04459

Information

This specific aircraft was constructed back in 1965 and was officially delivered to the Swedish Air Force on 12 July 1965. This helicopter served with the Swedish Air Force as a rescue helicopter between 1965-1988, carrying tail number 99. It was initially based at F8 in Barkaby, Stockholm, but was later reassigned to F17 in Ronneby.

Retirement and afterlife
The fleet of Air Force Vertol 107s were gradually retired between 1988 to 1991, as the replacement helicopter (HKP 10 Super Puma) was being delivered from Aérospatiale and FFV Aerotech. The Air Force's HKP 4As gained a total flight time of nearly 62,000 hours.

Following the retirement, four helicopters (04453, 04455, 04458 and 04459) were transferred to the Swedish Navy in order to supply the newly established 13 Helicopter Division in Ronneby with a fleet of HKP 4s. The book "Marinhelikoptern" by Ingemar Norberg and Peter Liander (ISBM 91-630-6078-7) says that the helicopters were converted to navy HKP 4B standards between 1985-1986 and that they were accepted by the navy between January 1988 and December 1991. The four converted helicopters were initially designated HKP 4D (reg. 04073, 04074, 04075 and 04076).

Four other ex-Air Force helicopters were sold to the large American helicopter operator Columbia Helicopters Inc (CHI) in 1991. The deal included 04452, 04454, 04456 and 04457. The company used Chinooks and Vertol 107s for logging, firefighting and sling load operations in various parts of the world, including Canada, Alaska, Papua New Guinea and Peru.

This helicopter was transferred to the Swedish Navy as 04473 (Y-73).