Originally named the Oil Helicopter Company, the Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company (VNHS) was established on 11^th March 1985. During its development from scratch to a big company, it has continuously improved itself by striving against a lot of challenges,  exploiting  its potentials and advantages. At its inception, there were only 40 personnel, including leaders, pilots and staff with no experience of flying for oil and gas projects; 2 old Mi-8s – which had been used as military transport helicopters; a little and unsystematic equipment, and hopeless infrastructure. However, with the strong spirit, determination and brainpower of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, as well as the traditions of the heroic Vietnam People’s Airforce, the company has overcome all challenges to accomplish its missions in all circumstances.

Flight serving oil exploration and exploitation

As a military-run company, which is responsible for economic and defence – security missions and has independent account, the company decides to increase its investments on not only human resource but also advanced equipment and facilities to meet the requirements of flights for petrol exploration and production projects. Besides, it has improved the capacity of its flight, expanded its market, and gradually dominated the domestic market of flights for petrol projects. Since 2000, with its suitable development strategy and improvement of technical capacity through the acquisition of new modern helicopters and the enhancement of ability of its human power, the company has expanded its business from domestic to foreign markets and proved itself as one of the top helicopter service companies in Southeast Asia. In recent years, despite many difficulties, the company, with its great efforts and determination, continues its stable advancements to fly an average of 17,000 hours per year and promote its brand in the domestic and regional markets of helicopter service.

In the market economy, it is vital for any enterprise, including VNHS, to maintain and develop its markets and services. However, facing the decreasing oil price, VNHS’ partners have to employ some alternative services to reduce their costs, resulting in the smaller market and fewer services for the company. To follow the tradition of self-reliance and resilience and to plan an effective strategy for developing its production and business in order to create more jobs and maintain stability as well as provide impetus for development, the Party Committee, and Directorate of the company have focused on searching for new partners, expanding markets and offering new services to tap its potential in new circumstances. Through drastic and comprehensive guidelines and measures, the company has grown up in the market mechanism by dominating domestic flights for petrol projects and proving its brand name in regional markets, including Malaysia, East Timor, as well as India, Norway, the North Sea, etc. Especially, since early 2017, the Company has exported its helicopters, pilots and technicians to Indonesia for firefighting flights, and for the first time, hired helicopters which are not designed for petrol projects. These achievements are valuable contributions of VNHS to the traditions of the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation (VNH) and our national economy’s development. They also prove that Vietnam People’s Airforce is not only courageous and resilient in fighting but also dynamic, creative and effective in doing business. The business not only generates economic interests to the company but also promotes the image of Vietnam People’s Army in economic front to the world, making positive contributions to our defence foreign affairs in new era.

As a military enterprise, besides production and business, the company always invests its resources in defence and security missions, such as charter flights, flights for defence missions, taking part in training exercises, and search and rescue operations, etc. The company is required to grasp and well implement its defence – security missions and well combine its economic with defence missions. At the same time, the company have to follow the combat readiness regime to opportunely detect and deal with unexpected events and avoid being passive and surprised in any circumstances. It should be ready to take and accomplish any flight mission given by the Ministry of Defence, especially charter flights, flights for search and rescue operations and sea patrol. Those special flights need careful preparation and done with best results. Understanding their importance, those flights have been conducted safe and sound for years, thus helping the company to be trusted and appreciated by the leaders of our Party, Government and Ministry of Defence.

A sea patrol flight

At present, various types of helicopters are being employed by the company, including old ones (Mi-8) and modern ones (with world-top technologies), such as: Ec-225, EC-155, Super Puma L2, etc. To master the technologies and make full use of those helicopters, the company always pays attention to aviation technical supports and training. VNHS has regularly updated the requirements of its missions, proactively designed plans, ensured adequate and qualified technicians and conducted good and regular maintenance. At the same time, the company has suitable plans for acquisition of spare parts and facilities and regularly tests its vehicles, equipment to ensure the best technical status of each helicopters for safe flights.

With a suitable manpower development policy, VNHS has been following the motto of “Basic, practical, steady, safe and economical” in training. It proactively renovates its training activities so that they become more effective  and appropriate to the practical situations. Professional expertise, foreign languages, flying training, aero-techniques and air traffic controls are focused. Domestic training is strengthened; self-training and self-studying are encouraged; and abroad training is well managed. To reduce training costs, the company encourages on-site training with its qualified teachers and trainers, and  fair, objective and standardized testing system. The training results will be seen as one of the criteria for assessing the task performance of each individual and unit. As a result, the company has trained a sufficient and qualified staff, including universally recognized pilots, who are able to complete short- and long-term missions. They are priceless “treasure” and the key element of the success of the company. As proven by reality, VNHS can provides good pilots for  not only itself but also the VNH and other affiliated companies.

One of the keys to the success is the efforts that the company’s Party Committee and Directorate have made to build a pure  and strong party and a comprehensively strong unit. VNHS has grasped the Party’s opinions and guidelines, the Government’s policies and the directions of the Party Committee and High Command of VNH as well as the practical situations. The company has also made efforts to improve its leadership abilities as well as fighting power of its party organs, cadres and party members as required by Resolution of the 4^th Central Committee (12^th tenure) on Party building and rectification. Moreover, VNHS has encouraged the movement of learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morals and style to build a pure and strong Party Committee of the company and to excellently accomplish its missions of production, business and defence – security, making contributions to the accomplishment of the two strategic missions of constructing and defending the Vietnam socialist nation. What is more, VNHS usually conducts needed activities to uphold the solidarity and unity of the entire company, especially the leadership, as well as its close cooperation with relevant organs and units, especially its business partners, such as: Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), Vietsovpetro and other foreign oil and gas partners.

Promoting the achievements, experience and traditions that have been gained over the past 30 years, VNHS has a strong belief in the future, in which it can make due contributions to the course of national defence and construction in the new era.

Col. Kieu Dang Hung, Director of VNHS.