Norsk Forurensningskontroll

Last updated

Norsk Forurensningskontroll AS
Founded1983
Ceased operations1986
Operating bases
Fleet size4
Headquarters Bodø, Norway
Key peopleHarald Olsen (CEO)

Norsk Forurensningskontroll AS (literally "Norwegian Pollution Control") or NFK was a specialized Norwegian aviation company and aircraft operator, with a fleet of four de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. The company was founded in 1983 and initially intended to operate the aircraft to apply dispersants on oil spills at sea, as a part of the national oil spill defense system. However, due to oil companies, departemental and government politics the company failed to establish such a service and instead operated the aircraft for charter, before deciding to liquidate the company in the autumn of 1986. The airline had its main base at Bodø Airport, and was planning to establish oil-spill protection bases at Hammerfest Airport and Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget. During its existence the company co-operated closely with Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, which was approved by the authorities as the operators maintenance organization.

Contents

History

One of the airline's Twin Otters Norsk Forurensningskontroll Twin Otter LN-FKA.jpg
One of the airline's Twin Otters

The airline was established in 1983 with a share capital of NOK 50,000, [1] and with Cpt. Harald Olsen as managing director. [2] In November 1983, they announced to the authorities and the general public plans to establish a fleet of four DHC-6/300 Twin Otters, for the application of dispersant on oil spills at sea as part of the national oil spill protection system, as well as providing an airborne radar surveillance and positioning system. The government was initially favorable to the concept, particularly as an element in improving oil spill protection and response at sea, in conjunction with permitting the oil industry to commence exploration north of the 62nd parallel, but unfortunately government and departmental politics and the oil companies' unwillingness to contribute to the system, led to the company's demise.

The company aimed to have two aircraft operative in June 1984, and be fully operational with 35 to 40 employees and four aircraft by 1985, when all-year oil drilling would start in the Norwegian Sea. [3] Use of aircraft for oil spill reduction was at the time established in the United Kingdom (Harvest Air Ltd.), and Norsk Forurensningskontroll aimed to create a similar preparedness for Norway in cooperation with the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority. [4] The cost of the four aircraft was stipulated to approximately NOK 35 million. Operation started in May 1984 with an aircraft on dry lease from Widerøe (LN-BNS), which was also used as system development platform. The airline stated that they estimated having 30 to 50 operations per year. [2]

In September, one of the aircraft was displayed at Farnborough Airshow, and Norsk Forurensningskontroll stated that they intended to sell the technology abroad. [5] During the show NFK was contracted to Esso UK, for participation in a major exercise in Southampton later the same year.

The idea of having an oil spill services of this type was eventually abandoned by the authorities and by the oil industry, and instead NFK started using their aircraft for various charter purposes, such as bird counting for universities and parachuting. [6]

In 1986, the company gained a contract with the French government for supplying a French–Canadian semi-military female expedition, aiming to traverse the polar basin from the northernmost tip of Svalbard to the North Pole on skis. [7] The aircraft was based in Svalbard, and a number of other scientific and exploration expeditions were supported, including electronic mapping of the headrock underneath glaciers, under a contract for the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University Cambridge, financed by BP. [6]

The company filed for bankruptcy in October 1986. At the time it had NOK 29 million in debt, while its assets were three Twin Otters with an estimated value of NOK 21 million. At the time, one plane was on lease to the national airline of Portugal ( TAP), flying scheduled operations on the archipelago of Madeira. The largest creditors were Sparebanken Nord, who was owed 13 million and had collateral in two aircraft, Sparebanken Nordland, who were owed NOK 11 million and had collateral in one aircraft, and Kredittkassen/Fiskernes Bank, who were owed NOK 1.9 million. The banks estimated they had lost NOK 8 million on the venture. [1]

Organization and aircraft

The company had its head office in Bodø and main base at Bodø Airport. It cooperated with Widerøe, also based in Bodø, for crews and maintenance services. [3] The aircraft was planned to be stationed on 24-hour watch, with a reaction time of 30 minutes during daytime and 60 minutes during night. Tests showed that aircraft could be used for spills up to 5,000 tonnes (4,900 long tons; 5,500 short tons), depending on the type of oil. The dispersant should ideally be applied two hours after discharge.

The dispersant application system developed for the De Havilland of Canada DHC-6/300 Twin Otter aircraft consisted of two 1,550-liter (340 imp gal; 410 U.S. gal) aluminumfive- chamber tanks for dispersant. The uniqueness of the system on board the aircraft, as it was developed by the operator NFK and Widerøe's engineering department, was primarily that it was self-contained and propelled by bleed air tapped from one of the two Pratt & Whitney gas turbines on the aircraft, pressurizing the tanks. The arrangement of the tanks gave no change in Center of Gravity during discharge of the dispersant. [3]

Related Research Articles

Widerøes Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a Norwegian airline, and is the largest regional airline operating in the Nordic countries. The airline's fleet of 44 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft, with three more on order, and 3 Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, serves over 40 domestic and international destinations. Widerøe has a turnover of 3.5 billion kr; carries 2.8 million annual passengers; has 3,500 employees and performs 450 take-offs and landings each day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fagernes Airport, Leirin</span> Airport in Nord-Aurdal, Norway

Fagernes Airport, Leirin is a general aviation airport in Fagernes, in the municipality of Nord-Aurdal, Innlandet county, Norway. It has been an airport for passenger flights, serving Fagernes and the surrounding valleys of Valdres, Hallingdal and Gudbrandsdal in Southern Norway, 190 kilometres (120 mi) from Oslo. Opened in 1987, it was owned and operated by state-owned Avinor. The airport is located 822 metres (2,697 ft) above sea level, and has a 2,049-metre (6,722 ft) runway. It did provide a regional service for the local population to Oslo, subsidized by the Ministry of Transport, as well as charter services during winter serving the nearby ski resorts. In 2014, the airport had 6,393 passengers. The driving time Fagernes–Oslo, around 2½ hours, has made flights to Oslo unattractive; most passengers used the Oslo route for transfers. It has also been used for other destinations. The road has also been improved compared to how it was in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Air</span> Defunct Norwegian airline, 1988–2008

Coast Air AS was a regional airline based at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Norway. It was Norway's fourth largest airline and operated domestic services within Norway, in addition to international services. Routes were concentrated along the West Coast, as well as some public service obligation contracts in Southern Norway. The company had a fleet of de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft, later replaced with Jetstream 31s and ATR 42s.

Værøy Heliport is a heliport located at Tobbisodden on the island of Værøya in Værøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The heliport lies close to the village of Sørland, the municipal centre of the municipality. The airport, operated by the state-owned Avinor, consists of a single helipad and handled 9,420 passengers in 2014. Services are provided by Lufttransport using the AgustaWestland AW139 to the nearby mainland town of Bodø, based on a public service obligation contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skien Airport, Geiteryggen</span> Airport in Geiteryggen, Skien

Skien Airport, Geiteryggen is a regional airport located at Geiteryggen, 5.5 kilometers (3.4 mi) southwest of the city center of Skien, Norway. Owned by Skien Municipality, it was last served by Widerøe with daily flights to Bergen. The runway is 1,416-by-30-meter and numbered 01–19. The airport had 33,080 passengers in 2014 and has Grenland and the southern part of Telemark as its catchment area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narvik Airport, Framnes</span> Airport in Framnes

Narvik Airport, Framnes is a former public regional airport closed down in 2017 in Narvik Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It was located at Framnes in the town of Narvik, along the Ofotfjorden. It was operated by the state-owned Avinor and consisted of a 965-meter (3,166 ft) runway aligned 01–19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAS Commuter</span> Former Swedish regional airline

SAS Commuter, also branded as Scandinavian Commuter, was a regional airline which operated in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. A sister company of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), it operated various regional services on behalf of the Scandinavian flag carrier. The airline was headquartered at Copenhagen Airport, which also served as its main base. It later also operated bases at Tromsø Airport; Stockholm Arlanda Airport; Trondheim Airport, Værnes and Bergen Airport, Flesland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lufttransport</span> Norwegian airline

Lufttransport is a Norwegian helicopter and fixed-wing airline that operates primarily air ambulance helicopters and planes for the Norwegian and Swedish governments. In addition the airline offers services including surveillance for the Norwegian Coast Guard, transport of ship pilots and scheduled air transport in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard.

Norsk Air was a Norwegian airline based at Sandefjord Airport, Torp. At its height from the mid-1980s and onwards it operated scheduled flights to Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim and Copenhagen, and for shorter periods also other Norwegian and international destinations. The airline had 156 employees and 150,000 annual passengers in 1989. The company was established as a sole proprietorship by Øyvind Skaunfelt as Vestfoldfly in 1961, after purchasing Thor Solberg's aviation school at Tønsberg Airport, Jarlsberg. In addition to an aviation college, the company operated various charter services using mostly Cessna aircraft. The company split into a flying school and an airline in 1972, with the latter taking the name Norsk Flytjeneste. Three 50-passenger Douglas DC-6 were subsequently bought and were among other places flown with aid charters to Bangladesh. Both the DC-6 and later charter flights with business jets proved unprofitable and were quickly terminated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Røst Airport</span> Airport in Røst, Norway

Røst Airport is a regional airport serving Røst Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The airport is located on the northern edge of the main island of Røstlandet, just north of the main village of Røstlandet. It is owned and operated by the state-owned Avinor, and the tower is remotely controlled from Bodø.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brønnøysund Airport</span> Airport in Bronnoysund, Norway

Brønnøysund Airport is a regional airport located at the town of Brønnøysund, in Brønnøy Municipality, Nordland county, Norway. The airport is owned and operated by the state-owned Avinor and serves the southern part of Helgeland. It has a 1,200-by-30-meter runway numbered 03–21 and is served by Widerøe, which operates their Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft to Oslo, Trondheim, Bodø, Bergen and other airports in Helgeland. The airport also serves offshore helicopter flights by CHC Helikopter Service to Norne and temporary oil rigs in the Norwegian Sea. In 2014, the airport served 117,471 passengers, making it the second-busiest regional airport in Norway, after Florø Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hasvik Airport</span> Airport in Hasvik, Norway

Hasvik Airport is a regional airport serving Hasvik Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The airport is located in the village of Hasvik on the island of Sørøya. In 2012, Hasvik Airport had 7,629 passengers, making it the third-least busy airport operated by the state-owned Avinor. The airport consists of a 909-meter (2,982 ft) runway and is served by Widerøe with Dash 8-100 aircraft. The airport tower is operated remotely from Bodø.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamar Airport, Stafsberg</span> Airport in Hamar, Norway

Hamar Airport, Stafsberg is a general aviation airport located at Stafsberg in Hamar, Norway. It features a 944-by-23-meter runway aligned 15–33 and is owned by Hamar Municipality. The airport is located in an area with very stable climate and good flying conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Værøy Airport</span> Former Airport in Værøy, Norway

Værøy Airport was a regional airport located just southwest of the village of Nordland on the island of Værøya in Værøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. Operated between 1986 and 1990, it had an 800-by-30-meter asphalt runway aligned 07–25. The airport was owned and operated by the Værøy Municipality. It was served by Widerøe, who operated de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft to the town of Bodø and the nearby island of Røstlandet. After a fatal accident in 1990, the airport was shut down.

Coast Aero Center A/S was a regional airline based Haugesund Airport, Karmøy in Karmøy, Norway. It had only small-plane operations and mechanical services until 1984, when it acquired concessions to operate at the new Stord Airport, Sørstokken, Geilo Airport, Dagali, and eventually from Haugesund to Aberdeen. It soon turned out that the company was not profitable and it filed for bankruptcy in 1988. The estate continued on as Coast Air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Widerøe Flight 839</span> 1990 aviation accident

Widerøe Flight 839, also known as the Værøy Accident, was a de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter that crashed shortly after take-off from Værøy Airport in Værøy Municipality in Lofoten, Norway. The incident occurred on 12 April 1990 at 14:44, killing all five people on board. The cause of the accident were strong winds that exceeded the structure's tolerance, causing the tail rudder and tailplane to crack so the plane became uncontrollable. Impact occurred 63 seconds after take-off and 8 seconds after the crack. The aircraft crashed into the water, and a search was conducted for several days to find the wreck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Braathens SAFE (1946–1993)</span> History of Braathens SAFE from founding to 1993

Braathens South American & Far East Airtransport A/S or Braathens SAFE was founded by ship-owner Ludvig G. Braathen in 1946. It started as a charter airline based at Oslo Airport, Fornebu in Norway, flying to destinations in the Far East and in South America. At first the airline used Douglas DC-4s, and later also Douglas DC-3s. In 1948, the airline moved to Oslo Airport, Fornebu and started regular scheduled flights to the Far East. In 1952, the airline started cooperation with the Icelandic airline Loftleidir, where until 1960 the two airlines in cooperation flew flights to Reykjavík. Domestic services started in 1951, using de Havilland Herons on a route from Oslo to Stavanger via Tønsberg. Braathens SAFE also established at Stavanger Airport, Sola. A second route was started two years later to Trondheim. The Heron routes also stopped in Farsund, Kristiansand, Notodden to Stavanger and Hamar, Røros to Trondheim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Widerøe Flight 744</span> 1993 aviation accident in Norway

Widerøe Flight 744, also known as the Namsos Accident, was a controlled flight into terrain of a de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter during approach to Namsos Airport, Høknesøra in Norway. The incident occurred on 27 October 1993 at 19:16:48 and killed six of the nineteen people on board, including the crew of two. The scheduled flight was en route between Trondheim Airport, Værnes via Namsos to Rørvik Airport, Ryum and the aircraft crashed at Berg in Overhalla because it held too low an altitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Widerøe</span>

Widerøe's Flyveselskap ASA, is a regional airline based in Bodø Norway, established by

References

  1. 1 2 "Banker taper to konkurs i Bodø-selskap" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 21 October 1986.
  2. 1 2 "Fly som oljevern". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 18 May 1984. p. 11.
  3. 1 2 3 "Fly skal tas i bruk mot oljesøl Bodø". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 30 November 1983. p. 16.
  4. Wego, Nina (25 May 1984). "Kjemisk stoff mot oljeutslipp". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 9.
  5. Guhnfeldt, Cato (7 September 1984). "Oljevernfly fra Norge kan bli eksportvare". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 24.
  6. 1 2 Larstuvold, Ulf (2000). "Farvel, Twin Otter". Flynytt. No. 3. Norsk Aero Klubb. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  7. Guhnfeldt, Cato (21 January 1986). "Norsk fly med forsyninger til polekspedisjon". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 13.