Dear Editor,
Kaieteur News (July 20) stated that one of the helicopters exploded at Tacama and implied that a part was bad, including the turbine, and was replaced. Turbine damage is only possible due to human error. It would have occurred because the manufacturer’s specifications were not being followed and damage would have occurred after starting the engine when the manufacturer’s recommended temperatures were exceeded. The human element always controls the starting of any helicopter or aircraft.
Kaieteur News has also reported in the past that the Bell 206 helicopters were only for news gathering and tourism, etc, and bad for law enforcement operations. However, my research has revealed that the Bell 206 helicopter is the favourite and preferred helicopter for various law enforcement and military agencies around the world, including the USA.
The military version of the Bell 206 helicopter is called the OH58 helicopter and is still the choice of helicopter for the US military for aerial patrol, reconnaissance and training, etc.
I think the government should be commended for buying Bell 206 helicopters to support the multipurpose role of the army which includes training, patrols, etc. I wish the GDF success in their operations.
Yours faithfully,
H. Collins
Don’t try to pull wool over our eyes H Collins. What we congratulating the govment fuh? Buyin couple used derelict choppers dat bruk down within a month or two of going into operation? Yall read up some pon dese helicopters at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_206 Here are a few excerpts.
“Bell produced five prototype aircraft in 1962 to submit to the army for the test and evaluation phase. During the testing phase, the test pilots complained about the power problems of the aircraft, an issue that apparently knocked it out of the running, because when the winners were announced to progress on to the final selection phase, Bell’s YOH-4A wasn’t selected.[1] Afterwards, Bell attempted to market the model 206, but it didn’t fare well commercially…” “…Derived from the Model 206, the Bell 407 and OH-58D use a newer, 4-bladed, soft, in-plane rigid rotor system which offers improved performance while reducing vibration and noise. The Bell 417 was a follow-on to the 407, but its development was cancelled…”
Says here that the OH-58D was derived from the Model 206. Is the writer here insinuating that the OH-58D was the same as the 206? Can anyone say for sure whether the GDF have the 206 or the OH-58D?
We guh and buy two beat-up, has-been old clunkers and den gi some men fuh fly um who aint even properly trained and dem bannas promptly bruk one a dem up couple weeks after dey get um. Is not better we did buy one new one wid a proper warranty and then properly train some bannas fuh fly um?Incompetence! Incompetence! Incompetence! The hallmark of the Guyanese band-aid administration.
Am I expectin too much forethought planning and long-sightedness here? Yes? Well is mussie jus me den.
Optimistic and Pessimist: I will teach you a lesson or two today and send you an bill later (smile). The Bell 206 helicopter in civilian category is the one sought by governments and various law enforcement agencies. They are more expensive and continue to be manufactured today. The OH58 is for the US Army and is restricted category. They cannot be insured and can be bought as army surplus very cheaply. They have no resale value, lack stability, etc.
The Bell 206 helicopter was sold new in 1967 for $69,000 US and now sells new in 2008 for over $1.6 Million US and you have to wait over 1 year to get one. They have just increased the price for new and used ones, stopped making them…..all of this increasing the value of the used Bell 206 helicopters.
They were so successful with the Bell 206, they came out with the 4 blade derivative as the Bell 407 which is in high demand. Bell Helicopter is smart. They will stop the production of the Bell 206 in order to push the Bell 407 which is selling new for over $5 Million US and you must wait for 2 years or more for one.
Then if the military version of the Bell 206, the OH58 helicopter is still the choice of helicopter for the US military for aerial patrol, reconnaissance and training, etc., why the hell we didnt spend our money on that rather than some machine. Now they are quick to blame the man who start the engine. Schuuuups!!
Mercigar, the OH58 is military surplus, cannot be insured anyhwere in the world, is a restrictive category helicopter, has no resale value, can be bought anywhere as ex-military surplus and is unstable to fly like any typical military aircraft or helicopter. This places it in the restrictive category and not general category. Do you still want the govt to buy the OH58 and fly it over your house?
The Bell 206 is the choice of helicopters for all law enforcement agencies and governments in the world. I know for a fact: Brunei Army, Tanzania Army, Uganda Army, New York PD, Thailand Army, Missouri Police, Yugoslavia Police, Colombian Army, Florida State Law Enforcement, Pennsylvania State Police, Jacksonville Sheriff, City of Tuscon Police, Indonesia Air Force, US Dept. of Interior, Slovenia Police, US Customs, Texas State Police,, Montana Police Tennessee Police.
Why not our GDF? They operated two Bell 206 helicopters in the past.
Please don;t let the critics cloud your vision.
The bill will follow to you via email (smile).
You are welcome Mercigar.
I have confirmed that over 6,000 Bell 206 helicopters were built and most remain in service. Parts are support and very easy to get. Now they are building the Bell 407 – a Bell 206 with 4 blades on the same Bell 206 platform because the Bell 206 was such a success. The Guyana Govt made a great choice.
WOW!! i’m feeling better now knowing my money is put to better use.
GS, the helicopters are working fine, except the one human error. I am sure the pilots will grow and move on from it to become better pilots. We must support them. It could have happened to anyone.
BERKELEY, I am not certain why you state that it will not last. Give proof and evidence. Stop being a critic without the facts.
CARINA2192 I respect your comments and concur all helicopters are unstable. However, the 206/0H58 were used in Vietnam in the jungle areas. The OH58 and 206s are used in the jungles of Brazil, Thailand and so many other places.
As a matter of fact most of these countries and governments are buying the very same single engine version of the Bell 206 – the Bell 407 and flying them around the mountains of Guatamala, Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, El Salvador and numerous mountainous and rugged terrains around the world. All without any problems. I think the pilots in Guyana have been and continue to be “prima donnas” expecting special treatment. All of them have departed the wonderful shores of Guyana for better elsewhere…..after the govt has spent a ton of money paying for their education. No attack on you. Just a comment and observation.
The Bell 407 is much more expensive to own and operate my friend! Don’t even think about that option. And more than likely the choppers you are recommending have upgraded avionics and thermal imaging. That is the only way you can see throught the jungle canopy. That is some prettty expensive equipment. Of course we were told that the newly acquired 206 for the GDF would be fitted with such equipment. I hope so.
Many pilots who would have read your comment labelling them as “prima donnas” would be very upset. An aviation career is very expensive since it requires a lot of recurrent training and specialised training.In exchange for the cost of government sponsored training, pilots were required to sign 10 yr contracts.This was satisfied in the majority of cases.I personally flew for 20 yrs, well beyond the contract stipulation. But there comes a time when you have to make a decision on the future of your career. In Guyana a pilot can only go so far as the technology that is available there.Are we going to be limited to just flying Islanders, Skyvans, Y-12,206, 412. We want to move on to jetliners and modern choppers with glass cockpits and modern technology.Besides, we have to make room for the young upcoming wannabee pilots out there.We all do have to move on at some point in our aviation career. We all do love our country and always share stories of our mishaps, spills and the wonderful time we had serving our country.
the pilot error mentioned here is called “hot starting.”
Thanks man!!! LOOL
GTPROF, I have noted with great amusement your offer of teaching the uninformed a thing or two about helicopters. Have you ever flown a helicopter? If no, then I can understand your statements as having interpreted information you gathered on the internet. If yes, then you are misleading in stating that the OH-58 is more unstable than the Bell 206. ALL HELICOPTERS are inherintly unstable. Unless some form of stabilisation is installed, they are a piece of work to control.The OH-58 has much more stability since it has autopilots installed for the type of forward reconnaisance role that it was developed for.The Bell 206 does not have such stabilisation systems hence it is much more difficult to fly.
In terms of the Bell 206 use in those countries that you mentioned, I have no argument but to simply say that the helicopter was only used in urban developed cities in the crime fighting role.Georgetown is far from that with poor lighting for ground references. I flew the Bell 206 and 412 in Guyana for a number of years, so I have first hand knowledge of the terrain and environment. Flying at night over Georgetown on aerial reconnaisance was the most difficult bit of flying I had done in my 20 yrs of flying. Poor lighting on the ground, unlit structures and obstacles. When you leave the confines of the city, that is another story. It is strictly flying by instruments. Who is looking outside?
Flying by day is easier but let me quickly add, our jungle canopy is so thick that you can be hovering over a person on the ground and not see them.
To the young Pilot this will be a hard lesson but will make him more cautious in the future. We have all made mistakes as pilots and I am sure it will be a learning experience.The Allison 250C engine is not the easiest turbine engine to start, you have to be very keen during start up to quickly abort if the temp goes out of range.Unfortunately, it got away from him.
Oh like everything else, these helicopters will not last.
Oooooh this is just too UNBEARABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am happy to hear you have served your country well for 20 years. It’s admirable and commendable. I am impressed.
The reason I have called SOME pilots in Guyana “prima donnas” especially the heli guys are their need to fly twin engines, etc. Why can we have pilots willing to fly single engine aircraft and helicopters around the jungle and other don’t. I think,just like you are mentioning and being honest all pilots want to move up to fancy equipment. In Guyana, there are several who would like the govt to buy fancy helicopters for them to fly to realize the dream. However, they are not being practical. The resources are limited and the times are harder. It’s the reason all the other aviation assets have been depleted over the years. They should grateful and thankful that the govt decided to buy Bell 206 helicopters instead of some military surplus equipment or other restrictive category helicopters.
It’s only in places where persons acquire their licences with ease of funding from the government ……persons look for options and career changes. In other places of the world, where wanna be pilots secure various loans, several part time jobs, moonlighting as a flight instructor, etc. they remained dedicated for their love of flying and know the inherent risks of the career.
Our “prima donnas” decide what they want to fly, when they want to fly and how they must fly and then work on the govt to get it for them. I am saying this is wrong and where the problems come in. Do you think a US Army pilot can tell the govt that he doesn’t want to fly the equipment because it’s a single engine OH58 or other type, no way. However, our guys in Guyana want to do it and try it. All the old vintage equipment in the USA Army continue to fly today, C130 over 50 years old, OH58 over 50 years old, warthogs over 50 years old, etc. all continue in active duty with the pilots flying them without hesitation. It’s our guys who want to fly the newest and fanciest of stuff in the poorest place of the hemisphere. I say now way.
BTW, the 407s in the Americas are all operating as standard single engine helicopters with some upgraded avionics up course but no thermal imaging to see into the canopy at all. This in any case is irrelevant because we are talking about the same single engine over the jungle when you fly the Bell407.
I have watched the CRITICS in Guyana bang away at the world’s most successful helicopter in surveillance, patrol and recon with over 6,000 manufactured since 1967 to date….and the world’s safest helicopter to boot. Yes, it’s unbelieveable………the “THIRD WORLD CRITICS’ want to fix the 412 that is 28 years old after over $1 million US spent within the past few years and it’s still broken…and hardly flying ……so it can sit and wait for an emergency to respond with troops………how many times has the 412 responded with troops within the past 28 years………the THIRD WORLD CRITICS wanted new twin engine or new helicopters……..which twin engine helicopter can be bought for less than $4 million US??? Some even said buy one new Bell 206……..for almost $2 million US..and wait almost 2 years…….then fly all the new equipment uninsured with the pilots still finding their oats….learning to start the turbine, etc……BTW, these are the same helicopters that would be flying like the current Bell 206s now….4-5 hours per day…..@ $125 US per hour……..so who will fund the higher operational costs of the new twin engine helicopters or 28 years old troublesome 412…….@ almost $2,000 Us per hour????
I am not knocking the Bell 412 helicopter. I think it’s a fantastic piece of helicopter. However, the one in Guyana is a piece of junk. I hope it doesn’t fly near anyone connected to me or over their houses. It has been abused over the years and now the truth is evident….it’s always breaking down….I have seen videos of it at the bottom of Kaieteur Waterfalls, etc…….unbelieveable…….what a miltary mission!!!! The Bell 412 in Guyana is like owning a car after you are finished paying off the loan……..you don’t want to buy a new car because it will mean taking out another loan……so you keep on buying parts and repairing the old car…until……you realize one day you have spent more money keeping than if you had decided to purchase a new car. It might even cost you your job and expose you to hidden dangers because you break down on the highway, etc…The Bell 412 in Guyana is like that……I am wating to see how long more before it’s finally unaffordable……to keep and maintain………another engine, another transmission, another main rotor, another expensive item……only time will tell…….
I am glad you served your country for 20 years. I am proud of you. Well done!!