One can say that the Cabri G2 S/N 1013 has a beautiful life!

Bought in 2010 with its mate S/N 1011, in Sweden by Northen Helicopters, a flight school based in Jönköping (south of Stockholm), it was one of the first Cabri G2 to enter intensive service. The two helicopters logged an incredible 2200 hours each in 20 months. Then S/N 1013 was sold to Spain, after an engine and transmission overhaul.

Today the brave helicopter is on duty near Barcelona operated by Helipistas, on its 5th engine. Recently, it passed 10,000 flight hours during a routine training flight. As Raphael Yver, Head of Guimbal Support, is proud to point « the S/N 1013 has been flying this long, and still is, with its initial Blades, Rotors, Structure, Flight Controls, etc., all main components, except for the engine and transmission that were overhauled.

Bruno Guimbal, President and Chief engineer, is pleased to remember: When I started with Aerospatiale (now Airbus Helicopters) in the late eighties, the fatigue life was so-called « infinite » by the Certification Authorities when above 10,000 flight hours. According to our boss the late René Mouille, Aerospatiale historical Chief Engineer, it was because no one had ever seen a 10,000-hour fatigue component.

The rule was changed in the nineties to 20,000 flight hours, and it speaks for all the advances in helicopter design and safety. The Cabri was certified with all parts above 20.000 flight hours ».

The Cabri G2 fleet has logged a total in excess of 450 000 flight hours on 340 helicopters in about 40 countries and 70 have passed the engine 2200 hours TBO milestone so far.