Air Greenland is the proud owner of the world’s oldest operational helicopter – a nineteen-seater Sikorsky S-61. Well, in truth probably every component in the helicopter has been replaced multiple times in its history, aside from the fuselage. But there has, nonetheless, been a continuity of fifty years for this one machine. In 2015, Air Greenland celebrated the anniversary with cost-price flights to the public. It was a marketing strategy of arguable wisdom – advertising their helicopter’s great antiquity – but one that paid off with much public interest and sold out flights. For about sixty dollars it was possible to take a ten minute flight over Nuuk, with flights running continuously during daylight hours over the cold spring weekend.
These days helicopters are still used for regular scheduled air transport between settlements, and for medevac and search and rescue operations, which I am personally rather grateful for, having been medevac’d from field work in an S-61. Historically, helicopters played an even greater role in Greenland, as the only means of accessing most communities, other than by sea. Even today, helicopters provide the only air transport to and from Qaqortoq – a South Greenlandic town of over 3,200 people.
Helicopters are also the only means of reaching remote and inland areas for surveying, scientific, or exploration work. So as a geologist I’ve spent plenty of flying hours in six-seater AS-350s in particular. In 2006, Air Greenland made the switch from manual to software-based flight systems for their fleet. One of their most experienced pilots at that time, an older Swedish gentleman, arrived to pick me up from a field camp. As I buckled in and put on my head-set, the whine of the rotors ramping up to a roar, the pilot frowned at the instrument panel.
“This new software” he groaned, “When I start her up this red light goes on” he said, pointing at the offending item. “But if I switch it off and on again,” he said, demonstrating, “it’s gone. What does that mean?!”
And with that rather concerning insight, he pulled back on the joystick and we were airborne. Old habits, like old helicopters, die hard.
