LN-OAR

Information

This aircraft was imported to Austria from Germany in the mid-90's, wearing a pale yellow livery. The machine was involved in a crash and was exported to the Eurocopter factory for a total make-over. It was entirely rebuilt at the production line by Eurocopter in 1999 and almost every single part was replaced by a brand new one. The helicopter had a new construction number and was as good as new when it left the factory shortly before Christmas in 1999. It was purchased by the Austrian Mondsee-based operator Heli Austria GmbH and carried the registration OE-XXL. However it wouldn't take long until the helicopter was sold to Knaus Helicopter in St.Johann. The company mainly used the machine for aerial works, filming and air taxi.

In the summer of 2001 the Swedish Östersund-based company Jämtlands Flyg was searching for a more powerful helicopter to use in aerial works. The company is one of the most experienced ones in Sweden and operates in the harsh, but yet so beautiful, Swedish mountains. Jämtlands Flyg had recently sold an EC 120 (SE-JMZ) and currently operated four aircraft, two Schweizer 269s and two EC 120s. The owner of Jämtlands Flyg, the Grinde family, had good experiences of the Ecureuil helicopter from the time the family owned Jämtlands Aero, and was interested in purchasing such a machine. The Austrian OE-XXL was acquired and Jämtlands Flyg brought it to Sweden in the autumn of 2001.

Ghost Markings and genuine history
As the helicopter became a part of the company's fleet it was furnished with the traditional ghost marking on the nose. The symbol honours the founder of Jämtlands Aero, moreover the legendary father of Mrs Grinde, Mr Gunnar "Spökis" Andersson (a.k.a. "the Ghost Pilot"). He got his well-known nickname during World War II as he made several secret flights to Norway, picking up refugees with his military ambulance airplane. However, Sweden was neutral and unsurprisingly denied that such flights took place. Even the residents claimed they'd never seen the airplane. He founded the company Jämtlands Aero in 1954 and managed to make it one of the largest operators in Sweden. Unfortunately the Ghost Pilot lost his life in a tragic accident on 19 December 1974 when his Jet Ranger struck a power line in Ånge.
Gunnar Andersson's wife Dagmar took over the company and Jämtlands Aero was kept in its leading position, offering everything from flight school to taxi flights and fishing camps. However, the company was eventually purchased by Sterner Aero AB in the mid-80's and within a few years the organisation became Heliflyg AB, which was later purchased by the rival company Osterman Helicopter AB.
The Ghost Pilot's daughter Siw Grinde and her husband took the initiative to establish an own company in the area. The project took off during the end of the 80's and the new company was named Jämtlands Flyg AB. The company grew and is currently - once again - one of the leading operators in the region. This brings us back to the ghost markings. The symbol is attached to each helicopter in the fleet as a reminder of what you've just read, the company's genuine history throughout the centuries.

Back to the purchase of the AS 350B2
The helicopter was kept in its Austrian registration for a short while, but was given its Swedish registration, SE-JGZ, in November 2001. The new aircraft brought entirely new perspectives to Jämtlands Flyg's activities. The company, that was mainly aimed towards agricultural works, wildlife conservation and air taxi, could suddenly offer more advanced aerial works. A few years later the company got a pylon mounting certificate which made them rather unique in the middle of Sweden. Another quite odd business area opened for this helicopter in December 2002 as the company PolyTech equipped the machine with a Kelvin 350 II Gimbal infra-red camera. Several applications were adopted, as fire mapping and entirely new features in powerline inspections and wildlife inventories.

Throughout its career with Jämtlands Flyg, the helicopter was used for a wide range of missions. It was mainly based at the company's home base in downtown Östersund.

Jämtlands Flyg's retirement
In February 2019, Jämtlands Flyg announced that the company was to close down its operations in mid March the same year. The company declared that the controlled closure was due to decreasing profitability and stricter regulations.

The company had one AS350 (SE-JGZ), two EC120s (SE-JHZ & SE-JLZ), and two R44s (SE-JJZ & SE-JLM) when it closed its operations. The aircraft was subsequently offered for sale.