Budgie the Little Helicopter
Encyclopedia
Budgie the Little Helicopter is a series of children's books and animated television series relating to a fictional character 'Budgie' and his friends. The characters were based on the books by Sarah, Duchess of York
(then The Duchess of York), who was influenced by her flight training in the Royal Navy
. The show was produced by Fred Wolf Films Dublin
for HTV
and Sleepy Kids Company and originally aired on British television in 1994 on CITV
, then, was aired later on in the United States of America on Fox Kids
. The TV Show ran for 39 episodes, and a range of videos, books, and toys were released under the 'Budgie' label. Budgie the Little Helicopter merchandise is now quite rare.
On release of the first book, the Duchess was forced to deny she'd copied the idea for the series from the earlier Hector the Helicopter book by A.W. Baldwin.
The voice of Budgie was originally performed by Richard C. Pearce.
Pippa, the new arrival, comes to Harefield.
Harefield fete soon comes to Harefield.
Budgie has to rescue a pregnant women in a snowstorm.
Pippa sends more fuel to Budgie.
Budgie is collecting lobster
s, when he hears some yelling out in the ocean.
Budgie is leading the Harefield Fly-past and has to battle a couple of crooks.
Budgie is delivering space parts to a navy ship and has to spend the night on an aircraft carrier
.
The river overflows flooding the airport and Budgie has to save a trapped cow.
Ben and Lucy get stolen by crooks and Budgie has to rescue them.
Budgie rescues a couple that are stuck on a broken ferris wheel
at the seaside.
All the Harefield planes are hired to lead an expedition to the Arctic Circle
.
In the arctic circle, Pippa is trapped on an iceflow and Mike and Ken get chased by a polar bear
.
Farmer Hayes falls in and is unable to do his daily chores, so the aircraft decide to join in.
While a new airport is getting built, Budgie decides to stick to it.
Pasty makes a visit to Harefield.
While Lionel is on a job, Budgie hears that alien
s are invading them.
Chuck brings in loads of nuts from Brazil.
Budgie gets trapped in the sea when he runs out of fuel.
Wally comes to Harefield.
A balloon festival is taking place near Harefield, but the balloon starts rising with the twins in it putting them in danger. Budgie tries to rescue them before the balloon gets away.
Heavy pipes fall on the heliwash, damaging it, while Mrs. Kitchen is baking a cake for Ken.
Wally recounts his time of saving a man from a shark.
Harefield is about to be closed to be replaced by a factory. Budgie immediately gets into action to prevent it from happening.
Budgie and the other aircraft travel across to France.
On the way back from France, the aircraft have to drop a delivery off in Holland, but Budgie experiences a problem when he accidentally mistakes a windmill
for a helicopter.
The new Harefield is opened and Budgie aids as the Minister for Airports.
Budgie tries to break the sound barrier
.
Chuck is towing a couple of kites through the air and he crashlands into a pond.
Budgie and Chuck discover that Pippa got replaced by a Double.
Budgie tasks as becoming a traffic helicopter for the day, but more trouble ensues in the process.
Buddy has to put Budgie in charge for a day, which leads to a disaster.
Budgie discovers that the water has disappeared.
Budgie has to search for Ben and Lucy's lost model airplane.
Jasper has been constantly lying, so no one believes that he is in trouble. Budgie then comes to his aid.
Jake is pulling the Royal Carriage and suddenly goes out of control on the track. Budgie goes out to stop him.
Lionel damages his main rotors, when he tries to avoid Ben and Lucy's rabbits. Budgie sets out to find a new replacement before the twins find the rabbits.
The air museum has opened at Harefield and Budgie has to complete all his tasks on it.
The aircraft set out to rescue some skiers stranded on a snowy mountain.
Chuck is punished by picking up all the rotten vegetables. Budgie is delivering pieces for a new bridge, but he soon spots two people trying to catch a dolphin
.
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
(then The Duchess of York), who was influenced by her flight training in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The show was produced by Fred Wolf Films Dublin
Fred Wolf Films Dublin
Fred Wolf Films Dublin is an animation studio in Dublin, Ireland founded by Fred Wolf, and Jimmy Murakami . It was originally founded as MW . The studio produced The Point, the first U.S. animated special to air in prime time...
for HTV
HTV
HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
and Sleepy Kids Company and originally aired on British television in 1994 on CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
, then, was aired later on in the United States of America on Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
. The TV Show ran for 39 episodes, and a range of videos, books, and toys were released under the 'Budgie' label. Budgie the Little Helicopter merchandise is now quite rare.
On release of the first book, the Duchess was forced to deny she'd copied the idea for the series from the earlier Hector the Helicopter book by A.W. Baldwin.
The voice of Budgie was originally performed by Richard C. Pearce.
Characters
Aircraft characters
- Budgie the Blue HelicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
— Budgie is a small blue helicopter (that seems to resemble a Bell 206Bell 206The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
) with a big yellow cap covering his entire airframeAirframeThe airframe of an aircraft is its mechanical structure. It is typically considered to include fuselage, wings and undercarriage and exclude the propulsion system...
. He lives and works at Harefield Airfield, and is best friends with Pippa. He can be cheeky and troublesome, but he works hard too, and continuously tries to please Lionel. He will also bravely come to the assistance of people in danger. He hates going through the heli-wash, and avoids doing so whenever he can. A white teddy bear named Snowy can almost always be seen carried in a pocket on Budgie's starboard side (although in "Budgie Takes a Catch", this was changed to two lollipops instead). - Pippa the Green Plane — Pippa (inspired by a piper warrior aircraft) is a small green single-engined monoplaneMonoplaneA monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
with a tuft of yellow hair and a big pink bow. She was the second aircraft to arrive to HarefieldHarefieldHarefield is a village in the London Borough of Hillingdon in northwest London, England. It is situated on top of a hill, northwest of Charing Cross, near the Greater London boundary with Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the north...
Airfield, and at first, teased Budgie and called him a yo-yo. After a race and several comparisons about who was the best, they both became firm friends. She enjoys helping out, and also loves using the heli-wash (as opposed to Budgie). - Chuck the Big American Helicopter (was stated in the second TV episode as being a Boeing CH-47 Chinook) - Chuck is a twin-rotored helicopter. He comes from America and of course doesn't understand the British language well. He sometimes gets cocky and likes to show off, but this led him to trouble when he disrupted an air show and finished up in a pond. He also has a bad habit of calling Lionel "Captain".
- Lionel - Lionel is the Brown senior helicopter in the series (Influenced by a Westland LynxWestland LynxThe Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
). He does not take kindly to Budgie, Pippa, or especially Chuck causing trouble and making themselves nuisances, but he keeps things in order with his patient but firm ways. - Patsy the American Stunt Plane (was stated by Lionel as being a Pitt's Special).
- Wally the old Supermarine WalrusSupermarine WalrusThe Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
- Jean Claude the pompous French ConcordeConcordeAérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
. - Jasper Jeer-jet. Jasper was a joker to start off and kept on radioing Harefield Airfield pretending there was an emergency but when he really did need help in a storm it was Budgie decision to come to his rescue and since then Jasper has realised it's not a good idea to play the fool all the time
- Henley the three winged propeller driven 1930's airliner
- Olivia The Small Plane
- Dougie The Police Helicopter (Only in Eye in The Sky)
- Jade The Emerald Helicopter (Only in Eye in The Sky)
- Unnamed Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
Jet Plane in the plane that cried wolf - The naughty piper plane, Pippa's "double" (Only in Double Trouble)
- Aircraft Carrier Helicopter
- Wally Jr The Supermarine WalrusSupermarine WalrusThe Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
(Only in Deep Sleep) - Gloria The Glider
- Mini Planes (Only Appeared in Deep Sleep)
- Three Other Gliders
- Gus the guppy ( based on an Aero Spacelines Super GuppyAero Spacelines Super Guppy|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Taylor, Michael J.H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8-External links:* * *...
) is a huge American transport aircraftCargo aircraftA cargo aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. They are usually devoid of passenger amenities, and generally feature one or more large doors for the loading and unloading of cargo...
. - Harvey the gray royal navyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
BAE Sea HarrierBAE Sea HarrierThe British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
jet fighter. Harvey appeared in "All at Sea" and "Boats, Boots and Budgie" and his name was revealed in "blown up let down". He speaks with a traditional royal naval pilot voice . - Harvey's 2 BAE Sea HarrierBAE Sea HarrierThe British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
Brothers. - Arthur the old airshipAirshipAn airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
- Buddy the Sikorsky Skycrane
- Genevieve – a French female Jodel D11Jodel D11-See also:-References:* Yalor, Michael Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions: London. p. 27* http://www.jodel.com/index.asp?p=d11&themodels -External links:*...
aircraft ("The Air Show" and "Budgie Barges In")
Non-air characters
- Dell the yellow Baggage cartBaggage cartBaggage carts, luggage carts or trolleys are small vehicles pushed by travelers to carry individual luggage, mostly suitcases. There are two major sizes: One for big luggage and one for small luggage...
Towing Truck - Smokey the airfield fire engine
- Don the blue stairs lorry
- Amelia the Ambulance
- Ernest the tractor
- Julie the posh purple vintage carVintage carA vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930 known as the "Vintage era". There is little debate about the start date of the vintage period—the end of World War I is a nicely defined marker there—but the end date is a matter of a little...
- Nosey the driller
- Backhoe the Backhoe LoaderBackhoe loaderA backhoe loader, also called a loader backhoe, digger, or colloquially shortened to backhoe, is a heavy equipment vehicle that consists of a tractor fitted with a shovel/bucket on the front and a small backhoe on the back...
- Sonia The LimousineLimousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
- Clark the Tow Truck
- Jake the Steam Train
- Fred the Canal Barge
- Harry The Inflatable Boat (Only Appeared in Blown Up Let Down)
- Gimbus The Cement Mixer (Only Appreard In Budgie Sticks To It)
- Cubey the Stuck Up ROV Submarine (only appeared in the last episode)
- Sharkey The Boat (Only Appeared in The Book Budgie Goes To The Sea)
Human characters
- Mrs Nancy Kitchen
- Ben Kitchen
- Lucy Kitchen
- Mike Sprocket the MechanicMechanicA mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
- Ken Wrench the MechanicMechanicA mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
- The control towerControl towerA control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
operator
Season 1 (1994)
- Pippa Arrives
Pippa, the new arrival, comes to Harefield.
- Chuck Comes Unstuck
Harefield fete soon comes to Harefield.
- Budgie's Blizzard
Budgie has to rescue a pregnant women in a snowstorm.
- Ice Work, Budgie
Pippa sends more fuel to Budgie.
- Budgie Takes a Catch
Budgie is collecting lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
s, when he hears some yelling out in the ocean.
- The Air Show
Budgie is leading the Harefield Fly-past and has to battle a couple of crooks.
- All At Sea
Budgie is delivering space parts to a navy ship and has to spend the night on an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
.
- Boats, Boots and Budgie
The river overflows flooding the airport and Budgie has to save a trapped cow.
- Copters and Robbers
Ben and Lucy get stolen by crooks and Budgie has to rescue them.
- Daydreams and Candy Floss
Budgie rescues a couple that are stuck on a broken ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
at the seaside.
- Flying in Arctic Circles
All the Harefield planes are hired to lead an expedition to the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
.
- What's Bruin?
In the arctic circle, Pippa is trapped on an iceflow and Mike and Ken get chased by a polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
.
- Down on the Farm
Farmer Hayes falls in and is unable to do his daily chores, so the aircraft decide to join in.
Season 2 (1995)
- Budgie Sticks To It
While a new airport is getting built, Budgie decides to stick to it.
- Skids, Stunts and Soap
Pasty makes a visit to Harefield.
- Aliens Have Landed
While Lionel is on a job, Budgie hears that alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
s are invading them.
- Who's A Clever Budgie?
Chuck brings in loads of nuts from Brazil.
- Blown Up Let Down
Budgie gets trapped in the sea when he runs out of fuel.
- Wally Waddles In
Wally comes to Harefield.
- The Balloon Goes Up
A balloon festival is taking place near Harefield, but the balloon starts rising with the twins in it putting them in danger. Budgie tries to rescue them before the balloon gets away.
- Surprise, Surprise
Heavy pipes fall on the heliwash, damaging it, while Mrs. Kitchen is baking a cake for Ken.
- Deep Sleep
Wally recounts his time of saving a man from a shark.
- Bad News, Good News
Harefield is about to be closed to be replaced by a factory. Budgie immediately gets into action to prevent it from happening.
- Budgie Barges In
Budgie and the other aircraft travel across to France.
- Dutch Courage
On the way back from France, the aircraft have to drop a delivery off in Holland, but Budgie experiences a problem when he accidentally mistakes a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
for a helicopter.
- Budgie's Opening Goal
The new Harefield is opened and Budgie aids as the Minister for Airports.
Season 3 (1996)
- Boom Boom Budgie
Budgie tries to break the sound barrier
Sound barrier
The sound barrier, in aerodynamics, is the point at which an aircraft moves from transonic to supersonic speed. The term, which occasionally has other meanings, came into use during World War II, when a number of aircraft started to encounter the effects of compressibility, a collection of several...
.
- Writers In The Sky
Chuck is towing a couple of kites through the air and he crashlands into a pond.
- Double Trouble
Budgie and Chuck discover that Pippa got replaced by a Double.
- Eye In The Sky
Budgie tasks as becoming a traffic helicopter for the day, but more trouble ensues in the process.
- Chuck's Buddy
Buddy has to put Budgie in charge for a day, which leads to a disaster.
- The Aqueduct
Budgie discovers that the water has disappeared.
- Plane Silly
Budgie has to search for Ben and Lucy's lost model airplane.
- The Plane That Cried Wolf
Jasper has been constantly lying, so no one believes that he is in trouble. Budgie then comes to his aid.
- The Runaway Train
Jake is pulling the Royal Carriage and suddenly goes out of control on the track. Budgie goes out to stop him.
- A Tail Of Woe
Lionel damages his main rotors, when he tries to avoid Ben and Lucy's rabbits. Budgie sets out to find a new replacement before the twins find the rabbits.
- Put Up Or Stuck Up
The air museum has opened at Harefield and Budgie has to complete all his tasks on it.
- Silent Flight
The aircraft set out to rescue some skiers stranded on a snowy mountain.
- Ups And Downs
Chuck is punished by picking up all the rotten vegetables. Budgie is delivering pieces for a new bridge, but he soon spots two people trying to catch a dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
.
Home video releases
In 1997, UAV Entertainment released some episodes of the series on VHS. A 1997 film special titled Budgie the Little Helicopter: The Movie also was released on VHS. The series was not released to DVD.International Broadcast
Chile-
- Canal 13Canal 13 (Chile)Canal 13 , is the second oldest television station in Chile. It is owned by Luksic Group associated with the Papal Catholic University of Chile. Its inaugural transmission took place on August 21, 1959...
(1999–2006) - Megavision (2004–2009)
- ChilevisiónChilevisiónCHV, also known as Chilevisión, is the third oldest television station in Chile. Formerly called Teleonce and RTU , this TV station was owned by University of Chile, a Chilean state university...
(1999–2000) - UCV TVUCV TVCorporación de Televisión de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, UCV TV, is the oldest TV channel of Chile. Founded in 1957 , it currently airs in Santiago on channel 5. Its headquarters are in Viña del Mar, Chile where it broadcasts on channel 4 VHF. Also it owns VHF stations in La...
(1998 Present) - TelecanalTelecanalTelecanal is a private owned TV channel of Chile. It currently airs in Santiago on VHF channel 2. It mostly airs American films and TV series, and some original entertainment TV shows.-Controversy:...
(2007 present) - TVU (Chile) (2011 present)
- Canal 13