Heliportugal has come a long way since its early days when, to help build its business base, it detected shoals using helicopters based on fishing craft. Its md, pilot and real estate entrepreneur Pedro Silveira has chosen the "proven" Dauphin N3 as the latest aircraft to maintain the modern capability of a fleet that can number between 17 and more than 30 aircraft depending on business demand - particularly in the summer firefighting season. "In our best year, we operated 32 machines," says Silveira.

Based in Cascais, Tires, Heliportugal's operations have extended out from Portugal to embrace Spain, Morocco, Greece, Tunisia, Nigeria and Romania where a Dauphin has been working on an offshore contract for the past eight months. Over the last 25 years, the company has flown well over 40,000 hours in a wide range of civil helicopter activities. "Heliportugal permanently invests in innovation and training," says Silveira. "It is the only helicopter operator in Portugal with ISO9001 operations and maintenance certification procedures. It operates both in live line work and in infrared inspection of power lines for the Portuguese national grid network."

Having operated in this field for more than ten years, Heliportugal has become a specialist in insulator spraying in Portugal, Spain and Greece. It also focuses on the demanding image technology market, providing a wide range of equipment and helicopters designed to offer exact solutions tailored to individual projects and budget.

Silveira, now 43, started as a salesman in the Group SIL real estate company in which he now owns a majority stake. "About 15 years ago I started using helicopters to ascertain which real estate sites to buy and sell. I enjoyed the experience so I decided to take my pilot's license which I completed some 14 years ago."

He now personally owns a R22 Beta II and a AS355N SPIFR, chalking up 600 hours, and is rated for the R22, R44, all Ecureuil single and twin models, the Dauphin N1 and N2 range, with previous ratings on the Hughes 300C, MD500C, D and E models and EC120 Colibri. The next challenge is the new Kamov 32A11BC and Agusta AW139.

Heliportugal was "re-born" 12 years ago when Silveira and a partner bought the operation run by Bond Helicopters which had only three MD500 aircraft. "What started as an 'on the side' thing for fun has developed into the important and very seriously run business that Heliportugal is today."

In last 12 years sales have grown from ?0.5 million to ?82 million this year as per contracts already signed. But this figure includes a one-off deal worth ?46 million in 2007. The company sold the Portuguese Interior Ministry six Kamov 32A11BCs and four AS350B3s which it will maintain for 20 years under an agreed fee package.

The Dauphin N3 was chosen to increase offshore activities "because it is a proven machine with no surprises for the operator. Apart from reliability, it also has good performance and after sales support," says Silveira. The Dauphin, developed from the single-engined Aerospatiale Dauphin, is widely used in Europe as a corporate transport, for police, news media, emergency medical services and search and rescue. It joins a fleet that consists of six Dauphin SA365Ns, eight Ecureuil AS350B2s and B3s, one Colibri EC120, one AW139 and one Kamov Ka32A11BC.

Silveira adds: "Founded in 1982, Heliportugal is the oldest Portuguese helicopter company holding a number one certificate awarded to helicopter operators. It has carried out a vast number of missions." But he recalls: "In its early days, operations included detection of fish shoals using helicopters based on fishing craft, personnel transportation in support of oil drilling platforms and forest firefighting, for which it was a pioneer in Portugal.

"We are now in the frontline of forest firefighting, representing in Portugal and other countries such high machines as the Kamov (max. 5,000 litres) and the Beriev 200 (max. 12, 000 litres capacity) amphibian jet aircraft, which operate together with the lighter Ecureuils and Bell 205s."

However sporting events and filming have grown to generate a large sector of business. They include the cycling tour of Portugal, the TAP Air Portugal Rally, the Baja Telecel Off-Road Rally and the Baja 2000 Off-Road Rally, the RTL Television series "Der Clown", feature films including "Hornblower" and "Overkill" and advertisements such as "Cheers", "Ford" and "Nissan." There is demand for documentaries on Portugal from foreign television stations and Heliportugal has worked on the film "Mummy II" and researched locations with film director Oliver Stone. It has also flown every weekday live at 8am for the traffic report on a main TV channel for five years now.

"Our activities have expanded hugely in range since the early days," Silveira adds. "We provide forest fertilisation with differential GPS, organise parachute jumps, provide insect fumigation and spraying, along with an air ambulance service, sling load operations, the placement of power lines using pilot lines and executive and sightseeing flights. EMS is the only market in Portugal we have not yet broken into but we won't give up until we get it."

He says: "Whenever necessary, the company hires other aircraft for specific missions, namely in summer, when it normally operates with between 15 to 30 aircraft.

The company's policy is to remain as competitive as possible versus the competition. It's tough to win contracts but with the right mix of safety, personnel, product, quality and - last but least - price, one practically always makes steadfast progress."