BV 234 LR, where are they now?

[eff.ey.bee]

I know some are still flying, ex ABZ machines, with Columbia. Oregan... but where are the rest?? Surely they are still ideal for high density offshore ops!

[VLift]

Just before the 234's began operating in the north sea I read an article in Rotor and Wing about those proposed ops. I remember reading that they were going to operate the aircraft on $.44 per passenger mile with 44 seats. With 18 years flying the military versions of the aircraft, A to D models, I never really understood how anyone could operate that aircraft on those numbers. Did I misread?

[eff.ey.bee]

OK, so maybe they were not so cost efficient? You would have a better idea than myself vlift! But I beleived in ABZ they made more money than other fleets put together (early-mid 80's)?. That aside where in the world can they be seen, anyone know?

[Larry]

Columbia Helicopter owns all the 234s ever made other than two owned by the Tawainese Government.
Tawain will be replacing their two 234s with new CH-47Ds in the near future.
Very good chance Columbia will buy the Tawainese 234s because they are very different than CH-47Ds and only Columbia can really support em.

[ruplaw]

Larry - sadly not quite correct...... One 234 owned in the 80's by British Airways Helicopters (later British International Helicopters) suffered an inflight breakup near to the Shetland Islands airport of Sumburgh. Of the 40+ on board, only the Captain and one passenger survived, effectively putting an end to the type's career on the North Sea. Great shame, as it should have been an excellent offshore helicopter...

[eff.ey.bee]

Thanks Larry, gee thats a lot of machines cos I beleive there were 19 made (minus that sad loss of G-BWFC). It was unecessary that the crash was the end of 234 ops in north sea. The result of scare-mongering press and oilies prepared to believe..... After the bevel-gear was replaced no reason why things shouldn't have been ops normal!

[Larry]

Im under the impression 14 234s were made
and Columbia owns 9 flying plus a non-flyable ditched airframe from the north sea. Tawian has three and then the one that crashed and killed the 40 people in 1986.
The transmissons are still a problem from what the guys at Columbia told me. They are considerably different than the CH-47D transmission.
Ive got an excellent manual on the 234/CH-47D that show many differences between the two Aircraft.
As a firefighter the 234 is a real work horse with a lift capability of 28,000.

[This message has been edited by Larry (edited 26 February 2001).]

[leading edge]

Th 1986 accident to the BV 234 off Sumburgh was not the end of the aircraft for North Sea Ops. Helikopter Service continued to use the aircraft for Philips Norway for a few years after the UK sector accident. I think that the 234 was eventually replaced by Super Pumas from Norsk(Bristow).

Whilst from outside the industry, the 234 looked like an excellent offshore helicopter, many used to divert into Sumburgh with problems when flying between Aberdeen and the Brent/Magnus fields, so much so that British Airways Helicopters had a full 234 maintenance base there.

With the trend towards smaller platforms and lees people offshore, the idea of moving such large numbers of poeple in one aircraft is now commercially obselete. The oil company safety cases have gone back to the idea of moving people as far as possible by Fixed Wing and reducing the numbers of people in and the distances flown by helicopters.

The S92 is going to find it hard going in the market although it looks like an excellent aircraft. The Super Puma still survives although with the exception of Norsk, everybody is flying old machines on the North Sea with low values and cheap prices. The market penetration of the 332L2 has been almost nil with the exception of Norsk and Helikopter Service (CHC)

LE

[eff.ey.bee]

Thanks Larry, 9 machines at Coulumbia... must be an impressive looking line-up! Must visit! Shame they don't use the D model transmission, surely BOEING should offer an upgrade? Expense?
Thanks for all info, however I don't beleive the 234 had any more diversons in N Sea than any other type, especially the 332 in its first 5 years!!

[Larry]

Heres a couple 234 pics

The Black one is a 234LR previously owned by Trump Air and used for hauling gamblers to Atlantic City. Pic was taken during the Malibu Fire in California during November 1993 (after Columbia bought it from Trump). It was later repainted and converted into a 234UT .

The 234UT pic Twas taken during the Hopper fire in Ventura County Calif. during Sept. 1998.
This helicopter had two internal 500gallon tanks in the cargo area.

From what i hear Boeing doesnt support the
234s any longer but Columbia has them sorted out and flying reliably.
They are incredible lifters and sound like they are going to explode when doing a max lift.
During firefighting they lift 3000gallons
of water and 3000lb of fuel....dammed impressive !!

http://www.helispot.com/photos/02195.jpg

http://www.helispot.com/photos/00733.jpg

[Grenadetosser]

Two BV234LRs belonging to British Airways Helicopters / British International Helicopters went down in the North Sea. Apart from the one which had a rotor de-phase in flight when the forward gearbox failed, killing 45 of the 47 on board just before landing in Shetland, another ditched under control with partial and intermittant hydraulic jamming and then sailed along under power for some time. However the rear ramp seal was defective and it slowly filled with water and eventually overturned, but long after all those on board had evacuated. It was recovered, so presumably that is the one Colombia have.

As far as in flight diversions were happening, they were almost all due to spurious operation of the chip warning system. That of course did not operate the one time it was needed........

I flew about 2000 hours in those beasts, any other old timers about?

[simfly]

Grenadetosser

My father was with BAH, never left so now with Scotia. Still a crewman with them. I vaguely remember some 234 pilots, aswell as the ones still flying in the N sea.

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[Cyclic Hotline]

One of the problems for the BV234 was the small operating fleet and limited number of Operators.

Although Trump finally got the 234 certified for 135 ops on the East Coast, they took so long to do it, that the company was bankrupt before it ever got any real use. It was not helped by the publicity from the BAH lawsuit, which was happening at the same time.

Sadly, Columbia lost one of the Chinooks on a Canadian logging job back in October 1997, with the loss of both crewmembers.

Columbia do very well with the machines - but only because of their persistence and experience with the Vertols (no credit to Boeing). When they first took them out logging, they were a very tough ship to keep going, but they made it happen. They are very impressive ships to watch working, but, at least in my opinion, UGLY.