Helicopter engine lease and exchange — loaner units, bridge engines, AOG cover

Lease or exchange a turboshaft engine through ChopperSwap. Overhaul shops use exchange pools to keep customer aircraft flying; operators rent bridge engines during scheduled overhauls or AOG events. List your spare capacity or source what you need in one place.

Engine exchange is the unsung backbone of helicopter availability. When an M250 goes off-wing for a 3,500-hour overhaul, the operator does not want the airframe parked for eight weeks — they swap in a loaner unit from an exchange pool, fly normally, and re-fit their own engine when it returns from the shop. The same pattern applies to AOG hot-section events and unscheduled removals.

ChopperSwap's engine marketplace supports lease and exchange intent alongside outright sale. List a serviceable engine on an exchange basis (lessee returns an equivalent core), or post an engine on hourly lease for short-term bridge use. Buyer-side, search the lease/exchange feed or post a Wanted with "lease/exchange acceptable" flagged.

Steps

Decide lease, exchange or outright — Outright sale: clean handover. Exchange: lessee returns an equivalent core within 60–90 days. Hourly lease: short-term bridge, typically billed per flight hour plus a daily standing fee.
Match the rate to the variant — M250-C20/C30 exchange typically $40–$70/hr plus core return. Arriel 2B exchange $90–
Document tag, TSN/TSO, LLP life — Lessees need 8130-3 / EASA Form 1, hot-section status, LLP life remaining and last MRO. Upload to the document vault and release on verified-lessee request.
Set core return terms (exchange only) — Equivalent or better TBO position on the returned core, agreed within X days, with mutually-agreed adjustment for time/condition delta. Standard exchange contract is widely available.
Publish or post Wanted — List your spare engine with lease/exchange marked. Or, if you need to source, post an Engine Wanted with "lease/exchange acceptable" flagged — the request reaches exchange-pool operators directly.

Why ChopperSwap

Lease, exchange and sale on one listing

Mark your engine for any combination of intents. Demand-side responders self-select.

Direct exchange-pool access

Major engine MROs and exchange-pool operators are active on ChopperSwap, both listing inventory and responding to Wanted posts.

No broker mark-up

Lease, exchange and sale all go through the platform with no commission. Standard exchange contracts shared at request.

Document vault built-in

Tag, TSN/TSO, LLP life, last shop visit — exchanged through the secure vault, both parties retain audit trail.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between lease and exchange?

Lease: lessee pays per hour or per month and returns the same engine. Exchange: lessee gets the engine permanently and returns an equivalent core within an agreed window. Exchange is the dominant model for scheduled-overhaul cover.

How long is a typical bridge lease?

Scheduled-overhaul bridges run 6–10 weeks. AOG bridges may be days or weeks depending on shop turnaround on the operator's own engine.

Is the lessee responsible for hot-section damage during the lease?

Standard exchange contracts allocate routine wear to the lessee on a per-hour basis. FOD, over-temp and abnormal events are subject to inspection at return and adjustment per the exchange agreement.

Can I sell and offer exchange on the same engine listing?

Yes — mark the listing for both. Buyers see the asking price; exchange/lease responders see the per-hour rate and core-return terms.

Does ChopperSwap take a commission on exchanges?

No. Flat listing fee only, never a percentage on lease, exchange or sale.