SE-JGB

Information

This helicopter was constructed by McDonnell Douglas back in 1988 and was imported to Sweden by SAAB Helikopter AB the same year. It was intended to join the Swedish aircraft register as SE-HSM, but the aircraft was exported to Norway as LN-OCC instead.

The helicopter was purchased by a private company in February 1988, but it was leased to Helikoptertenste AS in Kinsarvik. The helicopter was later operated by Fjellfly and Nordlandsfly.

LN-OCC stayed in Norway for a dozen of years before it returned to Sweden in 2001, this time imported by BN Construction i Motala AB and registered SE-JGB. The aircraft was leased by the Finnish company Helitour for a while and was eventually sold to Stockholms Helikoptertjänst AB in early-2003.

The company had two Hughes 300s at that time, and the MD 500 soon proved to be an indispensable addition to the fleet. It was used in all kind of aerial works, including power line inspections, sling-load operations and filming. As the need for a more powerful sling-load lifter became evident, Stockholms Helikoptertjänst puruchased a Eurocopter Lama (SE-JNA) and thereby eased the workload for the busy MD 500.
SE-JNA had in fact worked in the same company as LN-OCC in Norway prior to being exported to Sweden.

SE-JGB was used for power line inspections, mast mounting operations and sling-load jobs until it was sold to the US in February 2017. The helicopter was replaced by the EC120 SE-JRY, which arrived in late March the same year.

SE-JGB left Stockholm in a container bound for the US in late February 2017. It was soon registered N312MD with Nevada Aircraft Corp in Henderson, Nevada.

From US to New Zealand
In November of 2017, N312MD, was exported from the United States to Cranswick Enterpises Ltd in Tolaga, New Zealand, and registered ZK-IOB.