Den Helder Airport/De Kooij 9406-04-1985 The end of an era

[aviodromefriend]

Today was a sad day for offshore helicopter flights in the Netherlands (as already posted on at least three other topics at this board), as new rules will make it impossible to fly regular flights from Holland to the oilrigs in the North Sea by the Sikorsky 61N helicopter, meaning the last one, PH-NZD, is now put up for sale by its owners, CHC. Impressions of its last landing at its homebase this afternoon:

Flyby before joining downwind for the last time


on final


passed the airfield’s boundary once more


final moments airborne


Salute by the airfield’s fire department


parked at the airport

[Stratofreighter]

Thanks for putting up these pictures! Truly the end of an era...

[Otto]

This is how it looked like from above:



Pic by Miss M

Last flight: HNL03B S-61 PH-NZD CHC from EHKD to oilrig L10-A, NOR and then RTB

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[Melmac]

Great shots of a sad moment in Dutch helicopter aviation history

[bvdboomen]

Sad indeed. What is the reason for stopping? What are these new rules?
While there's more to get out of the pictures, thanks for documenting the happening.

[MAS017]

Good relic for Aviodrome IMHO !

PH-NZD: thanks a lot for serving 40 wonderful years...

[CJ]

thanks for posting, but which new rules do you refer to?
MTIA

[Stratofreighter]

thanks for posting, but which new rules do you refer to?
MTIA

http://www.denhelderairport.nl/document ... 010_nl.pdf

De
Delta heeft in de circa veertig
actieve jaren bijna 33.000
vlieguren gemaakt en 77.000
landingen uitgevoerd. Met het
uitfaseren van deze kist
verdwijnt eind dit jaar een
uniek stuk luchtvaarthistorie
uit Nederland. Eigenlijk
verdient de Delta een plek in
Aviodrome op Lelystad
Airport.” Cees: “De
uitfasering wordt ons
wettelijk opgelegd. De S-61N is
zo degelijk dat deze nog wel
veertig jaar meekan.

[Pete]

I flew in in a few times, the last time was 24-12-2010. Memorable flight, i will miss it for it's appearance and for the ability to lift 19 crew. It was a major contribution to many people travelling offshore. I was hoping it would be replaced by a s-92, but it will be replaced by two s-76 instead.

Regards,
Pete

[maarten-sr]

I found in my personal archive the Delta in KLM outfit - Schiphol-East +/- 1985 (slidescan)


PH-NZD S61N KLM Helikopters by maarten-sr, on Flickr


Heldair airshow 2009


PH-NZD S61 CHC by maarten-sr, on Flickr

[CJ]

More nice pictures of S-61Ns. Great. Brings back memories of my own stint at KLM helicopters at SPL East back in 1981. Still, my question why it is grounded is not answered. The article says 'wettelijke bepalingen' i.a.w. legal regulations. Fine, but what exactly is meant? Like reaching a maximum certificated number of landings or non compliance with certain (TBD) avionics, some calender age restriction, or...?
Anyone able to shed some light on this? Hope this doesn't become off-topic.
Again, MTIA. CJ

[asto]

My first flight in a helicopter was during the Heldair Airshow (2007) with this machine... good memories...

[chinook]

Something to do with CAT A perfromance(single engine climbout requirements)

[cHabu]

What time did it finally land ?

[Thermal]

De Delta heeft in de circa veertig actieve jaren bijna 33.000 vlieguren gemaakt en 77.000 landingen uitgevoerd.

Wat een indrukwekkende cijfers. Ze gaat toch wel zeker naar het Aviodrome toe mag ik hopen???