Sikorsky S-58 for Flying Bulls

The Flying Bulls division of the Red Bull company has added a Sikorsky S-58C to it's already impressive fleet of helicopters. The S-58 (c/n 58836) used to fly as D-HAUG, but is now registered as N869RB. It was caught on camera at Salzburg Airport by Lukas Hollnsteiner on 24 May 2023.

Although it has no German Army history it is still painted in Heeresflieger colours with code ‘PJ+366’. D-HAUG was given this colour scheme for filming purposes. The machine was delivered to Chicago Helicopter Airways as N869 and leased to Belgian Airline Sabena from June 1963.

It was used for helicopter services between major cities in Belgium Germany and the Netherlands. In November 1964 Sabena became owner of the helo which was then registered as OO-SHP.

But the company ran into financial problems and the helicopter services were suspended. The S-58 was then stored and finally sold as B15/OT-ZKP to the Belgian Air Force in 1969. The Belgian No.40 squadron at Koksijde used B15 for SAR duties. After the withdrawal of the type from Belgian services the machine was sold as D-HAUG.

With the latest registration it has received, N869RB, its new owner Flying Bulls does credit to the helicopters earliest identity N869 with additional RB, which, of course stands for Red Bull.

Until now, Flying Bulls had only one piston engine helicopter within its fleet: Bristol 171 Sycamore OE-XSY. The others are all jet engined version: Soloy converted Bell 47G OE-XDM, Airbus AS350B3+ OE-XTV, EC135 OE-XFB, Bell AH-1F N11XF, and three Bolkow Bo-105s: D-HSDM, HTDM and HUTM.

Photos of N869RB by Lukas Hollnsteiner, B15/OT-ZKP by Mat Herben and N869 comes from Peter de Jong archive via AirHistory.net