Spirited away by the Sikorsky S76c+

Georgina Hunter-Jones

Helicopter Life flew the Sikorsky S76c+ (Spirit) with Captain Alan Arnold and Captain Robin Renton

My introduction to flying the Sikorsky S76c+ came when flying back from the EBACE show in Geneva to Stansted, with Captain Robin Renton, Chief Pilot of Air Harrods. I was already aware that flying a S76 was not quite the same thing as flying a small, autopilot-lacking piston, but this really put it in perspective.

"We are," said Robin, "almost managing the machine rather than flying it. The coupled autopilot system is excellent and makes for more relaxing long sectors but most of the shorter legs, particularly at night and around London are hand flown with the autostabilisation on. The only time we fly without it is in tests."

On this flight in particular, there was no chance of checking out what the machine can do in emergencies as we had five luxury basking passengers in the back, eating sandwiches and swigging down champagne (actually coke cola) in the silent sphere that is the S76 cabin. That though would come later with Training Captain Alan Arnold.

The Sikorsky has a history which shows the ability of the company to listen to owners' and pilots' suggestions. The first Sikorsky S-76, which was for a time called the Spirit, began...