Mystery of Soviet Helicopter operating in Brussels around 1967

[Michel Van]

This is mystery for me
During 1962 and 1967 the Zuidertoren - Tour Midi was build, the highes building in Belgium.
There photo show a Soviet Aeroflot helicopter that brings part of air-conditioned to roof of Tower around 1967.

how came that Soviet operated in Belgium and why ?

Source Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/rvp-onp/

 

[Justo Miranda]

This is mystery for me
During 1962 and 1967 the Zuidertoren - Tour Midi was build, the highes building in Belgium.
There photo show a Soviet Aeroflot helicopter that brings part of air-conditioned to roof of Tower around 1967.

how came that Soviet operated in Belgium and why ?

Cheap

 

[TomS]

Are you sure of the date? The other helicopter in the third image looks more modern than 1967. I can't quite place it, but maybe an Augusta A109 or Bell 222? That would place this in the 1970s at earliest. My hunch would be that this is actually late 1980s.

 

[CJGibson]

1) could lift the kit
2) cheap
3) propaganda coup
4) on its way to the Paris Salon.

Anyway, couldn't be 1967 as that's an Agusta 109 in the background, first flight 1971, I think.

Chris

 

[Dew]

I can't quite place it, but maybe an Augusta A109 or Bell 222?

Four blade prop - not a 222. Pretty sure that's a 109 - which means 1971 >

 

[TomS]

I can't quite place it, but maybe an Augusta A109 or Bell 222?

Four blade prop - not a 222. Pretty sure that's a 109 - which means 1971 >

Yeah, that's right. But realistically post-1976, which is when initial deliveries began to civil customers.

 

[TomS]

And of course the Aeroflot helo here is an Mi-10K, which itself didn't go into production until 1974.

 

[TomS]

Probably post-1989. The Belgian firm Skytech operated an Mi-10K on long-term lease from Aeroflot for commercial heavy lift services.

Skytech - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Edit: it looks like this example probably came to Skytech around 1992 and was eventually scrapped in Belgium sometimes after 1999.

Mi-10K (Harke B) :: Ruslet

ruslet.webnode.cz

 

[fortrena]

If one is to believe https://twitter.com/_hansdt and https://www.bruzz.be/samenleving/unieke-constructie-voor-vernieuwde-zuidertoren-2006-11-01, the photos were taken in 1992, possibly in February. That time period appears to be confirmed by https://www.planepictures.net/v3/show_en.php?id=505226 and https://www.planepictures.net/v3/show_en.php?id=493027

 

[TomS]

If one is to believe https://twitter.com/_hansdt and https://www.bruzz.be/samenleving/unieke_-constructie-voor-vernieuwde-zuidertoren-2006-11-01, the photos were taken in 1992, possibly in February. That time period appears to be confirmed by https://www.planepictures.net/v3/show_en.php?id=505226 and https://www.planepictures.net/v3/show_en.php?id=493027

Good detective work there.

 

[Michel Van]

Thanks for Info guys, i was off by 25 years...