KLM Helikopters
IATA ICAO Callsign
KL AMS KLM HELI
FoundedOctober 1965
Ceased operations1998
HubsAmsterdam Airport Schiphol
Secondary hubsDen Helder Airport
Fleet size11
DestinationsNorth Sea oil rigs
Parent companyKLM
HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
Key peopleDr M. S. Kamminga (Manager)
H. Zeedijk (Chief pilot)

KLM Helikopters N.V. was a Dutch civil helicopter operator founded in 1965, and was wholly owned subsidiary of KLM.

History

Also known as KLM Noordzee Helikopters the company provided offshore support flights, charters, and search and rescue. Their fleet consisted of seven Sikorsky S-61N's, four Sikorsky S-76B's, two Sikorsky S-58T's and two MBB Bo 105's.[1] In 1991 the company expanded when Era Helicopters a division of Era Aviation acquire a 49% of KLM, and provided them with growth in Alaska region. until the company was sold to Schreiner Airways in 1998.[2][3]

Fleet

KLM Helikopters Sikorsky S-61N

KLM Helikopters operated the following helicopter types:[4]

KLM Helikopters fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
MBB Bo 105C 1 1976 1982
MBB Bo 105Cbs-4 2 1993 1994
Sikorsky S-58 2 1975 1980
Sikorsky S-61N 9 1969 1998
Sikorsky S-62 1 1967 1972
Sikorsky S-76B 8 1986 1998

Accidents

  • On May 10, 1974 KLM Noordzee Helikopters Sikorsky S-61N PH-NZC crashed en route to an oil rig in the North Sea. None of the two crew and four passengers survived. The probable cause was a failure in one of five rotor blades due to metal fatigue.
  • On December 29, 1990, a Sikorsky S-61N was in a hover when serious vibrations were experienced. After touchdown one of the main rotor blades struck the fuselage and detached before the engines were shut down, no injuries were reported.[5]

See also

References

  1. "Airline Directory 1978 pg. 1173". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  2. "Schreiner to KLM Era pg. 21". flightglobal.com. September 1997. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  3. "KLM Helikopters". Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  4. "KLM Helicopters". Aerobernie.bplaced.net. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  5. "KLM grounds Sikorskys pg. 11". flightglobal.com. January 1991. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
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