Keith Wilson's now well advertised collection of rotary-wing photos gives us an opportunity to look, in a little more detail, at those remaining 206's which constitute the very first JetRangers which operated in Britain in the late 60's and during the 70's.
Keith's images have been collated (as previously mentioned) by David Haines and come to us with goodwill from both Keith and David.
Bell 206A JetRanger G-AWRI at Gloucester's Staverton Airport in October 1974 (Photo: Keith C. Wilson courtesy of David Haines)
AWRI was the 27th 206 registered in the UK and the 5th Bell example. She was bought by Air Hanson in October 1968 and sold to the Trident Television Group (which livery she wears in the above photo) in April 1972. In 1976 she was sold to a customer in France.
Agusta-Bell 206A JetRanger G-AWRV at Oxford's Kidlington Airport in March 1974 (Photo: Keith C. Wilson courtesy of David Haines)
AWRV was the UK's 28th 206 and was bought (presumably from Mann's) by Alexander Gilmore of Balmore, Torrance in Glasgow, also in October 1968.
The following year Gilmore sold 'RV' to Sagil Helicopters of Lynedoch Crescent, Glasgow and so, for a time, she remained a 'Celtic Ranger.'
Now I was going to have a go at 'Wiggy' for not raising this previously unheard of Sagil Helicopters .. until I realised that he did in fact mention them on page
39. Sorry Wiggy!
As mentioned back on page 39, these (below) were some of Scotland's earliest operators:
Burnthills
Fras-Air
Gleneagles
Kendall?
Kestrel
McAlpine
Peregrine
PLM
Sagil
If anyone has knowledge of any additional operators, please do chip-in.