SAAF BK 117s Existence by Increment

By Clinton Barnard

The personnel at 15 Squadron C-Flight, that operate all the survivors of nine Kawasaki/MBB BK 117 light utility helicopters from Air Force Station (AFS) Port Elizabeth, might not readily admit it, but they are amongst the most insecure in the entire South African Air Force (SAAF) and who could blame them? Ever since the BK 117 first started wearing SAAF serial numbers in late 1994, with exception of the planned first few years, the type has come under multiple threats of permanent retirement from service and on at least one occasion came distressingly close to actual retirement, only to be saved from the figurative axe with literally days to spare! Since then, the BK's continued operation can best be described as ‘existence through increment'. "We exist from the present increment to the next (hopeful) increment," remarked one C-Flight member.

"Every new increment is a huge relief for us as we really love the ‘plane (the BK) and wouldn't mind a few more (BKs)," he added, making no attempt to hide his passion for the BK and showing exactly with what type his allegiance resides.

In the short term at least, it would seem that the BK's future is reasonably secure, given the official announcement earlier this year that funding for the type had been obtained for a further service increment of four years terminating in early 2016. Adding to any insecurities, however, is the reality that nothing in the military is ever really cast in stone and that unforeseen future occurrences, such as for example, unexpectedly high Class A or B attrition, could deal an unfavourable hand at some future point, thereby rendering this otherwise extremely affordable type uneconomical to operate and exposing it to the chilly winds of premature retirement. With only six presently airworthy airframes available and taking into consideration airframes that are temporarily out of service due to scheduled maintenance cycles, this does not leave much of an attrition or operational reserve. Any further reduction in available airframes would be sorely felt at the unit. One or two further attrition losses - an unlikely, but not impossible scenario - could thus prove detrimental to the continued service of the type, should no replacements be available or affordable (a more likely scenario given existing budget realities).

Be that as it may, should the SAAF BK reach the milestone year of 2016, then it will have been around for a commendable 22 years, thereby placing it on a par with such famous SAAF aircraft types as the Dassault-Breguet Mirage F1 and Atlas Cheetah. By comparison, the Aeritalia AM-3CM Bosbok, Piaggio P.166S Albatross and Boeing 707 only achieved 21 equivalent years of SAAF flying.

From the outset the BK 117s, inherited free of charge from the former Ciskei, Transkei and Venda Defence Force Air Wings and Bophuthatswana Air Force, were only ever intended to be a stopgap at 15 Squadron at Air Force Base (AFB) Durban. They were to bridge the retirement of the aged Sud Est Alouette III in 1995 with the receipt of the replacement AgustaWestland A109LUH Light Utility Helicopter.

However, severe delivery slippages extending into years and numerous groundings to overcome ‘teething troubles' associated with introducing the advanced A109 into SAAF service, saw the BK all too frequently filling the gaps where the A109 should have been were it not for its groundings. A combination of this and the BK's time tested reliability and affordability during challenging economic times, meant that the SAAF did not have sufficient confidence to finally retire the BK 117 until an acceptable minimum standard of capability and reliability could be achieved on the A109. 15 Squadron only took receipt of its seventh and final A109 on August 19, 2009, as the last unit to re-equip with this type.

The Air Force's failure to exercise its option on ten further A109s, which would have bolstered the original order of 30 examples up to a grand total of 40 airframes, would appear to demonstrate some degree of dissatisfaction with the A109's early incapabilities, although fiscal realities could also have had a hand in the decision. These additional examples would mostly have replaced the fleet of BKs whilst also allowing 22 Squadron at AFB Ysterplaat to obtain some in a landward application, thereby ending the BK's brief flirtation with 15 Squadron and leaving the A109 as the SAAF's primary light utility helicopter type serving four operational flying units, out of five dispersed locations throughout the country, plus one test facility at Air Force Base (AFB) Overberg.

The first truly significant threat to the BK's continued existence came in 2007 when it was officially announced that the dreaded day of retirement would occur the following year. When two BKs were prematurely retired to storage at AFB Bloemspruit on January 9, 2008 in anticipation of their eventual handover to the South African Police Service Air Wing, the personnel of C-Flight must have imagined that the writing was on the wall.

When the news came through on January 22, 2008 that the BKs existence would be extended by a further one year increment to early 2009, it was as though the type had been saved from the clawing clutches of the dragon at the last possible moment. Since preparations for the farewell function were too far gone for cancellation, the function was still held at The Willows, near Port Elizabeth, except now what would have been a sombre occasion became a reason for great celebration, not least by those intimately associated with this highly favoured daughter. Little time was wasted bringing the two prematurely retired examples back into service from storage during August 2008 and C-Flight's active fleet has proudly stood at six examples ever since, the attrition demons having thus far presumably found Port Elizabeth too windy for their liking!

Another little-publicised one year increment of service extension followed from early 2009, and obviously other increments have followed since.

Oblivious of all the commotion, BK 117A-3 serial 386, has been stored in heavily cannibalised condition at AFB Durban ever since having made its last flight there on September 22, 2003. She continues to dutifully serve as Hangar Queen, although long since robbed of all dignity. Although 386's present condition is best described as severely anorexic, should she be restocked with spares, she is potentially airworthy.

So what after 2016? Could a continued "existence by increment" describe the BK 117's long term future? I know of many who would wholeheartedly approve if this were to be the case. And so say all of us?

Source: Global Aviator