Editing Eurocopter EC135 (section)

==Operational history==
[[File:Helicopter EC135 taking off from Bonn university clinic helipad.JPG|right|thumb|An [[ADAC]] EC135 taking off from [[University of Bonn|Bonn University Clinic]], 2008]]

Deliveries started in August 1996, when two helicopters, 0005 and 0006, were handed over to German emergency aero medical service provider [[Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht]]. The 100th EC135 was handed over to the Bavarian police force in June 1999, by which point the worldwide fleet had accumulated approximately 30,000 flight hours.<ref>Derby, Paul. [http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/landmark-delivery-for-eurocopter-ec135-52878/ "Landmark delivery for Eurocopter EC135"]. ''Flight International'', 17 June 1999.</ref> In September 2003, the 300th EC135 was handed over to UK-based McAlpine Helicopters. At this point, the EC135 was the best selling new light twin-engine helicopter in the UK market.<ref name="ben 90">Benenson 2004. p. 90.</ref>

In 2011, Eurocopter announced that the 1,000th EC135 to be produced had been delivered to German operator [[ADAC]], roughly 15 years since the start of production.<ref>[http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/rotorhub/eurocopter-delivers-1000th-ec135/9573/ "Eurocopter delivers 1000th EC135"]. ''shephardmedia.com'', 21 July 2011.</ref> In 2012, ''[[Flying (magazine)|Flying]]'' magazine recognised the EC135 as being "the industry's best selling twin-engine helicopter".<ref name="pope"/> The world fleet leader in flight hours for the type is G-NESV (s/n 0067), operated by [[Cleveland Police]] Air Operations Unit based at [[Durham Tees Valley Airport]], UK. Originally delivered to the [[North East Air Support Unit]] in April 1999, it was the first EC135 worldwide to attain 10,000 flying hours.<ref>[https://twitter.com/npas_newcastle/status/318345777602768898 "NPAS Newcastle"]. ''Twitter'', 31 March 2013.</ref>

In 2009, the EC135 was the first aircraft selected for offshore wind support in the UK, after the [[Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)|Civil Aviation Authority]] approved helicopter operations to the [[Greater Gabbard]] offshore wind farm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessairnews.com/mag_story.html?ident=9477|title=Helicopter Focus: EC135 chosen for offshore wind farm maintenance role &#124; Magazine &#124; Business Air News|website=businessairnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.caa.co.uk:443/docs/33/CAP437.PDF |title=CAP 437 Offshore Helicopter Landing Areas - Guidance on Standards |access-date=24 October 2021 |publisher=Civil Aviation Authority  (United Kingdom) |date=April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612172856/https://www.caa.co.uk:443/docs/33/CAP437.PDF |archive-date=12 June 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The EC135 has been used in Denmark to support the [[Horns Rev]] offshore wind farm. By 2013, over 10,000 successful personnel transfers have taken place using the type.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23foEDcJ8hU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/23foEDcJ8hU |archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Uni-Fly A/S Rescue from Windturbine|date=30 August 2007|via=YouTube|access-date=16 February 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uni-fly.dk/ |title=Uni-Fly A/S |publisher=Uni-fly.dk |access-date=5 May 2013}}</ref> In Mexico, Apoyo Logístico Aéreo has operated a fleet of EC135s for servicing the extensive oil and gas offshore platforms in the [[Gulf of Mexico]].<ref>[http://www.airbushelicopters.com/website/en/press/Eurocopter-reinforces-its-Gulf-of-Mexico-presence-Apoyo-LogYustico-AYoreo-orders-another-EC135-helicopter-for-off-shore-oil-and-gas-missions_1004.html "Eurocopter reinforces its Gulf of Mexico presence: Apoyo Logístico Aéreo orders another EC135 helicopter for off-shore oil and gas missions"]. ''Airbus Helicopters'', 6 March 2013.</ref>

[[File:Eurocopter EC-135.jpg|thumb|An EC135 T1 of French operator SAF Hélicoptères during a rescue operation]]
In 2013, it was reported that the EC135 was currently providing roughly 25% of the world's total emergency medic services flights, and that over 500 EC135s have been delivered to in an aeromedical configuration.<ref>Ozbek, Tolga. [http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ec135-picked-for-turkish-air-ambulance-duties-385666/ "EC135 picked for Turkish air ambulance duties"]. ''Flight International'', 9 May 2013.</ref> By late 2013, during which a brief grounding of the type was instigated due to safety concerns of fuel gauges, the EC135 made up half of the UK's operational air ambulance fleet.<ref>Roberts, Liz. [http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2013/12/12/fuel-gauge-worry-grounds-almost-half-britains-air-ambulances "Fuel-gauge worry grounds almost half Britain's air ambulances"]. ''Grough'', 12 December 2013.</ref> In October 2014, the first EC135 air ambulance was delivered in the Chinese market.<ref>[http://www.aviationworldnews.com/news/airbus-helicopters-delivers-china-s-first-ec135-fully-equipped-air-ambulance-39554 "Airbus Helicopters delivers China's first EC135 fully-equipped air ambulance"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714100140/http://www.aviationworldnews.com/news/airbus-helicopters-delivers-china-s-first-ec135-fully-equipped-air-ambulance-39554 |date=14 July 2017 }} ''Aviation World News'', 9 October 2014.</ref>

The German Army operates 19 H135s as basic trainers at the [[School of Army Aviation (Germany)|School of Army Aviation]] in [[Bückeburg]]. These have had an average operational availability in excess of 95 per cent.<ref>Tomkins, Richard. [http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2014/12/17/Airbus-Helicopters-continues-support-for-German-Army-pilot-training/3941418792047/ "Airbus Helicopters continues support for German Army pilot training"]. ''United Press International'', 17 December 2014.</ref> In 2014, the German Army noted that there was potential for vibration-induced rotor cracking during [[autorotation]] training, shortening the life of the main rotor.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/auto-rotation-training-drives-german-army-light-twin-400749/ "Auto-rotation training drives German army light-twin requirement"]. ''Flight International'', 25 June 2014.</ref> 13 EC135 trainers have been procured by the [[Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force]], they have been designed as the TH-135.<ref name="th135 japan"/>

In December 2014, the first production EC135 T3 entered service with Aiut Alpin Dolomites, a mountain rescue operator based in Italy.<ref>[http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/149100/ "Turbomeca Celebrates Arrius 2B2plus Entry-into-Service on EC135 T3"]. ''Newswire today'', 10 December 2014.</ref> In June 2015, Airbus Helicopters delivered the first retrofitted H135 from the earlier EC135 standard. Changes include an enlarged main rotor, relocated engine air intakes, elevated engine performance, and the horizontal stabiliser's endplates removed and its span increased.<ref>Spruce, Terry. [http://helicopterinvestor.com/articles/airbus-helicopters-delivers-first-upgraded-h135/ "Airbus Helicopters delivers first upgraded H135"]. ''Helicopter Investor'', 18 June 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.aviationtoday.com/the-checklist/Airbus-Helicopters-Upgrades-Bavarian-Police-H135s_85296.html#.VYfgeMvbJMM "Airbus Helicopters Upgrades Bavarian Police H135s"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622132855/http://www.aviationtoday.com/the-checklist/Airbus-Helicopters-Upgrades-Bavarian-Police-H135s_85296.html#.VYfgeMvbJMM |date=22 June 2015 }} ''Aviation Today'', 17 June 2015.</ref>

In October 2015, Waypoint Leasing and Airbus Helicopters signed an agreement for the acquisition of up to 20 H135 for public leasing purposes.<ref>[http://www.verticalmag.com/news/article/WaypointLeasingtoacquire20H135sasfirstlessorforthisrotorcraf "Waypoint Leasing to acquire 20 H135s as first lessor for this rotorcraft"]. ''Vertical'', 7 October 2015.</ref>

In 2017, the [[Royal Air Force]] received the first 2 of 29 H135s designated as Juno HT.1s for the [[UK Military Flying Training System]] with training provided by Ascent Flight Training.<ref>{{cite web |title=JUNO HT1 |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/juno-ht1/ |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=14 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Airbus Helicopters Fully Operational as UK MFTS Aircraft Service Provider |url=https://www.airbushelicopters.co.uk/website/en/press/Airbus-Helicopters-Fully-Operational-as-UK-MFTS-Aircraft-Service-Provider_47.html |publisher=Airbus Helicopters |access-date=14 March 2024 |date=2 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Perry |first1=Dominic |title=PICTURES: Juno and Jupiter helicopters arrive at RAF Shawbury |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/pictures-juno-and-jupiter-helicopters-arrive-at-raf-shawbury/123623.article |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Flight Global |date=6 April 2017}}</ref>

In 2018, the [[Australian Defence Force]] established the Joint Helicopter School operating 15 EC135T2+ procured under Project Air 9000 Phase 7 to train both [[Australian Army]] and [[Royal Australian Navy]] pilots.<ref>{{cite news |last=Doran |first=Cpl Mark |title=Quantum advance in aircrew training |newspaper=Army News: The Soldiers' Newspaper |publisher=Department of Defence |location=Canberra |edition=1399 |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Army/editions/1399/1399.pdf |date=29 July 2017 |issn=0729-5685 |page=Special lift out page 2 |no-pp=yes |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20190209122438/http://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Army/editions/1399/1399.pdf |archive-date=9 February 2019 |url-status=dead |access-date=13 March 2024 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="AustAvi">{{cite news |title=Joint Helicopter School graduates first course |url=https://australianaviation.com.au/2018/09/joint-helicopter-school-graduates-first-course/ |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=Australian Aviation |date=21 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Andrew |title=Australia confirms HATS win for Boeing/Thales EC135 bid |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/australia-confirms-hats-win-for-boeing/thales-ec135-bid/114936.article |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=Flight Global |date=26 October 2014}}</ref> The school is set within Navy's [[723 Squadron RAN|723 Squadron]] at [[HMAS Albatross (air station)|HMAS Albatross]].<ref name="AustAvi"/> In 2024, after the retirement of the [[MRH-90 Taipan]] helicopter, the Australian government announced that it would lease 5 H135T3 (Juno) from the United Kingdom [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] for five years to maintain "essential training requirements" for Australian Army pilots.<ref name="JunoAust">{{Cite press release |author=Minister for Defence Richard Marles |date=7 February 2024 |title=Black Hawk and H135 Juno Training Helicopters to land in 2024 |url=https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2024-02-07/black-hawk-and-h135-juno-training-helicopters-land-2024|publisher=Department of Defence Ministers|access-date=13 March 2024}}</ref><ref name="ADMMarch24">{{cite news |last1=Felton |first1=Ben |title=Army to lease surplus British helicopters |url=https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/army-to-lease-surplus-british-helicopters |access-date=12 March 2024 |work=Australian Defence Magazine |date=7 February 2024}}</ref> The helicopters will be based at the [[Oakey Army Aviation Centre]].<ref name="ADMMarch24"/>
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