TALKING BUSINESS
HELICOPTER FIRM IS IN TOP FLIGHT
Sloane Helicopters is recognised as the most accomplished on-shore helicopter company in Europe. Nearly five decades after the firm was launched managing director JEREMY AWENAT explains how it has remained so successful and reveals the exciting new projects it is working on.
In 1971 David George founded Sloane Helicopters with just one Agusta Bell 47J helicopter. In the decades since, the firm – which remains under David’s private ownership – has grown massively. Today, its wide-ranging services include helicopter sales, engineering, flight operations and flight training. In the 1970s it began working with the Robinson Helicopter
Company and is now the firm’s longest-established dealer in Europe, having recently taken delivery of its 500th new Robinson helicopter – the R44 Raven II S/N 14297. The business also has more than two decades’ experience as
the UK and Ireland Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland) distributor and service centre. Managing director Jeremy Awenat, who has been with the
firm since 2006, said: “We expanded throughout the 1970s and 1980s and at the end of that decade we opened our hangar at Sywell to bring together our flying school, engineering department and sales team. “We are very proud of our long-established relationships with
Robinson and Leonardo which have always been very important to us. We were delighted this year to take delivery of our 500th Robinson helicopter because it highlighted our position in the UK industry. It’s great recognition for our whole team as everyone here is critical to our operation. “Today, our primary sales are new helicopters although we do sell some pre-owned helicopters. We also have a fantastic engineering capability which is capable of undertaking everything from routine maintenance to major modifications.” Sloane Helicopters’ Flying School provides
the highest standard of training for every level of pilot and its flight operations team undertakes charter, air experience flying and air ambulance support. “We operate the air ambulance services for
Jeremy Awenat with members of the Sloane team “We’ve teamed up with people and business on the islands to ‘THIS
INVESTMENT HELPS US TO
re-establish the link and we’re currently working on plans to build a new heliport in Penzance. “We’ve been working on this project for about four years and it’s very exciting for us as this will be the first time we’ve embarked on a scheduled operation.” Jeremy attributes the firm’s ongoing success to their links with VIP brands such as Robinson and Leonardo, the strength of their team and their commitment to invest in their workforce. He added: “We are fortunate to have in
SAFEGUARD THE FUTURE OF OUR BUSINESS’
Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland and Cork as well as providing a medical helicopter at a range of sporting events across the UK,” said Jeremy. “We also operate helicopters at Silverstone and provide
aircraft to the Ministry of Defence and carry out maintenance and training for them.” Around 2010 the firm underwent a period of consolidation,
due to the recession, which gave Sloane Helicopters the opportunity to restructure and since 2015 it has achieved its budget targets every year. The business has recently put together its new five-year plan
which will see the firm continuing to grow as opportunities arise. Jeremy explained: “We’re looking at running more air ambulance operations and next March we’re going to start a new schedule service between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly. “The service had previously been run by a different operator
but was closed in 2012 which meant the Isles of Scilly lost a valuable lifeline.
30 inbusiness JUNE/JULY 2019
David a shareholder who has always been fully committed to the industry and to the company. We also have a fantastic team of just over 50 engineers, pilots and support staff at our bases in
Sywell, RAF Northolt and Enniskillen. “About a decade ago we recognised that the
average age of an engineer in the UK was someone in
their 50s so we began running an apprenticeship programme to encourage local school leavers to train to become licensed engineers. “This is a huge responsibility because engineers carry out
work and sign it off. To become qualified they must complete a very difficult five-year programme of modules and examinations set by the Civil Aviation Authority. “Once they have achieved this they receive their basic licence
and then we send them for further training. So, for example, one of our recent graduates has gone to Italy for a six-week course on the Leonardo helicopter. “To date three apprentices have completed the five-year
programme, another is due to finish this year and we have two more at various stages in the programme. “It is a source of great pride to us to watch these youngsters
graduate as it takes a lot of hard work to become fully qualified. “This investment helps us to safeguard the future of our business and give something back to our industry.”
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