The Airbus Helicopters H175 B is a medium-weight multi-role utility twin
engine helicopter accommodating up to 18 passengers and 2 crew. The H175,
also known as the Avicopter AC352 (formerly the Z-15), was the newest helicopter in the Eurocopter
range and was developed as the EC175 in cooperation with China's AVIC II (Aviation Industry Corporation of China).
Development of the EC175 started in 2005 and the new helicopter was announced at
HAI Heli-Expo in the US on 24 February 2008. Designed from the outset with the close
involvement of operators, the H175 is suited for a wide range of missions, including
offshore, search and rescue, VIP, utility and MEDEVAC operations. To operate in the oil/gas
and SAR market the EC175 was designed for dual-pilot IFR. The aircraft has a five-blade
Spheriflex main rotor with an extremely low vibration level and a three-blade tail rotor. The
H175 is powered by a pair of 1,775 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67E turboshafts. The PT6C-67E
incorporates Electronic Engine Control (EEC) with Hydro-mechanical Backup Dual channel Full
Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). The H175 has a 16-seat interior for oil and gas transport,
with easy access through wide sliding doors, and features oversized jettisonable windows. The EC175
features a flat floor, and will omit any partition between the cockpit and the cabin. The aircraft is
offered with optional auxiliary fuel tanks under the cabin floor. Four prototypes are built, Eurocopter
EC175 c/n 1001 and 1003, and AVIC Z-15 'PT2' and 'PT4'. On 17 December 2009, the first prototype EC175,
c/n 1001 F-WWPB, flew first at Marignane, with its official maidenflight on 17 December 2009. The
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification for the EC175 was received on 27 January 2014.
Deliveries of the H175 started with the first two Airbus Helicopters EC175 Bs officially handed over to
NHV Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen on 11 December 2014. Both helicopters entered service as PH-NHU and PH-NHV
at Den Helder Airport the same month. The first flight of the Avicopter AC352, powered with WZ16 engine, took
place in Harbin, China, on 20 December 2016. As previously agreed, Avicopter will sell the AC352 in China,
while Airbus Helicopters sells the H175 in the rest of the world. The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the Airbus Helicopter H175 B is EC75
As a result of the merger between the Eurocopter parents Aérospatiale-Matra; DaimlerChrysler
Aerospace (DASA) and Construcciones Aeronàuticas Sociedad Anonima (CASA) in July 2000, the Eurocopter group became a division of the new
formed EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space company). Taking off into 2014, EADS was rebranded as "Airbus Group". Uniting
all its activities under a single brand, its helicopter division Eurocopter was rebranded as Airbus Helicopters on 8 January 2014.
In 2019, Airbus Helicopters H175 B s/n 5040 was permitted to fly with Airbus Helicopters test-registration F-WJXA. In 2019,
the helicopter was delivered as XA-EZM to Transportes Aereos Pegaso SA de CV, Mexico City. On 22 July 2022, the helicopter was substantial
damaged in an accident at Comalcalco, Tabasco, during a VIP flight with members of the Mexican government and PEMEX (Mexican Petroleum):
during the landing phase, the helicopter became enveloped in a dust cloud caused by the effect of the wind from the main rotor blades ove
the ground. None of the 12 people on board sustained injuries, and the aircraft sustained significant damage without becoming more severe.
The helicopter was repaired and returned in service with Transportes Aereos Pegaso. At the end of 2024, the Airbus Helicopters H175 B
was sold to Heli Holland and registration XA-EXM was cancelled, with its last flight as XA-EXM recorded on 24 November 2024. The helicopter
was transported by ship to the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, where it arrived at the end of December 2024. On 8 January 2025, the Airbus Helicopters
H175 B was registered PH-SSF 'Second Seventy Five' with Heli Holland. On 24 January 2025, the 2019-built H175 B was flown to the Heli Holland
heliport near Emmen. On 18 February 2025, after maintenance by Heli Holland Technics, the PH-SSF was flown to Den Helder Airport and
entered service with Heli Holland Offshore the same day. On 21 June 2025, Heli Holland Offshore' Airbus Helicopters H175 B PH-SSF was
seen at the Heli Holland heliport near Emmen.
