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500 Fan:
Apologies for going a little off-topic, but does anyone know did the BO-105s operated by British Caledonian Helicopters ever work on a Light House contract or were they chiefly used for runs to and from off-shore oil and gas installations?
Most of BCAL's 105's were inherited from Ferranti Helicopters as follows:
G-BAFD .. Ferranti > BCAL > Gleneagles > Bond > Sold to South Africa
G-BATB .. Ferranti > BCAL > Sold to US (BATB was hit by a wave at Skerryvore Lighthouse on 16th March 1978)
G-BFYA .. Ferranti > John Crewdson (Helicopter Hire) > Veritair (Flew with Strathclyde Police) > Sterling Helicopters
Ferranti were among the UK's pioneers in lighthouse support work and, to the best of my knowledge, some of these contracts were continued by BCAL when they bought the company in '79.
Ex-Ferranti Bo105D G-BAFD flying with BCAL
S.