HI Uplift: Sikorsky S-92 – no question of commitment
Written by: Mike Stones | Retrieved from Helicopter Investor
Senior Sikorsky executive Jennifer Martone has favourite questions and those that do not impress. Luckily, it’s halfway through our conversation before I ask her least favourite question. But that opens a fresh perspective on the Lockheed Martin company’s veteran workhorse of heavy lift – the Sikorsky S-92 – and leads on to one of her favourite questions.
So, is Sikorsky committed to the commercial market? Martone, programme director, Commercial Aftermarket at Sikorsky almost winces. “Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin, our parent company, are absolutely committed to the commercial market. The huge gearbox announcement should put that to rest,” she tells me.
Martone is referring to the manufacturer’s $100m investment into the S-92 Phase IV main gearbox revealed back in March. The gearbox features an auxiliary lubrication system that automatically engages in the event of primary oil pressure loss, eliminating the need for emergency landings and enabling operators to safely reach their destination.
The new gearbox follows increased scheduled inspection intervals and a one-time life extension for specific main gearbox housings. The improvements will cut more than a year of downtime caused by inspections and enable operators to keep their aircraft safely in service and generating revenues longer, said Martone. The earned life credit is up to 1,200 hours/3,600 ground-air-ground cycles, representing an additional 12 to 18 months for an average S-92 offshore oil operator and more than 24 months for others, she adds.
Partnership with Bristow
There’s other evidence too revealing the depth of the companies’ commitment to civil aviation. Not least, the size of the S-92 fleet and the need for continuing support, Sikorsky’s recent long term maintenance partnership with operator Bristow and its developing range of firefighting helicopters.
While only three new S-92s airframes were produced in 2023 and several in subsequent years, there are plans to boost production. Plus, there’s the vast S-92 fleet to support. “The S-92 fleet includes more than 300 aircraft and we’ve coming up on 2.5m flight hours,” says Martone. “It’s certainly the workhorse of the offshore energy industry and it’s counted on to bring personnel, equipment, food and supplies to the harshest environment. We are proud of the missions its serves.”
Many S-92s average more than 1,500 offshore flight hours a year. And, as oil and gas exploration pushes further offshore, aircraft are flying longer distances on delivery missions.
In addition to runs to the rigs, more than 40 S-92s are devoted to search and rescue (SAR) missions worldwide while others transport heads of state. Martone says: “13 different nations entrust the S-92 to carry their head of state missions. In all those environments, Sikorsky recognises the need to improve the platform and sustain it for all its missions.”
The biggest S-92 operator by far is the Bristow Group, with a fleet of about 60 aircraft. Sikorsky recently forged a long-term maintenance partnership with Bristow covering offshore energy and SAR missions. Key features include power-by-the-hour (PBH) provision and coverage for most replacement costs for parts including airframe, drive train, gearboxes, avionics and consumable parts.
Critical aircraft components
A key enabler is the manufacturer’s Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) fitted to aircraft. This data provides insights into the health and performance of critical aircraft components, enabling proactive maintenance and enhancing safety.
And now for Martone’s preferred question: How is Sikorsky’s supply chain – better, worse or about the same as last year? “My favourite question,” said Martone. “We are seeing improvements across the supply chain. We’ve seen some of our most critical and valuable parts finally become available for stocking and spares. That’s something that we haven’t seen in years – I’m very proud of the work that our team has done there.”
It’s been a big challenge. Raw materials, such as titanium, had been at “an all-time low after Covid”, Martone told Kieran Hannan head of Fleet &Technical Operations, Milestone Aviation during a discussion at our Helicopter Investor London 2025 conference earlier this month.
‘Drastic change in the workforce’
Also, retirements in the supply chain had proved challenging. “We have lived through a drastic change in the workforce, particularly in our supply base. A lot of people left the market and retired for the most part. If you have a 30% change of someone who’s built this part for 20 to 30 years, it takes a little bit of time to get new employees up to speed. We’ve seen that in the supply chain. We’ve seen it in our own environment.”
Nevertheless, Sikorsky says it expects to boost the output of S-92 gear boxes by 25% this year after a 20% increase last year. Its Life-Plus technology is designed to help the company determine the life limit for parts, boost one-time life extension for its main gearbox housing and enable increased inspection intervals. Sikorsky’s HUMS monitoring system also helps.
The innovations will extend the primary mission life of S-92s, according to the company. Some offshore contracts have been extended well beyond 10 to 15 years. So, is the primary mission life of an S-92 still 20 years? (A deadline some S-92s in offshore roles have exceeded already and many are approaching).
“We’ve seen [offshore] contract life extend,” says Martone. “And we’re seeing an emerging market for those aircraft that are 20-plus years, that still have plenty of hours left on them.”
A good example is the VIH helicopter outfitted with a tank for firefighting missions, revealed at the Verticon event in Dallas in March. “They were introduced into the Canadian market last summer to respond to wildfires in western Canada,” she says. “So, we do feel it’s an emerging market for the S-92s in that utility role, such as firefighting.”
I’m glad I asked Martone’s favourite question before the less popular one.