Twin-engine European Workhorse Ceases Production, Capping 47 Years of Service
The last of the Dauphin family of helicopters has left the factory, with more than 1,100 built since its introduction 40 years ago. Throughout its life, the type has racked up more than 7 million flight hours across 70 countries. The AS365 has been superseded by the Airbus H160, but will likely remain in service for decades more. The final Dauphin was delivered to the Spanish Customs Service, where it will join the 2 of its brethren in their duties: maritime patrol, tracking and intercepting smuggling watercraft, and seizing contraband. Spanish Customs Surveillance stands watch over the Strait of Gibraltar, the Alboran Sea, and Galicia, offering plentiful smugglers