Galway Advertiser 2004/2004_02_26/GA_2602_E1_017.pdf 

Extracted text

February 26 2004

Galway Advertiser

N E W S 17

Helicopter company fined for aviation regulation breaches
A commercial helicopter company which operated a commercial flight without a valid Air Operator's Certificate, and, while the helicopter used for the flight was not registered, was fined 1,000, plus 1,000 costs, at Galway District Court this week. The Irish Aviation Authority prosecuted Executive Helicopters Ltd, Deerpark Industrial Estate, Oranmore, Co Galway, which is owned by Loughrea-based businessman, Chris Shiel, for operating an `Augusta 109' helicopter for commercial reward at Bushypark, Galway, on July 12 2002, without having a valid Air Operator's certificate in place. The company was also prosecuted for allowing the helicopter to fly, while it was purported to be registered in the United States, but while, in fact, it was not registered there at all. Deirdre Browne, BL, prosecuting, told the court the State was accepting a guilty plea to three summons pertaining to Irish Executive Helicopters Ltd and the remaining, identical summons, taken against Mr Shiel and parent company, 21st Century Aviation Ltd, could be struck out on the immediate payment of any fines to be imposed by the court. Ms Browne said Executive Helicopters Ltd flew a group of businessmen from a Galway hotel on a sightseeing trip to the Cliffs of Moher on the date of the offence. She explained that the Irish Aviation Authority issues Air Operator's Certificates but that no such certificate had been issued for the helicopter which flew the party to the Cliffs of Moher. The aircraft, she added, also bore registration marks which clearly identified it as being registered in the United State, when, in fact, it was not registered there or in any other country. Donogh McDonagh, SC, defending, said that an administrative "hiccup" in the transfer of ownership from an American based company to a British based one and from there on to the Galway based company, for the aircraft in question, had led to the registration difficulty. Judge Conal Gibbons said the onus was on the Galway based helicopter company to ensure the aircraft was properly registered with the Federal Aviation Authority in the States, before accepting ownership and putting it into commercial use. Judge Gibbons convicted and fined the company 1,000, plus 1,000 costs, and an additional 1,000 in witnesses' expenses. When the fines were immediately paid in cash into court the judge struck out the summonses against Mr Shiel and 21st Century Aviation Ltd, on Mr Shiel's undertaking that all future commercial operations would comply with all regulations.

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