Ecureuil ZK-IFI

The Aerospatiale AS 350 B2 ZK-IFI is c/n 1902 and has an interesting past life; and what better way to cover it than to nick what the NZ Aviation News Magazine said about it when it hit our register in July last year.

'ZK-IFI started as HB-XPH with Heli-Linth AG in Switzerland on 21-05-1986 with a change to Heli Bernina AG on 24-06-1987. 

Photo above from Bronu Siegfried. 1989.

Then in November 1990 it joined Oysterman’s in Sweden as SE-JAC followed by a move to Norway to become LN-OBD for Heli-Lift in May of 1991.

 I then suspect it went back to France for a rework as the French registration of F-GHYU appears to have been allocated but not actually take up. 

By 1992 it was back with Osterman Helikopters AB followed by Tundra Air. September 1994 saw it listed as LN-OTA₂ then in July 2000 it became F-GMAZ with Fin Air Trade and was converted over to a B2 model and on sold to become G-DOIT with Charles Blakey of Redhill from 10-10-2001. 

It transferred to FBS Ltd at Basingstoke from 10-10-2007 and was issued the dual UK military serial of ZK199 and coded as '99' for operation with the Defence Helicopter Flying School. 

This School was formed in April 1997 as a joint service helicopter training school under the Private Finance Initiative using civil contractors and a fleet of civil owned, military registered aircraft under contract to the MoD. 

Here it was designated as a Squirrel HT-3 being attached to 660 Army Aviation Squadron.

 Above as ZK199.

 This airframe was re-listed to FB Heliservices Ltd from 24-07-2012 who traded as Cobham Helicopters. 

Above as G-DOIT '99' with FBHeliservices and Defence Helicopter Flying School titles

It was withdrawn and placed in storage at Shawbury in December of 2015.

Removed from storage it obtained its export CofA on 10-02-2017 and was cancelled from the UK civil register on 25-03-2017.'

Here it was designated as a Squirrel HT-3 being attached to 660 Army Aviation Squadron.

Photographed above at Rangiora on Sunday awaiting a wash down.