Older 206's

[nskaye]

Does anyone know how many older 206's are still in use?

I own SN #178 and thought it would be neat to get a bunch of 45+ year old's together sometime.

Neil

[Ian Corrigible]

nskaye,

Quite a few.

Bell 206: 17 single-digit S/Ns listed as still flying, the earliest being 206A S/N #7 (N1368X (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=1368x)), plus 29 more up to S/N #200 and 89 more up to S/N #500 (the last of the aircraft built prior to 1970).

Agusta-Bell 206: 42 aircraft up to S/N 8200 (i.e. pre-1970) still flying, the earliest being AB206B S/N #8006 (EC-FCP (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jortegafigueiral/2154128815/)).

...plus a shed-load of OH-58s: about 230 pre-1970 aircraft still in civil and military service, the oldest being OH-58C S/N #40002 / 68-16688 (N230FC (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=230FC)).

Data c/o Ascend (http://www.ascendworldwide.com/what-we-do/ascend-data/aircraft-airline-data/ascend-online-fleets.html).

I/C

[TheiC]

Ian,


17 single-digit S/Ns listed as still flyingI do believe that there's many a fine tune played on an old fiddle.


But, even though I am as much of a fan of an old Jetranger as the next man (despite some nervous moments watching the temperature peak during start), I am struggling to understand how there were ever 17 single-digit airframes, unless someone at the factory had a terrific fiddle going of his own...


(I guess you mean double-digit?)...

[Ian Corrigible]

TheiC,

Yes, good catch. I of course meant one single digit followed by another single digit...

I'll leave the number fiddling to the world of exotic car auctions (http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/04/03/sale-halted-on-alleged-prototype-iso-grifo-amid-questions-of-its-authenticity/). :E

I/C

[Rotorhead84]

We've got 3 that are late 60's early 70's

[Jet Ranger]

...we still have one AB206, year 1972. The best one ;)

JR

[stacey_s]

AB 206 A7-HAO S/n 8044, Date of Manufacture April 1968 still with Gulf in Doha

S

[SuperF]

There used to be a couple of very old 206's flying around NZ. I thought single digit serials, or teenagers maybe... I thought that they were on the tourist run on the West Coast doing Glacier flights, but i could be wrong.

ill try to track down what happened to them.

[John Eacott]

The first 206 that I bought was a 1970 A model rebuilt to BIII.

And I thought S/N 528 was an early serial until I read this ;)

[heli1]

I think you all might have to wait another twenty years to bring it this reunion down to manageable proportions!

[kflexer]

I flew sn#6 a few years ago when I just started out in Canada, who's owned by Ariel Recon Surveys , white court , AB.
Great old bird!

[vaqueroaero]

I'm currently flying sn#850 doing ag work, built in 1972 and currently has a little over 5000 hours total time. The earliest I have flown was sn#435.

[helofixer]

Up till about 8 years ago we had s/n17

[Arnie Madsen]

Not sure if you will find this helpful but somebody has compiled a list titled ......
"Officially Destroyed Bell Aircraft per Government Final Report"
http://www.bellhelicopter.com/MungoBlobs/925/478/destroyed.pdf

It includes some 206 A's with these low serial numbers 8 , 18 , 56 , 83 , 86

............................................


Trivia .... C-FJAD , 206-A , Serial number 18 , was owned by Gerry McArthur at Vega Helicopters (St Andrews Manitoba) when I took some 47G2 training there in early 1980's .... I believe it went from there to Great Slave Helicopters , and burned in a ground fire in 2003 (something like that)

I think Great Slave still uses the C-FJAD mark but on a 212 now.

More trivia .... I think serial no. 18 was the first 206A in Canada and flew in the 1960's as traffic patrol for Montreal radio station CJAD


Bell 206 Jetranger Trafficopter - YouTube

[fijdor]

C-FJAD was still flying traffic in 78 over Montreal, I was flying traffic as well at that time with a B47 beside that 206. I thought the serial# was 16 but my memory might be playing tricks on me.

JD

[47guy's]

Jacques!

cf-jad S/N:18

Guy

[fijdor]

Yes, saw it in the earlier post, no worries, Thanks Guy

JD

[ReverseFlight]

I seem to recall some guru saying that the older 206s had a slightly shorter tail rotor which made it a bit more susceptible to LTE. Is that true ?

[robin303]

My old 206.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/robin303/Army%20Aviation/58_zps800a2448.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/robin303/Army%20Aviation/FTX-1.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/robin303/Army%20Aviation/11-2.jpg

[fijdor]

In response to reverse flight question, according to wikipedia the bigger tail rotor came out with the B206B-3.

JD

From wiki:
Bell 206B-2 - Bell 206B models upgraded with Bell 206B-3 improvements.

Bell 206B-3 - Upgraded Allison 250-C20J engine and added 2 inches (51 mm) to tail rotor diameter for yaw control.[

[SuperF]

quite a few 206's still have the smaller tail rotor. if you fly them properly it isnt a problem.

if you run the numbers then you would prefer an old 206 with a C20 engine, rather than a newer one. the older 206's were far lighter, on utility or agricultural ops that equates to carrying more product and more $$$$ each load.

[Bellrider]

2 years ago our Bell 206 was grounded due to corosion! It was the first 06 in Germany! She had a very awesome feature: hydraulic pedals for the tailrotor!
I loved to fly that!
Here a link to some pictures!
Helionline.de (http://www.helionline.net/492-939843-717396/photogallery/5/33/23259///D-HARD+486.html)

[albatross]

One of the first 206s in Canada was CF-RBR for CFRB a radio station in Toronto.
SN 10 I believe.
I flew in her in Rouyn Noranda in 1973 with my friend Geoff Palmer when she was with Viking/ la Verendrye.
She came to a sad end years later with the Lamb brothers. RIP

[fijdor]

The boosted pedals was an awesome feature that was taken off the B206 in the 70's and early 80's here in Canada, the system had a tendency to malfunction in flight and all of a sudden you would end-up with full right of left pedal and that could rip the tailboom off the 206. I don't know of any good endings from this one.

JD

[Bellrider]

Hey JD!
You're right! Our company had one incident a few years ago! During cruise sudden full left pedal caused by a very small input. Everbody survived but a very huge damage!
At leased, having boosted pedels during air work ( powerline patrol, spraying etc) was fantastic!

[Arnie Madsen]

Another registry list with a few low serial numbers

bell 206A - Helicopter Database (http://www.helis.com/database/model/653/?filc=-)

[Rotor Work]

Question for the guys now retired, what was it like stepping up to the brand new 206's when they first arrived,
First impressions, jet a1, the power, payload, performance etc;
Also any information on the arrival of VH-AHQ c/n 445 & VH-AHU c/n 604
Regards R W

[fijdor]

In response to rotor work and this is not my own experience (not retired yet) but when I started in 1977 the B206 was about 10 years old, the CP at the time told me that young guys would get on the 206 rather quickly, a bit of time on the 47 and then 206.
Apparently they preferred young guys on the turbine heli because older pilots with lots of time on the piston engines had a tendency to cook a C18 in no time at all, they had a problem to adapt to the new technology. Not only on the start but also on take off and landings, you could over-temp this things just like that.

JD

[Arnie Madsen]

Anyone here ever fly N8560F ?? ... Serial number 1

Apparently registration was cancelled in 1993

N8560F Archives | This Day in Aviation (http://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/n8560f/)

[Ricktye]

Albatros:


CF-RBR was owned by Hussien Aviation at her demise. She was leased by Jerry Morland who was ferrying her back to Timmins, Ont at the time of the accident. Tommy Lamb, grandson of the founder of Lambair was in the left seat catching a ride to Winnipeg with Jerry. Anyone wanting the actual details of the cause of the accident can PM me.


When I was with Transport Canada, we had C-FCGK, S/N: 24. I did a historical article on her in 2007 for her 40th birthday. At the time, I was told by Bell that she was the 2nd oldest 206 still flying and S/N: 19 was still flying somewhere. CGK is still flying, don't know about S/N: 19.

[landseaair69]

This one John ....

Aviation Trader - BELL 206 BIII. (http://www.aviationtrader.com.au/adverts/bell-206-biii-2/)

[Ascend Charlie]

Question for the guys now retired, what was it like stepping up to the brand new 206's when they first arrived?

For me it was a step down, going from Hueys to the 206.

The Lycoming T-53 in the Huey has a very gentle light-off, so my first thoughts on first C20 start-up was "Why is this not lighting off? Oh CRAP! Is THAT the way it normally starts????"

Unboosted pedals weren't a problem, and the 1/3 scale of the machine was easy to adapt to. The stupid cyclic stick with intercom button on the top took some adaptation.

[Arnie Madsen]

Still registered:

Bell 206A Serial number 7 FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=1368X)

Bell 206A Serial number 35 FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=118BA)

Bell 206A Serial number 82 FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=321AW)

Bell 206A Serial number 87 FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=949FM)

[CropDusterMan]

I fly Serial number 510, N9143T which was converted to a B, currently has C20B We do crop dusting work in San Diego County...a friend of mine crop dusts
in the central valley of California and he has serial number 4. I recently flew serial number 715 from Montana to California, where it too is now a crop duster...715
was the last official A to B conversion done by Bell.

[BlueWhiteSky]

SN 42 still flying in Germany private owner
Helionline.de (http://www.helionline.net/591-159142-606540/photogallery/5/32/36992///D-HOPP.html)

[Arnie Madsen]

quote by Ricktye ... When I was with Transport Canada, we had C-FCGK, S/N: 24. I did a historical article on her in 2007 for her 40th birthday. At the time, I was told by Bell that she was the 2nd oldest 206 still flying and S/N: 19 was still flying somewhere. CGK is still flying, don't know about S/N: 19.s/n 19 is C-GLVJ in B.C Canada (aprox 2011)

Aircraft Data C-GLVJ, 1967 Bell 206B C/N 19 (http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/C-GLVJ.html)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65679836@N04/5998701405/

Previous to that it was N7819S (and was converted from A to 206B)

.

[Ricktye]

Thanks Arnie for that info. Old 206's just won't quit it seems!


R...

[mre2heli]

Serial Number 12 is still flying. We refurbished her a few years back and she is now in the Philippines.

http://www.appleheli.com/images/stories/12.jpg
http://www.appleheli.com/images/stories/12_6.JPG

I was in contact with the owner of S.N 7 about 6 years ago and it was still flying .

[lamanated1]

looked after a bunch of early ones, S/N 008 ,I think 0012? was Shunda leased to Icefields Ralph. and some early ships that Ken Borekk lease to Custom Heli in St Andrews.