I think I can claim to be the only professional helicopter salesperson who can say they’ve flown a 47G-3B-1 for a living... and it doesn’t feel that long ago! In the late ’90s, eking out a living in the Australian outback, my friends and I cut our teeth doing tourism and charter work in Bell 47s and KH1 variants. We didn’t know any better, but these days, I doubt the youngsters would be fearless enough to fly such an analogue aircraft. As the genus of the species “helicopter,” the Bell 47 comes with no engine governor, no trim system, no SCAS, and certainly no air conditioning—and you don’t really need them, since I can’t recall ever flying one with the doors on, even in the rain.
The Bell 47 builds the best helicopter pilots, with all your senses engaged and your brain and left hand constantly modulating the engine to keep rotor RPM in the green. Nothing, except perhaps a Brantly B2 (and who in their right mind would be seen in that?), will teach you more about flying helicopters and the intricate relationship between power available, RRPM, and airspeed than a Bell 47. You’ll learn to love the smell of AVGAS again, and later in life, a whiff of 100LL will bring back memories of trying to outrun trucks on the highway. A Bell 47 gives you more visibility than an F-16, and you can screw your neck around to inspect the stab bar and linkages while on the fly. The only negative is that your bald spot will remind you if you forget your hat in the truck.
Flying a Bell 47 is a joy—it’s engaging, raw, and feels like REAL flying. It will make you a superb pilot, able to transition into any other aircraft with a solid understanding of what really makes helicopters work.
Airframe
Total Time
10,125
Year Robinson Overhaul Completed
1968
Airframe Notes
Stripped and painted in 2006. The paint looks the same today as it did when it was done.
This monthly repayment estimate is provided by Overdrive Commercial Funding Pty Ltd (Australian Credit License: 389328) This estimate is based on a Chattel Mortgage, which is only available where the purchaser of the item intends to use the item for primarily commercial use. The term of this loan is based 60 months with 30% residual & subject to qualifying commercial assets and credit criteria. Fees and charges are not included in this estimate and may apply. If the item is a vehicle and is not listed with a drive away price, any repayment estimate does not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges. The term of this loan is 60 months. This estimate should be used for information purposes only and is not an offer of finance on particular terms. This repayment estimate is the estimated lowest repayment available from Overdrive Commercial Funding Pty Ltd’s panel of lenders and products for this specific item each day, and includes several assumptions about the item, purchaser, and loan specifics. All loans are subject to eligibility criteria and Overdrive Commercial Funding Pty Ltd loan approval process. A specific quote including details of all fees and charges, or loans for items with primarily or wholly personal use can be obtained via overdrivefunding.com.au or by calling 1800 954 124.
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