Oh Really!

[cap]

Splitpin -------- this one is for you and a chuckle with your Scotch........Single Malt I trust?.

 

Just a short number of months before the Shah of Iran was overthrown decades ago, his government signed an agreement with Bell Helicopters to purchase 400 of the newest thing that Bell Textron had to offer........the Bell 214B. Along with this very large purchase was a contractural agreement that Bell would also supply the pilot and maintenance instructors for their ab initio crews. So the instructors start arriving in-country and getting established. They quickly discovered that the highest education amongst any of the students was, at the very most, equal to a Grade 9 North American education. Now they had somewhat of a problem. So after long discussions they decided that the ones with the most education and demonstrated proficiencies would be sent to the Maintenance School and those from the bottom end of such tests would be sent to the Flight School. As the months wore on and none of the flight students had yet gone solo, a heated protest about same was passed-on to the American Ambassador in Tehran by the Iranian military High Command. The Ambassador ordered all of the Bell Textron contract instructors to Tehran for immediate discussions to sort-out why no solos were taking place. He was advised at the meeting that none of them had demonstrated any profieciency or ability to go solo and that was the reason why. He immediately ordered all of the instructors to let the students go solo ASAP.......or else!.......because the heat was now on. This order was carried out and the crashes and loss of lives mounted continuously. After a number of weeks went by, the Shah was overthrown, the new Iranian government refused to honour signed contracts American. At that point there had only been about 13 civilian 214B's made.

 

I thought you'd enjoy this true story that happens to demonstrate where you put your smartest people in aviation when you can't afford any screw-ups and time is of the essence . Added to that is the fact that all of the Bell Textron pilots who were hired by Bell under contract for all this training, were 'left holding the bag' on their owed, back-wages. This was because Iran had left Bell/Textron/the US government 'holding the bag' concerning said contract and the a/c acquisition. Also, at that point, all production of the 214B ceased.

[splitpin]

Splitpin -------- this one is for you and a chuckle with your Scotch........Single Malt I trust?.

 

Is there any other kind of Scotch other than Single Malt?? I've heard vague rumors of something Pilots drink called Blended Scotch, but I think it's just that, a rumor.

Your Iran story is true. I worked in West Africa with a few Yanks that were involved is it.

[old dog]

Splitpin -------- this one is for you and a chuckle with your Scotch........Single Malt I trust?.

 

Just a short number of months before the Shah of Iran was overthrown decades ago, his government signed an agreement with Bell Helicopters to purchase 400 of the newest thing that Bell Textron had to offer........the Bell 214B. Along with this very large purchase was a contractural agreement that Bell would also supply the pilot and maintenance instructors for their ab initio crews. So the instructors start arriving in-country and getting established. They quickly discovered that the highest education amongst any of the students was, at the very most, equal to a Grade 9 North American education. Now they had somewhat of a problem. So after long discussions they decided that the ones with the most education and demonstrated proficiencies would be sent to the Maintenance School and those from the bottom end of such tests would be sent to the Flight School. As the months wore on and none of the flight students had yet gone solo, a heated protest about same was passed-on to the American Ambassador in Tehran by the Iranian military High Command. The Ambassador ordered all of the Bell Textron contract instructors to Tehran for immediate discussions to sort-out why no solos were taking place. He was advised at the meeting that none of them had demonstrated any profieciency or ability to go solo and that was the reason why. He immediately ordered all of the instructors to let the students go solo ASAP.......or else!.......because the heat was now on. This order was carried out and the crashes and loss of lives mounted continuously. After a number of weeks went by, the Shah was overthrown, the new Iranian government refused to honour signed contracts American. At that point there had only been about 13 civilian 214B's made.

 

I thought you'd enjoy this true story that happens to demonstrate where you put your smartest people in aviation when you can't afford any screw-ups and time is of the essence . Added to that is the fact that all of the Bell Textron pilots who were hired by Bell under contract for all this training, were 'left holding the bag' on their owed, back-wages. This was because Iran had left Bell/Textron/the US government 'holding the bag' concerning said contract and the a/c acquisition. Also, at that point, all production of the 214B ceased.

 

Interesting story, but that's not quite how it really played out.

[Skids Up]

Interesting story, but that's not quite how it really played out.

 

So you just going to leave us all just hanging out there???

[splitpin]

Come on Old dog, clue us in.

[Murdoch]

Yeah, come on Old dog, clue us in.

I love the 214 story but I've never felt like I've heard all of it. Add what you can.

And thanks to Cap for providing more of it (more of it for me anyway).

 

Murdoch

 

[soup nazi]

I wouldnt mind hearing how it played out myself.

[DGP]

Story I got from a buddy of mine...he was at Bell in early to mid 70's training on 212 maint course..he gets asked if he wants to train on 214 and go to Iran...which he did...gets there and is flying out into the desert..said they came over this mountain range and he sees a big airstrip that looks like it was just layed out yesterday...hangars and the works...on both sides of the runway which he fiquired was 4000 feet long is nothing but brand new 214B's...gets in the bar that night and finds out that the job is fairly easy...start a one end of the runway..pick an aircraft...engineer and pilot do a preflight..start her up...not sure if they even did an actuall flight...shut it down and move on to the next one...and so on and so on...the revolt started up and everyone bailed out leaving all aircraft there...just one guys story of the 214's :shock:

[vortex]

Bell did deliver around 200 214A's to Iran and built 70 214B's for civilian use. I think there are 28 B models currently left flying around the world.

[marc]

The Iranians still hold propriatory rights to the 214 A/B.

 

The 214 was designed for the requirmens the sha layed out.

 

They have the capacity to basiaclly manufacture enough parts to build them new. No one knows how many are actually flying around Iran.

 

Now, support for the engine is a limiting factor.