BEA Helicopters

British Airways Helicopters was a British helicopter airline from 1964 to 1986.

From 1947 British European Airways had operated a Helicopter Experiment Unit and five helicopters were ordered from the United States (three Sikorsky S-51s and two Bell 47s).

The unit operated timetabled mail services in East Anglia during 1948 using their Sikorsky S-51s. A scheduled passenger service was operated during 1950 between Cardiff (Pengam Moors), Wrexham and Liverpool (Speke), also utilising the S-51s. These services were followed in 1954 by a passenger service between Southampton Eastleigh Airport, London Heathrow Airport and Northolt Airport using leased Bristol 171 helicopters. The 1955 passenger service was flown between Birmingham, Heathrow and London Gatwick Airport, again with the Bristol 171s.

A separate company was formed in 1964 as BEA Helicopters Limited and operated the first service between Penzance and the Scilly Islands on 1 May 1964 with a Sikorsky S-61. The airline later expanded into offshore oil support flights from July 1965. Operations from Aberdeen started in July 1967 and in 1971 from Sumburgh. With the change of name of the parent on 31 March 1974 the airline was renamed British Airways Helicopters. In 1981 the airline bought six Boeing Vertol BV-234 Chinooks for use on the offshore oil support flights.

The company was involved in setting up the Airlink high-frequency helicopter shuttle service between Gatwick and Heathrow airports in 1978. It was responsible for engineering and maintenance of the BAA-owned helicopter and for providing the flight crew. Cabin crew were from British Caledonian as was passenger handling at Gatwick. Heathrow handling was by British Airways.<BAH/BIH Employee>.

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