Flying Colours Corp. refurbishes first Sikorsky S-92 helicopter

Tuesday 24th February 2015

Flying Colours Corp., the North Americas-based completions, refurbishment and maintenance specialists, has refurbished its first Sikorsky S-92 helicopter at its Peterborough, Canada headquarters. Delivery of the nine passengers S-92 took place at the end of January.

The helicopter, which is a VIP variant, features a unique and eye-catching electric blue themed interior designed exclusively by the Flying Colours team of specialist designers. The full work schedule included installation of forward four-place club and aft five-place club seating, fitting of a forward lavatory, extensive cabinetry work and, in a first for the helicopter industry, the laying of a LIST granite flooring finish in the lavatory and helicopter entrance. The striking interior features white all-leather seating with a unique blue crocodile leather insert. White leather sidewalls incorporate a blue "stingray" patterned leather accent complemented by blue crocodile-leather lower sidewalls, and a plush blue carpet with a white silk pattern. The woodwork features a new wood grain veneer with a custom blue high-gloss finish.

The refurbishment, which took around four months to complete, involved working to very tight parameters and dealing with a number of challenges. One involved conforming the new upholstered seats to meet Part 29 rotorcraft requirements whereby the passenger seats have to meet rigorous safety standards, including 30g downforce and 18.4g forward force. The leather seat cover is an integral part of the seat's safety performance and Flying Colours had to determine what design limitations were set by the original seat manufacturer. "This was a real challenge as we had to work within those limitations, but create a stunning design that captured the customer's vision," explains Sean Gillespie, VP Flying Colours.  "We worked diligently with the original seat to ensure that the new seat covers met all certification requirements."

The incorporation of all the custom materials, in addition to the specific placement of the crocodile leather and stingray pattern, demanded precision and a high degree of attention to detail.  "We even had to order additional leather so the patterns aligned precisely on each seat and sidewall," commented Gillespie on the fine tuned precision of the design. Equally, the custom fitted LIST stone floor had to be cut and fitted with 100% precision.

It is anticipated that the company, which has previously completed numerous Sikorsky S-76 helicopters, will further develop its helicopter interiors business.

"We are extremely pleased to have refurbished our first S-92 and, along with the client, are very happy with the end result. Close collaboration with the client, matched by our team's flexibility, skills and attention to detail ensured the project finished on time and in budget. We have always been interested in pursuing the helicopter market and with the combination of our experienced work force and hangar capacity at both facilities; we are well positioned to grow that side of our business in the future," concluded Gillespie.

About Flying Colours Corp:

Flying Colours is a global aviation service company which specialises in Green Completions, Interior Refurbishment, Maintenance, Component Services, Auxiliary Fuel Systems, Exterior Paint and Avionics Installation and Upgrades.  Flying Colours' US operation is an FAA-licensed Class III and IV Part 145 repair station based in St Louis, Missouri.  Flying Colours and its subsidiaries are proud of their worldwide customer base which has grown these past few years owing to its dedication to safety, quality and customer support.  Flying Colours specialises in all mid-large sized business aircraft including the Global Express series, Challenger, Dassault Falcon, Beechcraft/Hawker and Gulfstream models.   Flying Colours is an authorized service centre for both Bombardier and Beechcraft.

Flying Colours was appointed in February 2014 to offer full service interior refurbishment capabilities on all Bombardier Learjet, Challenger, and Global business jets at Bombardier's wholly owned Singapore Service Centre located at Seletar Airport in Singapore.

www.flyingcolours.com