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Irish Helicopters Sikorsky S61N EI-BHO at Shannon Airport on 19th July 1980

EI-EIO was a Piper Seneca based at MacDonalds Farm (aka Weston) ;). Weston was where Brendan O'Mahony stabled his 206 until he moved to Courtdown Stud and built the hangar which would house his Agusta 109A EI-BUX.

Wow, maybe it was just an urban legend and I was "seeing" things! Must have been the beer (after flying)

500 fan, what was that SA330J Puma leased for by Irish Helicopters in the 70's? Do you remember? Was it for oil rig work?

Brendan White
 

Howya, Brendan is working with Gulf Helicopters, currently in Yemen. I have his email if ya want. pm me

Bolkow, the Puma was apparently employed briefly for work in The Celtic Sea.

I believe one or both of IHL's S-61Ns came from Okanagan and may originally have been leased from that company before being purchased.

Greenland Air S-61N OY-HAO also operated in Ireland for a while but I don't know if this was leased by IHL or was used by some other company.

500 Fan.

EI-BLY came from Okanagan (VH-IMQ) , not sure about BHO . But I got something telling me she was a new machine when IHL got her ?

Greenlandair was leased in by IHL for oil exploration support off Shannon . I think for the Gobin Spur iirc .

Brendan White
 

Great , check your PM ..... thanks .

Cant remember if it was BLY or BHO but I was definitely told one of them came brand new and was the last off the S61N production line?

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Irish Helicopters MBB Bo105DB at Cork on 23rd August 1981 (Photo: Derek Heley)

A few weeks before this photo was taken the Colonel and I came into IHL's Cork base with EI-BFK. I'm fairly certain BLD (and about three other ships) were present.

Being in the area we had dropped-in to do a comp wash and which IHL's ground crew willingly performed!

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Pictures taken of Irish Helicopters 105's operating out of EICK.

I believe BLD is now up for sale. TTAF: 15,741 Hours.

LMAO ..... thats Mick Connelly in that pic . He looks old there . I guess I havent seen him since 1994 .

The big handle bar tache looks mad , with that flat cap .

I guess were lookin old now !!!

Then it woulda been BHO was the last one .

I am surprised airframe hours are that low, I know she was over the 15000 mark back in 2008 but thought that she would have continued to turn over 600 plus a year for the three years up to now? I guess the new EC 135 must be doing all of the hours she previously did.
Any idea how much they want for her £200.000?
I also wonder what machine will be back up for the lights job to the EC135 if BLD is going? I thought it was a requirement one was available for the 135s downtimes.

Last time I saw Mick he was complaining he could no longer read the GPS, and was commenting it should have a much larger screen. Got to admit it is a bit small though.

Dave Whyte (Chief Pilot) and myself ferried VH IMQ from Australia to Shannon arriving 16 March 1981. It was an Okanagan Australia Pty Ltd machine which flew on sub contract to IHL for some 9 months out of Shannon and Cork. (I stayed for the duration. A wonderful time) This 61 was re-registered CGPOH in May that year. At the end of the contract we flew it up to Aberdeen and put it in storage in the British Caledonian Helicopters hangar. I later heard that it was sold to IHL. I remember Fergus O'Connor. He was the Lead Pilot on IHL's 61 in Shannon. We (wife and family) had a very memorable new year's with Fergus and his family a couple of years later when we holidayed back in Ireland. I heard that Fergus went up to Dublin with the Irish Civil Aviation Authority but would now be long retired. Ireland was one of the best contracts I have been on. Heady , happy , funny days made more so by our Irish colleagues in IHL.

Peter,

For what its worth, Fergus did my Irish validation on the 365N at Cork in 1996 during which we had many a lantern to swing regarding our similar experiences on the Bolkow (him Irish lights, me Trinity house UK)

Must be retired by now as his son has taken over the reigns of chopper pilot.

The best cold water posting I ever had bar none.... let it rain :ok:

Any news on EI-LIT or is it possibly going to be retained as the back up for the lights contract EC135T.2+ ILS?

What about the time Ronald Regan visited Ireland ..... IHL had all sorts leased in , for transporting journalists . Any pics of them ?

I believe there was even Chinooks leased in , but I didnt see them .

This thread has been excellant so far . Since it opened , Ive made contact with 2 of the mechanics who I worked under in Cork Airport ..... keep it coming boys !!!

@ Peter
 

I was too young to have worked for IHL at that time ..... but I remember hearing some wild stories about you boys ?

Was there one of your mechanics who had a Renault 4 up in Shannon ..... there was a lot of beer consumed on that contract as I understand it !!!

While at work in Cork , one evening I met this stunning little English birdy who I managed to bed , but when I got there , I got all unwell and she ended up comforting me all bloody night :zzz: ..... Oh , it will be ok sweetie !!!

Jumped over the back wall the following morning , into Captain Connelly's garden (where I was staying) ..... had to get ta work ya see . Got to work and skidded across the hangar floor in a pool of oil and flaked me face on a 212 tail boom ..... not a good day at all !!!

Not at all: we were all perfectly behaved, and never touched a drop of potcheen :p