EUROCOPTER BK117 SERIES

Eurocopter BK117 Helicopters for Sale — German-Japanese Engineering Excellence

The Eurocopter BK117 is a remarkable product of international engineering cooperation — developed jointly by MBB of Germany and Kawasaki of Japan, combining the best of both aviation cultures into a helicopter that has proven itself over four decades in some of the most demanding operational environments in the world. The BK117's large, unobstructed cabin with clamshell rear loading doors, twin Lycoming LTS-101 (early variants) or Turbomeca Arriel (later variants) engines, and exceptional stability characteristics have made it one of the premier EMS helicopters in history — a role in which it continues to excel in updated EC145 and H145 form to this day.

Design Innovation — The Clamshell Doors

The BK117's most distinctive operational feature is its large rear clamshell door system. Unlike helicopters with side sliding doors where stretcher loading requires careful angling to fit through the opening, the BK117's clamshell rear doors open to reveal a wide, unobstructed cabin entrance that allows a full-size stretcher to be loaded straight in on a wheeled trolley. This feature alone makes the BK117 exceptionally valuable for EMS operators where rapid, ergonomic patient loading is a clinical requirement — and it explains why so many air ambulance operators worldwide chose the BK117 over competing types with more conventional door configurations.

BK117 Variants

• BK117 A-3 / A-4 — Original production variants with twin Lycoming LTS-101-750B-1 engines. Established the platform's reputation in EMS and utility roles.
• BK117 B-1 / B-2 — Updated Lycoming LTS-101-750C-1 engines with improved performance. The B-2 is the most commonly encountered BK117 on the pre-owned market.
• BK117 C-1 — Significant update with Turbomeca Arriel 1E2 engines, improved performance, and the transition toward the EC145 designation.
• EC145 / H145 — The modern evolution of the BK117 lineage, with extensively updated systems, Arriel 2E engines, and the Helionix glass cockpit suite. The current standard for medium EMS helicopters worldwide.

EMS Market Leadership

The BK117 and its EC145/H145 successors dominate the European EMS helicopter market. Germany's ADAC Luftrettung — the world's largest air ambulance operator — standardized on the EC135 and EC145 precisely because of the cabin volume, twin-engine safety margins, and all-weather capability these Eurocopter/Airbus types provide. The same operational logic drives EMS adoption of the BK117 family across North America, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Australia — markets where the combination of twin-engine safety, large cabin, and clamshell loading is recognized as best practice for helicopter EMS.

Find Your BK117 on Airplane Trade

Browse Eurocopter BK117 A, B, and C series helicopters for sale on Airplane Trade. EMS-configured examples with full medical equipment, law enforcement variants with sensor packages, and utility-configured BK117s from verified sellers worldwide. Connect directly with sellers who provide complete airworthiness records and operational history for each aircraft.