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Made For Tourism

By Lisa Gordon

story by Lisa Gordon | photos by Mike Reyno | July 23, 2015

Published on: July 23, 2015
Estimated reading time 22 minutes, 1 seconds.

Niagara Helicopters has transitioned from Bell to Airbus Helicopters, acquiring four new H130s in record time.
Visiting Niagara Helicopters in the summertime is like jumping into the middle of a busy beehive–things are hopping, but everyone moves with purpose. The company, which has roots going back more than half a century, is well known for offering aerial helicopter tours over the Niagara region. Each year, about 80,000 to 100,000 tourists arrive at its Victoria Avenue location to embark on nine-minute, 27-kilometre “flightseeing” rides over the mighty Niagara Falls. 
During Niagara Helicopters’ busy season, from June to October, there are four helicopters in the air for the better part of each day, with one of them taking off every three minutes. 
The Airbus Helicopters H130 has been called the “limousine” of aerial tourism. Along with a more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine, the new H130 offers a vibration control system, improved air conditioning, a flat floor interior for passenger comfort, and other enhancements.
The operation ticks along like an expensive watch–a legacy, no doubt, from former owner Ruedi Hafen, a Swiss-born businessman who established the helicopter sightseeing branch of the company back in 1985. From its early days with just one four-seat Bell 206 JetRanger, the company grew steadily. By the mid-90s, Niagara Helicopters was operating a fleet of four brand new Bell 407s, made in Mirabel, Que. Those machines served the company well for almost two decades, until 2015, when the previously all-Bell operator acquired a brand new fleet of four Airbus Helicopters H130s. 
“The Bells served us very well; we never complained about the 407s. But now, these new helicopters are stepping it up for the tourist experience,” commented Anna Pierce, vice president of Niagara Helicopters. 
Pierce, who has worked at the company since 1984, said the H130 is made for tourism. When Vertical visited Niagara Helicopters at the end of May, she and her team were busy. In addition to preparing for the imminent arrival of the last three new helicopters, the company was also heavily involved with Rendez-vous Canada–the country’s largest tourism trade show, which was held in Niagara Falls this year. Niagara Helicopters attended the show to promote its helicopter rides to excursion organizers from around the world–and this year, the new fleet was a hot topic. 
Shiny birds: Niagara Helicopters’ new H130s fly in formation over the city of Niagara Falls, Ont. Airbus Helicopters Canada filled the tour operator’s order in record time, delivering all four machines in just over two months.
As part of the trade show, Pierce and her team invited selected tour company representatives to fly over the Falls. At the time of the demo, the company had acquired one brand new H130, so it was called into service alongside the Bell 407s. The new arrival got a lot of attention.
“The way it was put to us is that the 407s were like regular economy in an aircraft–there was nothing wrong with them,” recounted Pierce. “But these (the H130s) are like executive class. There’s more leg room, there’s a better view, and more creature comforts. They feel like they have a lot more space. Everyone wanted to go on the H130!”
Pierce is pleased with the reaction to the new machines. Making a good impression on tour operators is critical, and catering to an international clientele is the key to success. Most of the visitors to Niagara Helicopters come from South Korea, while numbers from the U.K., the United States, France, Germany and now China are on the rise. 
The Niagara Helicopters A-Team: from left to right are Rene Huessy, operations manager and chief pilot; Tony Dempsey, director of maintenance; and Anna Pierce, vice president.
During the summer, the helicopter operator’s large parking lot is often full of motor coaches, which bring in more than 50 per cent of annual business. Hundreds of sightseers spill into the lobby, where they are greeted by Niagara Helicopters’ front desk staff. After tickets are purchased [at a price of $140 per adult], the excited visitors line up, chattering in a variety of different languages, cameras at the ready. 
It could be a recipe for chaos, but it’s clear that the staff have been down this road more than a few times. The ground crew takes over from the front desk, ushering each group of passengers up to the waiting helicopter, belting them in and helping them to don headsets before closing the door and flashing a thumb’s up at the pilot. 
The pilot assumes command at that point–greeting the passengers before bringing the helicopter up gracefully to pose for a company photographer, and then lifting off to join the pattern for the Fallsview tour. 
One minute later, the next helicopter lands and it’s time to disembark those passengers while preparing the next group. And so it goes, over and over again during the busy high season. Timing is everything. Sometimes, one of the pilots will call for a “slow load,” when a passenger needs extra assistance boarding and exiting the helicopter. That creates a domino effect, with the other three helicopters easing back until the machine on the ground has lifted off again.
For the pilots at Niagara Helicopters, timing is everything. During the company’s high season from June to October, four helicopters are usually in the air, with one taking off every three minutes.
“If you look at our approaches and departures, they’re not your standard airport procedures,” explained Travis Hopkin, a 4,000-hour pilot who has been with Niagara Helicopters for seven years. “In fact, it’s a little faster. Our ride is based on time, rather than A to B. So if we’re running four machines, our timing is critical.”
He points out that flights must keep pace with the pre-recorded commentary that passengers hear through their headsets–available in 12 languages. 
Hopkin explained that weather minimums fall in line with VFR (visual flight rules) requirements for a controlled airspace. However, the area over Niagara Falls is restricted airspace, extending for a two-mile radius up to 3,500 feet above sea level. Only five tour companies are allowed within the restricted zone; three operate helicopters and two fly fixed-wing aircraft.
Taking aerial tourism to a new level: One of Niagara Helicopters’ outgoing Bell 407s hovers in the foreground, while a new Airbus Helicopters H130 rises above the heliport.
“Within that bubble, there is a required pattern and frequency,” continued Hopkin, who said the circuit presents some challenges on busy days. “We fly a 500-foot separation. Basically, it gives us a fairly strict flight pattern and that’s for safety. It also gives us the best view, and everybody is doing the same thing. If the weather isn’t cooperating, there are some alternate routes.”
Besides the classic Niagara Falls tour, the company also offers custom charters, aerial surveillance, film and photography shoots, and external load services. Local wineries are popular specialty charter destinations. Aerial weddings are also in demand, with Niagara Helicopters hosting nuptials at least once a week during the summer. Many years ago, Hafen also established a partnership with the Niagara Parks Police, offering ad hoc rescue services for injured hikers, for example, in need of a quick evacuation from the gorge. 
CHANGE AND GROWTH
Since Hafen founded the sightseeing company 30 years ago, Niagara Helicopters–which now flies a total of 2,500 to 3,000 hours annually–has experienced steady growth. In December 2011, it was acquired by Helicopter Transport Services (Canada) Inc., or HTS, a longtime Ottawa-based helicopter operator. From modest beginnings 39 years ago, HTS has steadily increased its fleet, acquiring two fixed-wing support aircraft and more than 60 helicopters of all types. Missions vary from forestry and mining work to aerial firefighting, construction and heavy lift projects, air ambulance, and electronic news gathering, among others. But the acquisition of Niagara Helicopters marked the company’s first foray into flightseeing. 
Airbus Helicopters Canada and Niagara Helicopters, located just minutes apart, are regional partners as well as business partners. Here, staff and local dignitaries celebrate the delivery of four H130s from the Fort Erie OEM to the Niagara Falls operator. Airbus Helicopters Photo
“HTS had never been in the tourism business and they initially had a lot of questions,” recounted Pierce. “The best part was that they really got it. I am so thankful that they took over, because they’ve challenged us in a way, but they’ve given us a bit more drive to succeed. And so we have. We’ve gone from a family-run type of business to more corporate standards, and it’s exactly what we needed to reinvigorate us to go to the next level.”
Hafen officially retired in 2013, after staying on for a year to facilitate the transition. Today, the company is run by Pierce, who is assisted by operations manager and chief pilot, Rene Huessy. Ten pilots (four full-time and six part-time) and 25 to 30 additional staff members deliver front desk, souvenir shop, photography department and ground crew services. Aircraft maintenance is provided by a three-person crew including director of maintenance Tony Dempsey, shop foreman Joe Giampa, and an AME co-op student. 
FLEET TRANSITION
It was Pierce who got the call from HTS owner Luc Pilon at the end of March 2015, informing her that a deal had been signed to acquire four brand new H130 helicopters from Airbus Helicopters Canada, located just down the road in Fort Erie, Ont. 
“The boss said we were looking for a June delivery, and I thought, ‘Well, at least we have more than a year to plan.’ Then he said no, June of this year. So in less than three months, we had to be ready to transition to a new aircraft type without a hitch!” said Pierce, who added that she hadn’t really slept since that call came in.
The Fenestron-enclosed tail rotor on the H130 allows for quieter operation and added safety on the ramp.

That type of turnaround is virtually unheard of in the helicopter industry. Instantly, the Niagara Helicopters team sprang into action. The plan was to have all paperwork and operational requirements in place early, so that the new helicopters could go to work as soon as they arrived. 
“You don’t want to bring home your new Ferrari and leave it in the driveway,” Pierce said, explaining that the focus was on transitioning to the new aircraft ahead of time. “Our COO had us start working on the AOC (air operator certificate) for the H130s as soon as the order was placed.”
When all was said and done, Niagara Helicopters’ first H130–the demonstrator aircraft from Airbus Helicopters Canada–was brought online just a week and a half after it was delivered on May 15. (Two more were brought up from the OEM’s Grand Prairie, Texas, location, while the fourth was shipped over from France. After final prep in Fort Erie, these three machines were delivered to their new home during a celebratory ceremony on June 2.)
“Transport Canada was amazing; they really were very good with us,” said Pierce. “The paperwork was ready to go. It was just a matter of getting in that final flight. They helped us get it all ready to just before the finish line. Then, they came in on a Saturday to inspect the machine and by the following Wednesday it was flying–just in time for the first group of Rendez-vous Canada tour operators.”
Shop foreman Joe Giampa is looking forward to working on the new H130 fleet.

Manufacturer training for both pilots and maintenance technicians was included in the sale.   
“Some pilots with previous ratings from the AStar series had an endorsement, and they just had to do training,” explained Hopkin. “Some of us needed an endorsement, so we needed to be trained to company standards.”
Either way, he said the H130 is a sweet ride, offering many creature comforts that were missing from the older Bell 407s. 
“Air conditioning is a big plus, as well as the newer engine and avionics,” said Hopkin. “For me, it’s tough to compare the two machines directly. It’s like sailing a different sailboat. You know how to sail, and everything kind of looks the same, but a new boat may perform differently. The rotors on this aircraft spin in the opposite direction, so there are some different tendencies. But you have to spend time in it to figure out the differences.”
He added that noise testing last November revealed that the H130 is quieter than the Bell 407 (which had been fitted with noise reduction kits), due in part to the former’s Fenestron-enclosed tail rotor. 
From a profitability factor, one key difference is that the new Airbus helicopters take seven passengers instead of the six that were previously accommodated on the Bell 407s. 
What a view! With its cinema-style seating, panoramic view and nose- down attitude in flight, the H130 is perfectly suited for flightseeing.
According to Huessy, the company’s operations manager and chief pilot, the new helicopters offer additional benefits from a pilot’s perspective. “Safety, dual hydraulics, a two-and-a half channel FADEC (full authority digital engine control), and increased simplicity of operations are among the benefits of the H130,” he told Vertical.
Niagara Helicopters didn’t commission any special mods for the new H130s, other than the installation of FM radios for internal communications. Huessy explained that the company’s sightseeing route was adjusted slightly, so that the helicopters now approach the Falls head on–to take full advantage of the H130’s cinema-style seating, panoramic view and nose-down attitude when flying.
The H130 makes a positive impression on passengers, too. “I’ve been tipped so many times lately in the Airbus, and that was rare before,” laughed Huessy. “People love it. It has a limousine feeling to it.”
He said that working with Airbus Helicopters Canada has been a very positive experience. With pilot and maintenance training complete, only small operational details remain on the to-do list. 
All H130 pilot training was provided by Airbus Helicopters Canada.
Pierce agreed wholeheartedly. “Airbus has been extremely supportive,” she said. “Their engineering department helped calm our nerves. We were transitioning to a new machine, and change is always hard. But they were very patient and understanding with us. Frankly, we thought the transition was going to be a total horror show, but everyone stepped up and helped us!”
She also gave credit to the Niagara Helicopters staff. “Our team pulled it together like you would not believe! For us to get these machines coming off the line and onto our flight line within hours is amazing work, from our head office down to our ground crew and everyone in between.”
 Likewise, shop foreman Joe Giampa said the new fleet has necessitated some additional changes in the maintenance department–from standard to metric tools, for instance. He and director of maintenance Tony Dempsey completed three weeks of training in Texas, with three months of support being provided by Airbus Helicopters.
Bell 407s and Airbus Helicopters H130s crowd the Niagara Helicopters ramp on June 2, otherwise known as “fleet transition day.” The 407s didn’t stick around for long; owner HTS planned to repurpose them for bush flying.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of working on the H130,” said Giampa, who has been maintaining the Bell 407 since 1999. He said that most heavy maintenance will be done in the winter slow season, usually with two aircraft online and two in the shop.
So, what’s next for Niagara Helicopters? Pierce told Vertical there are a lot of irons in the fire. “From my perspective, we’re really going into emerging markets and trying to expand the business. It’s very exciting. Now we just have to see how far we can push it, and I’m the type that will push it all the way! I want it to be that we actually need five, six or seven helicopters just to get the business done.”
As surely as tourists flock to the Falls, Niagara Helicopters’ fleet of four brightly-coloured H130s will be as busy as the Bell 407s before them. And as for that faithful fleet, HTS plans to upgrade the 407s before sending them to work in the bush later this summer.

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