Sikorsky S-92® Legacy of Heroes Helicopter to Visit Five Cities in India

STRATFORD, Conn., March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikorsky's S-92® Legacy of Heroes (LOH) demonstration helicopter will be shown on static display across five cities in India beginning March 20. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120320/NE72716)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060403/SIKORSKYLOGO)

The Legacy of Heroes tour to India follows a series of successful global visits where customers and community residents welcomed the aircraft and celebrated the exemplary and heroic actions of those who fly and maintain Sikorsky aircraft around the world.

The tour commenced in the United States in September and has visited Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Thailand. It will pay an extended visit to India, with stops in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Mumbai. A six-member crew is conducting briefings during the tour to highlight the multi-mission capability of the aircraft, which includes search and rescue (SAR) missions as well as a variety of transportation missions for accessing offshore oil and gas rigs, coastal surveillance, emergency medical transport and VIP transportation. In each city, the Legacy of Heroes team will participate in first responder recognition ceremonies, an important element of the global tour.

"The S-92 Legacy of Heroes tour to India has a special significance, as cabins for the S-92 helicopter are manufactured in Hyderabad. With India serving as a global manufacturing base for this aircraft, it is a homecoming for the helicopter," said Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Arvind Walia, Executive Vice President, India & South Asia, Sikorsky.

"With their multi-mission capabilities, helicopters will play a significant role in India's continued infrastructure development, especially for offshore oil operations, SAR missions and coastal surveillance," AVM Walia added.

Melissa Mathiasen, Sikorsky Test Pilot and Chief Pilot for the S-92 Legacy of Heroes tour, added, "The LOH crew and the entire Sikorsky workforce is proud to stand behind this aircraft as its flying ambassador to the world. It reinforces our company's mission statement, 'We pioneer flight solutions that bring people home everywhere, every time.' That message of heroism has resonated at each of the tour stopovers across the world."

The LOH helicopter was customized by employees at Sikorsky Global Helicopters' main facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. It is a utility-configured S-92 aircraft bearing a unique gray and black paint scheme with a silhouette of first responders depicted on each side. The aircraft is fitted with side-facing seats, a triple littler kit, search-and-rescue Automatic Flight Control System and night-sun capabilities.

The worldwide fleet of 152 S-92 helicopters has accumulated more than 400,000 flight hours since deliveries began in 2004. The S-92 helicopter remains the only aircraft to have been certified to FAA/EASA part 29 rigorous airworthiness standards without exception or waiver.

Sikorsky Global Helicopters, a Sikorsky company, develops and produces civil certified helicopters and their derivatives. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., U.S.A., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., U.S.A., provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.   

The company has created a microsite on the Internet to provide regular updates on the tour's activities. The microsite offers blog reports from crew members and other highlights including photos and videos of the tour activities. It can be accessed at www.SikorskyLegacy.com.

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SOURCE Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.