Press Release - Heli Hong Kong 2

11th October 2001

Australian company nets important Hong Kong Contract

Adding to Australia’s earnings, Queensland helicopter school, Becker Helicopters has netted an important cadet training contract with Hong Kong-based Helicopters Hong Kong and Macau-based East Asia Airlines. Five students from Macau and Hong Kong will reside in houses supplied by Becker Helicopters and each will complete 150 hours flying training, including Night VFR and instrument flying. Becker Helicopters will also be providing the ground training for the students to complete their Australian commercial licences.

“The planning and writing of syllabus took two years and contract negotiations took nearly a year. The process has been very involved,” explained Captain Jan Becker, Managing director of Becker Helicopters. “We have been audited by the Macau and Hong Kong Civil Aviation Departments. This is a first for Australia and it an important contract for us and for the Queensland aviation industry,” she said. “East Asia and Helicopters Hong Kong inspected schools in Canada, the USA and others in Australia before deciding that we had the right standards and facilities to meet their training needs.”

The contract was sealed at a signing ceremony in Hong Kong today. Attended by the Australian Consul General to Hong Kong, Australian Trade Commissioners, the Australian Ministers of Immigration Information Technology as well as the Directors of the Hong Kong and Macau regulatory authorities and the principals of the helicopter companies, Mr Stanley Ho and Mr Andrew Tse, the contract marks an important opportunity for Australian helicopter training schools.

“The cadets are hand picked by their companies,” explained Captain Mike Becker, the training school’s other Managing Director and Chief Flying Instructor. “The first group of helicopter cadets will arrive in November and the remainder in January. The pilots will return to work for their companies after nine months training here. We will work hard to ensure our standards are maintained and we meet the customer’s needs. Becker Helicopters needs to remain attractive so that as the helicopter companies grow, they will be comfortable with sending other cadets here.”

“We are proud and excited to be working with East Asia Airlines and Helicopters Hong Kong,” concluded Captain Mike Becker. “They are growing companies who, like ourselves, pursue continual improvement and in all sincerity it has been pleasure dealing with them.”

Becker Helicopters is based at Maroochydore on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.