Terry Hutson
PORTNET'S DURBAN helicopter, introduced in February 1999 to ferry marine pilots to and from ships outside the port, now has a permanent home on the premises. This follows nearly two years of living out of a container in the car park outside Portnet's impressive Ocean Terminal building.
During its two years of service the helicopter has also effectively laid to rest concerns over the noise factor raised by a number of nearby residents during an extensive environmental impact assessment programme.
The audible sounds of the Agusta 109 helicopter arriving and departing for the average of 15 ships a day has proved to be less of a problem than anyone expected. It seems the manufacturers' boast that the Agusta 109 is the quietest helicopter flying today is not an empty one!
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