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1953 The German company, Flettner, which employed a certain Mr. Bölkow at the time, launched the development of a flight trainer: the BO102 Helitrainer. Eighteen aircraft were built, and this was the first helicopter in the world to be equipped with composite material blades. It was sold in six countries. |
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12 March 1955
Maiden flight of the Alouette II: the first mass-produced gas-turbine helicopter. In April 1956, the first aircraft rolled off the assembly line. This aircraft was used in the Alps for an evaluation campaign just 13 months after the prototype’s maiden flight. |
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3 July 1956
The test pilots, Jean Boulet and Henri Petit, performed the first helicopter rescue with an Alouette II at the Vallot refuge in the Mont Blanc massif, at a height of 4,362 meters. On 3 January 1957, the feat was repeated when two Alouette IIs rescued French Air Force crews and rescuers in the French Alps. This helicopter therefore paved the way for a new generation of helicopters capable of saving lives. Series production of the Alouette II was stopped in 1975. In all, more than 1,300 of the aircraft were built. |
