Choosing a helicopter to operate in Indonesia is not as easy as it sounds and I can fully understand BulePilot’s position. Unless you wish to be an innovator it is always best to determine which potentially suitable models are already on the register (try not to be a ‘first-of-type’ operator, it can lead to significant additional expenses) and what are the in-country support facilities available. Pilots and mechanics are still reasonably plentiful in Indonesia BUT good pilots and good mechanics are very scarce so you may wish to consider the knowledge and experience of your (potential) crews in the helicopter selection process.
Having said that, the suggested Bo-105, AS355F2 and Bell 222 are certainly cheap but are also old technology. The MD902 is relatively modern but has had a chequered career in Indonesia and I doubt that any practical support network is available locally. The ‘Twin Ranger’ is an interesting choice but as it’s not a Bell product I suspect that the excellent Bell product support system would not want anything to do with it.
So where does this leave us, if the later models of the A109 range are to be discounted on their cost and complexity, then it seems to leave only the Bell 427 as a viable choice. There are already a small handful of 427’s in Indonesia plus there is an existing Bell product support system in place together with a Bell technical representative. An additional bonus is that almost all Indonesian pilots and mechanics have had ‘Bell’ experience at some point in their careers. Good, clean and basic used 427’s are not expensive and there are a number on the market, but remember it’s not an IFR machine.