ex US Army 76-22599

Photo by Manuel Delgado.

Euro-Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training

This Airbus EC225LP was delivered new to Era Helicopters in 2009 (as N247CF) and later flown by its Aeroleo subsidiary in Brazil on offshore oil and gas missions (as PR-VLL). After the EC225 fleet grounding in 2016 (following a crash in Norway) this EC225 was acquired by Air Center Helicopters for utility use. One of its missions was recovering the astronauts from the NASA SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission after the capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, FL on August 2, 2020. The EC225 was chartered by Airbus for Heli-Expo 2022 to fly guests from the Dallas CBD Vertiport.

Leading a formation of F-16 (91-0398) and F-35 (11-5038)

This former Era Helicopters Airbus EC 225 LP (N602JS) flew offshore and later in support of the US government in Afghanistan. Today, it's one of about a dozen EC 225s operated by Air Center Helicopters on US government and commercial contracts. At Heli-Expo 2022 it was displayed is fire fighting configuration with a belly tank and water bucket. Air Center is based at Spinks Airport, Burleson, TX. It's ex-F-WJXM, F-HUMB, F-WTAB and N602JS. Airbus chartered a second EC 225 to fly its Heli-Expo guests between the Dallas Vertiport and the Airbus Helicopters plant at Grande Prairie Airport.

The AS350BB is a version of the AS350 B2 ordered by the UK MoD in 1996 to equip the new Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) established at RAF Shawbury in 1997. Thirty-four were delivered and powered by a derated Arriel 1D1 turboshaft. Thirty surplus AS350BBs were exported to Canada, with 15 going to Panterra Helicopter Support in Beamsville, Ontario and 15 to Tempest Aviation Group in Kelowna, BC. The 350BB is not listed on the FAA or Transport Canada type certificate so most were reduced to spare parts. This ex-Panerra Squirrel HT.1 is ex-G-BXLE, ZJ276, G-BXLE and N61MC.