Helicopters

NBAA 2008: Helicopters can rival jets on 300nm sectors, says Sikorsky

Sikorsky (Booth 2672 and static park) has an S-92 helicopter on display at Orlando Executive Airport. “The S-92 is the perfect complement to a large corporate jet for the discerning customer,” says Sikorsky’s Western region manager David Grupe.

Grupe says the next delivery would be in 2011 and that, complete with an executive interior, will cost in the region of $30m. The S-92 is a serious piece of machinery and the cabin will seat between nine and ten with many customizable options.

“The S-92 has the same look and feel of a corporate jet inside. Heads of states and CEOs can be transported safely,” explains Grupe. He says for any mission less than 300nm a helicopter works out about the same in terms of time. “But you can’t land a jet in the city centre, or at mountain houses. There is added safety to a helicopter over, say, a limousine,” says Grupe. “And it is also nice to see the scenery at low level.”

The S-92 also features a fully enclosed and separate lavatory.

Grupe highlights the fact that the S-92 was the first helicopter to be certified under the newer, and stricter, Part 29 standards.