N855BA

N855BA is a Sikorsky S-58T operated by HAIL HELICOPTER HOLDINGS UNIT 2 LLC. SkyMeter has tracked 4 flights totalling 8 hours of airtime via ADS-B. The Sikorsky S-58T has a maximum takeoff weight of 13,000 lb, medium wake category.

About the Sikorsky S-58T

The Sikorsky S-58T represents a successful second life for one of the most versatile helicopters of the Cold War era. Originally designed in the early 1950s as the piston-powered S-58 for the U.S. Navy's anti-submarine warfare mission, thousands were built for military and civilian operators worldwide under designations including H-34 Choctaw and CH-34 Seahorse. By the late 1960s, however, the original Wright R-1820 radial engine was showing its age—underpowered, maintenance-intensive, and increasingly obsolete compared to emerging turbine technology.

The S-58T conversion program, launched by California Helicopter International and later continued by others, replaced the thirsty piston engine with a modern Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-6 Twin-Pac turboshaft installation. The transformation was dramatic: the aircraft gained a 50-percent increase in useful load, significantly improved hot-and-high performance, reduced vibration, and far greater reliability. Maximum takeoff weight rose to 13,000 pounds, and the never-exceed speed remained a respectable 115 knots. The twin-turbine configuration also provided redundancy that the original single piston engine could not, making the S-58T particularly attractive for offshore oil support, logging, firefighting, and utility work in demanding environments.

Though production of new S-58 airframes ended in 1970, the turbine conversions extended the type's operational relevance well into the 21st century. A handful remain active in specialized roles where their combination of cabin volume, external lift capacity, and rugged simplicity still proves valuable. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.