Of course it's important to compare the price and flying qualities of any prospective helicopter, as many have done here. But it's also very important for the successful manufacturer to have a comprehensive product support system in place to ensure your helicopter availability is kept to the maximum. To his credit, 'NBU' clearly realises that the military environment, where technical support packages are written into the procurement contract, is quite unlike the commercial world. Do not underestimate the value of a responsive manufacturer, especially to a new start-up organization with perhaps only one or two machines. In this respect, Bell is still way ahead of the pack. Or, as 'Vertical Freedom' says, "...Eurocopter are waking up, they are rapidly changing their support & spares services, yes it may take a long time to catch up to Bell's outstanding support, but they are working on it…. " Forget about the AS350 Series unless you like plastic helicopters. Go for the Bell.