50 years to this day BO105 flew for first time
 

50 years BO105 - Airbus Helicopters

cheers

Looks like the Aussies might have gotten a hold of D-HMBB at some point!


The "Bo" spent 40+ years flying the lighthouses off the Irish coast. It must have been a half-decent machine.


500 Fan.

Hmmm.... First time I remember seeing one was in the '70s. I had no idea it was as old as the Bell 206!

Also 50 years of the Gazelle.
105's made me a lot of money, fine piece of German engineering.
The Gazelle was the first helicopter I worked on 1975.

Oh, I feel old! I first flew the Bo-105 on my conversion course coming up to 44 years ago on 2 June 1973 with the late lamented Pete Peckowski at Shannon. Only did one year on the Irish Lights though. Flew the type elsewhere for 6 years and loved it!

HDSU was a demo in Oz in 1985 and Herr Blumel took me for a demo. To an old 2-blader like me, it was an eye-opening experience when he demonstrated pushovers over cliffs and hills.

The 105 wasn't much of an improvement in overall crew space over a 206, so we ended up buying a BK instead. And then crashing it in the sea. Rats.

Brilliant machine ! have a look in 'Bond 105s' PPRuNe

I think that someone on the design team hated pilots.
Had cause to fly from Strubby to North Denes out to a light vessel and back then return to Strubby all rotors running. I got out on the vessel and twice at Denes. By the time I got back to Strubby I was crippled by the appalling seats and could hardly walk.
Asked the captain (Dennis Anderson) how on earth he could just sit there for so long.
"Oh you just get used to it"

Probaby the oldest and highest time aircraft still flying S.45 G-BATC built in 1972 with 21,000 hours on the clock.

Photograph of Aircraft G-BATC

Not even had a stretched fuselage replacement and getting close to G-BAMF's 22000 hours.

The nation's first HEMS machine was G-AZTI and that was almost 30 years ago and she was OLD even then. First flew the beast on the Met Police contract back in 1980 but then spent a while offshore in the Fulmar.

G

A regular visitor to North Denes in the 70s, when operated by Management Aviation, often I seem to remember with Geoffrey Bond at the controls?

I finished the Auk/Fulmar contract in 1986 in a Dauphin and ended up flying with Geoff Bond on the Cornwall air ambulance in 89 in G-AZTI 😜
Good times....

Yesterday in Antarctica.......................

No floats?

Floats............?

I can't see the details in the photo, which country is using them in Antarctica?

I believe the max ext. load for the BO105LSA3SL is 1350 kgs. Practically, with 60% fuel at sea level ISA conditions will it lift that?

.




My first flight in a B105 was a C model DH-DJE at a conversion course at MBB factory at Ottobrun 16th Jan 1978.

First solo revenue flight was in G-AZTI, 28th Feb 1978. Longside-Aberdeen-Piper A-Aberdeen-Piper A-Claymore A-Longside. Flight time 7hrs 5 mins. My bum still hurts!

A few other registrations from the NSH / MAL days

G BDMC
G BCDH
G AZOR
G BCXO
G AZTI
G BEZJ
G BDYZ
HB XFD
G BAMF
G BAFD
D HDGC
G BGKJ
G BATC
G BGKP

Great machines to fly

105's are fun but really struggle in the heat, even the superlifter.

"My first flight in a B105 was a C model DH-DJE at a conversion course at MBB factory at Ottobrun 16th Jan 1978."

That's a coincidence Hugh - so was mine! Long time no see.

Hello Mike. How are you doing? I assume you are having to put up with retirement as well. It's terrible never having a day off now.

Who is going to keep the CAA on the straight and narrow if he retires (again) Hugh?!!

I've retired 3 times so far. They've started to ask for the presents back!

The Bundeswehr are selling them decommissioned at around 90k euros now.

A set of about 8 engines and blades went for around 54k.

Hi Hugh

You could add G-BGWP, G-AZOM (Bristow but crashed while on lease to Bond) and G-BGKJ to your list and I am sure there must be others.

As to struggling in the heat I remember a single engined height climb in Tanzania with 5H-MUM.
Geof Croot flying said after a few seconds into the climb "we have established a rate of decent"!!!!!

Yes, G-BGWP was formerly known as HB-XFD (S/No. 41)

There is also G-BTHV, one of the later Bo105s

Are the aircraft in Antarctica still on the South Georgia rat run?

No. Antarctic survey.

I flew one as a medevac ship in the Australian desert for a short time (it was a backup ship to a BK117), it felt like it was a flying asthmatic with both engines running.

Another quote from Geof though I am sure not original

"The second engine is to take you to the scene of the crash"

At 00:09 onwards, it looks like the rear passenger also has a cyclic? :confused:

500 Fan.

Yes, that is right. That was the Inflight Simulator ATTHeS of DLR. Was equipped with FBW and a mechanical Backup in the rear.

http://www.dlr.de/ft/Desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1388/1918_read-3390/

The helicopter was destroyed in a fatal crash 1995, when a wire antenne broke loose short after takeoff and disabled tailrotor control.

skadi

ACE (Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition)
 

The 105s currently aboard the Akademik Tryoshnikov, G-BATC,G-TVAM, G-WAAS are on lease to the Swiss Polar Institute from The South Georgia Heritage Trust.

That was usually G-BATC in Trinity House Colours at one time usually flown by Geoff Bond and crewed by Duke Guerin, others also did it of course but were relief for the dynamic duo.
It featured in a Blue Peter programme and when interviewed on camera the pilot was asked if it was dangerous, he replied not really and the bit was cut and he was told you can't say that, earlier the crew had asked for Blue Peter badges and were told that they were not handed out willy nilly, much amusement about this back at base.

The 105 you mention went down in the Wash whilst doing a Seal count, the machine landed on a Sand Bar, the Pilot was Michael Bond who I flew with many times.

I think you are getting two different accidents mixed up.
The 105 crashed into the sea offshore Skegness. Conoco VIP trip if I remember correctly.
It ended up hanging from the floats on one side with the other side torn off. Tail rotor driveshaft failure.
The aircraft that went down on the sand bar while carrying out the seal count in the Wash was Helicopter Hire's Alouette 2. John Crewdson the MD and the observers were all killed.
Main rotor detached.

https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/3-19...p-26-june-1983

G-AZOM was certainly the one that crashed in July 1984 off Skegness after the tail rotor drive failed. AAIB report G-AZOM . In my time with Irish in '73 it was registered EI-AWB.