In the field of commercial aviation, the Helicopter is a comparatively new vehicle and, to my mind, one requiring considerable development in respect of servicing, maintenance and overhaul.

As we are all aware, serviceability has an important influence on an aircraft’s revenue flying time. Therefore, I think that it is essential for us to grapple with maintenance problems at an early stage and try to place them in their true perspective.

From my point of view, as an engineer, it is most important to use the aircraft at a high “Utilisation Rate,” without impairing its safety.

Let me make it quite clear at the beginning that I am not speaking as a paid agent or employee of any Hiller operator or representative, and that what I have to say is an expression of my personal opinions. They are based on over 2,000 hours of commercial operations with the Hiller 360 all over Europe, North and West Africa, during the past twelve months, when as Technical Manager of Helicop-Air (Paris) it was one of my responsibilities to ensure the efficient maintenance of three and sometimes four machines on high utilisation work.

Our efforts were directed principally towards such profit-making enterprises as insecticide spraying and dusting of cultivated crops, forests, swamps and river beds; the operation of a pilot and engineer training school; publicity flying for large manufacturing firms; a non-schedule passenger service; and sales demonstration.

These operations were frequently in widely dispersed, remote and inaccessible places where maintenance installations and workshop facilities were non-existent.

I would first like to express my thanks to the Society of Licensed Aircraft Engineers for the honour of asking me to read this paper and, at the same time, I would like to congratulate both the Helicopter Association of Great Britain and the S.L.A.E. for combining to promote this particular discussion. To some of us this fulfils a long-felt want; mainly the airing of problems of helicopter maintenance from the stand-point of the Licensed Aircraft Engineer.

Since the arrival in this country in 1944 of a production type helicopter, I may say that these problems have been apparent in no small numbers. Before that time, of course, a considerable amount of experience with rotary wing maintenance problems had been gained during the operation of the autogyro in this country, and were were therefore fortunate in having some of this experience behind us at the outset of helicopter operation.