The end of the red machines in Aberdeen

[abzheli]

[abzheli]

The first AW139 to be based in Aberdeen which will arrive in a few weeks will be in the same livery as the S92's and the AS332L2's will be repainted during their next heavy maintenance visit. I do have to confess, it is a smart livery.

[Balpa at Bond]

Yes the new colour scheme is smart. Everybody happy with the pay rise?

[SASless]

Dark Blue and White.....what an absolutely great choice of colours for a machine that flies over the oceans! It is an even greater choice should the aircraft wind up in the water.

Hope springs eternal I guess.

[DOUBLE BOGEY]

SAS it matches the dark blue of our "Survival suits!! Which raises the question just what it is we are planning to survive?. maybe its an aggressive Conservative Party conference??

Does look pretty though.

DB

[Milo C]

I like it

[HeliComparator]

Looks like a flying hospital to me!

[SASless]

But it flies.....unlike a certain other machine that is "in hospital".










Sorry.....could not resist the temptaton!

[cyclic]

SAS it matches the dark blue of our "Survival suits!!

Have you not seen our natty orange ones? Blue was soooo last year darling.

[Cleared-HOT]

So is this a new subsidiary of Bond or new name for Bond themselves.

[heli1]

NHS is a separate company in the Avincis Group and it doesn't follow that Bond aircraft will be repainted.The AW139 I saw late last year at Agusta was definitely red all over!

[lowfat]

Ah but the one in the factory NOW is blue....

[abzheli]

It HAS been announced by management that all newly delivered Bond helicopters will be painted in the new corporate colour scheme, the same as the NHS but will have the red "Bond" title on the engine door and the L2's and 225's will be repainted during their next heavy maintenance visit.

[XA290]

Re-branding often works well after a spot of bother. It certainly worked for the nuclear power station at Windscale. Who?

[CH274]

Nice colour!

[industry insider]

I think that the red scheme was original and very well executed in the mid 80s and has served Bond well. Its what gave them their identity.

Rumour is that that there were two visitors from an Asian company looking at Bond for their Oz operations? Chock-dee-na

[212man]

Chock-dee-na

kob-kun-krab

[Senior Pilot]

Another case of failing to remember the lessons of the past? Maybe someone should remind the wallies who make these decisions of the accident report into G-BBHN and the recommendations in that report following the October 1977 ditching. Those around the North Sea will be quite familiar with the red stripes under the hull plus the noticeable colour schemes that have followed; these recommendations should be nailed to the foreheads of the marketing wonks who have lost touch with the reason they make their income:

Page 11: the upturned hull which was difficult to locate and keep in view because its light coloured paint scheme merged with the breaking seas

Page 19: Alert action vii Helicopter high visibility paint schemes

Page 22: Surface units arrived in the reported area about 63 minutes after the accident but were unable to find the drifting inverted hull

Page 24: Conclusions, Findings xiii The upturned hull was difficult to find and keep in view because its light colouring blended with the breaking seas

Page 26: Safety Recommendations 4.10 High visibility paint schemes should be applied to helicopters to facilitate location after ditching particularly if the aircraft is floating inverted

Do you think the snazzy new scheme really meets the recommendation from the report?

[PANews]

I could easily be wrong with only that side view to go by but are there not [the ends of] at least three stripes under the belly?

Rear of black strake, by step and under sponson leading edge?

[icedriver]

From the pic it looks like it might have high vis arrows painted underneath it.
Still think the blue isn't much of a colour for offshore work though.