Enstrom Joins South African Partners at AAD 2024 Conference
Enstrom Helicopter Corporation representatives traveled to Tshwane, South Africa this month to take part in this year’s African Aerospace & Defence Conference.
Held from September 18-20 at Air Force Base Waterkloof, the event focused on adapting to the future of warfare, addressing maritime security against piracy, and highlighting the South African Defence Industry.
Enstrom President Todd Tetzlaff was among the group who made the trip. He said, “As a first-time attendee, I was thoroughly impressed with the massive turnout and the diversity of products on display. It reinforced the fact that Africa is experiencing much economic growth, requiring the need for increased vertical lift capacity.”
Enstrom was joined by its South African representative Safomar Holdings. Safomar offered a centralized chalet to facilitate visits with military and law enforcement representatives from throughout the African continent, affording Enstrom and its products plenty of attention.
Safomar was instrumental in coordinating with the Zambian Ministry of Defence last year, finalizing the sale of two 480B turbine helicopters to the Zambian Air Force (ZAF), which Enstrom personally delivered in March 2024. The ZAF graciously flew down one of their new 480Bs to AAD 2024 for static display, and it became a big hit with the international crowd.
“We were proud to showcase our helicopter and share the good news direct from the factory in Menominee,” said Tetzlaff. “We were also able to reconnect with the ZAF pilots who we’d grown quite close with during their time training.”
Enstrom will be back on the international stage next month with Global Defence Helicopter 2024. The event is scheduled to return to Warsaw, Poland on October 22-24 with more than 700 representatives from 50 NATO and friendly nations attending.
About Enstrom Helicopter
From Rudy Enstrom’s early designs in 1943 to initial testing in a Michigan Quarry in 1957 to aircraft operating on six continents, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has maintained a reputation for safety, value and performance. Based in Menominee, Michigan and proudly made in the United States, Enstrom has a rich history for design innovation. The goal is to provide helicopters to the customer’s exact specification and deliver support and maintenance worldwide.