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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 0346.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION Chinook suffers China setback PHILADELPHIA Sales of the Boeing Helicopter Commercial Chinook look unlikely in the short term, in spite of a well publicised and apparently well received two- month demonstration tour in China last year. Reorganisation of the coun try's aviation administration has scuppered any immediate sales hopes, and a major opportunity to show the heli copter's firefighting capability was lost on the China tour because of the reluctance of Chinese authorities to allow the machine near the Soviet border, says Jerry Van Sickel, Boeing's director of sales for the Asia/Pacific region. The Boeing official shrugged off suggestions that the Soviet export sales push at the recent Asian Aerospace Show could provide new competition. He says that the rudimentary nature of Soviet helicopters is a drawback, particularly to civil sales. Tourist flights over the Great Wall of China in a Mil-8 have been unpopular, Van Sickel claims. A strong sign that the Soviets have adopted a new hard-headed commercial approach was the detailed briefing given to trade visitors on products, notably the Antonov An-124, which they say may be leased to a British freight operator. Boeing claims, however, to have won an order for the military CH-47 Chinook, believed to involve up to five aircraft, from an unnamed customer in Asia. "Under the terms of the contract, we can't reveal the customer, but they intend to go in for heavy-lift in a big way, and we expect a follow-on order, perhaps for six aircraft," says Sickel. A hindrance to commercial sales may be the ready avail ability of several used machines. 22 mill III ilHI Hill The Chinese liked the Chinook, says Boeing Aerospatiale opens maintenance base CHANGI Samaero has invested $4 million in a maintenance and sales base next to Singapore's Changi Airport to boost its image in the potentially highly lucrative Asian market for civil and military heli copters. Owned by Aerospatiale, Ofema (a French equipment export agency), and Singa pore's Samco (a maintenance company), Samaero's facility will hold $20 million of stock and employ 80. Asian offshore support operations have not slumped as badly as those elsewhere, and continue to provide sales prospects for civil helicopters. The combined Asia/Pacific region is the world's largest market for military heli copters, says Samaero man aging director Philippe Harache. Beech predicts market shift WICHITA ~ The Pacific Rim will supplant Europe as Beech's prime export market within five years, according to a senior company official. The difference will be that most sales will be to govern ments rather than to corporations, says sales and marketing services vice- president George Rodgers. "The outstanding attributes of the European market are being challenged for the first time." Reflecting the expected shift, Beech is demonstrating the Beechjet in Australia this month, at the end of a lengthy sales tour of South East Asia. SAR study continues LONDON ~ The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is continuing its study into the privatisation of search and rescue (SAR) services currently provided by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. A privatisation proposal met strong opposition in the House of Commons recently, but the move offers the pros pect of saving almost half of the £50 million annually spent on military SAR units, says Bristow Helicopters. Samaero brought local flavour to the opening ceremony FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 13 February 1988
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