Unique royal Alouette III helicopter, belonging to the Dutch historical heritage

History

This helicopter was built in 1965, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Defense and painted in a camouflage colour scheme. Since 1963, the Dutch Ministry of Defense purchased a total amount of 77 Alouette III helicopters, of which a series have been assembled at NV as well. At that time, the helicopters were stationed at Deelen Airbase at 299 and 300 Squadron, and at Soesterberg Airbase at 298 Squadron.

In 1995, the Dutch Ministry of Defence limited the number of helicopters that stayed in active service from 77 to only 4 helicopters. The remaining helicopters received main tasks such as VIP transport, taking photographs and film recordings for the Ministry of Defense, along with calibrating ground equipment. Until 2013, a substantial part of the flight hours have been used as part of training and selection of crew members for other helicopter types and general support of the Defense Helicopter Command.

As the “Royal Flight / VIP Flight”, these four aircraft remained a valuable transport option for the Dutch Royal Family, the ministers, and other dignitaries. It was due to this incredibly reliable reputation with the Queen that these four helicopters could stay as long as they did, along with the fact that there was no other type of helicopter coming from the KLu that could suffice as an alternative for these lighter transport tasks at low costs.

In 2004 and in 2005, the VIP aircraft with registration numbers A-247, A-275, A-292 and A-301 were upgraded to the SA316B standard. Compared to the initial edition (the SE3160), the SA316B has, among other things: an improved transmission, a modified “rotor head”, and a blue colour. These Alouette helicopters were still in service in the summer of 2014, after more than 50 years of operating for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. This could be seen by the labels “For Royal Flight Use Only” which are displayed in the cockpit, via the Dutch Royal Coat of Arms emblem on the front seats, and via the orange screen behind the left windshield, which served as a protective screen for skirted female passengers like Queen Beatrix herself.

On January 1, 2016, the last four Alouette helicopters of the Royal Netherlands Air Force officially retired after 51 years with a farewell ceremony on December 15^th, 2015 at Airbase Gilze-Rijen. Since then, the helicopters were stationed there. The Royal transport obligations are now partly filled by the (more costly) NH90 and Cougar helicopters.

What happened to the A-275

After the helicopters were phased out, the KLu wanted to sell the four helicopters, including the complete stock of parts and special tools, in one purchase. However, the enthusiasm for this was lacking, so it was decided to sell them individually. As a result, the A-247 and A-292 were first sold to the government of Malta. They have several helicopters in service that are used for government purposes. There was a continued hope for the A-275 and A-301 to be bought by a Dutch buyer in order to preserve the historical heritage.

HeliFlight BV was given the opportunity by the Klu to take over this A-275. This helicopter is technically in such a good condition, and even its appearance is what we call “showroom condition”, that it will be possible for this Alouette to become airworthy once again: it just requires a conversion from military to civil (civilian) registration.

HeliFlight examines the possibilities and will provide any new owner with all the information. The helicopter comes with a spare engine, all the special tools, many extra spare parts and the full supply of maintenance books. The complete description of this helicopter including all features can be found on ARMYSHARK, where this Alouette is offered for sale.

This A-275, including a full maintenance history by KLu and the above extras, is stationed in the hangar of HeliFlight BV in Stroe, and can be viewed by appointment. The A-301 is currently on display at the Alouette museum in Barneveld, just 10 kilometers from Stroe.

What makes this Alouette so special

This is the only technically flyable Alouette III, with full Dutch history, in original (showroom) condition! Equipped with the complete Dutch maintenance record which has been carried out with great care and without cost savings, as reflected in the current technical condition.

The brand name Aerospatiale stems from SUD-Aviation, and Aerospatiale later becomes Eurocopter. This was taken over by Airbus in 2017, so your actual purchase is a unique 7-seater (Air) bus! In Belgium, France and Switzerland, this type of Alouette helicopters are still being flown, which is very favourable in terms of maintenance and “currency type rating”. There is an incredible enthusiasm and extended knowledge of these helicopters available amongst former Air Force pilots and members, who may assist in the process of getting this aircraft airworthy once again.

Test it yourself

It is no coincidence that this special Aloutte III helicopter is offered at ARMYSHARK. We are the only platform in the world that performs outstanding on both desktops and mobile devices. ARMYSHARK does not only offer the option to search for certain types of vehicles, but also for items from specific periods in the past. Do you also want to appeal to the right target group for the sale of your army equipment? Rush to ARMYSHARK and start selling.