Bond bo105's?
 

I am aware they are all being phased out to be repleaced by ex135's, but with UK fleets of up to 40 in their day, apart from the lighthouse releif aircraft, how did all those bo105's amass their hours before becoming air ambulances? Anyone know?

Bond Bo 105s
 

In the mid to late 70s - Bond (or North Scottish as it was then), amassed lots of hours based offshore. THey were stationed on Auk, Forties, Brent and Ninian - to name but a few.

I personally was on Brent when we had 2 almost new Bo 105s (G-BDYZ & G-BEZJ) - over the course of 12 months those 2 aircraft amassed over 1200 Hours each ! During that time they hardly ever left the Brent field - we had a Hangar on Nordraug and did all the maintenance offshore.

They were busy little bees in those days. Some still are, especially the Lighthouse Support Machines.

All Bond Bo 105s were built in the 70s as Bo 105D Models, they were nearly all re-shelled in the 90s to become Bo 105DBS models. The reshelled models are recognisable by their dual serial number on the CAA Registration Database.

Hope that's not too "anoraky".

Thank you for taking the time to answer that for me, Yes, I figured they must be amassing their hours on offshore platforms and the like as I dont see many apart from lighthouse support machines aorund overland.
I did speak to an angineer from Bond once who was involved on stretching them, and he was telling me a story about one of his bosses asking him to let them know when any in the fleet were nearing the 20000 hour mark as apparently Eurocopter wanted to have a look at their condition. Apparently his replied "tell them they're a bit late mate, three or four of them passed the 20000 hour milestone a few months back!

Reshelling sounds a bit involved.

IHL BO-105s
 

Irish Helicopters Ltd have one Bo, EI-BLD, with around 16,000 hours on the airframe, I think. I guess that means its just run-in then!

Reshelling looks a bit involved
 

Reshelling was a bit involved. It involved getting a brand new airframe from EC(D) and installing all the components from your donor aircraft. However before all the components were installed, they were overhauled. At the end of the process you have a brand new, zero timed B0 105DBS-4. Only a couple of airframes were physically stretched, by the insertion of a plug. One such is G-NAAB S/No. 412 but that aircraft was not zero timed.

All this work was carried out by Rotortech ( a Bond subsidiary) at Cambridge.

Glad to be of assistance.

actually they have two bolkows, EI-BLD and EI-LIT which was acquired around 1996 with 4000 airframe hours on it (ex-poilce from Quatar I think.)
EI-BLD has as you say in the region of 16000 hours on it now, and EI-LIT ( a stretched one) has in the region of 10000 hours done. Apparently both will be replaced in the not too distant future as the lighthouse authority plan to acquire their own in house EC 135 helicopter for offshore lighthouse work.

Actually the technician I spoke to was involved in putting the pluf in G-NAAB, cant remember his name, a really friendly scottish man, he was working on Irish helicopters Bo 105 over ayear ago when it splayed its skids a little after a hard landing at the bailey lightohuse when it was caught be a wind shear. I assume EI-BLD is back flying again now, as I understand it the only issue was it had to be entirely stripped down to replace the skids as they go the whole way through the airframe between the fuel tanks.

Do you happen to know what became of airframes such as G-BEZJ which were removed from service? Are they discarded or stored somewhere?

What Happens When Removed from service
 

The following airframes were destroyed in accidents :

G-BEZJ - Crashed in the Highlands, crew survived but the aircraft was written off and scrapped

G-DNLB - Crashed off Orkney and was destroyed

G-THLS - Fell off the back of a Lighthouse vessel.....unnoticed.

G-BAMF - was recently scrapped. It was never made into a DBS and was the original airframe - some 35 years old and had corrosion beyond economical repair.

There is one of the original 105D Airframes at Lands End - advertising Air Ambulance.

But as far as I know there are none preserved or stored anywhere.

I have seen the airframe on the pole at lands end, but am frankly confused as to which airframe it is, it bore the reg G-BOND soem years back, but now has G-CDBS as of a few months ago when I was there. I know g-bond does not happen to relate to a real bo105 and according to the g-info site G-CDBS is still registered and flying and I could not get close enough to the airframe to see the serial plate and identify it from that. Its a mystery.

Scotia Q,

G-NAAA and G-NAAB were stretched at ECD in 1998/1999 and neither of them were originally Bond machines.As you say the other were done at Rotortech.

Bolkow,

The really friendly Scottish ex bond engineer was probably Davie Gow, myself Davie and Ian Taylor were all heavily involved in the project for the original 2 AA coloured Air Ambulances which were Dorset and the North West machine.

I seem to remember that the Airframes were supplied by ECD, we gutted them and sent them back out to Germany for stretching, it's all a bit vague now as it was 9 years ago, ECD apparently had a fair few Bolkows kicking around at the time and they were in semi storage/ rot in Germany.:(

Not surprised MF has finally gone, the old girl spent so much time in salty climes that it shows the quality of the airframe to have lasted so long, it also says a lot for the Bond engineers who kept it going:D

I can be certain of the name of the engineer but he had with him a detained photograph album that depicted the work on stretching NAAB from start to finish, from the welder making the initial cutting to the plug being added and its final acceptance or handing over of the finished product. I remember him saying that eurocopter supplied new wiring looms that were basically equal in length to the length of the stretch.

Thanks chaps.:ok:

all these bolkows are retiring in 2009 I believe, I'd love to store them in my garden, as I'd hate to see them reduced to scrap.

They won't retire. They just won't do HEMS work anymore.

Really? What will the CAA allow them to do then because I understood it was the CAA that wanted to get rid of them altogether and that thyey could'nt carry onj in any capacity after next year. Am I wrong in that understanding?

Doesn't mean that they can't continue to soar the skies in another country.

I worked at Rotortech for a number of years with BO-105 and work and they were fantastic to be with.

Especially the police and EMS conversions....got a lot of respect for the 105.
Last recent years just looked after tailboom repairs and parts repair:)

Back in 99 we had 3 redundsnt airframes from Germany Bundespolizei, the Interior ministry (orange rescue colours)

As nodrama said they can soar with the eagles outside of EASA rules as Ambulances or Police machines, PAS have just sold one to a country in the sub continent.

Just out of interest,

What other helicopters are affected by JAR OPS 3 in the same way as the Bolkow? For example, will a 109 be able to do HEMS ?

Part of the agreement with the CAA in respect of the Bond BO 105 re-fuselage program was that the redundant fuselages should be rendered unairworthy. This was done by cutting a chunk out of the vertical main frames. One of these wrecked fuselages was "blown up" for a tv program and another was used as a dog training aid by Devon and Cornwell police.

The main problem with the 105 was severe cracking starting around the 6000 hour mark which was due to the vibration characteristics of the aircraft and the material specification.

The repair costs became so expensive that the re-fuselage and stretch became a viable option.

The cracking would become so bad that I saw one aircraft in which the whole structure above floor level had to be removed!!!!!!!!

So if you have your eye on an old second hand 105 beware!!!!!!

Some years ago I was told that the DMC on a 105 was not significantly higher than a 206. I know there are relatively few service lifed items in the drive train , but does any one have the published figures.

Remember looking around G-BEZJ when it had been recovered to Longside, after its accident. For a number of years it sat in the 'old' hangar, gathering dust whilst waiting for the scrappy.

Re the pod down in Cornwall is that not the original shell from G-BCXO, which was re-registered G-THLS after getting its new pod?

Re deceased BO105's, I presume G-BGKJ was scrapped after its swim up at Sullom Voe?

Widgeon

Don't believe a word.

About 20 years ago I was on a contract where the guy bidding for a contract treated the 105 as a 206 with a second engine. We lost $100,000 in a year and we had free access to a lot of spares.

Thanks EF , the claim came from a marketing guy from EC so it was probably true ( with several chapters of legal disclaimers :O)

That is similar to what I once heard at Irish Helicopters, when they sold thier jet ranger they said the second bo105 could do charter the jet ranger previously did as it was not much more expensive to run?

G-NAAB
 

aye, that was a great project !

If any one wants to see the photo album, they are welcome

Another Bolkow cost debacle I remember was an 1800 hour check that began to overun in time due to structural repairs and lack of manpower.

To save time the chief eng decided to send the hydraulic pack to rotorwreck for inspection.

Back it came with a bill larger than the budget for the whole check. Two valves had to be replaced at £7500 each and these were second hand and half price!!!!!!!

Half a dozen control bolts cost over £1000. This is about 14 years ago.

The truth is I like the 105 it has made me a lot of money over the years, but they can remove money faster than your wife and daughters with an open unlimited check book.

Take a bow, chaps. I always felt safe. Many thanks.

G-BAMF
 

Spent three years flying MF on the Ninian contract until Chevron decided it was too expensive. I completed the final Ninian shuttles in 1992, bringing MF back to Aberdeen on April 2nd with Alan Ward, one of the two superb engineers I worked with, the other one being Davey Gow.
Great memories of those three years and the brilliant support from two of the best engineers around!:ok:

bondu :ok:

Bond's 105s from the mid 80's.......
 

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...05BondABZ1.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...105BondABZ.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ary/img212.jpg


http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ary/img209.jpg


The upper two shots are of a casevac arriving in ABZ, with 'traffic' lady Pat ?? attending, and the lower two of G-BEZJ on airtest out of Longside, with the one and only Paul Coyne.

old airframes
 

They were not all done by rotortech, they were done by a few good lads in a very cold hangar at Longside Airfirld , Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, The old frames are probably still there

G-BAMF
 

With regard to G-BAMF, or mike fox as she was normally called.

I was told from sources that I have no reason to disbelieve, that before she was put to rest, Mike Fox was the highest houred bolkow in the world. She was the first to reach 20,000 hrs. and was nearly at 23,000 before she retired.

I had the pleasure of flying her from 7th March '96 'til 16th May '05. On an almost continuous basis. I have taken her to ships north of the Magnus, all the way south to the Channel Islands, incuding most of the bits in between, including St Kilda, Scillies, Hebrides, Most of wales, etc. etc. The only place I didn't take her in the UK was to the south east of england, but I'm sure that she's been there!

I logged her 20,000th hour, and her 21st, and her 22nd. I would have loved to have done the 23rd, but alas it was not to be.

As has been previously noted, the longevity of these aircraft was definately down to the grand job of the resident engineers, including the previously mentioned Alan Ward and Davie Gow, both of whom I have had the pleasure of keeping me sane (ish)

Flying the Bolkow was certainly a privilege, I miss it so much, but not the radios or the heater :ok:

TR

I spent a very happy 750 hours flying North Scotish's 105 D Bolkows on the North Sea in the days when they were white. The chief engineer had them painted day glow red just before I left..... caused a lot of raised eyebrows! I was lucky enough to fly 2 that were brand new, before the links got sloppy, & they were incredibly smooth, no rattles, no dutch roll, no transition shake. They also felt very strong & rugged in turbulence, bumped around a lot but didn't feel as though they would fall apart like a 206 does in 80 knot winds. One also came to Oz & that one, mc?, still flew well.
A great machine.:ok:

Not totally retired yet. I think you'll find that the Great Western Air Ambulance, based at Filton, are exchanging their 135 for a BO105 in March as its cheaper to run.

NSH Bolkow to Oz
 

Nigel, you're almost right. G-BCDH (S.60) went to Australia in Jan. 87. She returned to UK in Mar 1992 where she was registered G-BTBD. In April 1992, back in Bond ownership, the aircraft was re-fuselaged and stretched and became G-DNLB, flying for the Northern Lighthouse Board. It was involved in an accident flying from Orkney in 2003 and was destroyed.

I can't believe it's ten years since we put G-NAAB (S.416), together at Longside. Great Fun!!!

Just as a wee correction, G-BDMC did go to Australia as well as DH, and on return, after a short spell as G-PASB, was used as the donor for the aircraft currently registered and flying as an air ambulance, G-NDAA.

Also, G-NAAA wasn't done by us at Longside, but was the re-registration of a Rotortech stretch, G-BUTN, the old Glasgow based ambulance.

Is it really 10 years since we did that! Sat with a pile of spares in a freezing cold hangar having butteries for breakfast with a touch of jam brought in by a nice fella living in Ellon:ok:

G-NDAA was re-reg'd from being G-WMAA in 2006. She is soon to be the above mentioned Filton AA Bolkow.....sporting some unusual colours apparently.

G-NAAB alive and well in Hampshire. G-NAAA alive and well in Wales.