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In the market for a helicopter or just want to know some of the ins and outs of the process? Stephen Boyce has been working in helicopter sales since 2011 and flying them since 1994. Helicopters are high cost purchases and almost always a case of buyer beware. Should you buy new or used? How do you determine what models hold their value? How does buying for private use differ from a commercial business case? Some of the things that Stephen talks about in this episode.
Stephen’s helicopter career has seen him collect commercial licenses under 5 different regulators, 18 different type ratings, 7500+ hrs, VFR, IFR, Multi-engine experience and time in the Arctic. You can see some more of Stephen’s background on his LinkedIn profile.
Growing up Stephen’s Dad was a fixed wing pilot and the family lived in PNG for a number of years with Stephen riding his bike on the local runway between flights.
One of the stories that Stephen talks about in this interview is how he came to land a job in the Arctic flying a Bell 214ST in support of US early warning radar bases pointed over the North pole towards Russia.
For most of the interview though we get into some depth on the different considerations and steps that go into buying a helicopter. This is a really good primer on the topic and includes discussion on foreign currency rates, different models, contracts, pre-purchase inspections, inclusions, finance gotcha’s for helicopters out of country, shipping and more.
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Have a comment or feedback about Episode 85? Maybe you have some great tips of your own that others can benefit from. Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.
Mick, this was a great episode amongst a multitude of great epsiodes. Only just got to it as am working my way through the back catalogue.
I’m planning on buying a Cabri G2 in the next few years here in the U.K. & this was all great info from Stephen. Quite a few things were brought up which I wouldn’t have thought of on my own (as a fairly low hours PPL(H) guy).
I’ve even emailed Stephen with a question.
I’d be keen to hear more from Stephen in another pod; you guys barely scratched the surface! Perhaps he could talk about the different ways manufacturers work the life of their products; I know about Robinson’s 2200hrs/12yrs concept & Cabri’s version of that – how do the rest do it?