"Now the cost of helicopters is much lower": Mi-8/17 returns to service in Latin America

_{Mi-Xnumx Air Force Peru}

In recent years, in a number of Latin American countries, there has been a tendency to reduce the fleet of Soviet and Russian-made helicopters. At the same time, sometimes cars with a very low level of plaque went to write-off. For example, in 2020 all three Mi-26Ts were sold in Peru at the metal price. As stated, "they required too much investment."

However last news suggest that this trend will be broken. So, at the end of October in Peru, after two years of work, 6 Mi-17-1V helicopters were returned to service. The work was carried out by Russian specialists, but with a fundamental difference - not on the territory of the Russian Federation, but at the maintenance facilities (WEAN) of the Peruvian Air Force, to which these machines were assigned. Now these helicopters will undergo the next major overhaul only after 8 years of operation or 2000 flight hours.

The Mi-8/17 fleet in Peru numbers over a hundred vehicles. They have proven to be excellent in times of crisis, be it a coronavirus outbreak or natural disasters. However, their maintenance was hampered by the high cost of repairs caused by the need to move equipment to the Russian Federation.

The fundamental turning point [in machine maintenance] is that the helicopters did not leave Peru without going to Russia for repairs, as they did before. Now the cost of helicopters is much lower

- noted in the local edition of Pucará Defensa.

At the same time, a network of service centers is being created far from only in this country, which will allow not only preserving, but also increasing the fleet of Russian-made rotary-wing aircraft operated in various states of the region.

The establishment of repair shops in Latin America, as is happening today in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, is an important step in expanding the number of Russian helicopters in the region, solving one of the biggest challenges faced by regional operators.

- indicated in Pucará Defensa.

Comments

[Pivot]

It was high time to do that.

[Siberian 66]

Decent offices start with this.

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote: Pivot

It was high time to do that.

Well, the Soviet machines were serviced in this way, they did not roll it back and forth, which previously prevented me from doing this with an aircraft, I can't put my mind to it.

[mmaxx]

Snobbery of OKB and factories. They are used to the fact that there is no government for them inside the country.

[DymOk_v_dYmke]

Quote: Pivot

It was high time to do that.

Better late than never.

[URAL72]

The presence of repair / service centers will allow not only to raise the level of maintainability of our equipment, but also to expand sales markets, due to a decrease in the cost of operation.

[iouris]

We tried. There was such an entrepreneur in Kaunas, Yuri Borisov, who owned a helicopter repair plant. He was exterminated.

[Jacket in stock]

Wow, and now it has come down to ours.

[Avior]

in 2020, all three Mi-26Ts were sold in Peru at the price of metal. As stated, "they required too much investment."

However, the latest news suggests that this trend will be broken. So, at the end of October in Peru, after two years of work, 6 Mi-17-1V helicopters were returned to service.

I think the subtlety is that the cost of operation and the range of tasks for the Mi-26T and helicopters of the Mi-8 family are very different. Too different cars.

[Prisoner]

And before that it was not destiny to think of it? Or do "effective" managers have a problem with logic? But what am I talking about? If money is asking for in your pocket today, thinking that you can lose it tomorrow, you have to shove the loot. When they realized that losses were inevitable, they fussed.

[mmaxx]

The entire service is the legacy of the Sov. authorities

[tralflot1832]

I read the comments. Have you been there? The Peruvians finally broke the ridge of the Sandero Luminosso, at first it was pro-Chinese, then it switched to drug trafficking. She shot and blew up to the right and to the left. Last year, the square opposite the presidential palace was periodically closed. 1987 - 1991 freely photographed Marble Street, a separate topic.

[ved_med12]

The main problem is that there are lopsided pilots who are careless about technology.