Yellowknife (Mar 15/06) - A Yellowknife company has made a string of purchases it says help solidify it as one of the top air fleets in Canada.

Great Slave Helicopters will add three new Eurocopters next month and three more a year from then.

"Those three aircraft will be almost $7 million worth of new equipment," president Adam Bembridge said.

John Buckland, operations manager at Great Slave Helicopters, sits on a Eurocopter in the company's hangar. The company is adding three new Eurocopters and expects them to arrive in Yellowknife in April. - David Ryan/NNSL photo

The addition of the three Eurocopters in Yellowknife increases the fleet to more than 60 aircraft spread among nine full-time bases and two satellite operations.

"The three Eurocopters will bring a diverse platform for mineral exploration," said Bembridge.

Besides mineral and oil and gas exploration, the Eurocopters will have multiple uses, said John Buckland, operations manager for Great Slave Helicopters.

The company is also called upon to help with forest fire suppression, wildlife management and tourist transport.

"The company caters to a diverse set of needs," he said. "Clients will certainly appreciate the new generation of Eurocopters."

The three models of Eurocopters, the AS350B2, the AS350B3 and the EC130B4 all have distinct features, but Buckland said there is one quality they share.

"The Eurocopters have very few unscheduled maintenance problems," said Buckland, adding that is a big advantage for the company.

Most of the firm's helicopters fly between 500 and 700 hours a year.

Less unscheduled maintenance work means everything's working as it should, he said.

The three aircraft coming in April 2007, will be distributed to bases other than Yellowknife.

Great Slave also has an option to purchase another six helicopters from the supplier for delivery within the next three years.

"We want to keep the fleet upgraded," said Buckland. "Our customers are much more comfortable getting in a newer model than one from the 1970s."