35 Year Milestone Reached by CHC Helicopter Engineer

An Aberdeen engineer is celebrating after clocking up 35 years with world’s largest helicopter services company, CHC.

Iain Dykes joined CHC in January 1977 after completing his aircraft apprenticeship at Prestwick Airport at the tender age of 20. After notching up more than 35 years, now Chief Engineer at the Company’s Humberside base and seconded to UK Maintenance Manager, Iain has watched the company grow into the largest helicopter group in the world.

Mr Dykes, 55, said: “I have always been fascinated by aircraft, when I was very young, I used to watch the aircraft mechanics at Prestwick Airport and dream about a career in aviation. My father worked as an aircraft inspector, so the passion to follow his steps into the industry was something that I was keen to pursue.”

“When I gained my engineering license, one of the first jobs I was assigned to was maintenance work on the helicopter used for Trinity House, the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters.  For two weeks at a time, I’d fly out to lighthouses up and down the country to perform crew changes of the lighthouse personnel. This saw me travel as far afield as Orkney and to remote sites in the south of England. In addition to this I worked extensively on the oil and gas supporting aircraft in the Southern North Sea area.”

In 1998 Mr Dykes saw his role move offshore, when the service demand for the North Sea increased dramatically and the requirement was to base aircraft offshore, servicing the unmanned installations and setting up temporary maintenance bases on the Perenco Leman field and Conoco LOGGS platform.

“I worked offshore right up until 2006, when I was offered the role as chief of maintenance at the CHC base in Humberside, and more recently, seconded to UK Maintenance Manager.

“My career as a helicopter engineer has been an exciting and challenging role and certainly one of the most fulfilling aspects of my life. Over the years I have seen the aviation industry become far more sophisticated and I have always enjoyed working for the company and find it hard to believe that it is really 35 years since I started my journey.”

When not at work, Mr Dykes likes to indulge his interest and passion for the great outdoors and spend time with his wife Sandra and his five children.

He was presented with a long-term service pin and gift from CHC Management to mark the occasion.