Yesterday we recorded a Bell 429 arriving in Nigeria last Thursday for the Nigerian Police – but actually it was one of a pair arriving on the same shipment.  The second, in a striking orange and white scheme is for NEMA – the National Emergency Management Agency – and is in an EMS configuration.

Still lacking blades, boom and with plenty of packaging still in place, the dual-pilot IFR helicopter was photographed out in the open at Lagos Airport ahead of reassembly and test flying.  NEMA currently fly one Mil Mi-17V registered 5N-BGY.  A report into the Agency’s capabilities cited a requirement for six helicopters against the available one, so it has moved one stage nearer with the addition of the 429.  The Agency has also been noted using a loaned Bell 427 from Nigerian Customs, for example during the floods of October 2012.

The helicopter concerned is serial 57083, test flown with the FAA registration N465XB

Oddly, the purchase by NEMA was through local power company Sea Jewel Energy Ltd, to whom NEMA contracted in December 2011 to pay $9,594,603.17 with a stated delivery period of just eight months.  We are unsure why the aircraft has not appeared until 14 months after the contract signature, but these timing issues are not uncommon in the region!

The photo we show here is strictly copyright of Superspotter, and reproduced here with his permission.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com