary of KLM.
History
Also known as KLM Noordzee Helikopters the company provided offshore support flights, charters, and search and rescue. Their fleet consisted of seven Sikorsky S-61N's, four Sikorsky S-76B's, two Sikorsky S-58T's and two MBB Bo 105's.[1] In 1991 the company expanded when Era Helicopters a division of Era Aviation acquire a 49% of KLM, and provided them with growth in Alaska region. until the company was sold to Schreiner Airways in 1998.[2][3]
Fleet
KLM Helikopters operated the following helicopter types:[4]
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBB Bo 105C | 1 | 1976 | 1982 | |
| MBB Bo 105Cbs-4 | 2 | 1993 | 1994 | |
| Sikorsky S-58 | 2 | 1975 | 1980 | |
| Sikorsky S-61N | 9 | 1969 | 1998 | |
| Sikorsky S-62 | 1 | 1967 | 1972 | |
| Sikorsky S-76B | 8 | 1986 | 1998 |
Accidents
- On May 10, 1974 KLM Noordzee Helikopters Sikorsky S-61N PH-NZC crashed en route to an oil rig in the North Sea. None of the two crew and four passengers survived. The probable cause was a failure in one of five rotor blades due to metal fatigue.
- On December 29, 1990, a Sikorsky S-61N was in a hover when serious vibrations were experienced. After touchdown one of the main rotor blades struck the fuselage and detached before the engines were shut down, no injuries were reported.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "Airline Directory 1978 pg. 1173". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ^ "Schreiner to KLM Era pg. 21". flightglobal.com. September 1997. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ^ "KLM Helikopters". Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ^ "KLM Helicopters". Aerobernie.bplaced.net. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "KLM grounds Sikorskys pg. 11". flightglobal.com. January 1991. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
