Super Pumas

"orget used Sikorskys or new medium-sized LongRangers, Craig Dobbin decided. They were half-measures. To get the job done right he would order a fleet of Supér Pumas, immediately identifying Sealand as a serious player in the industry. It was a bold, almost foolhardy move. The Super Pumas were among the most expensive craft available, each carrying a purchase price of $6 million, or about half the company’s annual gross revenue at that point. He would have to float their purchase at a time when interest rates hovered at record levels of 16 to 18 per cent. What’s more, the Super Pumas were unproven in the North American market; they looked good on paper, but no one was anxious to test-fly the machines in the tightly scheduled and highly competitive offshore petroleum industry. No one, that is, except Craig Dobbin."

"Capital costs for large-capacity helicopters with sophisticated navigation equipment can rival that of aircraft for scheduled airlines, but maintenance costs per kilometre flown are dramatically higher than for fixed-wing craft. Industry standards require operators to track operating time and cycles for specific components and to replace the parts even if they and the machine are operating at 100 per cent efficiency. Manufacturers’ guidelines dictate that aircraft such as the Super Pumas receive 3.6 hours of routine maintenance for every hour they spend in the air. This involves not only a substantial cost for maintenance crews, most of whom work overnight on helicopters assigned to offshore service, but for parts inventory as well. While revenue is potentially high, operating costs can quickly spiral out of control, and by the late 1980s Craig Dobbin was searching for a means to absorb sudden leaps in operating costs and dramatic drop-offs in revenue."