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http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=f44d4fe1-5abb-4e74-8675-f787f89b5984&k=25895
Rusting Sea King helicopter fleet 'paused' over weekend
Jennifer Taplin
CanWest News Service; Halifax Daily News
Sunday, February 04, 2007
HALIFAX- Canada's four-decades-old Sea King helicopter fleet was temporarily placed on an "operational pause" over the weekend, the military said Saturday.
A new study from the original equipment manufacturer, Sikorsky International, re-evaluated the life-span of major components of the helicopter's main rotor head, pegging it 'significantly lower' than previously thought.
The operational pause was put into effect on Thursday and lasted until Saturday afternoon.
The military made it clear the rusting Sea King fleet was not grounded - only non-essential flights and training missions were cancelled during that time.
"The flying operations are resuming. The operational pause has been lifted," said Capt. Jennifer Faubert, Department of Defence spokeswoman, Saturday night.
The life-span revision came after examining how the Sea King has been flown during its operational life. Canada's crop of Sea Kings - which has been plagued with problems - was put into service in 1963.
"That's why we initiated the operational pause was because there was concern after we received this data from the original equipment manufacturer, so we always take prudent measures to ensure that our crews are never in danger when they fly the Sea King," said Faubert.
It was determined the components are still within their new revised life-span and most of them will be replaced in the coming week.
"The good news is we do have enough parts in our own supply system to do this quickly and efficiently."
Maj.-Gen. Charlie Bouchard, Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division said in a statement the pause was a "prudent precaution" while they conducted further engineering tests on Canada's 27 remaining Sea Kings.
Col. Alan Blair, commander of 12 Wing Shearwater, in the Halifax region, said the air force conducts hazardous missions but only in safe, well-maintained aircraft.
"The Sea King is no exception and the current situation and our reaction to it is an example of our concern for the safety and security of our aircrew," he said in a statement.
An operational pause is not an uncommon practice said Lisa Brooks, another spokeswoman for the Defence Department
"At the same time, we conducted an operational risk assessment to determine the level of risk involved for various manoeuvres and develop litigation procedures where necessary," said Brooks.
The Sea Kings were limited to essential operations one year ago when one of then crashed into the sea off the coast of Denmark, injuring the five crew members.
The choppers have been involved in more than a dozen crashes over the years - four of them fatal.
The Canadian military purchased 41 of the helicopters in 1963, when they were state of the art but recently they have been notorious for breakdowns, stalls, flameouts and gearbox problems.
The military has undertaken numerous updating and repair programs to keep the Sea Kings flying, but critics say that after more than 40 years in service, the air frames are now simply at the end of their lives. Sea King crews spend 30 hours maintaining the helicopters for every hour they spend in the air.
Ottawa has ordered 28 Cyclones from Sikorsky International - a contract worth $5-billion - to replace the Sea Kings, but they aren't expected to be operational until 2009.
The first of the helicopters are expected to be delivered starting in late 2008-early 2009, with the rest due to arrive at a rate of one a month.
The replacement of the choppers was put off for more than 10 years under the Liberals after the 1993 election victory of Jean Chretien. He followed through on a campaign promise and cancelled a $4.8-billion contract to replace the rusting Sea Kings with a new maritime fleet.
© CanWest News Service 2007
Rusting Sea King helicopter fleet 'paused' over weekend
Jennifer Taplin
CanWest News Service; Halifax Daily News
Sunday, February 04, 2007
HALIFAX- Canada's four-decades-old Sea King helicopter fleet was temporarily placed on an "operational pause" over the weekend, the military said Saturday.
A new study from the original equipment manufacturer, Sikorsky International, re-evaluated the life-span of major components of the helicopter's main rotor head, pegging it 'significantly lower' than previously thought.
The operational pause was put into effect on Thursday and lasted until Saturday afternoon.
The military made it clear the rusting Sea King fleet was not grounded - only non-essential flights and training missions were cancelled during that time.
"The flying operations are resuming. The operational pause has been lifted," said Capt. Jennifer Faubert, Department of Defence spokeswoman, Saturday night.
The life-span revision came after examining how the Sea King has been flown during its operational life. Canada's crop of Sea Kings - which has been plagued with problems - was put into service in 1963.
"That's why we initiated the operational pause was because there was concern after we received this data from the original equipment manufacturer, so we always take prudent measures to ensure that our crews are never in danger when they fly the Sea King," said Faubert.
It was determined the components are still within their new revised life-span and most of them will be replaced in the coming week.
"The good news is we do have enough parts in our own supply system to do this quickly and efficiently."
Maj.-Gen. Charlie Bouchard, Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division said in a statement the pause was a "prudent precaution" while they conducted further engineering tests on Canada's 27 remaining Sea Kings.
Col. Alan Blair, commander of 12 Wing Shearwater, in the Halifax region, said the air force conducts hazardous missions but only in safe, well-maintained aircraft.
"The Sea King is no exception and the current situation and our reaction to it is an example of our concern for the safety and security of our aircrew," he said in a statement.
An operational pause is not an uncommon practice said Lisa Brooks, another spokeswoman for the Defence Department
"At the same time, we conducted an operational risk assessment to determine the level of risk involved for various manoeuvres and develop litigation procedures where necessary," said Brooks.
The Sea Kings were limited to essential operations one year ago when one of then crashed into the sea off the coast of Denmark, injuring the five crew members.
The choppers have been involved in more than a dozen crashes over the years - four of them fatal.
The Canadian military purchased 41 of the helicopters in 1963, when they were state of the art but recently they have been notorious for breakdowns, stalls, flameouts and gearbox problems.
The military has undertaken numerous updating and repair programs to keep the Sea Kings flying, but critics say that after more than 40 years in service, the air frames are now simply at the end of their lives. Sea King crews spend 30 hours maintaining the helicopters for every hour they spend in the air.
Ottawa has ordered 28 Cyclones from Sikorsky International - a contract worth $5-billion - to replace the Sea Kings, but they aren't expected to be operational until 2009.
The first of the helicopters are expected to be delivered starting in late 2008-early 2009, with the rest due to arrive at a rate of one a month.
The replacement of the choppers was put off for more than 10 years under the Liberals after the 1993 election victory of Jean Chretien. He followed through on a campaign promise and cancelled a $4.8-billion contract to replace the rusting Sea Kings with a new maritime fleet.
© CanWest News Service 2007
