CHC Helicopters division Heli-One (Booth No. 1804), a global provider of repair and overhaul services for helicopters, now offers overhauled aircraft components and spare parts to other helicopter operators via new customer portals on its website (www.heli-one.com).
Launched in early December last year, Heli-One’s Exchange Parts Inventory Channel (Epic) connects users to two searchable databases, one for the company’s pool of exchange components and the other for its inventory of surplus parts, which carries nearly 1,900 items. Helicopter models covered include the AgustaWestland AW139,;Airbus Helicopters AS350, AS332, AS365, EC120, EC225 and SA315; the Bell 212 and 412 and the Sikorsky S-61 and S-76. The larger exchange components include engines, gearboxes and tailrotor blade assemblies.
“Whether a customer needs an expertly overhauled engine or rapid, cost-effective delivery of minor components in volume, this Epic capability provides a convenient service from a trusted, reliable and specialized global resource,” said Jeff Manion, Heli-One vice president of sales, marketing support and global networks.
When looking for an exchange component for a particular model on Epic, users can download a spec sheet on the item, which includes a photograph, its part and serial numbers, time since new and since overhaul, if it is now available or when it will be available and its condition. Contact information (phone and email) for regional sales directors in four global areas is provided.
After selecting an item in the parts sales inventory for possible purchase, users fill out a short online form to send via email to Heli-One. A dedicated representative responds to the inquiry. If the sales representative has certification papers about the component, he or she will provide price and other information immediately. If not, the goal is to obtain this information within 24 hours. For both exchange components and spare parts, as soon as Heli-One receives a purchase order or signed contract, the item is shipped.
Rick Angelo, Heli-One director of strategic marketing, said the goal of Epic is to provide better tools for the company’s customers. “If Heli-One is going to be considered a leading helicopter maintenance organization, we have to start providing the tools to make our customers more successful,” he said. “Customers have a plethora of choices for parts and services, and we’re hoping that if we give them the right tools, then in time they’re going to depend on Heli-One more and more.”
He said the company’s inventories of exchange components and parts are located primarily at its MRO facilities in Vancouver, Canada; Fort Collins, Colo.; Stavanger, Norway; and Rzeszow, Poland. An examination of the downloadable Parts Sales Inventory spreadsheet on the Heli-One website shows numerous parts also located in Australia and The Netherlands.
In addition to MRO services, CHC provides offshore transportation to oil-and-gas companies and flight services to search-and-rescue agencies. CHC is headquartered in Vancouver and operates about 250 aircraft in some 30 countries.
