| Model 300CB Reaches Over 100,000 Hour Mark With Outstanding Safety Record 8/24/1999 - Schweizer Aircraft Corp. |
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Elmira, New York…The Schweizer Aircraft Corp. Model 300CB helicopter fleet has recently exceeded the one hundred thousand flight hour mark. Besides having clearly established itself as a superior aircraft for flight training, the 300CB has compiled an exceptional flight safety record. Since the aircraft was introduced in late 1995, there have been only five accidents and no fatalities. The piston-powered TH-55 and Model 300C and the turbine-powered Model 330SP have paved the way for the Model 300CB’s exceptional safety record. The U. S. Army utilized the TH-55 at Ft. Rucker for twenty years; and in 1.5 million flight hours, only one fatality occurred. The Model 300CB is used primarily for pilot training, an activity that traditionally generates higher accident rates. To put the 300CB’s impressive safety record into perspective, between 1984 and 1995 NTSB yearly statistics showed that for reciprocating engine helicopters, accident rates varied from a minimum of 15 to a maximum of 31 per 100,000 flight hours. During these same years, fatalities varied from a low of 2.0 to a high of 6.2 for each 100,000 flight hours. In contrast to these statistics, the five-accident, zero-fatality record of the Model 300CB is truly outstanding and a source of great pride to Schweizer Aircraft and operators of 300CB helicopters. As an interesting aside, single-engine, fixed-wing reciprocating aircraft used for business and personal flying averaged 9.8 accidents and 1.9 fatalities per 100,000 flight hours during the same period. The flight characteristics that make the Model 300CB an exceptionally safe helicopter also generate two important economic benefits for owners and student pilots: (1) helicopter insurance, which can be difficult to acquire at affordable rates, costs less because of the CB’s record of safety; and (2) the average time it takes for students to solo and earn licenses is about twenty percent less than in trainers that do not have equivalent flight characteristics. Peter Lowry, president of Group 3 Aviation, Inc., Van Nuys, California, commented, "We use our two 300CB helicopters for about 75% of our primary training and they have proven to be very effective trainers. In just under three years, we’ve accumulated over 4,200 hours on those two aircraft. Their performance has been exceptional in our rugged environment." According to Camillus Byrne, Vice President, Helicopter Adventures, Concord, California, whose company uses the Model 300CB for pilot training, "We think it truly is a wonderful aircraft. If John Deere had built helicopters, this is exactly the aircraft he would have built. It is a great training aircraft." Sierra Academy, another of the nation’s leading flight training schools, has been operating Model 300CB’s in a training role since 1996. Skip Everett, President, said, "Both our instructors and students love the CB for training and feel very safe flying it. In three years of operating our Model 300CB’s, we’ve had no training accidents or incidents and no operational problems." David Borrows, President, ProCopter International, reports, "Our instructors and students love the CB’s responsiveness and control margins. A typical student is ready to solo in 15 hours with no previous flight time." In addition to the Model 300CB, Schweizer Aircraft Corp. produces the piston-powered Model 300C and the turbine-powered Model 330SP. Schweizer sells and supports its products through a worldwide network of sales and service centers. For more information, contact: Peter Lowry, President, e-mail:group3@group3aviation.com, Group 3 Aviation, Inc., 16425 Hart St., Van Nuys, CA 91406. Tel: 818-994-9376; Fax: 818-994-9384 e-mail: group3@group3aviation.com Camillus Byrne, Vice President – Business Development Manager, Helicopter Adventures, Inc., 81 John Glenn Drive, Concord, California 94520. Tel: 925-686-2917; Fax: 925-686-2986 Skip Everett, President, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California 94614. Tel: 510-568-6100 or 800-243-6300; Fax: 510-568-6116; e-mail: dms@sierraacademy.com David Borrows, President, ProCopter International, 1061 S. Wolf Rd., Wheeling, IL 66090. Tel: 847-465-9111; Fax: 847-465-9119 Barbara J. Tweedt, e-mail:Tweedt.Barbara@sacusa.com, Schweizer Aircraft Corp., P.O. Box 147, Elmira, New York 14902. Tel: 607-739-3821 x4281; Fax 607-796-2448 |
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