Bell 206: JetRanger and LongRanger

[Aesir]

This is pretty good information.

http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/aircraft/commercial/pdf/206B3_PDB_low.pdf

Fly smart, fly Bell

- I´m aiming for the customer of the year award from Bell hehe.

[Spunk]

Hi Aesir,

yep, haven't seen a single helicopter down there. All the shuttling is either done by boat or by those Twin Otters.



From what I've heard it was more than just one helicopter that crashed and thus resulting in ban of helicopters.

As far as I remember they were all MI 8s operated by a Hungrian operator.

[McHover]

Yep, that's right.

I spent a long hot noisy day filming from one operated by Hummingbird about 12 years ago. I remember our downdraft broke the top mast of the unfortunate Maldivean dhoni that we had positioned artistically off the island that we were shooting! Ooops, sorry about that....

I think we also blew a lot of sand into the cocktails.

No memory of the crew speaking any English. There were a lot of hand signals.

McH

[Spunk]

Google brought up the following:

When I arrived in Male in February of 1997 there were about 82 resorts of various sizes and grades and most of them were serviced by boat. About 8 resorts were serviced by helicopter off 5 active helipads, and Maldivian Air Taxi’s fleet of Twin Otters serviced about 20.Hummingbird had no exclusive floatplane transfer contracts for tourists, but shared several resort transfers with the helicopters. This was the way they intended to get their feet wet in the transition from exclusively helicopter to exclusively day time sea plane transfers. The helicopter contract was going to be continued, however, for the nighttime transfers. Several of the largest airlines, specifically Singapore Airlines, and Malaysian Airlines arrived too late in the evening for using the seaplanes. The helicopters had special DCA permission to carry out night special-VFR transfers as long as they met certain criteria.

Note from the Editor. Hummingbird Helicopters became Hummingbird Island Airways, and Hummingbird Island Airways no longer exists. It has been sold out, and reincarnated as Trans Maldivian Airways.

Source: www.ebushpilot.com


At some place there is a second helicopter operator being mentioned: Seagull Airways
A picture of one of their helicopters shows another Mi helicopter with a Russian registration.

[chopperdr]

kiko lobo: we have a nose mount, faa stc'd for the bell single series, as well as nightsun mount and door kits. check out
www.meekeraviation.com
pm if you have any questions
thanks
dr

[Aesir]

Your site is saved in favorites ; )

Liked the "lift blocks" didn´t know about that. I may get the pin kit for the doors though I would prefer to get a sliding door kit for my aft L/H side.

If anyone knows of a kit for sale used then I´m interested.

[chopperdr]

aesir: will keep my eyes open for the sliding door. couple other items that slid across my desk this week are
- wescam 16ds
- 4 ec-120's ex-san berandino county sheriff

as for the lift blocks, a very low cost method of getting addtional ground clearance. intially done for LAPD when they had bell 407's.

merry christmas to all
dr

[Aesir]

Hmm looks like I could mount your nosemount with the wire cutters installed?

Do you know if that´s possible on the 206B? I don´t want to take my wire cutters off.

[chopperdr]

aesir:
- yes you can install with wire strike on your 206. most important on the JR is your weight and balance, whats the payload / camera weight?

- also how did you the picture to show up. telstar walked me through the process, copied and pasted exactly the way he sent back the image, no joy. any advice

dr

try this one more time, could be the rum balls with the \"no smoking\" sign on the tin. hey its christmas day
dr

[Simon853]

Where can I get a 206 PoH?

Anyone know where I can get a Bell 206 (B3 ideally) Pilot Operating Handbook? I just want one for study reference and simulator practice.

Cheers,

Si

[Vfrpilotpb]

Simon,

Some where in my Island of files and cabinets I am certain I have a copy albeit they were photcopied from an original a few years ago, I'll look for them and if found will Pm you for your address, fingers crossed


Regards PetetR-B
Vfr

[Choppersquad]

206 safety course

gents
is there a safety course outside of the bell factory that is as good.i understand you would not see the factory .but based on the rest of the course .

thanks
cs

[Ian Corrigible]

JetRanger's 40th anniversary

On checking my Big Book of Egg Beaters, I see that the 206 is 40 years young this month (first flight Jan 10th 1966). Did Bell hold any kind of fly-in to celebrate this milestone ?

I/C

[gadgetguru]

pure gold

perhaps they are too busy producing the 'all gold version' for the not too distant 50th anniversary celebrations

[Head Turner]

It's my 40th aniversary of helicopter flying and that passed without any celebration. I am just happy to still be flying.

[B Sousa]

Head Turner, you are old. My 35th year of helicopters this month, and what am I doing?? In the Florida Everglades on one of the older Jet rangers (#1045) with Fixed Floats landing in the Swamps............

[Wunper]

Old number 1

Here are some pictures of the late great Joe Mashman demonstrating Jetranger Numero Uno N8590F at Middle Wallop UK date around '67.
Note the narrow instrument binnacle & the certification category appears to be "Provisional Experimental"
The machine looks pretty, I wonder where it is now? It deserves a place in the Smithsonian IMHO.




PS I hope this doesn't degenerate into an LTE bunfight

[Flying Lawyer]

Wunper


Is that you standing by the Jetranger in the 3rd picture?



FL

[SASless]

If Bristow bought it...it is still flying in Nigeria. They had one there that had been in Abu Dhabi then Iran then Nigeria...it was advertised as being an Executive Transport in Nigeria....but still had the gouges in the upholstry from the shovels and picks the geologists carried along while doing bush work in Iran in the mid-70's.

I wonder how many pilot's backs the Jetranger ruined in its history?

[Makila]

Bristow has no Jetrangers in Nigeria at this time. Sister company
Pan African operates 407/206L/412 out of Escravos for Chevron.

Bristow operating S76C+/A++, 212/412, AS332l/EC155.
New C+'s/412EP's awaiting customs clearance to replace A++/212.

Jetranger pilot seats are certainly uncomfortable!!!! - ouch....