500: Well done on the thread! A great little ship .. for sure.
Remarkably, the 500's were used for offshore rig support providing access for technicians, essential crew and supplying priority parts and small equipment.
In the late 70's and early 80's the offshore market was just picking-up in Brasil but there were already plenty of 'normal' offshore workhorses (of which I also have photos) but as some of the rigs were not far offshore smaller aircraft (such as the 500's) were used for support missions where, for example, an S61 would have been an overkill.
I also have the photos by Martin Harrison (we've be showcasing some of his work on the Nostalgia Thread) and it was great to see the Votec 'C' models again.
As you know, the Italian manufacturer Breda Nardi built the 500 under licence from Hughes for many years (until BN were merged with Agusta) in fact, some Breda Nardi 500's even operated in Brasil!
Italian Air Force Breda Nardi NH500E MM81271 over Frosinone on 29th May 2005 (Photo: Alessandro Savarese)
Corpo Forestale dello Stato (Italian Forestry Department) Breda Nardi NH500D I-CFSM at Imperia Heliport, Imperia, on 14th April 2003 (Photo: Alfredo La Marca)