Helicopters on US Govt Auction site

[underfire]

3- CH-47D

CH-47D CHINOOK, SN: 86-01682 US Govt Auction

http://i57.tinypic.com/jqklsi.jpg

4- CH-46E HELICOPTER

[rick1128]

A few days ago, Columbia announced that they had purchased 3 CH47D's. If those machines are not these machines, it is quite likely that they will get these also.

[Gordy]

Billings Flying Service bought 2 and have already taken delivery, I heard rumor that Columbia may have bought 3....and 3 are still left.

[havoc]

Billings becomes home to the first 2 civilian-owned Chinook helicopters (http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/billings-becomes-home-to-the-first-civilian-owned-chinook-helicopters/article_8f69a92a-e05e-5c1a-86cd-0d402cac0ea1.html)

For the folks that knew AJ Blain the N562AJ seems fitting.

[underfire]

These are fresh off of the Govt auction site...

http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/gsaauctions/

[500N]

It says the first two Chinooks in civilian use in the US.

I thought Columbia already had some ?

[aclark79]

Columbia has BV234's.

They are Boeing Vertol 234's, made by Boeing as civilian aircraft from day 1.

boeing-vertol 234 - Helicopter Database (http://www.helis.com/database/model/329/)

The distinction here is that the 234's can fly passengers and the ex military Chinooks can only become restricted category aircraft. They can do great things on fire fighting contracts, but can't carry passengers on air taxi contracts overseas.

Owning them would allow Columbia to send their 234's to Afghanistan (or wherever the government air taxi work will be) and use the Chinooks in the states on fire fighting contracts.

[500N]

Thank you for that.

[SASless]

The Huey folks up there in Wesham can just eat their Hearts out!

The Two Wessex helicopters at Biggin Hill are nice....but nothing beats the Wokka for pure class!

Billings Flying Service is now the proud owner of two US Army Surplus CH-47D helicopters at a cost of 6.5 Million USD!

Billings becomes home to the first 2 civilian-owned Chinook helicopters (http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/billings-becomes-home-to-the-first-civilian-owned-chinook-helicopters/article_8f69a92a-e05e-5c1a-86cd-0d402cac0ea1.html)

[Art of flight]

SASLess,

Looking at the rate you got shot down in these, 3 might not be enough for you!;)

[SASless]

Mere fluke of probability in my case! Having put the Morning's event behind me I felt I was "Bullet Proof" for the rest of the deployment.

I did forget about the fact I had begun that tour of duty on Fool's Day....which was far more significance than I noticed until afterwards.

We usually wore them out and sent them home for Rebuild but we averaged about two per year from my Unit being lost to varying causes. We had Sixteen Chinooks per Company level Unit.

[unstable load]

From the article linked....
He said the Chinooks were constructed around 1970 and refurbished by Boeing in 1990. Each aircraft has about 5,000 hours of flight time; Blain said with care and careful maintenance, both ought to last at least 10,000 hours more.

I wonder how much time the Columbia machines have on he clock by now?