In the last few weeks Eurocopter UK has sold not one but two Eurocopter EC120s, both of which have been stored for over three years awaiting a purchaser.

Serial 1536 was yesterday registered to Eurocopter UK on the British register as G-CGYL, but arrived at their Oxford base in primer finish by May 2008.  The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority website indicates than an Export Certificate of Airworthiness is currently in progress for this aircraft.

Similarly, serial 1558 was registered to Eurocopter UK in July 2008 as G-CFFP, and industry sources tell HeliHub.com that it too was stored at Oxford still in its factory primer finish.  It was recently painted in a blue and white scheme, and was cancelled from the “G” register on 11th August as sold to Russia.

Eurocopter UK have also had an AS365N3 Dauphin registered, and unsold, since August 2008 – and a Hermes model EC135 which has appeared at the Helitech just past and the one before two years ago without being sold to a customer.

All these add up to a severely depressed helicopter market in UK and Eire – the two countries that Eurocopter UK serves.   [file photo]

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com