Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LONG-TERM DEBT

v2.4.0.8
LONG-TERM DEBT
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
LONG-TERM DEBT
LONG-TERM DEBT
The Company’s borrowings as of December 31 were as follows (in thousands):
 
 
2013
 
2012
7.750% Senior Notes (excluding unamortized discount)
 
$
200,000

 
$
200,000

Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility
 
55,000

 
50,000

Promissory Notes
 
30,311

 
33,098

 
 
285,311

 
283,098

Portion due with one year
 
(2,787
)
 
(2,787
)
Unamortized discount
 
(3,133
)
 
(3,363
)
 
 
$
279,391

 
$
276,948


The Company’s long-term debt maturities for the years ended December 31 are as follows (in thousands):
2014
 
$
2,787

2015
 
27,524

2016
 
55,000

2017
 

2018
 

Years subsequent to 2018
 
200,000

 
 
$
285,311


7.750% Senior Notes. On December 7, 2012, the Company issued $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 7.750% senior unsecured notes due December 15, 2022 (the “7.750% Senior Notes”) and received net proceeds of $191.9 million. Interest on the 7.750% Senior Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on each June 15 and December 15 of each year, beginning on June 15, 2013. The 7.750% Senior Notes may be redeemed at any time, and from time to time on or after December 15, 2017 at the applicable redemption prices set forth in the indenture governing the 7.750% Senior Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date. Prior to December 15, 2017, the Company may also redeem the 7.750% Senior Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price based on a “make-whole” premium plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, the redemption date. In addition, at any time on or prior to December 15, 2015, the Company may redeem up to 35% of the 7.750% Senior Notes at a redemption price equal to 107.750% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest if any, to the redemption date, using the proceeds of certain equity offerings. The indenture contains covenants that restrict the Company's ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, pay dividends or make other distributions or repurchase or redeem its capital stock, prepay, redeem or repurchase certain debt, make loans and investments, sell assets, incur liens, enter into transactions with affiliates, enter into agreements restricting its subsidiaries' ability to pay dividends, and consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of their assets. In addition, upon a specified change of control trigger event or a specified asset sales, the Company may be required to offer to repurchase the 7.750% Senior Notes.
The Company’s payment obligations under the 7.750% Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by all of our wholly owned existing U.S. subsidiaries that are guarantors under our revolving credit facility.
The net proceeds of the offering were used to repay $190.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the revolving credit facility. In connection with the issuance of the 7.750% Senior Notes, the borrowing capacity under the revolving credit facility was permanently reduced from $350.0 million to $200.0 million.
Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility. On December 22, 2011, the Company entered into a $350.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility that matures in December 2016, is secured by substantially all of the tangible and intangible assets of the Company and is guaranteed by the Company’s wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries. Advances under the senior secured revolving credit facility are available for general corporate purposes and can be used to issue up to $50.0 million in letters of credit. Interest on advances are at the option of the Company of either a “base rate” or LIBOR as defined plus an applicable margin. The “base rate” is defined as the highest of: (a) the Prime Rate, as defined; (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate, as defined, plus 50 basis points; or (c) a daily LIBOR, as defined, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin is based on the Company’s funded debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), as defined, and ranges from 100 to 200 basis points on the “base rate” margin and 210 to 335 basis points on the LIBOR margin. The applicable margin as of December 31, 2013, was 100 basis points on the “base rate” margin and 210 basis points on the LIBOR margin. A quarterly commitment fee is payable based on the average unfunded portion of the committed amount at a rate based on the Company’s funded debt to EBITDA, as defined, and ranges from 25 to 70 basis points, and as of December 31, 2013 the commitment fee was 25 basis points.
The senior secured revolving credit facility contains various restrictive covenants including interest coverage, funded debt to EBITDA, secured funded debt to EBITDA, funded debt to the fair market value of owned helicopters, fair market value of mortgaged helicopters to funded debt, fair market value of mortgaged helicopters registered in the United States to fair market value of all mortgaged helicopters, as well as other customary covenants, representations and warranties, funding conditions and events of default, all as defined in the senior secured revolving credit facility. In addition, under certain conditions, the senior secured revolving credit facility may restrict the ability of the Company to distribute dividends on its preferred and common stock. Generally, dividends may be declared and paid quarterly provided the Company is in compliance with the various covenants of the senior secured revolving credit facility, as defined, and the dividend amount does not exceed 20% of the net income of the Company for the previous four consecutive quarters.
As of December 31, 2013, the Company had $55.0 million outstanding advances under the senior secured revolving credit facility at an annual rate of 2.35% and $136.1 million available, net of issued letters of credit of $8.9 million. The remaining amounts under the senior secured revolving credit facility are available to fund working capital needs.
Promissory Notes. On December 23, 2010, the Company entered into a promissory note for $27.0 million to purchase a heavy helicopter. The note is secured by the helicopter and bears a variable interest rate that resets every three months and is computed as the three-month LIBOR rate at the date of each reset plus 260 basis points. At December 31, 2013, the interest rate on this note was 2.85%. The note requires $0.1 million monthly payments of principal plus accrued interest with a final payment of $19.0 million in December 2015.
On November 24, 2010, the Company entered into a promissory note for $11.7 million to purchase a medium helicopter. The note is secured by the helicopter and bears a variable interest rate that resets every three months and is computed as the three-month LIBOR rate at the date of each reset plus 260 basis points. As of December 31, 2013, the interest rate on this note was 2.84%. The note requires $0.1 million monthly payments of principal plus accrued interest with a final payment of $5.9 million in December 2015.