Menominee MI, June 6, 2008 – Enstrom Helicopter Corporation is excited to announce that they’ve recently completed the training of a delegation of pilots and mechanics from the Peruvian Navy. Enstrom signed a contract to provide the Peruvian Navy with six F28F piston training helicopters in January of 2008. The first two aircraft were completed in time for the training, and will ship shortly. Three of the aircraft will be shipped with auxiliary fuel tanks, cargo hooks, and floats, while the other three will be provisioned to accept those accessories for quick swaps and flexibility. The helicopters will be used primarily for flight training, but will see other roles, such as search, surveillance and cargo hauling.
Commander Alberto De-Souza Ferreira led the delegation, and received training as an instructor pilot in the F28F. “The aircraft fly very well, and will make excellent trainers for the Navy,” he commented. Commander Alex Arriaran also received instructor training, and was extremely impressed with the Enstrom. “We really pushed the limits of the helicopter, to see how strong it was. We did landings in the F28F that would have concerned me in our Bell 206’s, but the Enstrom didn’t even have a scratch. It also does excellent autorotations, and has the power to recover even when the rpm is low. The F28F will be a great trainer.”
Enstrom was impressed by the skill and knowledge of the Navy personnel as well. Enstrom product support specialist Joe Gypp was charged with leading the maintenance class, and spent a week with the mechanics. “These guys were all really sharp. They picked it up right away, and asked a lot of great questions. Despite the fact that most of them only spoke Spanish, they were so confident by the end of the week that they wanted to take their test in English. I’ve taught a lot of mechanics over the years, and I have no doubt these guys will be able to take care of their helicopters.”
The F28F was chosen in a competitive bid process with the Schweizer 300C and the Robinson R44 Raven II. The price and performance of the aircraft exceeded the requirements set forth by the Peruvian Navy for this application. “More and more organizations in the world are recognizing the virtues of utilizing the F28F as a first class, safe, training helicopter, “ stated Jerry Mullins, Enstrom President and CEO. “With its unequaled performance, exceptional stability, and excellent safety record, you get more than just a trainer with the F28F. The Peruvian Navy saw this benefit and, after reviewing the data, made the right choice.”
Enstrom was assisted in Peru by their representatives, KIBO Representaciones SAC. Since it’s founding, KIBO has sold over 30 aircraft in Peru, and proved to have the knowledge and expertise to move the program from concept to reality. KIBO personnel even traveled to Enstrom to help facilitate the training. KIBO president Mariano Carrion can be reached at [email protected] for more information on aircraft and helicopter sales in Peru.
Founded in 1959, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation manufactures a complete line of helicopters. The three-seat, piston-powered F28F and 280FX are popular training, sport, and light commercial aircraft. The larger turbine-powered 480B is available as a three-place advanced trainer and patrol aircraft, or as a three to five place executive transport. For law enforcement applications Enstrom produces a specialized variant of the 480B, known as the Guardian, and the F28F, called the Sentinel. Enstrom can be found on the Internet at www.enstromhelicopter.com.
