-GE AVIATION -GE's CT7 engines are proud to power 500,000 S-92 flight hours

ENP Newswire - 13 March 2013 Release date- 11032013 - LYNN, Massachusetts - Serving customers around the world in missions as diverse as the countries flying it, the GE CT7-8A-powered S-92 global helicopter fleet has surpassed 500,000 flight hours.

This translates into one million engine flight hours for the CT7-8A on this twin-engine aircraft. 'The S-92 helicopter was conceived as a commercial aircraft with the heart of a BLACK HAWK and designed to meet the needs of the North Sea offshore market, and today, the S-92 helicopter is a well-established, versatile aircraft that has become known for its reliability, comfort and safety features,' said Mick Maurer, Sikorsky President. More than 90% of all S-92 hours today are flown in the offshore configuration, with 54% being flown in harsh North Sea conditions. Designers mandated FAR/JAR safety margins, on-condition maintenance and revenue-producing operating costs for commercial customers. 'GE congratulates Sikorsky and the S-92 fleet for this noteworthy achievement,' said Lisa Coroa Bockley, Director - CT7/T700 Commercial and Advanced Programs. 'We are proud to power this terrific aircraft, and feel good knowing our engines help the S-92 save lives through search and rescue, transport heads of state, and service the offshore oil industry by getting workers to their jobs and home again.' The S-92 helicopter was introduced in 1992 and ultimately made its first flight in 1998. PHI Inc. became its first commercial operator when it purchased the S-92 helicopter in 2004 to perform the offshore oil transport mission. Today, PHI continues to operate a strong fleet of 24 S-92 helicopters. Al Gonsoulin, PHI Chief Executive Officer, said, 'The S-92 is the deepwater aircraft of choice in the Gulf of Mexico; its range, payload and, most importantly, its reliability have greatly supported the expansion of drilling and exploration to some of the farthest points in the Gulf and Alaska. It is a solid performer, day in and day out.' CHC Helicopter's S-92 helicopters, now numbering 37 in the company's worldwide fleet, have logged more than 150,000 hours of flight time - since 2005 for offshore transportation to the oil-and-gas industry, and since 2007 for search-and-rescue missions. 'Every day in places around the globe, CHC is taking customers further, enabling them to do more and bringing them home safely,' said William Amelio, CHC's president and chief executive officer. 'Sikorsky and its S-92s are important to fulfilling that purpose.' Bristow Group's global fleet includes 49 S-92 helicopters that operate in the North Sea, Canada, Brazil, U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Nigeria. Additionally, Bristow has 18 S-92 helicopters on order and options for 16 more. Bristow's S-92 fleet has logged over 155,000 hours in its operations in the North Sea, U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Nigeria. William Chiles, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, 'Bristow is the leading provider of helicopter services with an outstanding record in safety performance. We strive to provide operational excellence to our clients by providing the safest, most reliable and efficient service. The S-92 embodies these features as part of our global fleet.' The highly reliable T700/CT7 design has proven itself in harsh environments and has achieved nearly 90 million engine flight hours. The T700/CT7 has extensive experience in battlefield operations for the U.S. military and international militaries in a variety of combat and utility helicopter applications, as well as vast experience in a variety of commercial helicopter and fixed-wing applications. GE-Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings. [Editorial queries for this story should be sent to [email protected] ]