Why The 407 Is The Superior Aircraft

[T-rex]

Mag..."tag me,tag me!!!! I am in!!!!"

 

 

So, I just love these debates, nice to see some new players, nice to see some old ones!

 

You ask why 407's aren't towing Birds? Cause they can't!!! We had one of the first 407's in Canada but sold it later that year, it was a disaster! This was the Mark 1 version mind you. It had plenty o' problems. Towing a Bird with this A/C was dangerous and a joke! The ol Astar keeps on ticking and performs the job better than the rest!

 

My sources tell me there will be an aftermarket P&W in an Astar very soon! Yeah!

 

I still enjoy seeing the 407 around, nice airplane, but who likes to sit backwards, as far as I am concerned it's still a Longdog on steroids!

 

And once again, keep the 407 and B3 Astar in the same debate, these are the two models that go head to head. If we want a debate on the Astar D,B,B1,B2, and super D vs Longranger L,LR,L1,L3,and L4 bring it on! This would be a whole new bashing session for all the bored heli pilots and engineers right now.

 

PS - Going to be an extremely busy winter out there, Play safe everyone!

 

Anyhoo, nice to see and hear from ya all lately!

[snowedin]

not wanting to enter the debate 407 vs 350, but curious to know the difference in performance between L3 and L4...while i have not flown L4 i understand it is quite the jump...can anyone comment who has flown both??

[JBC]

There is no comparison, the L4 will perform exactly how a Longranger shud with much more noticeable lift compared to a L3. There's no more speed but load and go, "as per the W & B ", very reliable for those long bushcamp jobs, send her out and you won't see her for 100 hrs.

[Pitch Link]

Goodmorning,

 

Just got the news that a fairly large Heli Ski operator will be trading in the AStars for a strictly 407 fleet in the next year or two. Could this be a Bell comeback. The snowball has to start somewhere. I still love my Astar though.

 

Cheers

[bandaid]

Where ya been 407. I don't visit here as often as I used to. A lot of unfriendlies trolling about.

[407 Driver]

T-Rexs .....where did you get all your 407 Experience ? You've only been with xxxxxxx for a year or two, so you weren't around when they had that sad 407 that COULDN'T tow a bird? Was it the aircraft or the Pilot ???? For the life of me, I can't see why a 407 isn't capable of towing a Bird, it just ain't that tough of a job? Please explain why not?

 

I wonder why company's like Alpine, Niagra, NAS, or Tasman can run 407's relatively trouble free, and companies like Airborne and xxxxxxx couldn't ? Hmmmm?

 

Bandaid, I took 6 month off this forum so MAGGIE could pass me in total posts,

 

He's #1 :up: GO MAG GO

[407 Driver]

Pitch link, who may that Large Ski operator be?

The largest HeliSki operator in Canada, (CMH) already went that route, as the B2 couldn't deliver the required product. At $12,000 per seat per week for private skiing, that extra seat in a 407 equates to a 33% increase in weekly revenues. (2 guides, 4 paying seats Vs 3)

I'm guessing the Ski company is the second biggest, serviced by an Island based company near Vancouver?

 

I have heard that a 407 is going to ski near Nelson BC this winter, I haven't confirmed who, or for how long, but it must be either NAS, E&B or Tasman....unless the boys from Gimli are comming west ?. The only other one out here is Omega, but I can's see Beaker going somewhere cold

[Pitch Link]

Howdy 407,

 

From what I understand Last Frontier is looking pretty hard at 407's. The present operator has been sniffing around for machines. Should be no problems for that country. Highest drop off is only 9000ft. I wonder if TLH will go the same route. That means 5 machines in total. HHHmmmmm interesting.

[407 Driver]

The 350's (BA, B1, B2) are great Ski aircraft, no problems ....BUT .. the 407 can do it better, faster, with 1 more paying passenger and with more fuel.

 

T-Rex, I thought that you flew Last Frontier? Fuxley (lead guide) is in strong with his ex-CMH buddies, so he'd have got the scoop from them on the 407. Is Ralphie searching for another 407...since his last one was repo'd

[407 Driver]

How are you (EC) going to reslove those "weight" issues? is there a lighter grade of Plastic available to build the thing? :up:

 

What about performance? how does the thing handle altitude? got a flight manual handy? The Gazelle Fenstrom was ineffective at altitude, is this new age one any better? So many questions, so few answers