While the military need for high-speed rotorcraft is widely accepted, the introduction of such a capability for the commercial market has been seen as a bit of a folly, at least until now. As the one of the world's largest commercial helicopter operators, Bristow Group's decision to support AgustaWest-land's tiltrotor program is a major turning point for highspeed rotorcraft. It will not only transform the shape of oil and gas exploration support operations but deliver a con- siderable boost to the Anglo-Italian manufacturer's development of the AW609.
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