Story ID: 769GHCPratt.doc
Gulf Helicopters Named Premium PWC Service Provider
By: Thierry Dubois
Caption: Pratt & Whitney Canada increases PT6T-9 clutch inspection interval
Word Count: 172
Pratt & Whitney Canada (Stand 1826) has named Gulf Helicopters (GHC, stand 1902) a premium service provider in the Middle East for several helicopter engines. Operators of the PT6T, PT6C and PW207E in the region will be served from GHC’s base in Doha, Qatar, which will be able to perform line maintenance and send a mobile repair team.
  
“A number of our PT6T engines [powering the Bell 212/412] and PT6C engines [powering the AW139] located in the Middle East are actually owned by GHC,” Tim Swail, Pratt & Whitney Canada's v-p for customer programs, noted.
  
Separately, the engine manufacturer has increased the clutch inspection interval for its PT6T-9 engine, which powers the Bell 412EPI. The interval moves the inspection time frame from 1,250 to 2,000 hours, while the TBO remains at 4,000 hours. This was based on a detailed analysis of these clutches at 1,250 and 1,900 hours, Irene Makris, v-p for marketing, said. Clutch inspections determine service wear and are typically performed by mobile repair technicians.