VH-AHV (2) Bell 206A Jet
Ranger
(c/n 219)
This Bell Jet
Ranger was first registered in October 1968. The above shot, via
Greg Banfield,
was
taken by Nelson Hopkins in April 1979 whilst the jet chopper was
operating a Gosford-
Sydney Commuter run, with a rather odd-sounding corporate name.
Following a
crash in July
1970 it was
restored as P2-AHV on the Papua/New Guinea register. It
was the repatriated
back to Australia in
1976 and upgraded to Model 206B standard, reverting to VH-AHV. It
went back
to PNG in 1977 (as P2-AHV) and then
returned to Australia in 1978 (as VH-AHV
again) for
new World Aviation Pty Ltd. Greg Banfield's own
photo (below)
was taken at
Mascot
in October 1985. In 1990 it was re-registered VH-EPQ for Desnor
Pty Ltd of Banks-
town. It is
still current and flies wearing a very gaudy color scheme.