Jeff, you bring up some good points. I just sold my Astar 3B to a Lama operator. He didn't want the Astar, but the customers wanted a newer helicopter (helicopters are classed by oil and geotech companies by ten year blocks and they pay less). The Lama is what I would want if I could rationalize the fuel and maintenance costs. It is the 185 of light helicopters and flies nicely. The Jetrangers have so many options, high hot engine, big transmission, heavy mast, high skids and so on. If flown ones with more engine than transmission and ones the opposite. I almost got a Jetranger 1 for $80K, but it had too many calendar items due. The best deal I ever found was a Bell 47 in Uganda, two spare engines new in the can, three sets of blades and a roomful of spares, $5,000. One problem, license built by Westland, no import to the US, bummer. Bell protects its certificate tighter than any other manufacturer, with specific serial number blocks or even specific serial numbers ineligible for certification on the TC.
One shadow on 47's in general is a group of weasels back in the 80's bought a bunch of Bell maintenance trainers from the Army as scrap. These where complete 47's, but never intended to fly, so no testing or standards where applied to their manufacture. So the weasel group proceeded to find nearly destroyed 47's and build helicopters from the data plate with these trainers and the basis. Lots of sketchy birds out there, there was an AD about it and lots of FAA guys prodding 47's all over. It should hopefully have been weeded out by now but I hear about one now and again.
You are looking at maintaing the Hiller or late model 47's with a Lycoming H model engine. Not too bad if operated correctly. Seems to be very popular with loggers (moving pendants, not logs), fish spotters and spray operators. A bud of mine has an STC to convert the OH58 Kiowa to Restricted Category. Kind of kick ass Jetranger, longer boom, more pedal, bigger blades and the big engine with cool cable cutters, not too terribly expensive.
Still the equation is budget+mission+operating costs/ego. I actually sold an EC145 to a customer, who's only criteria was: could it land on his boat and would his mountain bikes fit in through the clamshell doors. So many issues when your that rich, oh, and we had to change the interior so his kids could sit on the seats wet.
