The 1965 has been an important year for the rotary wing in Switzerland. It saw in fact the birth of new helicopters’ companies like Eliticino (founded by Claudio Valsesia – see the history of  HB-XBY and Air Glaciers. This last was founded in Sion/Valais by Louis d’Allèves, Hermann Geiger and Bruno Bagnoud on August 1st. The original fleet included airplanes - like, for example, the Piper Super-Cub and the Pilatus PC-6 Porter - and two helicopters: a Bell 47J HB-XAU and an Agusta-Bell 47J3B-1 HB-XCA. Few days after the official start of the flight activities the helicopters’ fleet was reinforced with the arrival of a new machine due to meet a great success in Switzerland, the Alouette III.

Brief history and technical description
The French Alouette III is the successor of the Alouette II. The prototype F-ZWVQ made its first flight on February 1959 with the pilots Jean Boulet and Robert Malus. Larger and more powerful than his predecessor, it has a cabin which can accommodate six passengers (two in front beside the pilot and the other four on a foldable rear bench). The cabin is almost totally enclosed with large plexiglas panels. In this helicopter the excellent view in all directions is a characteristic very much appreciated especially by pilots. The access to the cabin is possible trough 4 doors, one opening forward and one sliding rearward on each side. The helicopter has a tricycle landing gear with optional skis for operations on snow, but it can be equipped with floats too.
The SA.3160 (the first version introduced on the market) is equipped with a turbine Turboméca Artouste IIIB with a nominal rated power of 870 ch (550 cv maximum continuous power) which turns a three blades main and tail rotor. Since the first flights the new helicopter showed excellent flight characteristics being very stable, fast and maneuverable. On high altitude operations the reserve of power was considerable, and the helicopter was able to land and take-off with its full load at over 2000 meters. To promote the new Alouette III, in June 1960 Boulet landed with 4 passengers and a payload of 150 kg on the Mont Blanc at an altitude of 4810 m. Even more spectacular were the flights made in the Himalayan chain in Autumn of the same year when the helicopter landed and took off on the “Dec Tibaa” at 6004 m with two pilots and 250 kg of payload. In Summer of the following year the first Alouette III was sold to a military customer. The civil certification followed on December 15, 1961 (the FAA certification was released on March 27, 1962).

The arrival of the Alouette III in Switzerland
In the early ‘60s the few helicopters flying in Switzerland were light piston powered machines, mostly of which were in service with Heliswiss based in Berne. Among the few other helicopters there was the Bell 47J HB-XAU of the famous Valaisan pilot Hermann Geiger, known for his spectacular air rescues in the Swiss Alps using light airplanes like the Piper PA-18 Super Cub.
The limitations of the ”Jay” model were quite evident, lack of power being the first. Things changed a bit with the arrival of the new turbo-charged Agusta-Bell 47J3B-1 HB-XBR in Autumn 1964 (and unfortunately destroyed the following Spring in Liddes/Valais). To Geiger and his work colleague Fernand Martignoni it was clear that the best answer to their needs was the new turbine powered helicopter. The SE.3160 was in fact more than a step forward if compared to the Bell 47J serie. The only obstacle between the new “work-horse” and the Valaisans pilots was at that point only its high purchase price! The problem was eventually overcome and on August 6, 1965 - few days after the official foundation of the Air Glaciers - Geiger landed in Sion with his brand new SE.3160 Alouette III which received the Swiss matriculation HB-XCB or more simply “Charlie-Bravo”.

Immediately after the first flights the new helicopter confirmed to be the right choice. Its remarkable power reserve was very appreciated, especially for rescue missions and transport of passengers and freight. Among the first “special missions” assigned to the Charlie-Bravo  were the air rescue of the Pilatus PC-6 Porter HB-FAP damaged on August 20, 1965 during a landing on the Wildhorn. Geiger transported the wreck in three flights (engine and propeller, wings and various pieces, and at last the fuselage). On August 31, 1965 after the tragedy occurred during the construction of the Mattmarksee dam - an artificial mountain lake in Valais close to the border with Italy - the helicopter was intensively used as air ambulance. In the tragedy, caused by the fall of an enormous mass of snow and ice, the shacks of the workers were overturned killing 88 of them, more than half of which were Italian immigrants.

The rebirth of the Phoenix
After several years the mechanics of Air Glaciers started to rebuild the helicopter. Like the Phoenix - the mythological bird able to rise from its ashes - the HB-XCB in 1987 took again to the air, this time with a new paint scheme, and no more as SE.3160 but as SA. 316B, a newer version with strengthened main and rear rotor transmission, higher take-off weight (2200 kg instead of 2100 kg) and payload. Today the helicopter is painted with its original colours, typical of the Air Glaciers fleet. From the above it clearly appears that between the Valaisan helicopter’s company and the Alouette III there is a special feeling, even if new models are now in service. That is probably the main reason why today we have the opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the HB-XCB the “St. Bernhard of the air” (the famous dog known worldwide as “the dog that rescues people” in the Swiss Alps), a nickname used frequently in the past to indicate the Alouette III.

Thank you Air Glacier and… Happy Birthday!

Heli-Archive Bazzani/July 2005
 

Data SE. 3160 Alouette III
The SE. 3160 Alouette III (which means Lark) is a light French multi-role turbine powered helicopter. Normal accommodation is for a pilot and 6 passengers. In civil SAR missions the helicopter is equipped with a single stretcher and a rescue hoist mounted in the port side of the cabin.