Bristow Helicopters

Bristow Helicopters Limited

IATA ICAO Callsign UH BHL BRISTOW
Founded	1955
Fleet size	490
US$1.77B (FY 2014)[2]
Website	bristowgroup.com

Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at

During the early 1970s, the backbone of Bristow's fleet consisted of the

Within the company's first three decades, Bristow Helicopters had expanded into the provision of various helicopter-based services, including the provision of pilot training, search and rescue coverage, cargo transportation, and charter flights, in addition to its more traditional helicopter transport services.^[6] The business had also developed a worldwide presence within a similar timeframe, providing its services in the North Sea, Middle East, South America, Africa, Asia, India, Bermuda, Trinidad, Australia and New Zealand.^[6]

The company went through repeated changes in ownership during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1985, Bristow Helicopters was acquired by British and Commonwealth Holdings plc.^[10] That same year, Alan Bristow stood down from his active role in managing the company.^[6] It was soon sold on as a component of the Bricom Group via a management buy-out in 1988.^[11] In July 1990, Bricom was acquired by Scandinavian investment company Rochfield. In 1991, Bristow Helicopters was subject to another management buy-out headed by managing director and chief executive Bryan Collins.^[11]

In 1996, Bristow Helicopters was purchased by Offshore Logistics, an

The Bristow Group expanded their portfolio in April 2007 with the purchase of Helicopter Adventures, a Florida-based flight school, Helicopter Adventures was subsequently renamed Bristow Academy.[14]^[15] The deal also provided the Bristow Group with the world's largest civilian fleet of Schweizer aircraft.^[16]

It was announced in April 2022 that Bristow Group was to acquire British International Helicopters in an all cash transaction.^[17] The sale was completed on 2 August 2022. The purchase included all of BIH's aircraft, employees and existing contracts. The BIH name and branding will be phased out and replaced by that of the wider Bristow Group.^[18]

Current operations

Joint ventures

In addition to its wholly owned international operations, Bristow Group maintains service agreements and equity interests in helicopter operators in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Mexico, Norway and Russia (Sakhalin) and the United Kingdom. This allows Bristow to extend its range of services into new and developing oil and gas markets and helps provide a lower cost structure in some operating areas. Partners include:

• Cougar Helicopters^[19]
• Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia
  , Helicol S.A., Colombia
• Petroleum Air Services, Egypt
• Atyrau Bristow Airways Services (ABAS), Kazakhstan
• Turkmenistan Helicopters Limited, Turkmenistan
• Heliservicio Campeche, Mexico
• Norsk Helikopter, Norway
  - now Bristow Norway
• Sakhalin Bristow Air Services AKA Aviashelf, Sakhalin, Russia
• UK

Fixed Wing Bristow has controlling interests in Eastern Airways which is a regional airline based in the U.K. operating fixed wing regional jet and turboprop aircraft and Airnorth, also a regional airline, based in Australia operating fixed wing regional jet and turboprop aircraft. Both Eastern Airways and Airnorth operate scheduled passenger services, shuttle flights for oil and gas industry personnel, and charter services.^[20]

Although not a joint venture, in 2015 Bristow and AgustaWestland agreed to develop offshore and search and rescue capabilities for the AW609 tiltrotor.^[21] This could simplify a typical trip from Clapham Common to an oil rig by using just one aircraft.^[22] Bristow intends to order more than 10 tiltrotors.^[23]

Search and Rescue

Bristow helicopters operated Sikorsky S-61N helicopters on behalf of

Southern North Sea services operate from Norwich (EGSH), Humberside (EGNJ) and Den Helder (EHKD) with its support organisation based at Redhill (EGKR).

Bristow S-61N's were responsible to carry out SAR tasks, operating from

On 26 March 2013, Bristow was awarded a 10-year contract to operate the search and rescue operations in the United Kingdom, at the time being provided by CHC Helicopter (on behalf of HM Coastguard), the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.^[24] Bristow is currently operating AgustaWestland AW189 and Sikorsky S-92 helicopters in support of this contract.

As part of its acquisition of British International Helicopters, Bristow also operates support as well as search and rescue helicopters out of RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands. Two Sikorsky S-92 helicopters are used for everyday military transport and land logistic support around the islands, where there are few roads and a 12-mile (19 km) strip of sea separates the two main islands. Search and rescue is conducted using two AW189 helicopters.^[25]

Fleet

Bristow operates a large fleet of over 450 helicopters and aircraft, which includes unconsolidated affiliates and joint venture partners.^[26] Bristow intends to reduce fleet variety from 24 helicopter types to six.^[22] For subsidiary Airnorth fixed wing jet and turboprop aircraft, see Airnorth.

Incidents

• On 4 April 1967, 5N-ABQ, a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer Series 1, crashed in Nigeria during a single engine approach.^{[citation needed]}
• On 13 August 1981, G-ASWI, a
  autorotation. The flight was carrying 11 gas workers from the Leman gas field to Bacton, Norfolk. All people on board were lost.^[27][28]
• On 14 September 1982, G-BDIL, a Bell 212, crashed into the North Sea near the Murchison oil platform while on a nighttime search and rescue mission.
• On 4 July 1983, G-TIGD, an Aerospatiale AS332L Super Puma crashed on landing at Aberdeen. During the approach to Aberdeen from the North Hutton platform, a loud bang was heard, followed by severe vibration. A PAN call was made to ATC by the crew. Shortly before landing control was lost and the helicopter struck the runway heavily on its side. 10 of 16 passengers received serious injuries. A tail boom panel had become detached in flight and damaged all five tail rotor blades. The resulting imbalance to the tail rotor assembly led to the separation of this unit and subsequent loss of control.^{[citation needed]}
• In 1984, G-BJJR, a Bell 212, crashed with the loss of two crew on approach to the Cecil Provine.^{[citation needed]}
• On 5 December 1991, VR-BIG, an Aerospatiale SA-330J Puma, ditched in
  LNG tanker in night VFR conditions, entered a vortex ring state. After ditching, it stayed afloat for over two hours.^{[citation needed}
  ]
• On 14 March 1992, G-TIGH, a Bristow's Tiger (Aerospatiale Super Puma), lost altitude and crashed while ferrying passengers from the Cormorant Alpha to the flotel Safe Supporter. Of the two crew and 14 passengers on board, one crew member and ten passengers were lost.^[citation needed]
• On 19 January 1995, G-TIGK, an AS-332L Super Puma helicopter on
  Bristow Flight 56C between Aberdeen and oil rigs in the North Sea, was struck by lightning. The flight was carrying 16 oil workers from Aberdeen to an oil platform at the Brae oilfield. All people on board survived.^{[citation needed}
  ]
• On 16 July 2002, G-BJVX, a Sikorsky S-76A helicopter operated by Norwich-based Bristow Helicopters, crashed into the southern North Sea while it was making a ten-minute flight between the gas production platform Clipper and the drilling rig Global Santa Fe Monarch, after which it was to return to Norwich Airport. The 22-year-old helicopter was flying at an altitude of about 320 feet (98 m) when workers on the Global Santa Fe Monarch heard "a loud bang". Witnesses watched the rotorcraft steeply dive into the sea; one also reported seeing the helicopter's rotor head with rotor blades attached falling into the sea after the body of the helicopter had impacted. The accident caused the death of all those on board (two crew members and nine Shell workers as passengers). The body of the eleventh man was never recovered.^{[citation needed]}
• On 22 November 2006, G-JSAR, a Eurocopter Super Puma SAR ditched in the North Sea. G-JSAR was operated from
  Den Helder Airport in the Netherlands on behalf of oil companies. All on board survived uninjured.^[29]
• On 12 August 2015, 5N-BGD, a Sikorsky S76C+ returning to Lagos from an offshore rig with ten oil workers crashed into the Lagos lagoon close to the 11.8 kilometres (7.3 mi) long third mainland bridge, the longest of three bridges connecting the Lagos mainland to the Island. The helicopter was five minutes away from landing at the Muritala Muhammed airport in Lagos. Four oil workers and the two crew died while six others were rescued alive.^[citation needed]

See also

• Whirlwind (novel) - A novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986, which was closely inspired by the true struggle of Bristow Helicopters to escape the revolutionary forces and get their employees and equipment out of the unstable, deteriorating situation in Iran. Much of the story mirrors these and other contemporary events.
• Bristow Norway - (formerly Norsk Helikopter) is a Norwegian helicopter company that transports crew to oil installations in the North Sea.
• Petroleum Helicopters International

References

Further reading

• Bristow, A. & Malone, P. (2009). Alan Bristow Helicopter Pioneer: The Autobiography. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Books.
  ISBN 978-1-84884-208-3
  .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bristow Helicopters.

• Business data for Bristow Helicopters:
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Bristow sites:

• Bristow Group
• Bristow Search and Rescue
• Bristow page at Helicopter History site