More choppers?... get me a ride pliz..

Six new choppers by 2010

By Peter Sibon, ET, 13/12/2007

KUCHING: Eurocopter Malaysia Sdn Bhd (ECM) will supply three more E135 helicopters to Hornbill Skyways by 2010, making the total number of helicopters acquired by the latter to six units.
ECM Senior Director (Quality, Flight Operations and Training), Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad. disclosed this to Eastern Times after handing over the third unit to Hornbill Skyways at the latter’s hangar at the Kuching International Airport (KIA) here yesterday.
“We are proud to be associated with Hornbill Skyways’ contribution to the socio-economic development of Sarawak,” he said.
The third E135 unit, which arrived from Subang Airport here yesterday, was officially handed to Hornbill Skyways at the recent LIMA 2007.
On hand to receive the latest unit from ECM here yesterday was Hornbill Skyways’ Flight Operations Manager, Captain Haji Mohd Yusof Mohd Haniffa.
Before the official handing over ceremony, a trial flight was conducted by Hornbill Skyways’ Safety Pilot, Capt. Thomas Koh Ajap, assisted by ECM’s Test Pilot, Capt. Serge Tyran. On board were two journalists from Eastern Times, ECM’s Operations Executive Khastharina Sahari and Kuching City Consumers’ Association (KCCA) President Leonard Sabu.
The ten-minute flight from here to the Santubong Peninsular gave breath-taking and panoramic views of Kuching City.
The helicopter’s cruising speed of 135 knots made it very ideal for sight-seeing and other related activities.
Hornbill Skyways took delivery of the first E135 helicopter from ECM at the end of last year and the second one at the beginning of this year.
Each E135 helicopter comes with a price tag of RM16 million.
ECM was established in August 2002 for the express purpose of offering its operators in Malaysia a complete and effective range of technical support services.
To cater to customers in East Malaysia, Eurocopter Malaysia has created additional facilities in Miri and Kuching to ensure close proximity to its customers’ needs. New facilities were opened in Ipoh (Perak) at the end of 2006.
Eurocopter offers a wide range of civil and military aircraft ranging from the multipurpose light helicopter EC 120 B to the S 555 SN which is used by the Royal Malaysian Navy.


Wau.... any daily trip from Putrajaya to Kuching?