Chapman Freeborn landed an AS-355 helicopter on a neighboring carpark to ensure vital automotive equipment reached its destination in the quickest time to keep production disruption to a minimum.

Following a last-minute request from a German car manufacturer, Chapman Freeborn drew upon its fifty years of experience to identify and request the use of an adjacent carpark as a temporary helipad.

“We are well aware that for our automotive customers, every second lost to inactivity translates into enormous costs,” said Reto Hunziker, President – Europe, Chapman Freeborn.

Exterior of the AS-355 helicopter on the makeshift helipad side-by-side with an interior shot of the helicopter loaded with spare parts.

“We have become accustomed to reacting quickly when called upon, thinking outside of the box to find solutions to logistical challenges, and providing tangible resilience to automotive production lines.

“By arranging for a car park on a neighbouring site to be used as a temporary helipad, our expert team were able to deliver the spare parts needed directly to the customer’s door.”

In another demonstration of Chapman Freeborn’s work with the automotive sector, the air charterer also recently supported a manufacturer with the testing of new cars at a remote quarry.

Across six days, three helicopters shuttled around 250 people to the site from a nearby racetrack in Southern Germany.