During the early 1970s, the backbone of Bristow's fleet consisted of the Westland Wessex, Westland Whirlwind, and Bell 206, along with a handful of other types, including several fixed-wing Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders. By the 1980s, Bristow had entirely phased out the Wessexes; the bulk of its fleet came to consist of Bell 206s, Bell 212s, and Sikorsky S-76s, amongst other types, during this period. Bristow was in fact the first European operator to adopt the Sikorsky S-76 into commercial service. The company also played a leading role in the development of the Aérospatiale Super Puma, having consulted with Aerospatiale to shape its design for the oil and gas market. Bristow decided to place a larger order for 35 Super Pumas, this being the largest civil helicopter order to have been made at the time; the first examples of the type were introduced in early 1982.