HELISWISS (SWISS HELICOPTERS, LTD.): P. O. Box 75, Bern Airport, Belp, CH-3123, Switzerland; Phone 41 (31) 819-3311; Fax 41 (31) 819-4171; Http://www. businessworld. ch/11/be/31/heliswiss. htm; Year Founded 1953. This charter operator is formed at Berne in April 1953. In 1953-1982, extensive domestic passenger and cargo operations are developed, along with survey flights, agricultural spraying, and sight-seeing charters, including many of an international nature. The company’s fleet includes a variety of rotary-wing aircraft, including Bell 47s, 204s, 205s, 206s, 412s and Aerospatiale AS-315s and 350s.
The company is purchased in 1983 by competing Air Grischa He-likopter, A. G.; allowed to retain its own name, the company is folded into a group of firms managed by Heri/Swiss Helicopter Management. Other operators in the group include Eliticino, S. A. and Helitrans; the three fly from several bases. Corporate headquarters are maintained at Bern’s Belp Airport, where Dr. Jurgen Riedi serves as president.
In 1984-1988, Heliswiss develops a reputation for construction work in mountainous areas. In addition, it continues to undertake international missions, including geological survey work in Greenland, insect spraying in Africa for the World Health Organization, power line construction in Nigeria, and fish spotting in Mauretania. During the latter year, the company’s Bell 214B participates in the construction of a crane on top of 9,745-ft. high Schilthorn Mountain, which will be employed, in turn, to build a cable car station.
Two Barcelona, Spain-based operators are brought into the corporate fold in 1989, Aercombi, S. A. and Rescate Aero, S. A. The acquisition allows the Spanish customers of Heliswiss, Ltd. to circumvent the need to seek government permission to contract with foreign firms.
The fleet in 1990 includes 5 Bell 206B JetRangers, 5 Aerospatiale SA-315 Lamas, and 1 each Bell 205A, 214B, and Aerospatiale SA-316 Alouette III and AS-350B Ecureuil. The Eliticino fleet features 8 Lamas, 2 Alouette IIIs, and 1 each Ecureuil, Bell 205A, and Bell 206B Jet-Ranger.
A Soviet-built Kamov Ka-32 is chartered for three months and is employed to assist civil authorities in clearing salvageable timber from damaged forests between Unterwallis to Zentralschweiz following major storms early in the year.
A Ka-32 is again placed into service during April 1991. Service continues to expand during the remainder of the decade and by 2000, Dr. Riedi’s fleet includes 5 Eurocopter AS-315Bs, 6 each AS-350Bs and Agusta-Bell 206B JetRangers, 2 Bell 214Bs, and the leased Kamov Ka-32.
HELITOURS, LTD.: P. O. Box Box 594, Colombo 2, Sri Lanka; Phone 431584; Fax 432336; Year Founded 1971. Helitours is born of the 1971 political and economic debacles, the containment of which is responsible for a sudden large expansion of the Sri Lankan Air Force. After the upheavals, a proposal is made to the government to utilize the helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and their crews on nonmilitary duties as a way of helping to recover part of the cost of the defense establishment, while keeping personnel trained and ready. The idea is accepted and authorized under a presidential decree as a charter operation, not a scheduled service selling tickets. Regular domestic flights are inaugurated between Colombo and Amparal, Anuradhapura, Batticalos, Jaffna, Koggala, Minneriya, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, and Wirawila.
Within seven years, Air Vice Marshal Harry Goonetilleke’s fleet comprises 1 Convair CV-440, 2 Riley Turboliners (de Havilland DH 114 Herons with turboprop engines), 2 Herons, 2 DC-3s, and 7 Bell 206 JetRangers. During the early 1980s, the fixed-wing fleet is upgraded by the addition of 1 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 in place of the Convair, 3 Cessna 337F Super Skymasters, and 2 Aerospatiale SA-365C Dauphin 2s.
By 1988, CEO Air Marshal M. J. T. des Gunarante’s fleet comprises 3 HS 748s, 1 Beech King Air 200, the 3 Super Skymasters, and 6 Yun Y-12s. Two Y-8s are acquired in 1990. Airline employment in 1992 stands at 35 civilian personnel in addition to military flight and ground crews.
Operations continue in 1993-1994, at which point the rotary-wing fleet includes 12 Bell 212s, 4 Bell 412s, 6 Bell 206A JetRangers, and 3 Mil Mi-17s. The fixed wing fleet has not changed since the 1980s.
Just after takeoff from Palay AFB on a charter trooping service to Colombo on April 18, 1995, a BAe (HS) 748-2A with 3 crew and 42 passengers is hit in the left wing by a surface-to-air missile. The pilot attempts to return to his point of origin in heavy rain, but the right wing fails and his aircraft crashes 700 ft. short of the runway. There are no survivors from a tragedy blamed on Tamil separatists.
The next day, a BAe (HS) 748-B2 with 3 crew and 49 passengers on another trooping charter en route from Anuradhapura to Palay AFB, is hit at 3,000 ft. by a surface-to-air missile. The turboprop smashes into the ground 10 km. from its destination and, again, there are no survivors.
While on final approach to Palay AFB on November 18, a Yunshuji Y-8 with six crew is shot down by 20mm. Orikon antiaircraft fire from two Tamil separatist gunboats and crashes into the sea three km. offshore (five dead).
As civil disturbances continue to rock the island nation and attacks by the Tamil Tiger rebels become more fearsome, the government bans domestic flights, particularly those between the Jaffna Peninsula and Colombo. As a result, the company is shut down.
In late January 1999, the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry informs the press, including the BBC, that Helitours, Ltd. will be reactivated to operate daily service into the Jaffna Peninsula. The service, employing SLAF Antonov An-32s, will replace the frequencies previously provided by Lionair before its aircraft was destroyed.
Due to the threat of missile attack from rebel forces, the government again halts its Jaffna Peninsula service in March 2000. Civilian traffic from the embattled area to the capital must travel by sea to Trincomalee and then by train.
In October, arrangements are completed with Air Moldova International for the operation, on behalf of Helitours, of a replacement civil service between Colombo and the Jaffna Peninsula. The Moldovians send out a wet-leased Antonov An-24V, which begins revenue flights on November 17 from Colombo to Ratmalana and Palaly/Kankesanturai.
World History
