Helikopterflygere til Kina?

China's Growing Helo Fleet Raises Pilot Shortage Concerns

A rapidly growing helicopter market in China is raising concerns about the shortages of properly trained pilots and mechanics, Chris Jaran, vice president for Bell Helicopter in China, said today at ABACE 2015. Helicopter deliveries to China grew 30 percent last year, on top of a five-year period where shipments to the region grew annually by 20 percent, he noted. “The really good news for us is the tremendous growth,” said Jaran. However, he added, the growth is highlighting concerns that infrastructure and properly trained professionals are not keeping pace. While there are now 655 helicopters in China, he said there might not be as many fully qualified pilots for these machines. To make things worse, many of the helicopters involve two-pilot operations. Turbine helicopters account for 61 percent of the fleet, mostly in the light and medium categories. The fleet, Jaran added, is concentrated in eastern China, where the large populations centers are. Central China is slowly growing its helicopter fleet, but few are in the north and western parts of the country.