There is no customer service phone line at VIH Aerospace. The Vancouver Island, British Columbia-based helicopter maintenance, manufacturing, repair and overhaul (MMRO) company instead provides a direct line to key personnel in sales, helping assure the quickest resolution to customer needs.
“We believe in keeping our teams lean and working directly with the customer to assure an efficient, cost-effective and quality solution,” said David McGrath, director of marketing, business development and sales for VIH Aerospace. “When everyone maintains a service-above-all attitude, we remain customer focused, which leads to high quality and superior customer satisfaction.”
A division of the VIH Aviation Group of companies, VIH Aerospace offers a comprehensive suite of services including component overhaul, aircraft refurbishment/completions, structural repair, paint and composites, avionics and electrical installations, modification and upgrades, scheduled inspections, manufacturing, product engineering, STC development and parts/special operations equipment sales.
Renewed focus
Born from Vancouver Island Helicopters’ internal maintenance division, VIH Aerospace brings more than 60 years of experience to the industry as a third party MMRO provider.
“VIH Aerospace is known globally as a Bell Helicopter-approved customer service facility, or CSF, for a variety of light and medium Bell helicopters, as well as offering a wealth of experience supporting the Sikorsky S-61 and S-92 and various Airbus and Leonardo helicopters,” said McGrath. “We’re taking the expertise and knowledge we’ve acquired and are making our best-in-class MMRO services and products available to the global helicopter market.”
Earlier this year VIH Aerospace announced its offering of H130/EC130 annual inspections as a part of renewed focus on performing both scheduled and unscheduled inspections for operators of all aircraft types supported by the company, including the Sikorsky S-61, S-76 and S-92; Bell 205, 206, 212, 222, 230 and 407; Airbus AS350, AS355 and H130/EC130; and the Leonardo AW139.
“This program has been in place for little over a year and has been very successful, particularly with Bell 407 helicopter operators,” said McGrath. “Both domestic and international customers have taken advantage of it, significantly lowering both their overhaul costs as well as lost revenue due to helicopter down time.”
As a part of the company’s renewed focus, VIH Aerospace also introduced a Mobile Repair Teams program in 2016.
Focused on manufacturing
VIH Aerospace’s reputation for manufacturing and STC development precedes it. With more than 60 helicopter STCs to its name, the company develops its own STCs, works with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop equipment at their request, and works directly with customers to assist with STC development to meet specific operational requirements.
VIH Aerospace’s STC development and general manufacturing services are in high demand. Currently the team manufactures kit pieces, test fixtures and STC products for several major helicopter OEMs, other MROs, industry vendors and even fixed-wing fleet operators. In 2017, the company plans to expand its manufacturing capability and capacity to address a growing and more diverse international customer base.
international helicopter market.