The term “offshore operations” is used to describe situations where not only a part of the flight takes place over large bodies of water but when most of the flight, including the main objectives, are to be completed away from dry land. Driven by industry demand, the use of helicopters in offshore operations has increased greatly in the recent years. Because of their VTOL and hover capabilities, helicopters are often used to support:
- Construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms;
- Construction and maintenance of offshore oil and gas platforms;
- Various ship operations;
- Various authorities (e.g. coast guard).