PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - AS 350 - what to look out for when buying
Old 7th Aug 2012, 15:50
  #16 (permalink)  
nuthin
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Canada
Age: 48
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Most 206B/Ls have been replaced by R44s in NZ because they were just doing pax transfers anyway and the R44 can do it cheaper.
The 206s still flying in NZ are doing Ag work or are private machines owned by people who wont fly in a 44.

The cheap AS350s from Japan have helped make them common in NZ over the years.

You are entering a buyers market but all too soon you may find yourself a seller.
With that in mind look for a low timed example that does not have a history near the beach or any other corrosive environment. Corrosion applies to the airframe as well as engine so get a compressor wash kit if you can so you can routinely flush the engine.
Ensure you have good hangarage and an anti corrosion program. A buyer will look for that.
For an AS350 B/D try and get one with the 4 point hook already in place I second the IBF filter.
Remember the rotorhead overhaul cost are quite different from the B/Ba to the B2.

The resource sector world wide is still going strong and AS350B/BAs/Ds are being converted relatively fast to SD2s. That leaves less and less Bs.

If there are already AS350s in Fiji with engineers already available then I think the decision is already made.
nuthin is offline