Commercial director Erlend Folstad says that Airlift's varied activities highlight the helicopter's versatility. Airlift, which was established in 1986 and has its headquarters at Forde Airport in Sogn and Fjordane, has three commercial areas of activity: the domestic market in Northern Europe, rescue operations and heavy lifting.

But Airlift's subsidiary, Airlift AB in Sweden, specialises in the spreading of limestone and fertilisers. "With 90 employees and a modern fleet of helicopters comprising 17 single and twin-engine helicopters each with a lifting capacity of four tonnes and seating accommodating 17 passengers, we are able to satisfy most demands for helicopter transport," says Folstad. "We have emphasised training for our personnel as well as development of new techniques in collaboration with our clients."

The domestic services department completes contracted assignments throughout southern Norway. "Our main area of activity is transport and installation of materials into remotely accessible locations," says Folstad. "Airlift utilises longline/vertical reference as a standard on all its cargo flights. This means that the cargo is suspended on a line that is normally between 25 to 50 metres long. With a high degree of precision, our pilots are able to deliver the cargo to its proper place. The technique is also used for installing masts and other demanding tasks." He adds: "Cabin owners in particular have become aware of the fact that helicopter transport is environmentally friendly and cost-effective."

For Airlift, as for many other operators, helicopters earn useful revenue from photography and filming. Airlift has collaborated with several leading enterprises in the field of TV and motion pictures. The James Bond film The World is Not Enough featured film from an Airlift helicopter. The BBC, National Geographic, Walt Disney, NRK and TV2 are other companies with which Airlift has collaborated. "Airlift is able to offer several types of film rigs adapted for our helicopters," says Folstad. "Passenger transport and sightseeing are other services we can provide. A flight over western Norway's mountains and glacier landscape is a breathtaking experience that provides memories for a lifetime."

Airlift's domestic division flies annually in the Polar regions, completing assignments in conjunction with research, filming and installation activities. "Every spring/summer season, we have two helicopters stationed in Svalbard and equipped for operations in an Arctic climate," says Folstad. The helicopter's versatility means Airlift is able to offer helicopter lifting operations with a cargo capacity of four tonnes.

The helicopter used is a Super Puma AS332C, which is equipped for heavy lifting and passenger transport both inland and offshore. The Super Puma is operated with long line - a function, Folstad says, that is well suited to both lifting operations and complex installation jobs. Among other applications, the helicopter is used for mounting flare stack tips offshore, ski-lifts and transport of construction equipment. For installation/transport operations in cities, a heavy lifting helicopter is a favourable alternative to cranes. "The effectiveness and flexibility of the helicopter makes it a good alternative for special lifting oper-ations that require lengthy preparation," Folstad concludes.

Airlift also has a long-term contract with the district governor of Svalbard to provide helicopter services. The agreement includes providing two helicopters, an AWSAR Super Puma AS 332 L1 and a LIMSAR Dauphin SA 365 N2, both outfitted with advanced rescue equipment.

The service comprises rescue operations on Svalbard island and the surrounding territorial waters, plus transport service for the district governor. The helicopter may be hired by other parties by agreement with the district governor's office. Each year the crew performs 40 to 50 rescue operations. "Because of the great distances and rugged climate, rescue operations are often very challenging and require that both the crew and equipment are in a state of readiness for the Arctic climate," says Folstad.