Was the 105LS ever used (widely) in the UK? if not, why not? Was the extra power not needed there?

Looking at the history of the LS it appears that countries with higher DA's only needed/used them...

cheers Griff

Bolkows
 

Yo! Blind Bob.
Living up to your name there mate. Defo NOT DCCH. :ugh:

G - DCCH started life as the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary helicopter. When the Police purchased their BK 117 (G - DCPA), BAS bought DCCH and, after much stripping out of surplus kit and fitting EMS role, it replaced G - BATC (Bo 105DB, not stretched) as the Devon Air Ambulance. She stayed in DAA livery until her untimely end and never had floats fitted either.

Given the float fit, I think it may be G - CDBS after her respray. BUT, I could be wrong..............it has been known :mad:

The reg looks like G-DNLB to me...:confused:

Anyone recognise this fella?
 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1374/...1336b720_b.jpg

If you do, then please PM me so I can forward you details of his retirement party !:ok:

G-DNLB it is
And by the way, what about HB-XFD?



?

Apologies for going a little off-topic, but does anyone know did the BO-105s operated by British Caledonian Helicopters ever work on a Light House contract or were they chiefly used for runs to and from off-shore oil and gas installations? Thanks.

500 Fan.

This is an interesting site for all you 105 fans.:8

"Leichter Mehrzweckhubschrauber MBB BO 105 - Light multipurpose helicopter MBB BO 105"

Thanks BB , brings back many memories from Fort Erie years , I wonder how support for the Donaldson air filters is now.

.
500 Fan: Most of BCAL's 105's were inherited from Ferranti Helicopters as follows:

G-BAFD .. Ferranti > BCAL > Gleneagles > Bond > Sold to South Africa
G-BATB .. Ferranti > BCAL > Sold to US (BATB was hit by a wave at Skerryvore Lighthouse on 16th March 1978)
G-BFYA .. Ferranti > John Crewdson (Helicopter Hire) > Veritair (Flew with Strathclyde Police) > Sterling Helicopters

Ferranti were among the UK's pioneers in lighthouse support work and, to the best of my knowledge, some of these contracts were continued by BCAL when they bought the company in '79.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...SLight-web.jpg

Ex-Ferranti Bo105D G-BAFD flying with BCAL

S.

Ok lets make it a bit more difficult...............

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...ngaircraft.jpg

Delta Ng's Pic is BATC, the ex North Wales AA, that replaced MF
QTG's latest THLS? after it fell off the ship

Give that man a coconut........................................

[IMG]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...135t2/1973.jpg[/IMG]

From Shetland:

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/255...rdhelicopt.jpg

Picture 1

Picture 2

Savoia - G-BAFD had even more history before Ferranti.

Here in 1974, in Mackenzie-Hill Aviation livery, after an unfortunate altercation with a 13Kv line!!

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...g?t=1287778360

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...g?t=1287778360

.
HICO-P: Yes you are quite right. In fact all Ferranti's 105's had some former history:

BAFD, as you mention, was owned by Mackenzie-Hill, veteran PPRuNer "Speechless Two" was the personal pilot to Charles Mackenzie-Hill and moved from Mackenzie's to Ferranti (via a contract with Wimpey Sealabs). 'Speechless' went on to become Ferranti's 105 training captain and eventually chief pilot of BCAL Helicopters after they bought Ferranti.

BATB was formerly owned by Rolls Royce and still flew for on contract for them after Ferranti purchased the aircraft.

And BFYA flew for one year with Heliswiss, remaining on the German register as D-HJET, prior to being delivered to the UK.

S.

Savoia - not wanting to besmirch Speechless Two's unsullied reputation, I should point out that I was also flying for Mackenzie-Hill at that time and particularly on this occasion!! - but that's another story.

Bo105 @ Donauworth
 

Photo link: way too large for PPRuNe!

.
HICO-P: Thanks for bringing me up to speed on the Mackenzie Hill history, appreciated and - my apologies for excluding you in my mentionings. I would in fact be keen to learn more about your time with them and have PM'd you accordingly.

I sent this image (a while back) to Speechless Two and which I am sure you already have as it is in the public domain:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../5/1443573.jpg

Mackenzie Hill's MBB Bo105D at Kindlington, May 1975. The records show that by this time the aircraft was already under the ownership of Wimpey Labs (a Ferranti managed contract). Ferranti bought the aircraft outright in June of '77.

S.

That's an old Bond Puma is it not?

No, the Puma was brand new. The Bolkow is G-BUXS. I still wake up in a cold sweat...

Underslung Bolkow
 

where did this take place ?

That is the Bolkow being returned to Tingwall. The reason why it happened was because of an occurrence near Out Skerries involving a disagreeable hydraulic pack! I wasn't the first no hydraulics Bolkow pilot apparently although some of the others weren't quite so lucky.

Cheers Cyclic.

I was trying to ascertain if it was the Bond pre '99 or the present incarnation.

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1259652M.jpg

G-BUXS at Cape Wrath Lighthouse on 9th August 2009

A couple of Bond Bo105s (G-BATC and G-TVAM) have been purchased by the South Georgia Heritage Trust and are about to embark on a trip to the South Atlantic for their Habitat Restoration Project.

South Georgia Heritage Trust - Projects

We are still looking for a UK licenced 105 engineer to join the team.

If anybody knows someone who is available it would be appreciated.

A final shot of G-BATC at Newquay EGHQ, taken just before she flew away from Trinity House Lighthouse Service duties after I-don't-know-how-many years service. I mentioned to the engineers at Staverton that she has the best SAS system of any of the Bolkows I've flown - they grinned and said "soon fix that"... :)

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a.../890G-BATC.jpg

Any information on what aircraft will replace BATC on the trinity house job, I odnt think the planned MD900 is due to start for some time yet, so I am guessing it will be another bolkow or interim EC135?

The new aircraft G-COTH is due to take over the contract on 1st December.

What type of aircraft is G-COTH?

It is an MD902 Explorer.

Thanks DeltaNg

Thanks for that. Just did a search for G-COTH on g-info and it comes back blank? Is this a new build aircraft?

YO! Thud and Blunder. How are you mate?

Nice to see a picture from you that isn't going to get the authority twitching!!! :ok:

Just heard a little snippet that after completion of their work in SG, BATC and TVAM will be left behind as it's considered uneconomical to bring them back!

Is this true? :eek: Can anybody shed any light on this? As the thought of leaving a wonderful airframe, which I have over 2000 Hrs in, to rot alongside boats, whaling stations, Argie Puma's etc, fills me with despair :{

I am no authority on used airframes Bobby but I do know used bolkows of that vintage are generally worth around the £200.000 mark from the few I have seen for sale. How long are they going to be working down there?
BATC has over 20000 airframe hours on it now, and I did hear that BAMF was retired because of corrosion with a few more hours than that. Maybe the airframe will be spent at the end of the period they plan to use it for?
BTW, why are argie pumas rotting down there, surely they would have been useful in Iraq at a time when they are talking about extending the service lives of Pumas already in the inventory to bring them up to the 25000 hour mark/milestone?

South Georgia
 

Blind Bob,

can you confirm its BATC & TVAM ? seems odd to purchase a DB, a very high time one at that, & a DBS, why not two DBS's ?

I have two red DBS's sir or two yellow ?

Trinity House
 

COTH is ex N3ND, MD902, & is being fitted out at Staverton, I would say 1 Dec is optimistic !

Bond lost the contract to SAS.

Bobby,

read your PMs mate.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TO...w%20change.jpg

'WP' at Boulmer in June '85 completing lighthouse crew change