SE-HPO

Information

This helicopter was constructed by Bell Helicopter Textron back in 1980. It was imported to the country by Ostermans Aero in 1981 and entered police service at once. The aircraft was the third helicopter of a batch of four Long Rangers employed by the national police between 1979 and 1982.

The enrolment of the Long Rangers was a result of an increasing amount of ambulance helicopter transports in the country. By the end of the 70s the police held a fleet of eight helicopters - three Bell 47s and five Bell 206 Jet Rangers. The machines lacked power and were too small for an effective HEMS activity. The four Long Rangers were acquired at the same time as the organization was provided with a brand new Jet Ranger (SE-HIM). The total addition of five helicopters retired five older machines.

SE-HPO was assigned to the Gothenburg base at Säve Airport and given the callsign POLIS 941.

The Long Rangers of the Swedish police were a part of a vanishing generation in the early stages of the 21st century. Seven Eurocopter EC 135s had been ordered and three Long Rangers were about to be sold together with two Police Jet Rangers. Unfortunately on February 7th 2002 two Jet Rangers were lost in a massive hangar fire together with the first EC 135 (SE-HPR). The machines remaining for the sale were the three Long Rangers: SE-HPM, SE-HPO and SE-HPP.

SE-HPO was sold to a private costumer in Uppsala, north of Stockholm. The helicopter was repainted at Ostermans Aero’s maintenance facility at Arlanda Airport and took off on June 13th 2003. As it came to Uppsala it replaced the private owner’s Jet Ranger (SE-HOZ).

SE-HPO was exported in late-2006. It was registered in USA and operated in the UK and Ireland.