A video image of the new Airbus H145 helicopter STARS has picked to replace its current fleet. Photo by Curtis Galbraith.

By Curtis Galbraith

STARS

STARS embarking on ambitious campaign to replace aging helicopters

Sep 19, 2019 | 7:04 PM

STARS is looking to replace some of its helicopters with new ones. Two of the five needed in Alberta are already flying out of Calgary. Three more are needed in this province

The Grande Prairie base hosted an official announcement of the Fleet Renewal Campaign Thursday.

STARS President and CEO Andrea Robertson says the current fleet of BK 117s is close to 35 years old. The machines are not manufactured anymore and it is hard to get parts. The Airbus H145 has been picked as the replacement. They cost about $13-million each.

Robertson says that about 70 per cent of the money needed is already in place.

“We were really fortunate to receive some support from the federal government and the provincial government. We’re a long way (away), we’re not quite there. Overall, for the whole organization, we have about $25-million to go.”

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The federal government announced in March it was contributing $65-million.

Local organizers hope to raise $4-million dollars. Spokesman Lionel Robbins says they will be looking for some major donors.

“We’re not necessarily going to be planning dances and stuff like that like we do to raise a lot of money for operations. Ours is about getting major donors on board and major support for the fleet. Guys like Shell. (We have) a capital campaign of five or six people and our job is going to be (to) coax those major donors out of the woods and get them to come in with some major dollars to help.”

The local arm of Shell has already donated $500,000. Robbins is hoping other companies will follow suit.

“Oh, for sure! Everybody likes a good game of dominoes, right? You get the first one down and you hope that more follow. For Shell to step up, hopefully will just bring a few other guys in that want to come in with the same or even more level of support.”

Local representatives from Shell pose with local STARS crew members at the Grande Prairie base Thursday. Photo by Curtis Galbraith.

Robertson says Grande Prairie would be in line for a new style of chopper with a five-blade rotor that Airbus is currently testing.

“The reason that we’re very excited about it is because it has more power and lift in areas that are very mountainous. They are currently (testing) it in the mountains of Chile and there are big similarities in the mountainous areas that we serve in both Calgary and Grande Prairie.”

The hope is to have all the new helicopters in place by 2021.