Helicopter Manufacturers Face Challenges
Oil and gas platform workers in Australia's northwest shelf face increased hazards starting November 1 each year, including cyclones and rough seas.
These conditions are typical of the severe environments in which oil and gas producers operate, with high oil prices and better drilling techniques allowing them to work further from shore.
Similarly tough conditions exist in offshore areas of the Arctic, Russia, and the North Sea, where an inquiry was launched into five helicopter crashes over the past four years.
The launch of an inquiry by UK and other European regulators last month into five helicopter crashes in the North Sea over the past four years underlines the risks involved.
Author's summary: Helicopter manufacturers battle harsh environments.