Heavy lift specialist Columbia Helicopters, the only operator of civilian versions of the military’s CH-47 Chinook and CH-46 Sea Knight tandem rotor helicopters, comes to Heli-Expo under new leadership as the Portland, Ore. company aims to grow its international operations. In December, Jim Rankin, former president and CEO of Air Wisconsin Airlines, joined privately owned CHI as president and CEO.
The company is currently supporting oil and gas exploration in locations such as Papua, New Guinea, and Peru, as well as the U.S. government’s military mission in Afghanistan. Columbia Helicopters now has four helicopters and some 60 employees in Afghanistan and has performed more than 67,000 movements in theater, moving 20,000 tons of cargo and more than 200,000 passengers.
The company hopes to expand such services and its client base in other areas of the world, for example assisting UN-type organizations and agencies in nation-building efforts. “That’s been a big area of growth, and I expect that to continue going forward,” Rankin said.
He also named firefighting as another area of potential growth. Meanwhile, the collapse of oil prices has had little affect on Columbia Helicopters’ oil and gas exploration business. Most customers “are deferring a little activity, but we haven’t seen anybody just stop,” Rankin said. “Some projects have been pushed into next year.”
Columbia Helicopters, founded in 1957, acquired its fleet of Boeing Vertol 246s (the Chinook) and Boeing Vertol 107s (the Sea Knight) over the years and in 2006 bought the type certificates for the helos, now designated the Columbia 234 and Columbia 107, respectively. Columbia Helicopters currently owns and operates six Columbia 234s, 12 Columbia 107s and two CH-47Ds.
The company also provides MRO services, and here at Heli-Expo 2015 plans to meet with its MRO customers as well as heavy lift clients and prospects. Rankin, attending his first Heli-Expo, is already looking forward to many more. “This is the third company I’ve come in as CEO,” Rankin said, “and I have to say it was the smoothest transition I’ve ever had.”
