After 155 flight hours, 986 water-bombing operations, and more than 2,460 tonnes of water dropped, four water-bombing helicopters and 20 crew members have been redeployed back to Australia from Greece.
The Four Bell 214BI water-bombing helicopters owned and operated by McDermott Aviation Group, along with a crew of 20 pilots, translators and engineers, were donated by industrial group Mytilineos to the Greek fire-fighting and civil protection authorities for a period of two months.
Australian crew at the farewell ceremony. 
Photos: Facebook.
READ MORE: Mytilineos sources helicopters and crew from Australia to fight fires in Greece.
“Mytilineos has proven over time that it is always present during difficult times of our country. This disaster has shocked us all,” Vivian Bouzali, General Manager of Communications and Strategic Marketing at Mytilineos, told The Greek Herald in August.
“These helicopters, with a cost of 3.3 million euros, fully covered by Mytilineos will remain in our country for two months. Until the last spark that threatens our homeland goes out.”
Bell 214BI water-bombing helicopter. 
Crew.
READ MORE: Australian helicopters arrive in Athens and prepare to fight wildfires across Greece.
And so with a moving ceremony, the Greek authorities, Mytilineos, and Consul Sue Parkes, bode farewell to the crews and Australian helicopters that assisted in the Greek firefighting efforts over the summer.
“A big thank you to the authorities and Mytilineos SA for their confidence in fire-fighting capability. A big thank you to the crews for their efforts to support Greek firefighters and the local communities,” the Australian Embassy in Greece said in a Facebook statement.
