MD Helicopters has announced that the first MD 530N upgrade in New Zealand has entered service with Heliventures NZ, a commercial and agricultural helicopter operator based in Oamaru on the South Island. The work was performed by Mt Hutt Aviation (MHA), the MDH Authorized Service Center in New Zealand, with the Rolls-Royce 250-C30 engine prepared and supplied by Asia Pacific Aerospace (APA), a Rolls-Royce Authorized Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Center.

Mt Hutt Aviation approached the Heliventures aircraft as a full reconditioning rather than an engine change alone. The scope of work included: The airframe stripped down, with components removed and individually inspected, overhauled, replaced, or reinstalled, the aircraft rebuilt and refinished with MD 530N engine upgrade package with the Rolls-Royce 250-C30, Garmin glass cockpit and Complete exterior refinish.

“We’ve approached this aircraft as a full reconditioning, not simply an upgrade,” said Mark Kershaw, Chief Executive Officer of Mt Hutt Aviation. “The result is an aircraft that is as close to a new MD 500 as you can get without building one from scratch. What you end up with is a proven MD 500 airframe, effectively remanufactured from the ground up, with modern systems and a new level of capability. It gives the operator the opportunity to retain an aircraft they know and trust, while bringing it to a standard that is genuinely comparable to a new aircraft.”

Heliventures NZ has provided commercial and agricultural helicopter services across Otago, South Canterbury, and the Mackenzie Country since 2009 and operates a fleet of MD 520N aircraft. The fleet supports: Agricultural spraying, fertilizer application, seeding, mustering, power line and utility work, firefighting, precision lifting and survey work, hunting, scenic, and charter flights

“The 530N upgrade has given us a significant step forward in the capability of the aircraft,” said Craig McMillan, Owner of Heliventures NZ. “The combination of the C30 engine, improved performance, and the potential for substantially reduced engine maintenance makes a real difference to the way we operate. For us, it’s about getting more capability and reliability from an aircraft we already know and trust, rather than replacing it. MHA has done an excellent job bringing the upgrade together, and we’re very pleased with the result.”