Bristow Photos

[Laundryboy]

Maybe memories, old alcohol and blurred age?!

[212man]

We are Australians, the crews are all Australian

Though, ironically, the B212 being flown the Sydney Opera House is being flown by Ron Anderson....(or so he told me)

[Dave Ed]

Bangladesh.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Bangladesh/map_bangladesh.jpg

Provision of a Bell 212, and for a short time an S61, in support of Cairn Energy's exploration activities offshore Bangladesh.
The contract ran from December 1996 to October 1998.

Dhaka. We had a bit of the hangar on the left.
The operation later moved to Chittagong which resulted in shorter flying times to the rig which was about 30 miles offshore.

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Bell 212, G-BALZ about to lift off at Dhaka.
The accommodation was flats in Dhaka and a Guest House in Chittagong.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Bangladesh/bangladesh2.jpg



A picture of the Bristow base at Chittagong to where the operation moved to from Dhaka.
Two very experienced old hands in this picture - G-BALZ and Ken Humphries.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Bangladesh/bangladesh3.jpg



Ismaya barge. This brought G-BALZ from Singapore to Bangladesh and my sources tell me that this ship was originally a factory whaling ship called "Southern Cross" that Bristows operated off in the Fifties.

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Lifting off from the drilling rig at "Sangu 1" well, Bay of Bengal.

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Dawn at Chittagong.

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[Dave Ed]

Bolivia

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Winning the first Bolivian contract was a major milestone for the fledgeling company.
They started working for Shell in Bolivia using Augusta Bell 47s in September 1957 and shortly afterwards won another contract working for the Bolivian California Oil Company, a subsidiary of Standard Oil of California. For this contract they used American built Bells.
Bristows worked in Bolivia for six years and as well as the helicopters also bought and used two fixed wing aircraft - a twin engined Beech Bonanza and a de-Haviland Beaver.The first task was to support geological field parties operating in the river beds and in the foothills of the Andes. In this work, the helicopter was used to fly the geologists out from the base camp first thing in the morning, to support them in the field and return them safely to base at the end of a long, hardworking day. On this type of work, the pilot often accompanied the geologist and assisted him in carrying the rock samples. In this pattern of work the geological party moved camp at intervals of about ten days and this involved transportation of all camp equipment by helicopter.

Operating conditions at the beginning of the Bolivian operations were primitive in the extreme and as experience was gained it became clear that a fairly sophisticated maintenance facility would be required to provide a high level of aircraft availability. To achieve this, hangar and workshop facilities were set up at jungle base camps which enabled the carrying out of all necessary maintenance up to Check 3s. For Check 4s and major overhauls a fully equipped inspection and overhaul shop was built in Cochacomba, but getting the helicopters to this facility involved flying over part of the Andes at more than 14,000ft which
was no mean feat of pilotage in the early Bell 47 model.


"Crossing from the Beni to Cochacomba at around 14,000ft." Dated at 1960.

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It is unclear when and where these two pictures were taken but as they include a Bell 47 it is conceivable that it could be Bolivia or very early Redhill FTS.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Bolivia/47andpeop.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Bolivia/47andgantree.jpg

[Tony Mabelis]

The picture of staff from the Bristow Perth office, posted by "dave Ed" on the 27th August, shows Phil Johns.
Is that the same Phil Johns, Avionic engineer from the DPC operation in Dubai circa 1980?
If it is I would like to get in touch with him, he helped me out on the Dubai Airwing Boeings on several occasions, we had good fun with his children trying to shoot down my R/C plane with Estes rockets.
Tony

[Dave Ed]

Brunei

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Brunei/map_brunei.gif

Info below was written over 10 years ago now! So there may have been a few changes in Brunei although I think the same ex Bristow 212s are still there but have been operated by FBH for the past few years and have now become a part of Cobham when Bristow sold their share in FBH recently.

The British Army in Brunei comprises an Infantry Battalion and a Bell 212 Helicopter Flight of the Army Air Corps. The climate of Brunei is well suited to jungle operations and the Training Team Brunei run jungle warfare courses for all members of the British Army. The Battalion is supported by the small British Garrison, at Seria, which provides all logistic and administrative support. The TrainingTeam Brunei is the Army's jungle warfare school. It runs a number of courses, ranging from Jungle Warfare instructor Courses to long range patrolling and tracking.

The original hangar in Seria, Brunei circa mid nineties.

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Taken in 2001 by one of the IHUMS mod team (Patrick Peggs) - a nice aerial shot showing the present base layout.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Brunei/bruneiaerial.jpg



The Bristow contract: Provision and ongoing maintenance (Level C) and logistical/spares support of 3 Bell 212 helicopters to include training of Army Air Corps pilots and technicians.

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The contract was for4 years commencing 1st October,1994 and was renewed after competitive tender in 1999 for a further five year period. The aircraft were re-wired after coming out of Trinidad and the cockpits were modified to be NVG compatible.......and that was easier said than done (de)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Brunei/tailwall.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Brunei/bruneimodteam.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Burma

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Around 1976 Esso commenced offshore exploration in the seas off Burma. Bristows were contracted to provide two I.F.R. Bell 212s in support of the drilling campaign, which only ran for 6 months.

The two aircraft designated for use on this contract had been serving elsewhere in a V.F.R. role so they were ferried to Rangoon to enable the I.F.R. mods to be carried out which included the fit of S.F.E.N.A. auto-stab systems. 9M-ATU is shown here at Rangoon.


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This picture is taken at Tavoy from where the offshore flights operated. The hut on the far left houses a machine gun post and the porta-cabins were the accommodation.

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[SASless]

SFENA Autopilot systems.....oh were they ever the Cat's Meow....NOT!

[Dave Ed]

Cambodia

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Thanks to Andrew Rice for the following info.


Here are a few details of the final operation in Cambodia which was for Idemitsu, a Japanese oil company.
We flew the single SA330J VH-WOE to Phnom Penh, departing on 18 March 98 and arriving back in Karratha on 20 May 98.
The operation was based at Pochentong airport in Phnom Penh, but we used to refuel in Sihanoukville, on the coast, on the way to the rig which was the Energy Searcher. The refuel was at an ex UN helipad and we positioned a fuel bowser there for our use. There was a very nice sea-food restaurant and bar just by the helipad, on the beach, so the passengers used to enjoy some light refreshment while we did the refuel.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cambodia/as330atpp.jpg

Other known Bristow contracts in Cambodia:

- Provision of an Aerospatiale SA330J to support Enterprise Oil and then Campex's activities ( March - December 1996 )

- Provision of an SA330J for Premier Oil ( May - December 1994 )

- Provision of an SA330J to support Campex's activities ( November 1993 - March 1994 )

[Thridle Op Des]

C'mon SAS, what happened to your famous sense of perspective! SFENA (the thing in the 212 'afforded' by BHL) was intended as a stabilisation system for an unmanned article with a flight profile of short duration usually ending in the destruction of the said vehicle AFAIR. My latest office has SFENA in it but after becoming Sextant Avionic then Thales, now part of EADS. Hopefully the SFENA bit won't remember the short duration-destruction aspect. ;)

[Dave Ed]

Most Bristow avionic engineer's reckoned SFENA to stand for Such a F*ing Experience Never Again!
I was lucky enough to spend a couple of years at Warri where we had relatively trouble free Sperry Helipilots but when we ended up with a SFENA machine from PH (I think), I seemed to spend endless hours under the floor measuring gyro drift and trying to get pairs of gyros to match so we had a chance of operating in Duplex. Not very often:bored:

I did a SFENA course at Redhill taught by Alec Lugg I think. He said one of the biggest problems was trying to get the A n Cs to ensure all the flying control bearings had little play in them. All the A n Cs I've worked with would take a lot of convincing the autopilot problems were their fault!

[SASless]

OH...Don' t I remember when the PHC aircraft got shifted to Warri....they were far from the standard maintained by the Engineers at Warri. The Sperry System was much...much...much better than the SFENA.

Shame the Flight Directors were removed from the Sperry Aircraft when they were sent to Nigeria from the UK.

I loved the explanation...."....but who will pay for them?"

It seemed the FD's were not on the Shell Contract...thus out they came and put back on the Store Room Shelves in Redhill.....not that we flew single pilot IMC or anything in Nigeria.

[Thridle Op Des]

As you say Dave, matching the gyro drift (I think they called them 'computers' back then - though analogue ones) was the key, the trouble was one never had sufficient spares on site to make any matches. Another issue was pilots reluctance to apply enough cyclic friction to allow the limited authority to work effectively, something like 9-10% AFAIR (Lord knows where this stuff comes from)

[gittijan]

SASLESS "OH...Don' t I remember when the PHC aircraft got shifted to Warri....they were far from the standard maintained by the Engineers at Warri. "

Dear Mr. Biles,
Are you going to let that one go? Or did he mean they were much better?:rolleyes:

[Thridle Op Des]

I strongly suspect SAS is referring to 'pre-AB' CE-PH:oh:

[gittijan]

I hope so for his long term health.:O

[Fareastdriver]

Shame the Flight Directors were removed from the Sperry Aircraft when they were sent to Nigeria from the UK.

I loved the explanation...."....but who will pay for them?"

Nothing changed later on. When Bristow packed up in the USA we had an S76s back from Rhode Island and the GOM. They were fully IFR complete with DME. Redhill modded them to North Sea standard and took the DMEs out.
"They are not required in the North Sea, you have Decca." was the explanation.

Two months later the Norwegian CAA stipulated that Decca was unacceptable for precision approaches in Norway so they had to put them all back in again.

[212man]

Dave Ed,
you may be aware that none of the infrastructure shown in your Brunei photos exists any more, and it's actually hard to spot that there was anything ever there! 7th Flight moved to Medicina lines to what was intended to be temporary accommodation while 'Scout base' was refurbished. For a number of reasons that never happened, and they have now turned Medicina into the permanent base.

[SASless]

Did they leave the RadAlts?

In the UK sector we used three BarAlts and no RadAlt on the 58T's....which while flying in the Ekofisk was interesting as the Norwegians used RadAlt heights not MSL for traffic separation.

Why ever would one actually want to know one's height above the sea when one had the Regional QNH to rely upon!

Then there was the legendary Bristow attitude towards GPS in Nigeria.

"No Thank You....Yank DOD Thingy that!".

Then...the Nigerian CAA mandated all Nigerian registered aircraft would have GPS. Then it was "Fine...but when they go U/S...we are not going to repair/replace them as the Reg only says installed and not that they be functional!".

God...I wish I was making this stuff up!:ugh:

[Hedski]

But Bristow know better......:ugh:

[Dave Ed]

Chile

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In 1996 Bristows commenced a contract to refurbish 6 Chilean Army Pumas which ran for a couple of years.

Operation review ,"Would have stayed there for ever if I was single".

Racagua base. Our hangar was on the right. Work routine was 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off, 6 days a week, 8 to 5.
Accommodation was in the form of rented flats in town.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Chile/chile1.jpg



Dismantling the first one. 1996.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Chile/chile2.jpg



This ex- presidential S-76 was acquired as part of the Puma refurbish contract. It was a low-time aircraft ( approx. 700hrs) in V.I.P. configuration and possibly ended up with O.L.O.G.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Chile/chile3.jpg



# 263 after tracking and balancing.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Chile/chile4.jpg



#264 awaiting presidential visit
Just half guessing some names here (de)
Stu Wakefield, Grant Campbell, Steve Moakes, Jim Mills


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Chile/chile5.jpg

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

Sasless,

Then there were the database cards that didn't get updated due expense. User waypoints and static navaids only !

Now every contract in Nigeria stipulates they are completely serviceable and fully up to date. They are spot checked by client aviation reps and audited. How things have changed. :ugh:

Cheers,

NEO

[SASless]

At least we found Reporting Checkpoints we had never seen in all the years before getting the GPS's!

Then I suggested we put offsets into the units so we would not be tracking the same identical path coming and going and got told what a silly idea that was because it would add flight time to each leg.

Mind you I was only talking about a quarter of a mile....so we would have a half mile separation laterally. The Major was such a charm to deal with.

[stacey_s]

K19 relay! always them problem???

[stacey_s]

For the SFENA problems that was!!
#
S

[Alan Biles]

SFENA was easy provided you managed to convince your Drivers, Airframe of a few simple rules:

1. Don't expect it to be an autopilot.

2. If you're not happy with it, turn it off and fly the aircraft - that's what all those pedals and levers are there for.

[Dave Ed]

China

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In 1983/4 Bristow Helicopters (BHL) and China Ocean Helicopter Corporation (COHC) negotiated and entered into a joint venture agreement to work in partnership to provide offshore helicopter services to the international oil companies then newly established in the People's Republic of China.

Commencing in the latter part of 1984, these operations started using Bristow AS332L "Super Puma" and SA330J "Puma" helicopters operating on the CAA civil register and being operated and maintained in accordance with CAA requirements. These initial operations were flown by mixed BHL/COHC crews with the aircraft also maintained by Bristow and COHC engineers.

In 1986, based on the demonstrated operating record and capabilities of the Bristow AS332L helicopters, COHC purchased and took delivery of two of this aircraft type for their own fleet releasing the Bristow SA330J "Puma" so that until mid-1994 all operations were conducted using Bristow/COHC "Super Pumas". In June 1994 the Sikorsky S-76A "plus" helicopter type provided by Bristows from the U.K. joined the fleet. Until late 1994 all operations were carried out from the COHC bases at Shenzhen and Zhanjiang in support of various multi-national oil companies.

In December 1994 a new operation started at Wenzhou to support the operations offshore in the developing East China Sea and this was followed by an operation at Tanggu which commenced in 1995. These latter operations have been supported using both COHC and Bristow AS332Ls and COHC SA365N "Dauphin" helicopters and associated personnel.

The pictures below show the arrival of the first aircraft at Hong Kong, these being AS332L "Tiger" G-TIGN and AS330 "Puma" G-BERH.

Dick Jones relates:- The Tiger and the Puma were shipped from UK six weeks apart, and arrived in Hong Kong on the same day at 6am whereupon we unloaded the Tiger, assembled it and flew it to Kai Tak airport. At 9pm we offloaded the Puma at another docks, fitted the blades etc. and the next day flew that to Kai Tak airport. The second Puma was ferried up from Australia, by pilot Tony Ferris and engineer Bob Grocke. After re-registering the Oz Puma to UK registration (no mean feat) they flew off to Shenzen Heliport. The ground crews went over on the hovercraft ferry to Shekou, and settled into the Tai Zhi hotel.

Crew Shekou, China 1984. Pilots:- Graham Lee, Robin Hunt, Mike Moran and Vavangas (Avgas). Engineers:- Dick Jones, Ian Stewart, John Murray, John Cureton, Tom Barber, Ian Robinson.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20China/chinair1X.jpg


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Now carrying COHC markings "RH" is shown here coming to the assistance of "GN" which is stuck on the rig due to an oil cooler failure.

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Another "Puma" serving at Shekou was an Australian machine G-BFKZ which is shown here about to start the long journey back to its ozzie base, with floats removed! The third picture is "Tiger" G-TIGF with a COHC logo but location unsure.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20China/chinair6.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20China/chinair8.jpg


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Super Pumas in full COHC colours at Shekou (Shenzen). The first shot is taken on the apron with the second in the hangar which used to be a tank factory my sources tell me.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20China/china2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20China/china1.jpg

[Dave Ed]

China 2

Chinese people.......not all Chinese!

An interpreter who translated conversation between the Bristow captain and chinese first officer during the first years of operations.
(Must have been confusing. de).


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20China/chinair7.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20China/sandiechina1.jpg

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[Dave Ed]

Cyprus

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By me, Dave Edwards.

Not 100% Bristows and even less now they have sold their share to Cobham but as I stated before, Bristow Helicopters make up was formed from other companies such as British United, BEAS, Airwork etc etc and of course they have been involved in many joint ventures, one of which was a 50% stake in FBH. The prototype Cyprus 412 was designed and modified at Bristows Redhill and a couple of old Bristows names were in the start-up team at RAF Akrotiri…… myself and Pete Brennan who was chief engineer at the time.

Many years ago I remember walking along the sea front at Porta Polenca, North East Majorca, on a family holiday, and after observing a small Search and Rescue operation across the bay I commented to Jan how great it would be to work on an SAR operation in a Mediterranean holiday destination. Well, here we are in sunny Cyprus for over 10 years now. Blue skies, crystal clear, warm, turquoise seas, thousands of bars and restaurants, ice cold beer and Premiership football inevery bar, topless tanned babes litter the water park and beaches........OK,enough I hear you say.......What about the operation?

For those of you who failed CSE Geography, Cyprus is at the eastern end of the Mediterranean - not far from most of the world's trouble spots. The first Bell 412 arrived in the first week of April 2003 amidst a great variety of coalition aircraft supporting operations in Iraq. The 412s had been through a tortuous mod programme at Bristows Redhill and FBH at RAF Shawbury which involved the fitting of a SAR avionic package, new hoist, lightweight floatation, ADELT, EXIS, 4-axis autopilot etc etc.

F B Heliservices was a joint venture company between FRA Bournemouth and Bristows and primarily bids (bidded) for military support contracts. The contract is to supply and operate four, now reduced to three,modified Bell 412EPs on a five year contract hopefully to be extended. It did get extended and renewed a couple of years back and fingers crossed could see me up to near retirement if Russia and US haven’t nuked each other fighting aproxy war in Syria taking is with them!

The 412s replaced 84 Squadron’s ageing Wessi that were based at RAF Akrotiri for many years. The primary role for the aircraft is to provide fifteen minute SAR cover for the various fighter deployments that typically use Cyprus for gunnery / bombing practice, or in the case of the Red Arrows, pre- season display practice. They are also tasked to carry out trooping and surveillance missions as required by the Army units detached to Cyprus. The aircraft are on the military register, civilian owned, overseen by the CAA, maintained by FBH civilian engineers and flown by RAF crews.



Names over the years…

Engineers: Pete Brennan (ex Bristows), DaveEdwards (ex Bristows) Geoff Dyer, Mick Donnelly, Mick Chapman, Steve Brobin, John Roberts, Ken Wiltshire, Roger Turner, Dick Lawtey, Dave Hope, Andy Watson.

Handler / Logistics: Brian “Smudge” Smith, John Gardener, Brian Graham, Geoff Hymas, "Kes", Colin Jehan, Jerry Clarke.

And many, many RAF aircrew, operations staff,squippers who have changed every 2-3 years.

One of the many squadron pics we've had taken over the years. Not popular with most of the engineers as we have to fit all the ground handling kit on and tow them into position. The RAF guys just come out and sit on the seats!!!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/FBH-RAF2011.jpg




Being an ex plane spotter when I was a kid, working on outside on the line at Akrotiri is like a childhood dream come true. You have the Troodos mountains forming the backdrop, the climate for most of the year is ideal and of course you are next to the runway. Many different types of aircraft have taxied past over the years. From MOD chartered UK charter airlines to IL-76 cargo donkeys.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/SnowyTroodos.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/412C17.jpg


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With no rain from May to October the island's vegetation becomes bone dry and summer fires are common. The total Cyprus airborne fire fighting fleet stands at 3 chartered Kamovs (KA32s I think), 2 single engine forestry fixed wing, 2 or 3 police 412s/139s and couple of our 412s.

Off to save Souni again! The smoking area in the background.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/SavingSouni.jpg



Returning late evening.

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An early start for a recent fire that could not be controlled the previous day.

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The Red Arrows used to come out twice a year for pre-season work up but that's been reduced to one six week spell. Three practices a day and I reckon I have seen a couple of hundred displays now!

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Having seen the attention the Red Arrows crews receive from adoring females we formed our own FBH display team on a limited budget. Didn't seem to have the desired effect though.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/FBHCyprustrolleydisplayteam2011002.jpg


Army dogs during their first helicopter experience training.
A lot of variety in the tasking which has its good and bad points.
Trooping, VIP taxi, Fire Fighting and a SAR call out in one day means a lot of role changing!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/Helidogs.jpg


The spacious hangar pre CAA audit. Spotless for once. Servicing grinds to a halt as nobody is a allowed to mess it up! We've all been there.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/Pre-Audithangar.jpg


......and a few shots I have taken over the years.....

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/412sunrise.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/ReturningfromSARtraining.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Cyprus/Sunrise412.jpg

[Fareastdriver]

In your pictures of China the female interpreter shown was killed when GTIGF ?? flew into the hills east of Hong Kong.
The group picture was a lot later than 1989, more like 1999 when Chris Brotherton and Daphne were running it.

[Thridle Op Des]

FED - TIGN, the one in the photo above

[SASless]

Pete Brennan....now that is a name that takes me back a great many years.....got trapped in a pub in Oxford one Sunday afternoon after closing hours with him and his brother.

We first met in Iran all those years ago.

[Fareastdriver]

T o D Yes, thinks for that. I arrived with the S 76 just after JS had splashed B7952.

Bristow pulled out of China allofasudden in 2006 leaving COHC in the lurch as far as captains were concerned. Four, later a fifth changed over to COHC on contracts varying between one and three years. By that time we all had Chinese licences so there was no problem flying Chinese registered aircraft.

During the Asian financial collapse they bought Samsung's VIP 332L1 complete with airstair doors side and rear plus VIP fitment and aircon.
They took out the interior fit and the aircon and refitted GN's seats into a fourteen seat fit which was all the runners could take. This was used offshore for shuttling and surprisingly the airstair doors proved easier to work with than plug doors. When the contract finished an Aerospatial team came out and modded it to offshore standard.

For those that remember the terminal building they now have 225s as well.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee224/fareastdriver/Winching003.jpg (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/fareastdriver/media/Winching003.jpg.html)

[AS332L1]

Ahh yes Peter and Mike together what a team

Remember Iran with great memories :)

[SASless]

Add in Sluice Gate.....and you have a real Duke's Mix!

[3D CAM]

Peter and Mike together

I can think of worse company to have a few sherbets with!:D

[Ainippe]

Yes - had many a drink with Sluicegate in Gachsaran and Mick along with other reprobates such as Pete Harris, nearly always terminal:yuk:

[SASless]

If alcohol kills brain cells....we would have all been village idiots!:E

[Dave Ed]

A couple of weeks ago we had to clear out the "unused" half of the Cyprus hangar to make way for mystery arrivals.
A few days later a team of Americans turned up with four old S61s in kit form!.................two short and two long, operating for the US Dept of State.
There is an obvious clue.....

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/S61/N751AW.jpg

[Tail-take-off]

It's G-BDIJ but I'm still looking for the clue!

[SASless]

Tail Number comes back to the US Department of State, Patrick AFB Florida.

Same bunch who operate the Drug Eradication aircraft in Central and South America.

Did they perchance fly into Cyprus by an Evergreen 747?

[Dave Ed]

The clue = C/N 61-751

I was heavily involved in many tortuous S61 SAR mod programmes over the years, at Redhill, but I can't remember whether BDIJ was a primary 4-axis, dual hoist SAR machine or one of the back ups.

Another 61 of the four that arrived wasn't a Bristow machine but an ex British Airways aircraft G-ASNL. Fifty years old, ditched in the North Sea, 30 years ago, due to G-box failure, sank while being recovered and still going strong. All four 61s have just come out of Iraq!!!


Only rumours of where there off to next.................

[SASless]

Air Log, now Bristow had contract(s) in the past flying out of Cyprus to Beirut to the Embassy there. One of the 412's left Cyprus and went to Nigeria....via Ghana for a 1200 hour by Air Log Engineers....then on to Lagos for another overhaul to get it up to snuff.

[Tail-take-off]

G-BDIJ was a primary SAR with the full LN-450 fit. It was main aircraft at Lee-on-Solent for many years. It was fitted out a Redhill in 1989 while I was a student at the FTS.

[mtoroshanga]

One of the S61 I had in Penzance doing the Scilly Islands run had done 140000 landings, think about it because I did every time it flew!!

[Dave Ed]

Shipped by Antonovs I heard.

So she was a primary SAR machine then I new her well.

As you can imagine it was quite a challenge to develop, install and certify the original LN-450 avionic package. I don't think I'd want to go through all that again...... many loooooong night shifts.
Then many years after that I built a test bed in the old wooden huts at Redhill to aid the development of the new SAR avionic upgrade to include the EHSI. It was great, working with the manufacturer and Bristow design office, to present the EHSI with live GPS feed / RNAV, weather radar overlay, slaveable compass, to all and sunder such as the CAA, the manufacturer and operational pilots.............and all on a couple of tables. You wouldn't believe how much debate went into a wind arrow presentation! One of my more memorable projects.

Once the EHSI (Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator) was certified I then toured the SAR bases to survey the four primary machines prior to their upgrade. Then back to Redhill, built a wooden S61 nose and centre console mock up and with the help of many we fabricated a complete enormous loom assembly which encompassed most of the avionic upgrade wiring. Then all we had to do was quickly snip out the old stuff and slot the new wiring in...............easier said than done.

The point of the above explanation is................
Yesterday, I sat in the cockpit of N751AW and looked in the nose..............and it's all gone!!!!!
Their maintenance supervisor reckons, one company bought most of the old 61s and "standardised" them back to mostly original fit including Primus Mk 1 Wx radar and auto-stab by the look of it.

As the RAF VC-10 flew its last sortie today I think it seems that that the life of these older aircraft matches our own working lives ......around fifty years........then we are both struggling...............

[TipCap]

Yes IJ was our baby at Lee-on-Solent. I was the DCP of the unit when we started in 88. However, VA was our first "bog standard" NS S61N while IJ got all the SAR trimmings. FLIR, LN400/450 etc and took over from VA

Mind you we had MU down for a little while too

TC

[Tail-take-off]

It must have been almost as big a job to return IJ to original spec. I can understand why though. Where would you get spares these days? It must hard enough to get standard S61 parts.

How do I put this without insulting these elderly ladies? They were also a little weightier than the other S61s.

[industry insider]

When she was a standard NS machine, I think she was contracted to Phillips Petroleum as it was then. She used to wear a Phillips 66 logo. Great machines and all with a personal "story" to tell.

[Dave Ed]

Denmark

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Denmark/map_denmark.jpg

The Wessex book by Patrick Allen states that Bristows operated Wessex out of Esbjerg, Denmark for Gulf Oil.

I came across this slide which had a few words :- Denmark. Chris Christensen, George Harris.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Denmark/sandiedenmark.jpg

Not a lot to go on with this one but an article by Ken Rowe makes for an amusing read and I accept no responsibility for any of the content!!

Esbjerg Denmark (Sept 73-Dec 73)

(A/C Wessex G-AZBY)
Pilots:- Dick Metcalf, Rudi Meyer
Engineers:- Don McQuaig, Ken Rowe

(A/C Wessex G-ATBY)
Pilots:- John Cameron (chief pilot), Tony Stafford?
Engineers:- John French (chief engineer), "Dixie" Dean"Kiwi" ???, A.N. Other.

(The reason I am vague about "TBY" crewing is because my diaries don't record it and by then alcohol could well have been affecting my memory.)

Bristows already had an operation in Denmark situated at Esbjerg so it was only logical to set up there. Don and myself drove over in his ageing Mini via the car ferry from Harwich, Rudi drove up from Germany and Dick flew the aircraft from Yarmouth. The set up in Denmark was unbelievable even by today's standards and could only be described as working in Five Star conditions. If Mister Bristow made any money out of the permanent operation I want to know how.

The hangar had to be seen to be believed. It could have taken about six Wessex and was insulated and kept at a constant temperature of 65 degrees summer and winter. The floor was covered with a shiny grey oil resistant paint that was renewed at regular intervals whether it required it or not and the whole structure was spotless - not a cobweb to be seen. John Cameron had ensconced himself in an office that he decided to panel in oak whilst he sat at a large oak desk the likes of which Mister Bristow would have been proud to have in his office. A slightly less lavish office for the Chief Engineer and a near fully equipped kitchen and lounge as a crew room completed the scene. Now comes the crunch. They flew once a week with a total flight time of 40 minutes and had never in the history of operation, 3 years to that time, flown more than double figure hours in one month and this was proudly displayed on a graph behind John Cameron's desk.

The aircraft "TBY" stood by in the middle of the hangar shiny clean, gleaming and looking like a museum exhibit rather than a working Bristow's aircraft. Rather reminded me of Eket!!#!!?!!!? I realised that the hangar belonged to Christian Salveson but Bristow's furnished it. If anyone can tell me, especially John French if you're reading this, how did you manage to get a staffing of four licensed engineers for such a workload? What is more the only time they had any major maintenance work to do they had a replacement aircraft sent in from Yarmouth with a crew to staff it. They all had luxury bungalows for accommodation as they had their wives and partners with them. I now realise why I was getting paid peanuts for roughing it in Eket!

Our aircraft "ZBY" arrived and was immediately criticised by John French for being in such a state that he wrote off to Redhill to say that it had not been maintained properly whilst in Wales. In actual fact it was quite smart compared to some of the high work rate "Wessii" at Yarmouth as it had been flown relatively small amount of hours in the past few months. This meant that we had time to keep it clean but of course along side his "museum"exhibit it looked slightly tatty. The night after our aircraft "ZBY"arrived and after we had knocked off work he stayed behind and crawled all over our aircraft. When we arrived in the morning he had made out a pile of extra worksheets with more than a hundred and fifty snags on. They ranged from stone chips to the paint on the underside; oil stains on the paintwork; dzus fastener markings not complete; and the one that really got me was that the tyres needed painting with tyre black. Although we did not have a chief engineer and he was supposed to oversee our operation it did not stop me from telling him where to get off. As anyone who knows me will concur I am not afraid of speaking my mind to anyone if I think it is necessary. This did not particularly endear me to him or him to me from that point on but I felt better when our chief pilot added his support.

Well that is enough of my whingeing and back to the plot. The first week we flew almost every day in order to set the rig up but after that it seemed to be about three days a week, two days of which were crew change days with the possibility of one day that was for some other reason. The rig was situated about one hour and 20 mins out into the North Sea. You could hardly say in our spare time we had to help out with the other half of the operation as they hardly flew. Their job was to service a "Buoy loading point". If you don't know what one of these is, it is a large buoy attached to a well head and a tanker comes alongside and attaches itself to it and fills itself up direct from the well head. In this particular case it took about two weeks for the tanker to fill and what the helicopter did was to carry an oil engineer out to inspect the mechanism once a week and change the crew of the tanker if required. The possibility of a casevac was negligible as the tanker had a doctor and a small clinic on board and if necessary would unhitch and steam to a nearby port.

Another job that came our aircraft's way was a trip to Sweden in order to carry out a crew change for a rig the oil company was operating out of a place called Malmar on the Baltic Sea. It required an overnight stop in Sweden as the crew change started at 8.30a.m. We used to fly into Malmo in order to clear customs and then on to Malmar for an overnight stay in a hotel. The oil company used to allow U.S.$1000 personal expenses for the pilot and engineer in order to fund this. Remembering this was 1973; it barely covered all the expenses if you included alcohol and we always did. So beware all of you that are thinking of taking holidays in Sweden as it's very expensive. This trip was done on a weekly basis alternating between our aircraft and John French's aircraft. The rig we were servicing was not due to finish its hole until Dec 28th so it looked as if we were to spend Christmas in Denmark but with some philandering we managed to get John French's aircraft to stand in for us. We left on the23rd Dec, myself and Dick flying the Wessex back to Redhill, Don driving back to his home in Norfolk and Rudi to Germany. I went on leave over the Christmas period only to return to meet my "bete noir" Jean Dennel, which didn't turn out as I expected........................

[Dave Ed]

Djibouti

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/djibouti/map_djibouti.gif

In 1986 Bristows deployed AS332L, G-TIGI to Djibouti to support Occidental's 90 day drilling programme offshore Somalia. The round trip distance to the drillship was appoximately 1000 miles!! with a refuelling stop in Berbera, Somalia.


G-TIGI out on a hot apron at the main international airport in Djibouti and as usual, no hangar! The aircraft was operating through the Winter so the temperatures were down to a chilly 35C!!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/djibouti/djibouti1.jpg

[TipCap]

I was detached to Esbjerg from North Denes in 72/73.

It was an interesting routine. Day on/Day off on site. We flew out to the Maria Maersk tanker early in the morning (very early) and took the day shift from the MM to the Danfeld 1 and then took the night shift back to the MM. Then we shut down for the day on the MM until it was time to change crews on the Danfeld 1. Returned late at night to Esbjerg then out for a few horrendously expensive beers. I believe we stayed at the Esbjerg Hotel. I remember Lemmy Tanner being my Co-Pilot out there then

TC

[Dave Ed]

Dominican Republic

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dominican%20Republic/map_dominicanrepublic.jpg

I think I posted something about crop dusting Hillers a way back in the thread but as I'm working through the bases I will recap sometimes....forgive any repetition.....

In 1960, Sir Miles Wyatt asked Alan Bristow if he would like to take over the running of Fison Airwork and effectively merge it with Bristow Helicopters so although many of these operations were not strictly Bristow operations they were under Bristows control for a time and many staff joined the company.Therefore the general feeling is that Fison Airwork should be included as part of Bristow history.
Fison Airwork itself was formed from Airwork and Fison Pest Control and had many contracts in the field of crop spraying of which the Dominican Republic was one.

Occupying the eastern part of the island of Haiti, the Dominican Republic has an area of about 19,000 square miles. It lies within the tropics but the heat is tempered by sea breezes, its northern shore being washed by the Atlantic Ocean and its southern by the Carribean Sea. At the time of the Fison-Airworks contracts agriculture was the most important industry with most crops needing some form of pest control.


Dated at July 1962, what looks like a rotors running refuel and insecticide upload.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dominican%20Republic/domrep1.jpg



Same date. "Spraying bananas using a Hiller 12C."

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dominican%20Republic/domrep2.jpg




and thanks to John Odlin for the following pictures. John is the pilot in the Hiller and at twenty something learnt a lot about flying helicopters on the crop dusting circuit.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dominican%20Republic/jod_dr2.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dominican%20Republic/jod_dr1.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dominican%20Republic/jod_dr3.jpg

[mtoroshanga]

I was on that operation. We were called out one night to rescue a US Navy girl who had been injured in an accident landing on a beach in Somaliland-their helicopter was u/s-and brought her back. The US admiral sent us a letter of thanks.

[Dave Ed]

Abu Dhabi people...

I am trying to blend in the bases pics with some of the people pics but keep forgetting to add the people!
So a few people from Abu Dhabi courtesy of A.B. taken 40 years ago, probably not on a 12 megapixel digital camera.
Camera of choice in those days was a Kodak instamatic and take the rolls of film to Boots for developing!
A.B. will have to help with the names..........

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/abmbar.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/abad1.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/absb1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/abme1.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/abpc.jpg

[js0987]

How about?

CS = Colin Sole
PC = Paul Crawford
RM = Roddy MacLean
RS = Rick Storr
PH = Pete Harris

For a few more interesting pictures of some of this crew, check Bristow Photos #577

[Dave Ed]

Dubai

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/uae_map.gif

Another base with long Bristow associations, then FBH took over a few years back and now I think they are going it alone?

The black and white pictures below were taken around 1968/70.

I never received much info about the Dubai operations when I was putting together the original website however I did spend 6 weeks at Dubai Police Air Wing in 1996 as an avionic leave relief. At that time the Police fleet consisted of Bolkow 105s, Bell 206s and the newly arrived Augusta 109s. Bell 412s were added sometime after.

A mile from the police hangar was the VIP hangar which housed everything from Boeing 747s to Bell 206s and Dauphins - the helicopters being Bristows responsibility.
Dubai operations can be traced back to the early sixties when the operation consisted of no more than a helipad and prefab building by the coast.


The Bristow Hangar was the larger of the two hangars in the foreground ie the hangar nearest the old airport control tower in the centre of the photo. Circa 1968.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/dubai2.jpg



Staff (circa 1968) were Gerhard Trosch, Bob Griffiths, Joe Wright (pilots) Bill Nicholls, Mike Croxford, Dave Peddar (engineers).


Whirlwind and Bell 206 on the apron.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/dubai1.jpg




.......and moving on a bit, pictures of Police Air Wing aircraft operational during the nineties and onward.

As mentioned above the Bolkow 105s were still in service in 1996 but were scheduled to be replaced after the imminent arrival of the Augusta 109s.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/sandiedubai2.jpg



One of the Augusta 109s at the scene of a road traffic accident.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/sandiedubai3.jpg




As above, but the latest addition to the fleet on scene, a Bell 412.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/sandiedubai1.jpg



One of the Bell 412s undergoing a major check in the Dubai hangar, probably not the original!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/dubaihngr412.jpg



........and a few Dubious Dubai characters........ many of them would go on to have looooong careers with Bristows.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/kp8.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/ab21st.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/abzoo1.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/abzooo2.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/abzoo4.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/abzoo3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Dubai/abzoo5.jpg

[Thridle Op Des]

Just about the only thing still standing in the photo of the hangers is the old control tower, for some reason they cannot bring themselves to knock it down. Unusual really, anything more than 20 years old normally gets flattened, it'll be my turn soon.:sad:

[mtoroshanga]

Great photos, bring back old times!!

[SASless]

TOD,

Heck fire....MB owes you that much Stand By Time if you calculate the interest on that Debt!

[Thridle Op Des]

Aaah, bless, I think MB has enough permanently on his plate for me to go back and ask for compensation!:}

[Oldlae]

That is Pat Newall behind the gin bottle.

[js0987]

I still have my Abu Dhabi issued alchohol permit. It was good for about 8 cases of Heinekens a month. Used it to help stock the concrete bar. A drink from those days I wouldn't recommend - A Dog's Nose - gin in beer.

[Dave Ed]

Ecuador

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ecuador/mapecuador.jpg

No photos for this one but a good article about the operations from Keith Daley.......

Between 1970 and 1973, Bristow Helicopters operated from two main bases in Ecuador. Both bases were east of the Andes in the Amazonian jungle supporting a Parker air transportable drilling rig. This rig was designed to be broken down into component parts each weighing no more than 4,200 lbs, this being the max hook load for a Bell 204B.
I joined the operation when it was at Curaray named after the river Curaray on whose banks the camp was situated. The base was about one hours flying time (in a De Haviland Canada Carabou) from the nearest town Pastaza. We shared the camp with PHI who had the seismic survey contract over the jungle in Bell 47G4s.
A typical operation would start with us winching down a party through the jungle canopy. This party would cut a clearing into which we would undersling a D6 bulldozer in pieces. When assembled, the bulldozer would clear a larger space and the rig move could start. This was the most intensive phase with flying from 6 am to 6 pm continuously with running refueling and running pilot changes. The rig, and all of its equipment would be underslung from the old rig site to the new. In addition we would have to move the huts, drill pipes casing, chemicals, food, water and people, and then support the site during the drilling whilst preparing the next site. During the rig move period, we would regularly fly 240 hours per helicopter per month. All maintenance was carried out overnight.

Accommodation was in wooden huts on stilts (to help keep out the snakes and spiders). We had no air conditioning and electricity would quite often go off without warning. The river was full of piranha, catfish and alligators. Swimming races were held on Saturday nights.

Staffing.
Area Manager - Bob Brewster, based in Quito.
Chief Pilot - Horst Neu.
Dep. Ch. Pilot - Rudi Meyer.
Chief Engineer - James T (Jim) Lay.
Dep. Ch. Eng - Johannes Krippner.
Line pilots - Dick Metcalfe, Malcolm Soper, John (The Wad) Waddington, Chris Newlands, John Odlin (ferry pilot for Bell 212) plus others.
Line engineers - Keith Daley, Derek Cook, John Winton, Jeff Orme (Greenie).

Aircraft.
Bell 204B(?), s/n 3041, Reg HC-ASZ. This was built as an Agusta with a Gnome engine, converted to Lycoming T53-11 and as a result no new parts fitted, especially cowlings and panels.

Wessex 60, s/n WA544, Reg HC-ASD. Returned to UK and reverted to its UK registration G-ATSC on the arrival of the Bell 212 mid 1972.

Bell 212, s/n 30543, Reg HC-AYG. Arrived direct from Bells mid 1972 ferried by John Odlin and immediately put to work on heli-rig moving. Had it’s first Combining Gearbox failure within 200 hours in a remote clearing. Derek Cook and myself had to go to Quito and make a hoist to remove the CGB in the field. The location was a small clearing in an area known to house inhospitable indians and as a result the army provided armed guards for us while we worked. The 212 was eventually written off during a rig move when a load cable caught on a skid and rolled the helicopter.

[Oldlae]

Dave Ed.

If these are being shown alphabetically, what happened to Duri?

Has no one written it up, if so, I might have a go, although I didn't join until 1970, 2 years after it started.

Regards.

[Dave Ed]

Oldlae.

I for Indonesia :)
Egypt next.........when I get time!
Pruning a couple of 40ft Bougainvillea seems to be taking up most of my time these past few weeks.

[Oldlae]

Dave Ed,

Sorry, minor point why isn't Dubai under UAE?

Regards.

[Dave Ed]

Egypt

Bristows operated from a number of places in Egypt such as Hergada and Port Said but I only gathered pics for Ras-Shukheir, mainly because I took them myself!

This operation served the offshore installations in the Gulf of Suez starting in the Sixties and continuing up to around the mid Eighties.
Types operated were Whirlwind, Bells 204, 205, 206 and 212. Note all the aircraft are Bermudan registration in the photos.
The base was actually part of a large petro-chemical compound with most of the accommodation being in the form of porta-cabins including the small bar.

I believe the work rota was two weeks on site and two weeks back to Cairo via fixed wing aircraft. This operation was my first line experience, on my own, and a very fast learning curve with eight hard working aircraft to keep on top of. Below are a few shots of the base including Ras-Shukheir airport "terminal." It was a pretty basic airport before this new set-up!

Ken Humphreys in this pic I think........or Humphries??
Is he still around?....great bloke to work with.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Egypt/khraswhirlwind.jpg


Good aerial shot of the base. Bell 204, 205s and 212.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Egypt/rsairial.jpg



Ras-Shukheir flight line 1984

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Egypt/rsfltline.jpg


Bell 204,VR-BDX, with fixed floats.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Egypt/204atrs.jpg

Bell 212 servicing in Ras-Shukheir hangar.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Egypt/rshngr.jpg


Ras Shukheir airport terminal

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Egypt/rsairport.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Cork, Eire

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eire%20Cork/map_of_ireland.jpg


No pics for this one......just a little info from Ken Rowe.

CORK Apr 70 ( Wessex G-ATBY).

On arrival at Cork the chief pilot was Jim Lawn and a Danish pilot whose name I can't remember. The chief engineer was John French with the "Grunts" being "Knackers" Sewell, Fred Clarke, myself Ken Rowe and Paddy McGrath as the radio operator and plotter. A radio operator was necessary because navigation was by DECCA nav-aids and the A.R.B insisted that all flights be plotted. We flew once a week on crew change day and stood by for any emergency.
Mr Bristow thought that this was a bit of a waste of resources so it was decided that we should do some training and we had many pilots visit us for Wessex conversion courses but even so it was still a holiday posting.

[Dave Ed]

Ex Bristow S61 G-BDIJ and British Airways G-ASNL (shortened!) lining up for a bit of formation flying this afternoon, once the Typhoons have cleared......


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/S61/AKTS61s.jpg

[chopper2004]

And here's a close up I took last week at Helitech :)

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/IMG_0488_zps98856032.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/IMG_0556_zps352cd91b.jpg

Cheers

[Dave Ed]

Falklands Islands

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/mapfalklands.jpg

Ever since Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands the British armed forces have maintained a considerable presence there, and in 1983 Bristows commenced a contract to supply three S-61s in support of the Falkland Islands Garrison.
For a short time an S-61 was also on contract to the oil exploration consortium during the first drilling campaign but this proved to be short lived as test holes did not live up to expectations.
Another small contract was the operation of a Dornier 228 for the Falkland Islands Government in a fisheries protection role.


The hangarage was provided by the military.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falk1.jpg



A lot of underslung work was carried out, typically between supply ships and shore, hence the need for rear view mirrors as can be seen in the picture below.Operations were based at RAF Mount Pleasant and this shot shows ex Aberdeen S-61, G-BBHM, parked in front of an RAF Tristar. The Tristars were used to ferry personal between U.K. and the Falklands via the Ascension Islands (file:///C:/Users/Dave/Desktop/skyweaver/images/falkmod_big.jpg), the journey taking approximately 18 hours and covering 7,400 miles (ish).

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falk2.jpg



The work involved ferrying personal and supplies around the islands' various outposts. This photo shows the "Club Class" area in the S-61 cabin. Fresh fruit available on this flight!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falk3.jpg



A legacy from the war were the infamous "Penguin Mines". Apparently, the enemy forced many penguins to swallow mines in the hope that they would wander into British held areas and detonate.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falk4.jpg




But seriously, the Islands shores are teeming with wildlife and flights to visit the Penguin and Sea-Lion colonies were one of the highlights of a Falklands posting. O.K. except for all of you that never got out of this place:
A fine collection of Bristows "wildlife".

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falkbar2.jpg

And a few shots that illustrate the bleakness of the place including Stanley golf course, the most Southerly in the world - and the roughest? Pics form Chas Ducat if I remember rightly.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/ducat4.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/ducat2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/ducat3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/ducat5.jpg



The Real Falklands!

Thanks to Andrew Rice for the following:

Bristow operations started in 1983 and were based at Stanley airport along with Phantoms, C130s and Seakings. There was no hangar and facilities were minimal. Accommodation was in barges on Stanley Inner Harbour (Now used as prison ships!). Washing was all done at the airport porta-cabin, except when the water tank froze.... Crew change was by C130 to Ascension, and sometimes all the way to the UK, with in-flight refuelling.
The first surveyor for the Mount Pleasant Airport was landed on the virgin site by Bristow S61 in 1984.
The following are pics from the early years.

Bristow offices and wheels at Stanley, 1984.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falklands_ar1.jpg




Getting there - Business class on the C130!, 1983.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falklands_ar2.jpg


Getting there 2 - C130 refuelling from a Victor tanker ex Ascension Islands.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falklands_ar4.jpg


The Coastel accommodation, Stanley inner harbour, c1984.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falklands_ar3.jpg


I'll add a few Falklands people pics in my next post..............

[Dave Ed]

Falklands 2

More wildlife..............

Name this lot! Being blurry adds to the challenge.....I am not attempting it....last time I incorrectly put Dave Mallock in a bar in Argentina and this pic has another DSM look-a-like! Some of them were in a pic in previous post.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falkgroup_big-1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falkmod_big.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/uplandgoosegroup.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/falkbar.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Falklands/2eng61.jpg


Got to put a few extra hours into a C-check these next few weeks so might not get time to post for a while........

[Dave Ed]

Kerala, India

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/India/map_kerala.gif


Tim Arnett provided the following for my original website......


I have just happened on your site and history of the company. I note that in your Bases section India is mentioned but perhaps you are not aware of the operation carried on there from 1962 to 1964. The intention was for Bristows to start a company in partnership with a Bombay outfit called Cambata Aviation (Pvt) and the principal task was spraying rubber in Kerala (South India). Approximately eight pilots were involved and Bell 47G and Hiller 12A and C machines were shipped out.


We had links with Tata-Fison, BP, and Shell Chemicals if my memory serves. The operation manager was Cyril Chresta who had previously been in Iran, I was senior pilot, the local company was to be called Aerocrop and we used that name locally. We flew the Bells and Hillers (plus one 12E of Cambata's) the length and breadth of India, often by strapping jerry cans of fuel onto the outside of the helicopters when out of sight of the airport authorities. I obtained an Indian licence and have the distinction of holding Indian Commercial Helicopter Pilots Licence serial number 1, issued 2-9-1963.


Plans to set up a permanent Indian operation in conjunction with a local company fell through after we had done three years of the South India rubber spraying and other work including some oil exploration support in the north just below the Himalayas. Redhill in fact pulled us out just as I was signing up for a new house there, we had wives accompanying us. The initial base was to be in Bangalore, then Bombay and finally Hyderabad the ex Nizam's principality, was selected, my first daughter was born there. It would probably have been a good long term operation but Redhill politics decreed otherwise.
The photos were taken in Kerala, probably on a rubber estate called Shaliacary in April 1963, the following year I was flying the Hiller 12E there. We charged I think 10 rupees per acre for the rubber which was quite profitable.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/India/kerala47turnround.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/India/kerala47spraying.jpg

[Blackhorse]

I am a US former helicopter pilot. 6 thousand plus hours in various types, military, offshore gulf of Mexico, Alaska, etc, etc. After reading through most of the posts on this page, i realize I really have done nothing compared to you guys. My hat is off to you all. Never worked for Bristow but came close with the purchase of Offshore Helicopters inc at Sabine Pass Texas. I actually left for a fixed wing job a few months prior. I digress. I have greatly enjoyed the stories of family connections and living in some of the far away places on contract. Different world, different time. I salute you all

Clint Polansky

[Dave Ed]

Indonesia, Djambi

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Djambi/fareastmap2.jpg



Bristows have had numerous operations in Indonesia and it would be impossible to mention every one of them as many bases consisted of no more than a landing pad and a few refuelling drums. The bases covered in my next few posts will give an insight into the types of operations carried out.


One Sumatran operation was Djambi which was used to support helirig operations.
The pictures show some of the earlier aircraft used at Djambi, such as the Wessex and Bell 206, plus a typical onshore drilling rig and accommodation.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Djambi/djambi1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Djambi/djambi2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Djambi/djambi3x.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Djambi/djambi5.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Djambi/djambi4.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Djambi/ppdjambi2.jpg

[Savoia]

The 206 is VR-BCR which began life as G-AVSZ (an Agusta-Bell) and the ninth JetRanger delivered to the UK .. in August of 1967.

In 1968 she was transferred to Indonesia (initially wearing her Bermudan registration VR-BCR as per the photo). She went on to fly as .. PK-HBD, PK-HBZ and VH-BEQ before returning to the UK in the early 90's where she remained on the register until 2011.

[Dave Ed]

Duri

See map from a couple of posts back.

This picture shows the "old" Duri hangar as it was during the Eighties, the types in the hangar being Bells 205 and 206.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/duribase.jpg



And moving on a bit, this was the improved set up.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/durinewhangar.jpg



Bell 205, PK-HBU carrying out a typical task.The main client was Caltex-Pacific and the work involved servicing the onshore oil rigs and seismic exploration. The vast amounts of underslung work was ideally suited to the 205, however, flying over the Sumatran jungle was risky stuff in a single engined aircraft.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/pkhbu.jpg




Upmarket Duri with twin-engined Bell 212s, new hangar and new paint scheme.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/durinew.jpg


The staff roster was 2 weeks on and 10 days back to Singapore.
This is typical of the accommodation when on site, the house name being "Chateau Bristeau"

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/durihouse.jpg



Taken in 1980, winch training at Duri using Bell 205, PK-HCE.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/duriz1.jpg


.......and 212 PK-HCF

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/duriwinching.jpg


Bell 205 respray, 1974.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/duri205respray.jpg



Bell 205 birdstrike, the bird in question ending up on the co-pilot's seat.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/205birdstrike1.jpg



1974, Duri based Bell 205 under-slinging Bulldozer bits.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/205bulldozer.jpg


Indonesian work horses.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/duri205s.jpg

A couple of Duri 206's sporting the Bristow-Masayu logo.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/duri206s.jpg


PK-HBK recovery after overspeed induced engine failure.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/kh205pkhbk.jpg


Possible non-fatal tail rotor failure.............


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/khbent206.jpg

.......and finally.....

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Duri/205tigerclearing.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Indonesia, Masalembo 1970

As we continue working through Indonesia....................an article from Frank Chammings.

Bristow Base Jan 1970 to October 1970 Masalembo, Indonesia, an island between Java and Borneo.

Chief Pilot: Bill Farnell
Line Pilot: Daniel Pouron, replaced by Phil Barriball approx August 1970
Chief Engineer: Frank Chammings
Radio Engineer: Ian Black replaced by Ian Dobson
Line Engineers: Mike Austin, replaced by Don McQuaig and Clive Hughes.

Aircraft: WS55 Series 3, PK-HBM, in support of Union Carbide drilling for oil off east coast of Borneo in the Makassar Straits.

About twice a week, the aircraft took off from Masalembo for Surabaya where it picked up pax and freight from the Djakarta DC9, it then flew to Masalembo for refuelling and then to Pualu Laut, an island off the south-east corner of Borneo where we had set up a refuelling stop and then to the drilling ship run by Zapata. The trip from Masalembo and back took 7 ½ hours and was then the longest operational run for a single engine helicopter, probably in the world.

The refuelling stop at Pualu Laut was actually a hand pump with drums of Jet A-1, the drums were transported to the island by a workboat and were underslung to the island. On one occasion the helicopter shut down for lunch on land, Ian Dobson and I were on the MV Millentor a German crewed workboat. After eating, we waited for the helicopter to finish moving the drums, we could see it through the trees with the rotors not turning. After a while we realised that the crew were on the beach trying to attract our attention so we requested the captain to launch the lifeboat. So much for German efficiency, the lifeboat engine wouldn’t start and it took an age to get going, eventually at nightfall, we got the crew onboard with the flat batteries from the 55. The boat was short of rations so we only had a fried egg each for supper, Ian really suffered. The batteries were charged up overnight and we eventually got the aircraft started and we made straight back to Masalembo, leaving the fuel drums on the boat.

Every hole drilled was dry so the operation ended, we were getting fed up doing six weeks on and one week off anyway and having to go by a small ship from Surabaya to Masalembo everytime.

Bill Farnell was a character, he used to fly Dakotas in the war in Burma. At one operation before pilots wore uniforms, he joined the passengers in a Whirlwind and sat down, as if pressed for time he kept looking at his watch and saying if the pilot doesn’t hurry up, I’ll fly this myself. Eventually, he got out of the cabin and climbed into the cockpit and made remarks like “ I think this is the right switch” and started the engine, apparently only one passenger got out.

At Masalembo, before starting up, in front of the passengers, he asked me which direction he should take for Surabaya, so I pointed over the sea. We later learned that a senior BP geologist was on board.

[Dave Ed]

Indonesia, Natuna

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Natuna/map_southchinasea.jpg


Conoco had a long operating history in Indonesia where the company was the operator of the Block B, Tobong and Northwest Natuna Sea Block II production sharing contracts.

Natuna: Find and enjoy the exotic virginal beauty of Natuna and surrounding Islands. The blend of land, water and mountains has enhanced the Island of tremendous richness. This is a place of paradise for people who believe vacations should be pure escape, pleasure and tranquility. The rhythms of tides, travels of the sun and stars, the waxing and waning of the moon should become memorable spaces of warmth and ease.
So, yet another Bristow posting to paradise! de

The following was provided by Dick Jones:-

Natuna Besar Base 1970.
Natuna started off with two Wessex and later an S6IN was added in 1971.
Initial crew.
Pilots:- Mike Ratcliffe (C.P.), Huw Smith and Dave Cramp.
Engineers:- Dick Jones (C.E.), Horst Voight, Alec Smart, Pete Robson,
Geoff Chandler and lan Black.

New Year's Eve 1970/71.
At this time the camp was being constructed by CONOCO and we lived on a small oceanographer vessel on the river at the Kampong Penagi . The camp site was being guarded by the Indonesian Airforce at night. Whilst our crew was celebrating New Year's eve on the boat, a local lady ran amok on the campsite and chased off the armed guards and set about wrecking our hangar. She threw shovels and picks down the exhaust pipes of both Wessex, raided our store and threw many of our spares about the place and our spare radar sets were thrown into a cement mixer. She then stripped off and placed a pitot head cover in an appropriate place, threw a plastic bag over her head and climbed halfway up the 200 ft HF antenna where she was found the next morning. There was minimal damage to the helicopters but our spares were in a bit of a state.
The poor lady was arrested by the locals and tied up and locked in a nearby hut but she escaped twice in the next two weeks and eventually they could not contain her and she was sedated and flown by Wessex to a village at a neighbouring group of islands. Peace returned to paradise.
We renamed the island Natuna Beserk.

Photo: Wessex at Natuna Besar on the airfield with Mount Ranai in the background. The fuel drums were shipped in from Singapore and the locals swam them in from the barge which lay about a mile offshore. Not all of the drums made it to the airfield, and the local hillsides were aglow with kerosene lamps at night.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Natuna/natuna1.jpg

[Saint Jack]

Reference Post #2065, 14th picture showing "...Duri based 206 after non-fatal tail rotor failure". if I remember correctly, this accident was caused by incorrectly installed tail rotor driveshaft bearing hangars. They were fitted using the diagram in the IPB for guidance, unfortunately unknown to the mechanics the diagram was wrong and showed the spring-loaded clamps on the opposite (wrong) side. As luck would have it, on this particular helicopter, one of the bearings failed and eventually seized. In this situation, the spring-loaded clamp should have opened-up (under the rotational influence of the seized bearing) and allowed the entire bearing to rotate in the hangar giving the helicopter time to get on the ground. But instead, the rotation of the tail rotor driveshaft caused the clamp to grip the seized bearing tighter until the driveshaft failed.

As can be seen from the photograph, the helicopter made a reasonable landing under the circumstances (i.e. jungle-like terrain) but unfortunately a tree stump penetrated the pilots side of the cockpit (see photograph) and caused major injuries the pilot. He was a tall, lanky Austrian who eventually ended up, if I remember correctly, with a steel pin in his hip (?) before eventually resuming flying duties. By the way, he was also a keen amateur photographer and cook, I still have one of his photographs on my wall. The last time I saw him he was flying 212's in Iran.

The incorrect IPB diagram was quickly identified and corrected, following this Bell sent a letter to all operators telling mechanics not to use the diagrams in the IPB for assembly guidance - the letter emphasized that the IPB was for part identification only and that the maintenance manual must be used for assembly work. Sadly, even today, I see many mechanics going to the IPB to determine which-parts-go-where.

[Dave Ed]

Having cracked most of a Bell 412 C-check, and suffered a short notice CAA annual audit.......plus a PT6 engine change...got to be one of the most time consuming engine changes of any aircraft.....all those b****y firewalls!!! Bring back the 205.........

Indonesian leftovers

A few pictures from a variety of Indonesian locations...............

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/205skip.jpg

Moving a seismic team.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/205clearing.jpg


Serolungan, pilot Hugh Smith.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/205hut.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/b206_indonesia_big.jpg


Sometimes it's the only option.........

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/212andigger.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/jv3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/sandiepkhbo1.jpg


....and a couple from Badak, the base being two pics sellotaped together! No doubt there would be an "Ap" to do it nowadays.....

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/badakbase.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesia%20misc/badak206.jpg


Might have posted these way back but as they are good pics it'll put them in context.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PK-HBUSumatra.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/CPIDuri3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/CPIDuri4.jpg


The previous two pics have obvious downwash........this one doesn't...looks weird??

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/CPIDuri1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20misc/205jung.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/CPI%20Duri/durisunset.jpg
end

[Dave Ed]

Indonesian People 1 of 2

As usual the original pics were rather small so I've blown them up a little which makes them a little blurry.......


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/durigroup3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/barduriin.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/barduriout.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/durigroup_cn.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/durigroup2.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/durigroup1.jpg

This was the bird involved in the bird strike a few posts ago....ended up on co-pilot's seat

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/205birdstrike2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/ppduri205.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Indonesia, Jim Hubbell

Before I finish off Indonesia with people 2, a short article.

Thanks to Jim Hubbell for the following information on Bristow operations in Indonesia, sent in for the original web site

I'm not in the helicopter business, but worked for many years in Indonesia using Bristow-Masayu helicopters. I knew a lot of Bristow people who were there between 1969 and 1985. I have a number of photographs taken in various places, such as Lhoksukon, Sumatra (1969--Mobil Oil job), Jambi, Sumatra (1981), and Borneo near Samarinda on a Huffco job.

My company was GSI, Geophysical Service Int./ aka earlier as ISSA, Indonesia Surveys, S.A.. We operated a number of crews for Caltex over the years, and had base camps in Duri, Dumai, Rumbai, Muaratembisi (Jambi), where Bristow provided support for moving our field crews and supply transport.

The black and white photos below are of PK-HBF, shot about 1970 or early 71. If I recall, (Fred) Dermawan began working for Bristow in the Lhoksukan seismic operation for Mobil Oil. The seismic company was ISSA, Indonesia Surveys S.A., and we were based a Lhoksukon, Sumatra, in Aceh near the coast on the northeast end of Sumatra. He eventually became one of the wheels running the Indonesian operation in Jakarta. These pictures of him were the first time he actually flew on the job--from what I remember and what he told me.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Jim%20Hubbell/jimhub1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Jim%20Hubbell/jimhub2.jpg


The Chief Pilot was Bill Pollard. Another pilot on the job was *******, an American who left after pranging PK-HBC (or something similar), a new 206. He hung the cargo net on the skid at the rear (before there was a cable to prevent it), and the "helicopter co-ordinator" signalled him to lift off.. Instead of lifting, he went over and the main rotor hit the ground. It came apart like a cheap watch.

HUFFCO operation. Bristow was at Badak. This one was taken at the GSI field base camp at Lambonang, SW of Samarinda.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Jim%20Hubbell/jimhub3.jpg


It is a small village on a tidal creek, and we rented a house there. Bristow used our pad as a fuel staging area for a rig they were moving during the time I took the picture. Normally the 206 was the only helicopter that landed there. We used it occasionally for scouting and supplying the field when we were working away from timber roads or waterways.

[parabellum]

5th picture down of Duri 1974, guy on the right biting his finger is Stan Chapman. Stan was in the original engineering team that set the operation up in 1968, Chas House, Dave Hingly, Dennis Gillman, John Cromwell and the late Harry Luffman were others in the team, Bob Potts was the Chief Engineer. Some of that team were on board the BOAC 707 heading for Singapore that had an engine fire on take off at LHR, came back and evacuated.

The late Barry Newman was the Manager, John Odlin the CP, other pilots were Jack Trigg, Tony English, John Waddington, Gabby Gaard and the late Dave Barnes. Jack Brannon was the crew coordinator.

[Ainippe]

Is Stan Chapman and his brother Eric still alive? Does anyone know?

[Dave Ed]

Indonesian People 2

To finish off Indonesia..................

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/duripeople4.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/duripeople3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/duripeople2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/duripeople5.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/duripeople1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/durilocalshift.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/duristaff.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Indonesian%20people/duritiger.jpg

Iran next..........................

[RVDT]

PK-HBU

Still lives on as N205HQ

Last flew it as VH-NST in 1989 and it had ~19,500 hours on it then!

Great machines. :D

[Dave Ed]

Iran 1

"......the decision to pull out of Iran was not taken lightly, severing a link which was forged in 1956......."

Bristows were in Iran for 23 years ( 1956-1979) with bases/staging posts all over the country so I'll skip a map for this one.

Teheran, Khorramshahr, Bahregan Oil Centre, Kharg Island, Shiraz, Bushehr, BICC, BOC, BAFQ, Kerman, Resaleigh, Galehmurghi, Lavan Island, Boshire, Baragan, Geotronics, Kerman, Yazd, Tabas, Rashed, Razir, Gach Saran and Khosrovabad are all places which have appeared in various people's e-mails, Bristow archives and the "request for information" sheets I sent out many years ago. Some of the spellings are no doubt rather dubious and trying to trace them in my favourite 1961 atlas also came up with a lot of blanks so I won't try to put them all on a map at this stage!

I bet this web page below doesn't "go viral" but a useful reference with the multiple registrations some of the old machines use to carry. With Iran coming to an end the year I joined Bristows I was to spend the next 24 years working on a variety of ex-Iran 212s. I would assume all the G-reg machines were Bristows but some, such as EP-HBF, never made UK registration.

ROTORSPOT - Complete Civil Rotorcraft Register of Iran (http://www.rotorspot.nl/ep.htm)

About forty pics for Iran from a number of people who I mostly can't remember!

So we start with Vintage Iran.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/alysgordon3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/alysgordon8.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/alysgordon5.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/alysgordon7.jpg

A couple of Whirlwinds on contract to IPAC (Iran Pan American Oil Company) which operated at a place called Khosrovabad, about 20 miles south of Abadan, which was an old abandoned oil camp from Mossadeq's time. As you can see, the rotors are perfectly synchronised which was achieved by judicial use of the rotor brake..........or so the story goes. Ian Clark and Ken Bradley being the pilots. Circa 1960

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/agiranhorse.jpg


Whirlwind, EP-HAK at the summit of Mt. Neizar, 1970.
The aicraft was detached from Khorramshahr to help with the installation of microwave stations.
Crewing:- Eng. Colin Miller, Plt. D.Smith.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/cmiran1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/cmiran2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/cmdsiran.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/alysgordon4.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/jv12.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/Shah.jpg

[heli1]

AODA is in the Helicopter Museum,sadly post Gnome conversion but the museum also has a set of those enormous floats but no idea how to fit them,assuming they would still inflate after all this time!

[Dave Ed]

Iran 2


Types known to have operated in Iran include WS 55s, Bells 47, 204, 205, 206, 212, Allouette 3 and HS125.
This is Bell 205, EP-HBK awaiting its next task.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran2.jpg


Bristows had a long contract with the German geo-seismic company, Prakla. They were endeavouring to map out the Iranian countryside in terms of possible mineral deposits and to this end Bristows were tasked with moving the associated equipment from base to base. The pink caravan was a mobile workshop from which an aircraft could be maintained.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran3.jpg


A typical base camp with a Bell 212 and the mobile workshop visible. The bases were operational for, typically, 3 months and surveying would be carried out in the mountains in Summer and on the plains in the Winter.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran4.jpg



Conditions could be fairly basic as can be seen and stories of people waking up with frost on the sleeping bag have been heard.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran5.jpg


Prakla mobile homes, 1978.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/kdmobilehomes.jpg



Prakla toilet, 1978. Susequently destroyed by wayward US drone strike.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/kdtoilet.jpg


A couple of Sundowners.......Levan Island.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/kdsundowners1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/kdsundowners2.jpg


The hangar at Zagros. Most types operated from here. The sign on the hangar door says Iranian Helicopter Aviation Company who were Bristows partners.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran6.jpg


One of the mobile laboratories having just been delivered by a 212, in the background. These were hooked up by miles of cable to geo-phones which would pick up acoustic feedback from the surrounding strata after a series of explosive charges were detonated.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran7.jpg


Aircraft could make up to 70-80 landings per day ferrying the labs, interconnecting cables, explosive charges and personnel. This is Bell 212 VR-BEE on a typical task. Engineers also doubled up as load masters.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran8.jpg


Bell 206, EP-HAR, operating out of Bagharan.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iranb206ephar.jpg


Iran Zagros base. EP-HAY Bell 206A and EP-HAM Agusta Bell 204 with Gnome engine.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/fpzagros.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Iran 3

47s, Allouettes, 212s and a bit of a 206!

Back of photos: Bristow archives.
"Military training in Iran"


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/sandieb47iran70.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/sandieiran47s.jpg



An Allouette 3 probably in Iran. The sign says "Welcome to Gunis".

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/irangunisallouette.jpg


Iran Lavan Island base.
EP-HAD Allouette 3 coming into hover.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/fplavan1.jpg



Iran Lavan Island base.
EP-HAD Allouette 3 with S55 in back ground.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/fplavan2.jpg


......and a picture I've posted before.......


That was taken by Sr. Captain Gunter Burmeister, who is now in Nigeria. It was taken in 1975 while working on the BICC contract at Bavush, Iran. We were engaged to help build a high tension power line that required lots of serious longline underslung load work. The base camp was at 7200 feet msl and the average work site was at 4500 feet msl with outside air temperatures approaching +45 C during the summer. Landed one sling load at 13,000 feet while on that job. The pilot in the Alouette 3 is none other than myself....thirty pounds lighter and a whole lot more hair in those days. That very well may have been the Alouette that crashed later and was written off. Burmeister was the pilot at the time of the crash. The aircraft lost a tail rotor gear box and came to rest on a very steep mountain slope.

Ralph Chappell


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/alouette_persia_big.jpg


.........and a few 212s...

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/212iran.jpg

Zagross 1975

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/Zagross1975.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/nightprakla.jpg

.........and after the pull out, at Redhill.....a few of these are probably still flying somewhere today.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran212slorries.jpg

Who is the guy surfing one of them................

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/212s_redhill_big.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/redhill11212s.jpg


........and finally....a bit of 206................

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Iran/iran206cowl.jpg

[Alan Biles]

The surfer on the Redhill 212's looks like Billy Denman.

The fat git standing on the skid of 'CF in post #2065 is me!

[vfr440]

Hey, you ole Bristow chaps from Iran will remember Terry Watts? Sadly I didn't belong to the elite who worked Iran in the '70s since I was in Canada with Okanagan. :ouch: But I had the great pleasure of working with Terry when he migrated South from Dollar in Coventry and became QM at Denham and later Blackbushe in the late 90's. He was with me on the Tech Committee of BHAB (now BHA) right up to his retirement in 2001/2.

IIRC he retired to a 'rural' farmhouse in the Loire valley with his own personal vineyard :D .......... & a co-operative winery just down the road.:eek:

I went off to the sandpit for 3 1/2 years and no-one I've spoken to since that time has heard of him. Anyone give me a steer, phone, landline, e-m? VERY much appreciated if you can :ok: Best ~ VFR

[Ainippe]

Sorry I have not heard of Terry for many years.

I worked for Terry in Iran whilst on Seis 4, great bloke to work for so I recall. He certainly helped keep us out there after a visit by Bill Petrie(God rot his soul :mad:).

As for EP-HBF the Allouette 3, I flew up from Zagross with the 212 and helped undersling her off the side of the mountain after her unfortunate demise.

[Dave Ed]

Italy

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Italy/map_italy.gif



In 1996 Bristows deployed an S76 to Helitalia, an associate company, to operate on a contract awarded by Enterprise Oil to support an offshore drilling programme.
The aircraft operated out of Brindisi with a short round trip time of approximately half an hour.

Carrying the Helitalia logo, S76 G-BVKP awaits the next sortie under moody Italian skies.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Italy/brindisis76.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Taking a break from bases..........................an interlude....

Odd Jobs

Over the years Bristow Helicopters have been tasked with a wide ranging variety of missions. Here are just a few of the more unusual.


A Yarmouth based Wessex under-slinging the one millionth Ford Cortina across to Belgium.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/odjob_cortina.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/wessexart8.jpg


This Hiller 12 is carrying a guy in a Superman outfit hence the slogan on the float. It is circa 1960, possibly in Trinidad, the pilot being B.B. and the aircraft operated by British United Airways.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/odjob_superman.jpg


Parking on the apron was not treated lightly in the old days as can be seen in this early picture of the Stuffins van being "towed" away as the owner looks on horrified.
Circa 1965 Bristow Wessex 60 about to lift a 17 cwt van at Redhill.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/wessexandvan.jpg


Wessex G-ASWI carrying Dinosaurs - no, not the crew but real dinosaurs on their way to the "Black Gang Chine" theme park on the Isle of Wight.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/wessexdinosaurs.jpg



Oil company Conoco paid for a nurses van to be underslung to the island of Foula, West of Shetland, Capt Bob Innes, Cop Terry Wolfe- Milner and crew Gerald Flaws and Alan Taylor with Vince Cain on the ground. Dated 27th May 1976.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/oddjobnursescar.jpg



18th February, 1980. Crewed by Capts Russ Smith, Peter Cole and crewman Gerald Flaws, S61 G-BDIJ rescues a Loganair Islander which had ended up in a stream on the island of Rousay when touching down in a gale.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/oddjobislander.jpg


Duncan Leech writes (wrote!): This postcard turned up at Aberdeen University shop. The Bell 206 was at Inverness in the early 70s.
The pilot is believed to be Paul Gliddon (2nd from the right).

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/triumphspitfires.jpg


No details on this one.
It is a picture of Wessex G-AVNE underslinging a minivan whilst winching.
Trials for the first R.A.C. get you home service!?

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Odd%20Jobs/jv26.jpg

[Savoia]

Dave Ed: The Bristow thread was one of the first of the 'longer' threads that I trawled through over a period of time after joining PPRuNe. It remains one of my favourite and this is made so in no small measure due to your magnificent contributions. Fantastic! :D

There are some splendid memories captured here and I have especially enjoyed the photographic contributions of Alan Biles, Gabra1, HOGE, he1iaviator, Rosh, Schinthe, Soggyboxers, S61-S92 and of course .. Tail-take-off .. to mention but a few!

[Dave Ed]

Thanks for the appreciation Savoia :)
About another 600 pics should wrap things up from me!

They may not be the best resolution images ever taken but I am great believer that in the world of media it doesn't matter how many pixels, how BIG the TV screen, how many stars in the film. ......It all comes down to the story/content. Many of the greatest moments in TV/films/images have been captured in low resolution, grainy, old black and white.

[Tail-take-off]

There are some splendid memories captured here and I have especially enjoyed the photographic contributions of Alan Biles, Gabra1, HOGE, he1iaviator, Rosh, Schinthe, Soggyboxers, S61-S92 and of course .. Tail-take-off .. to mention but a few!

Savoia

I'm very glad that you enjoy this thread. 17 years & 2 employers later I still look back at my short time with Bristows with great nostalgia, & follow every post here avidly although I've contributed very little recently.

The inspiration for starting the thread was the demise of Dave Ed's Skyweaver site which was a wealth of fascinating information, photos & anecdotes. Many of which would never be allowed into any official company history. I find it very pleasing that Dave has seen fit to start migrating his material over here. Keep it up Dave!

TTO

[Dave Ed]

Ferry Land

Many off us have faced the interesting challenge of ferrying aircraft by land, sea or air. I remember one of my Cyprus 412s arriving by lorry at Redhill 11 years ago....here are a few others......

There are many reasons why helicopters are moved about by lorry :
- It may have been damaged in an accident and needs to be transported to a place of repair.
- It may need transporting to the docks, in kit form, for an onward journey by ship.
- Scrapped or out of "useful life" machines need moving to museums or breakers yards.
- etc etc.

Below are just a few examples of the jobs carried out by Redhill's transport team.

29th April 1986.
Westland Widgeon from Warden Park school, Cuckfield, Sussex to British Rotorcraft Museum, Weston-Super-Mare, Avon.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ferry%20Land/ferryland1.jpg


13th May 1986.
Westland Whirlwind, ex Warden Park school, on its way to East Midlands Aero Park, Donington, Derby.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ferry%20Land/ferryland2.jpg


6th March 1986.
Westland Wessex about to board the Red Funnel ferry at Southampton on its way to Cowes, Isle of Wight. Probably on its way to the breakers yard. Sad.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ferry%20Land/ferryland3.jpg



13th March 1986.
Bell 212 arriving at Redhill's main hangar after a pick up from Tilbury Docks.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ferry%20Land/ferryland4.jpg



April 1993.
Transportation of Aerospatiale SA321F Super Frelon from Marignane to The International Helicopter Museum,Weston-Super-Mare.
At the time this was probably the largest helicopter to be moved by road in Europe and took a total of ten days.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ferry%20Land/ferryland5.jpg



Early nineties.
A couple of Bell 212s departing Redhill on their way to a UN contract in Somalia.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ferry%20Land/un212slorry.jpg



"Rotor Runner II" and "Blade Runner II" - 1999.
"RR II" has a Tiger on board.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ferry%20Land/bristowrunners.jpg

[Tail-take-off]

Thought you might have included the S61 wreck being delivered to the Redhill hangar for rebuild or are you saving that for the Redhill engineering section?

[Savoia]

April 1993.
Transportation of Aerospatiale SA321F Super Frelon from Marignane to The International Helicopter Museum,Weston-Super-Mare.
At the time this was probably the largest helicopter to be moved by road in Europe and took a total of ten days.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Ferry%20Land/ferryland5.jpg


Aye aye!

Seem to recall Heli1 making mention of this craft at some point in the past.

Look forward to seeing it when eventually I get to Weston. :ok:

[SASless]

When the 212's arrived in Somalia....we discovered the one thing missing was the "Jesus Nut" Socket.....but I was able to scrounge one off the USMC Helicopter Detachment up the road.

The look on the Gunnery Sergeant's face as I explained why I needed one was a Kodak Moment! Answering his question as to exactly "Why" we were short the Socket was a bit embarrassing but got much easier when I explained I was but a mere Yank working for a British company got me more than a bit of sympathy and assistance. He later gave us really good support in all manner of ways....Helicopter folks being Helicopter folks no matter the clothes we wear.

[heli1]

Great to see those transport pix. Alan and later Bryan Collins were great supporters of the BRM/ Helicopter Museum and we built a great rapport with the very professional transport team. The most interesting move was moving the Hind from East Germany to Weston super Mare.
We were told to reduce the height to 13ft 9in as I recall to fit on their especial low trailer.We did that but when the trucks arrived they discovered the bridges were lower than in the west.....Our team had to work through the night to reduce the height still further and to avoid the convoy missing the booked ferry back from the Hook of Holland. Great memories and many thanks to those guys.it was a great shame when the company later closed down the transport department and outsourced.Thos guys really knew what they were doing and we had absolute trust in them. Thanks wherever you are.

[Dave B]

SASless story reminds me of the time myself and Ringo Renno went to a port in Belgium to unload a Bristow 212 from a ship. We got it assembled and flown off in the normal days work, but there was also a 212 from another company in Saudi Arabia, on its way to an aviation company in Germany for a check. The guy from Germany arrived to unload this aircraft, dressed in a suit, carrying a brief case, and with no tools.
After trying to borrow tools from us all day, we took pity on him, and after we had finished the BHL job, we quickly dismantled his aircraft and put it on a truck for him.
That evening a lot of international beer was drunk.

[Dave Ed]

Kazakhstan

Dave B .....timely anecdote mentioning Ringo......a legend in his own lifetime.....here he is in Kazakhstan, a bit over dressed.......where is he now?

Had to change the tense in this one as it was up and running when I wrote the original.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kazakhstan/mapkazak.jpg


Provision of two Bell 212 helicopters to support OKIOC'S (Offshore Kazakhstan International Oil Consortium) offshore exploration activities.
The contract was a joint venture between Bristow and a local operator, Atyrau Aue Zholy, with Bristows supplying two Bell 212s plus crews and A.U.Z. providing a Tupolev Tu 134 plus back up. The operation was based at Atyrau and as can be seen on the map many atlases still show the old soviet name, Guryev.
Early drilling results were very successful threatening to be one of the biggest oil finds in history.

Taken June 1998, when the operation commenced, the Bristow hangar being the big one on the right. The airport is 30Nm from the North coast of the Caspian Sea, about 5 miles outside town.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kazakhstan/kazak1.jpg



The hangar.
Work rota was 6 weeks on and 4 weeks off with on-site accommodation being in the form of rented apartments in town.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kazakhstan/kazak2.jpg



Bell 212, G-BIXV, shortly after its arrival at Atyrau. G-BFER was the other.
Rig was about 1 hour round trip with the 212s averaging about 60 hours per month. One aircraft was used on the contract and the second was a standby SAR machine.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kazakhstan/kazak3.jpg



XV in V.I.P. fit ready for Presidential visit. Note the carpet!
Eric the cat clearly approves.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kazakhstan/kazak4.jpg



Engineering staff also in V.I.P. fit ready for presidential visit.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kazakhstan/kazak5.jpg



The Tu 134 flew from Atyrau to Budapest twice weekly taking 3.75 hrs, plus ad-hoc internal flights for the oil company. The operation of this aircraft was part of the contract requirement although the maintenance was not. Assistance was provided as required.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kazakhstan/kazak6.jpg


Natalies

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kazakhstan/Natilies.jpg

[Plank Cap]

Memories flooding back......... spent a couple of months in 2002 freelancing for Bristows driving the 'temporary' S76 G-BJFL in Atyrau. Great bunch of guys and girls to work with. Arrived in the February, daily temperatures of -20C and a frozen northern Caspian, one could have walked to the rigs over the ice! Two months later when Spring had sprung, +15C was the norm and all the white stuff long gone.

As well as offshore support occasionally the odd ad hoc charter would come our way, such as the seal surveys we would do down to the south of the Kashagan Field. Remember flying over what used to be an old Soviet era gunnery range, littered with numerous carcasses of expired Russian ships. They sat lying on their sides, targeted by their air force for practice in years gone by, now just left as rusting hulks. Rather a sad sight in a strange way.

In the picture taken from the atlas above, the Aral Sea east of the Caspian is virtually no longer, having been drained by man for agricultural purposes. Very bizarre to sea old ships beached in what appears a desert with no water in sight.

Best story of my short stay in Atyrau came from one of the Russian co-pilots I flew with. In a previous life he had flown Mil 8s in the area, and one day had a large buzzardy type bird come through the windscreen during the cruise. Being made of solid stuff the impact didn't kill the bird, merely winged it on its journey between both pilots and into the rear of the cabin. Somewhat shocked and annoyed at its surprise arrival into the Mil, it then preceded to attack the passengers. The crew got the aircraft onto the ground, and the bird lived out its days hopping around the hangar being fed by the engineers........... You couldn't make it up!

[Dave Ed]

TTO......were you referring to this one...?

1971. Ex Elivie S61N (post crash). Bristows bought the wreck, ferried it to Redhill and after some extensive work produced a North Sea work horse.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/AZDC/azdcbeforeb.jpg



Another Bristow legend, Jean Dennell, overseeing the arrival of what was to become G-AZDC.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/AZDC/ppjdennellf.jpg



Trenches were dug and a cut out made in the hangar frontage to enable the semi-finished machine to escape the confines of the hangar!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/AZDC/s61_trench_big.jpg


G-AZDC was born.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/AZDC/azdcaftera.jpg

The pictures of the old machines seemed to have such clean lines.
The days before the multitude of safety mods and avionic systems.
22 antennae on my Cyprus 412s.....

[Tail-take-off]

Thanks Dave, they're the the ones. I remember seeing them in your old website & I was shocked that such a wreck could be returned to the skies. I always knew Bristow engineering was good but this must have been a monumental task.

She's still flying but 5' shorter than in these photos!

[Phil Kemp]

Where's the instructions on how to post pictures? Can't find them... ;)

[Tail-take-off]

Phil, you'll find them at this link:

http://www.pprune.org/spectators-balcony-spotters-corner/203481-image-posting-pprune-guide.html

[Dave Ed]

Kosovo

Not much operational/contract info on this one.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kosovo/map_kosovo.gif



G-BALZ in Dubrovnik , Croatia with Mi8 operated by Air Chayka from Ukraine.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kosovo/kosovoflightline.jpg



G-BALZ on finals into Belgrade Airport , Serbia.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kosovo/kosovoaerial.jpg



G-BALZ at U.N.helibase , Pristina , Kosovo with Capt. Robin Ball, Capt.Andy Rice , Eng.Chris Atkinson and Eng.Ian Shields.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kosovo/kosovogroup.jpg




Taken after a night mission using FLIR to check the mountainous Albanian border for smuggling activity where many arms/drugs and people etc cross in the hours of darkness. The pilots in the cockpit are Ivan Maritz and Don Burton.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kosovo/balzdark.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kosovo/balzsunset.jpg


Underslung ops in Kosovo with G-BALZ.
Flying are Jamie Jamieson, Peter Walker and Steve Armstrong with Chris Atkinson "hooking up" and Eric Greensmith on marshalling.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kosovo/balzundesling.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kosovo/kosovocrew.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Malaysia 1

Getting there..........

I've tweaked out the names should any of this be illegal!!! But as it was 43 years ago I guess all this sort of stuff was pretty common place. Some of these epic ferry flights needed an element of improvisation to actually make it to the final destination.........


The following ferry flight was extracted from an article by KR.

Ferry Flight Redhill to Kuantan (Malaya) Sept '70 ( Wessex G-AVNE)

I arrived back at Redhill to be told that there had been a hang up in visas and the aircraft was not ready and there was still discussion as to who the pilot would be. There was only one thing for it another quiet fortnight lounging around in "The Mill House Hotel" (Thank you Alan)

Eventually everything was sorted in true Bristow fashion and I was re-united with Wessex G-AVNE and introduced to the pilot BB M.B.E. and we set course for Gatwick for customs clearance. The aircraft had been fitted with overload tanks both internal and external and had no amount of "junk" in the back. In truth it was "slightly" over weight if fully fuelled so we took off from Gatwick with only half fuel. The idea was to head for Kuantan Malaya with a "few" stops in between.

Just as we were about to take off from Gatwick the aviation press, "Flight" and "Helicopter World" who had missed us at Redhill, collared us. B wasn't keen to talk to them and passed me off as the captain as we were both dressed in "civvies" I was left to do the talking with the result was that I am credited with flying the journey by the press. We lifted off for Tousous-le-Noble in France and B asked over the intercom whether I was one of Bristow's flying fitters and I had to admit that I was not. I had only recently left the Air force and I didn't have any chance to get any stick time in. Little did I realise what I was about to encounter.

In reply to my negative reply B said if you think that I am going to fly this bloody thing all the way to Malaya you're wrong. There were no flight stabilisation systems in Bristow's Wessex at that time and they took a bit of handling when heavy and at altitude. We landed in France with an escort of light aircraft who were very inquisitive and you would have thought that they had never seen a helicopter. We took of from Tousous-le Noble with a full fuel load and the only way we could get off was to taxi out to the runway and do a rolling take off (you can't do that on skids, thank god for wheels). After about an hour of flying, with B scribbling on his kneepad, he announced that we would miss out the stop at Lyons and go straight to Nice. I asked him how we were going to do that and he explained that if we flew single engine all the way we would have enough fuel. We had a dispensation to fly single engine on one of the legs in Iran from the A.R.B. (yes it wasn't the C.A.A. then) but not elsewhere but B's theory was it was better to try it out over a relatively populated area than over a mountainous desert area so he shut one engine down instructing me in the art of relighting it should he be involved with any emergency. His next communication was "Come on then it's your turn to fly" so I had my first flying lesson in an overweight Wessex, flying on one engine, and with no stabilisation system, a very reasonable introduction I thought.

We entered the Rhone valley at the top of the mountains with the intention of following it down to the sea and on to Nice and just as the mountains started to loom higher and higher on each side the fog and mist rolled down on top of us. There was no option but to set the aircraft down on the side of the mountain. Before doing this, B who by now had contact with Nice, sent a radio message to say we were landing at 3000 ft and wound the trailing aerial in and set the aircraft down with me hanging out of one window and him out the other. It was a textbook landing on sloping ground, amongst the pine trees very nearly requiring a change of underwear.

The mist lifted and we shot up and away extended the trailing aerial only to find the HF saying that Nice was about to launch a search for a lost aircraft. Nice hadn't realised that we were a helicopter and thought we had crashed at 3000ft. As we arrived towards the bottom of the valley the mist came down again and obscured everything but by this time B had ADF contact with Nice. He decided to head out towards the sea until the ADF needle indicated we were not over land and then proceeded to descend with me hanging out the window to look for the sea and, once seen, we headed for the beach and as soon as we saw it, landed. It turned out to be Marseille beach and as soon as the mist cleared we lifted off for Nice and a well-earned beer in a top class hotel (thanks again Alan) and thought about the days exploits. As I went to sleep I thought well if that is the first day what was the rest of the journey going to be like.

Next day we took of for Italy followed by Greece and Turkey and it was not until we arrived at our departure point in Turkey to leave for Iran that the trouble started. We had inadvertently landed in a military airfield whose name I forget when we should have landed at the civilian airfield running parallel in the next valley 2 miles away. This caused such a commotion as they were just about to start an air show for a visiting general and we were immediately suspected as being spies and were summoned to the control tower. At the control tower B managed to half talk his way out of it and the authorities said that they would refuel us if Istanbul gave permission but due to the communications problems in Turkey it would take until next day to get it. So we were driven to a hotel, had our passports removed, and we were virtually put under house arrest until next day so there was nothing else to do but spend some more of Alan's money sampling the local brew. We were picked up by the police next morning and driven to the airport refuelled and departed for Tehran. After an overnight stop in Tehran and a few more stops in Iran we headed for Pakistan doing the longest leg of the trip.

Our destination was a place in Pakistan called Pasni which is the most isolated place in the world being in the middle of the largest salt flats in the world and by the time we landed B leapt out of the aircraft jumping for joy shouting that he was the first person in the world to keep a Wessex in the air for almost FOUR HOURS, a feat not beaten until this day. All I can say is the fuel gauge was not indicating when he shut down. We would have celebrated with a beer but Pakistan being strictly Muslim there was no chance. That night we made Karachi and as Pakistan, at that time, had limited entry to foreigners we had to stay in designated hotels and could only spend "Tourist Rupees" which you could not change back when you left. The upside was that the Hotel sold beer as there were only foreigners staying in the hotel so once again we had to spend some of "Alan's" money.

It was all pretty mundane across northern India until we went to start up at Luknow when the No1 engine started but would not lift off. Hmmmm!!!! It was obviously a computer failure and we didn't have a spare so the old K R logic cut in. I wound the ground idle up as high as I dare and bypassed the lift off sequence of the computer, something that Rolls Royce says is impossible to do but they weren't stuck in the middle of India with a sick engine, anyway it continued to work all the way through Burma, Thailand, through Malaya to Kuantan where upon arrival the computer was changed.

The total time travelling was 14 days with a flight time of about 75 hrs.

[Ainippe]

I did the ferry flight out to Brindisi and stayed on for a month whilst the Italians did their crew training and then started the flying to the rig, which you could see from the airfield. Kev Smith came out and took over from me until the operation closed.

I then returned a year later with Helitalia(BHL) to look after a AB412. However the weather was so bad we hardly flew, so a couple of months of R&R basically.

Our relationship with Helitalia was to carry over to the next year when I was sent to Ravenna(Ancona) to look after one of the ex Hong Kong Aux Airforce S76's, very fickle beast. You had to start #1 engine first or you couldnt start #2. We had greenies out for a couple of months to try and sort it - we never did. Dave Pridmore(RIP) took over from me until completion of the contract when the machine went to Florence for a rebuild of the tail.

I enjoyed Italy, very laid back and great food. The red vino was very pleasant as well.

[Gordy]

This is G_BIXV today:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/helokat/212BT/PICT0004-HM.jpg

Sorry---could not resist......that was a photoshop job to mess with one of my pilots. This is the real pic:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/helokat/212BT/PICT0004-1.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/helokat/212BT/PICT0008_zps3b2ac09e.jpg

Her new role is as a fire fighting helicopter operated by Redding Air Service, she was on contract in Oregon for the last 4 years, the new contracts have yet to be awarded:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/helokat/212BT/IMG_0736_zpsdda4d47c.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/helokat/212BT/p1030653_zps60724c9a.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/helokat/212BT/photo7_zps4db5f6bf.jpg

[Zishelix]

Bristow's Westland Widgeon G-AOZO

http://s13.postimg.org/bszr30rtv/G_AOZO_Bristow_Westland_Widgeon.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/bszr30rtv/) ... sorry for poor quality of the image :(

[hico-p]

Dave Ed - I think I posted something on this ferry flight on the old Skyweaver website. Like BB, we had an eventful trip and even managed to fly for 4 hours 25 mins on one leg. - is that a record for the Wessie?

I wrote this up for my family as part of an autobiography so forgive the style!

"On June 30th, we finally set off from Redhill on what was planned as a two week flight to Singapore. JH, being senior to me was the aircraft Captain and we flew most of the trip down to India swopping seats; although when we got into the really nasty weather, as an ex Navy IR instructor, I seemed to do most of the flying!! In the cabin we also had NO, a bearded engineer who was not only very talented but also good company. After clearing customs at Gatwick, we set off across the Channel for our first night stop at Lyon. However bad weather forced us to make an unscheduled landing at Chateauneuf – a great start to our trip. The helicopter had been fitted with a cabin fuel tank to cope with some of the longer legs, and on a couple of occasions, we had to shut down one engine to conserve fuel which enabled us to fly for 4½ hours.
From Lyon, we flew on to Naples, Athens, Izmir, El Azig, Tabriz and Teheran. Navigation in those days was almost medieval compared with modern day sat nav. We had an ADF, a basic VOR/ILS system and VHF and HF radio. There was no autopilot, it was hands on all the way, and when we were out of range of the usual nav aids, we were back to following a map! On the leg from El Azig to Tabriz we were transiting the high mountains bordering Iran, and uncomfortably close to the Russian border. Of course, this was at a time when the Cold War was at its peak, and naturally at this critical point we got lost; the road we were following just seemed to disappear. Expecting at any moment to be buzzed by a pair of Mig 21s, we held our nerve and after 20 minutes recovered our route and slid down a long valley into Tabriz.
After a two day break in Teheran, where Bristow’s had a big base, we set off again into the dusty brown lunar landscape of the Persian plain and the southern mountains. Isfahan, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas passed by as the temperatures soared. We flew high to keep cool, and out of the heat haze. On our last leg before Karachi, we had to make a refuelling stop at Char Behar. This was used by Imperial Airways in the thirties on their long runs down to the Far East, and amazingly there was still a small depot stocking cans of aviation quality kerosene. Our problem was that there was no-one to refuel us. So for two hours in temperatures of around 40 degrees centigrade, we poured can after can into the aircraft tanks. I seem to remember a figure of 112. Whatever it was, it was one of the most uncomfortable afternoons I have ever spent. Even worse, after that, was another 3 ½ hours flight to Pakistan, stinking of kerosine.
After 3 days in Karachi at a blissfully proper hotel, we set off again on July 13th to Ahmadabad in India. Here we refuelled and cleared customs. This was an experience in itself as it seemed to take forever and I have never seen so many dusty old files surrounding the office walls – it looked as though nothing had been thrown away since the Raj. Our next night stop was at a small airport near Nagpur. We were taken by a rickety taxi to a very seedy looking hotel in the town, and although it was the best there, we spent the whole night scratching ourselves. The next day, the weather we feared most had arrived. It was now the monsoon season, with incredibly vigorous weather systems bringing violent rainstorms almost every day. We had to spend another night at Nagpur for the weather to clear, staying this time in a sort of rest room at the airport, and living off boiled eggs, the only food that looked edible.
Our next leg was to Calcutta with a stop at Ranchi. However the weather intervened again and we were forced to make a precautionary landing in a jungle area near Khunti to wait for the low clouds to clear. We shut down the engines and looked around at a deserted grassy area surrounded by what seemed to be banana trees – not a soul to be seen. Within ten minutes, however, the helicopter was surrounded by a horde of native Indians peering at this apparition from the skies!
In Calcutta, we were gratefully taken by a BOAC aircrew bus into the city centre to spend the night in a luxurious hotel. Walking out into the street was totally fascinating. This was the year of the Bangladesh revolution and thousands upon thousands of refugees from East Pakistan had descended on the city, sleeping on the streets and in the parks. It was quite literally a seething mass of humanity interspersed with the sacred cows and an incredible colophony of hooting from countless cars and lorries.
The next day, we had to get back to Dum-Dum Airport, but this time only in a local taxi. Getting to one of the ring roads, we found our way barred by a mass of striking workers. A heated argument with our taxi driver ensued, and at one point JH wanted us to leave the car. However NO and I vetoed that idea and virtually threatened the driver with instant death if he didn’t get the taxi through the melee. This seemed to work and we managed to get away. Leaving Calcutta across the Ganges delta we ran into even more extreme weather. To avoid the worst storms we headed towards an airport in Burma called Akyab. Although we had negotiated visas to enter Burma, with great difficulty, these were issued specifically for Rangoon, and to land elsewhere created a certain amount of official pandemonium! We were taken to spend the night in a government rest hut, under armed guard, and hurriedly put back on our helicopter the next morning. Unfortunately, the weather had got no better, and for the next three hours I flew the Wessex in the worst thunderstorms I have ever known. We were flying in very turbulent cloud, in incredibly heavy rain and with no navigation aids! It was pure dead reckoning, hoping we were just off the coast; not daring to climb any higher, and very aware that just inland was higher ground than our 1000 foot altitude!
One further and rather sobering consideration was our technical situation. Since leaving Karachi, we had been required to do a specific and complicated check on the rotor hub, as recently there had been a fatal accident, where part of the head had disintegrated and a rotor blade had detached in flight. In order to complete the maintenance check we had to do a dye penetrant test to see whether there were any cracks in this component. This was an almost impossible task in the weather we had been experiencing. So our fingers were very crossed and our anus’s very tight as we bucked and tossed in the stormy monsoon.
Obviously our luck held out, and we reached Rangoon to spend an extraordinary night in the most wonderful colonial hotel – The Rangoon Palace. I think we must have been the only guests as tourists to Burma were heavily discouraged by the authorities. It was enormous, with that languid air that Forster and Kipling brought to their novels.
The flowing day we set off for the last two legs of our journey. In Phucket in Thailand, we were able at last to carry out the maintenance test on the main rotor assembly, and, believe it or not, we had a hairline crack in one of the arms. So that was it, the helicopter was grounded. We sent a memorable telex message to Redhill “ G-AWOX is f****d in Phucket”!! As we boarded a commercial flight down to Singapore, we reflected on a marvellous experience which covered over 7,500 miles in 20 days and 76 hours of flying."

... and sadly no photos

[Dave Ed]

Iran re-visited!

Considering the number of years Bristows were in Iran, pics and info were pretty sparse when I put together the Skyweaver site so this crop of pics I have just received from Nigel Elliot is much appreciated.

Iran ops during 1977-1978.They are all from the seismic camps. Seis 4 was around Yasuj and Seiz 7 was in the marshes around Abadan and Ahwaz near the border with Iraq.

Early morning flight to move Labo 1

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/EarlymorningflighttomoveLabo1.jpg



Early morning move Labo 2

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/EarlymorningflighttomoveLabo2.jpg


.....and Labo 3

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Earlymorningflighttomovelabo3.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Seis41.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Seis42.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Seis43.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Seis45.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Seis410.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Seis49.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Seis44.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Seis47.jpg


Crewman's view

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%201/Crewmansview.jpg

[Savoia]

Hico-P: Wow, what a great story, fantastico! :D

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7RqWR1emIGM/UnksgSBO_rI/AAAAAAAAPCQ/dBIt1ZHRa9E/w831-h554-no/Wessex+60+Mk+1+G-AWOX+%2528Keith+Harper%2529.jpg
Bristow Westland Wessex 60 Mk1 G-AWOX (Photo: Keith Harper)

ps: If you are able to insert some spaces between the paragraphs in your great story, it helps a little with the reading.

[Dave Ed]

Iran re-visited 2

Continuing with Nigel Elliot's Iran pics.

Seismic 4 base camp.
Could you get a beer?????

I guess the pilot's lived in the air-conned trailers and the engineers in the tents, having to collect their own firewood ;)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/Seis411-1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/Seis46-1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/Seis48-2.jpg


Low flying................

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/Lowflying1-1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/Lowflying2-1.jpg


Chasing Wild Boar...............

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/ChasingWildBoarinthemarshes-1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/ChasingWildBoaragain-1.jpg


A visiting Schreiner Allouette...........

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/Seis4SchreinerAllouette-1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/Seis4SchreinerAllouette2-1.jpg


Iran Iraq border post. Iran on the left. Iraq on the right.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Iran%202/BoarderpostwithIraqIranonleftIraqonright-1.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Great anecdote Hico-p.

Don't remember seeing it before. Only had four ferry flight on the site. Is this one of yours?

FERRY FLIGHT - Wessex 60.
UK TO AUSTRALIA.
8th - 29th June, 1969.

Pilots: Mr A.English and Mr. I.A.E. Clark

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/AWXX%20Ferry%20flight/wessexawxx.jpg

On the 7th June, 1969 Wessex 60, G-AWXX left Redhill Aerodrome for Gatwick Airport to enable customs clearance. The following day it departed on a three week ferry flight to Australia.

After 43 stops enroute it arrived at Broome, Western Australia, on 29th June from where it was flown to Point Sampson. It had covered a distance of 11,164 miles with total flying time of 97 hours 30minutes.

From the envelope images below the routing can be seen as follows:
Redhill, Gatwick, Lyon, Nice, Naples, Brindisi, Athens, Rhodes, Nicosia, Beirut, Das Island, Dubai, Karachi, Ahmadabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Calcutta, Akyab, Rangoon, Mergui, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Palembang, Djakarta, Surabaya, Waingapu, Kupang, Broome and Point Sampson.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/AWXX%20Ferry%20flight/ferry1ianclark.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/AWXX%20Ferry%20flight/Ferry2ianclark.jpg

[Dave B]

I think the stories of Bristow ferry flights would fill a very interesting book. My introduction to the company was a flight from Redhill to Dubai in a WS55 series 111, (Whirlwind), my Pilot was an ex French Air force pilot who had flown Thunderbolts in Algeria. He would not let me fly, but made me navigate, of which I had no experience. He would pretend to lose his temper with me, and blame me for being lost, whereas he knew exactly where we were. The only Nav. aid we had was a coffee grinder ADF, the knob of which fell off during the first stages of the flight, going over France. My pilot wanted to turn back to Redhill, but I told him I could tune the ADF using a pair of pliers, as I did not have an allen key small enough, this went on for several hundred miles, until at one of the stops, I managed to manufacture a tool to refit the ADF knob.
Anyone who has flown the Whirlwind will remember how uncomfortable the pilots seats are, after a couple of hours my back was killing me. Also I had not then learned the trick of wearing a baseball hat to reduce the discomfort of the heavy headsets that were used then, so my ears were also killing me. It was also very hot.
At Ankara airport in Turkey, a truck court the end of one of our Rotor Blades, as the aircraft was parked, so having been with the company less than a year, I had to import a Main Rotor Blade into Turkey, and immediately export the old one, or pay tax of 100% of the blades worth, I also had to hire a gang of Turkish men to help me change the blade. After that being an ex engine man, I had to do my first main rotor track and adjustment in the middle of Ankara airport. It went OK though.
At one stage of the flight we had to take off with full fuel load, and climb straight to 9000 feet to clear the Iranian mountains, if you want a good example of retreating blade stall, try 9000 feet in an AUW Whirlwind, the old girl would not go more than 60 Knots before a banging and clattering told us to slow down.
On the last stage over the Iranian Gulf, the lower gearbox pressure indication went to zero, I was not too worried, as the transmitters were notably unreliable, but I did clamber down into the cabin, over the sea, and take off the panel, to see if oil was being lost, or anything was getting hot.
One thing you quickly learn from this sort of trip, was if you wanted to work for Bristow in the field you had better learn self reliance.
The five star hotels were good however.

[Dave Ed]

Iran re-visited 3

Continuing with Nigel Elliot's collection...........

All around Ahwaz and Abadan........Seismic 7.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis75.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis712.jpg


The line

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis76.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis71.jpg



Moving cables up the line.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis713.jpg



Moving down the line

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis77.jpg


The hookman kept getting an electric shock from the static...he thought it was me doing it!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis711.jpg


Seiz 7. Iranian marshes near Ahwaz L-R John Hook,Eddie Silcox,Iranian trainee engineer,Nigel Elliot,Tom Davis

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis78.jpg



Seis 7 bar.Ahwaz I think. Me on left (waiting for the fashion police to knock on the door) and Mike Bairstow on the right..not sure of surname. Looks like a bit of cropping needed ! 1977

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis79.jpg


John Hook ...a great guy and a pleasure to fly with.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis710.jpg


The trucks!

Now this is a 4WD!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis73.jpg


My living accomodation Seiz 7

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20E%20Seis%207/Seis74.jpg





end

[stacey_s]

Last heard of Mike Bairstow when he left Bristow and stated a firm up in Brighton, 'little yellow' something or other?, and Eddie Silcox now thats a name from the past, still kicking?

s

[Dave Ed]

VR-BGJ crash

Nigel E writes....

I'm not sure what happened here. I think it was an engine failure on take off but not sure what caused it. I was on leave at the time it happened. A few months before this happened I went to London Gatwick Airport with another engineer and we pulled this one and another one out the back of an Alaskan C-130. Mostly our job there was to stop some ham fisted and heavy footed Gatwick loaders from damaging the frames as they tried to move them inside the Hercules. Sad to see it end up like this. As far as I know nobody suffered more than a few bruises thankfully. Maybe other Pruners can fill in the gaps. I can't remember who gave me the pics so I can't take credit for them.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_FC58376A-0BBE-48F3-BF0B-B7D2098FF848Home.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_470032AA-568F-408C-B6EE-F95D4621B341Home.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_E1CBECBD-A8CF-425A-9E66-A8969CB5B4E2Home.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_684A37C8-1208-4F09-8B63-0FF642079BB6Home.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_F508F0B3-CAC9-4ACF-9B97-211DF08AD3CFHome.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_EEDFB558-DCD9-4182-8C23-6FEFE99B2553Home.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_BDE9F6DE-EFEA-44B1-9800-F90AF7EC7CDCHome.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_DF819B93-3E80-4AEE-B145-76B890346E87Home.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_DDEF6AD9-6945-48F4-95BF-15B155A5064BHome.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ%20crash/cid_D27FEE6C-4740-4AB3-86C9-CAB02C669E00Home.jpg

.

[Ainippe]

The crash happend becuase at that stage before they carried load masters, basically it was 45 degrees C at 9000 ft and no wind .... just run out of power. I know this because I like many, flew with Jim "Turkey" Ayres who was PIC in the accident. He openly admitted the reason for the crash. Up drafts/down drafts no wind etc was normal.

This crash prompted the arrival of the 212's into Seis 4 as they supposedly had a better safety margin all round.

Loadmasters became the norm after this, so you fixed at night and flew as loadmaster during the day if you were an engineer.

I was with Nigel at Seis 4 but left before the Seis 7 contract began.

In the previous pictures you can see a Llama and a All III, these were Schreiner machines, brought in supposedly because the could put the wire carrying rigs into tighter spaces. That was fine at 7 in the morning but they could not lift them out in the heat of the afternoon when the 212 had to go in and use a longer strop to get them out. In the end the Schreiner machines became the transport for the German labo workers!!

[Dave Ed]

Iran re-visited 4

A few miscellaneous pics winding up N.E.s collection......

Moving camp: L-R Capts.Cliff Mitchell, Ken Osbourne and Jim Ayers

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20Elliot%20Iran%20misc/cid_D3BAE61E-6283-4AAA-A230-E097E68E793CHome.jpg


I just dragged this guy's name out of the depths of my memory. Pretty certain he's Jim Sweeney from El Paso Tx. Ex US Marine pilot..H34's and I believe he flew some piston engine fighter as well..maybe a Skyraider or something similar. He was a great character which was common with almost everyone at Bristows. He was an ex Border Patrol pilot who flew up and down the Mexican border looking for illegal aliens...he claimed that's where he met his young mexican wife lol.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20Elliot%20Iran%20misc/cid_60EC3763-CD65-4604-954F-115D54EF41EAHome.jpg


Capn.John Hook at Ahwaz

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20Elliot%20Iran%20misc/Seis72.jpg


Whiskey........camp dog at Seis 4

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20Elliot%20Iran%20misc/cid_4D37C518-5CA5-4C21-888D-034CB8D7E306Home.jpg


Shiraz on way to airport

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20Elliot%20Iran%20misc/cid_BF84D66A-F579-42E8-87D6-B5C45388CB11Home.jpg


A bit of info for a previous pic
Shut down while the seismic shot is taken. Labo on the right. Flying had to stop over the line when a shot was conducted as the beating of the blades could be picked up by the geophones.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20Elliot%20Iran%20misc/cid_4631B7FB-EF7D-4BFB-B10E-48E0C550FBE0Home.jpg



Finally, a couple of Zagross.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20Elliot%20Iran%20misc/cid_5FEEFA80-C7B7-439E-8418-1E3FC3F635B0Home.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigel%20Elliot%20Iran%20misc/cid_10A9764A-A27B-4D68-8EB4-33A08493A127Home.jpg

.

[heli1]

Going back to Long Range Wessex, G-AVNE was the first and was ferried out to Singapore in 11days in 1970(don't know the exact dates). It was registered in Indonesia on 7th August (PK-HBQ)and later flew in Oz (VH-BHC) ,Malaysia, 9M-ASSand finally Nigeria (5N-AJL).
It's now in the Heli Museum who would love to hear some anecdotes about the ferry flight and later ops.Share them with us or visit the museum for an oral recording for posterity please.
The same applies to anyone flying WS55/3 G-AODA and Widgeon G- AOZE/5M-ABW.

[Savoia]

On our last leg before Karachi, we had to make a refuelling stop at Char Behar. This was used by Imperial Airways in the thirties on their long runs down to the Far East, and amazingly there was still a small depot stocking cans of aviation quality kerosene. Our problem was that there was no-one to refuel us. So for two hours in temperatures of around 40 degrees centigrade, we poured can after can into the aircraft tanks. I seem to remember a figure of 112. Whatever it was, it was one of the most uncomfortable afternoons I have ever spent. Even worse, after that, was another 3 ½ hours flight to Pakistan, stinking of kerosene.



Here is a slightly obscure 7 sec clip of a Whirlwind (I would imagine Bristows) being 'hand-fuelled' (much as Hico described above) in Bahrain using a chamois leather as a filter:

si4Rti8mu2k

[Saint Jack]

Eddie Silcox (#2110) passed away some six or seven years ago. He was living in Wales (Haverfordwest I believe), his wife Connie returned to her home in Singapore shortly after, they didn't have any children. Eddie was probably the best non-licenced engineer I ever worked with and could put many a licenced guy to shame.

The VR-BGJ accident (#2111) was, as Ainippe suggests, a classic PA/DA situation. Turkey (Jim) was a great pilot and character (ex-Air America and you would have no trouble watching the movie and visualizing Jim) he would have made a successful landing but because he had a little forward speed on touch-down he got a skid hooked on one of the many rocks (see photos) and this flipped him over. Thankfully no-one was seriously injured. By the way - the wreckage was just left there, anyone want to go get it?

The helicopter had only been in-country some six weeks before the accident. It was purchased (used - from Canada I believe) by Bristow, assembled and painted at Redhill and flown to Tehran by Colin Kelly (pilot) and Mike McCormack (engineer). It may have been one of the shortest lived helicopters in the Bristow fleet.

The loadmaster wearing the white helmet leaning out of helicopters in the photos is probably John Elston (spelling?), he bought his own helmet while on one of his 'time-off's' in the UK.

[Tacho Genny]

Thanks for that Saint Jack.Sorry to hear about Eddie... I agree totally with your comments about him...he was a great engineer.

Colin Kelly is now a B777 pilot I believe somewhere in Asia...I last spoke to him when he worked for Air New Zealand back in '94 and I was posted to Auckland to fly for the same.

I'm still in touch with John Elston...it is indeed the helmet he owned but the loadmaster is me...he swapped the helmet with me for a set of wrenches and a pair of wire twisters when he left Iran :-) He visits New Zealand every now and then and I hope to get together for a beer with him soon.

Cheers

NE

[Dave Ed]

A rare reasonable quality pic of a Bristow 204......How many were there? Were they bought new?

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bell204.jpg

[Tacho Genny]

Well there was one at least at Piarco in Trinidad Dave in the mid '70s and I think it may have been this one before it went onto the Trini register

Further to my last.... looks like it became 9Y-TEA which IIRC was at Piarco in 1976...ROTORSPOT - Complete Civil Rotorcraft Register of Trinidad & Tobago (http://www.rotorspot.nl/9y.htm)

[S61-S92]

A rare reasonable quality pic of a Bristow 204......How many were there? Were they bought new?Dave,

It would appear we operated a peak of SIX Bell 204B's back in mid 1971
in Iran, Trinidad and Columbia

This data is from July 1971

S/No's 2038, 2049, 3013, 3041, 3199, 3205
Reg's 9Y-TDX, EP-HBG, EP-HAM, HC-ASZ, 9Y-TEA, EP-HAN
Prev ID VR-BBD, VR-BEF, ,VR-BDP, VR-BDX, VR-BDW

Harky

[Dave Ed]

Just found this pic in a cupboard! Too big to scan so took it's pic.
I was actually looking for a pic of Phil Kemp working on a 61 tail rotor in Kerteh I took many years ago but failed to find it. Long time ago Phil!

I would hazard a guess this was taken at Redhill after a mod programme prior to it working in Iran. Looks like the old Chelton Homer antennae and Spilsbury and Tindal HF. The guy looking out from the cabin looks a bit like George Arnold......avionic supervisor Redhill. Front crew anyone?
I could be totally wrong but one thing's for sure, it was taken before the Iran accident!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/VR-BGJ.jpg

[Zishelix]

Someone standing next to that very rare breed of helicopter, a North American (I assume Bristow's) Gazelle :)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--MhIu8owJ98/Unyz-gjLf3I/AAAAAAAAPFM/4IQDxt9HYLs/w708-h546-no/Stipe+Gazelle.png

[Savoia]

Zis: I think there is a strong case for suspecting this to be a Bristow Gazelle because:



Bristow Astars and a Gazelle at Sabine Pass

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PFQkQvp9TT4/UnzBPZY1EKI/AAAAAAAAPFg/3TAAUjgqz2U/w921-h550-no/AStars+and+a+Gazelle+at+Sabine+Pass+%2528Ken+Knight%2529.png

[SASless]

If you find a photo of Phil Kemp actually "Working".....frame it! it would certainly be a keepsake!;)

[Phil Kemp]

I would like to see that (those?) pictures too... :)

[SASless]

They would destroy your reputation!

Did you not receive and Evaluation that read "Excellent Worker when cornered!"?

[Alan Biles]

The pilot in VR-BGJ in post# 2121 looks a lot like Tom Buckelew.

[Dave B]

heli 1
If my memory for registrations serves me correctly, G-AODA was the last 55 to fly with Bristows, she was flying for British Aerospace (or whatever they are called now), on development of the Brimstone Missile, and was cleared by the CAA for operations below 500 ft.
She came straight back from the desert somewhere, and went straight on that operation, without a major check, so there was some criticism from BA engineers in the hanger where she was parked, I got her flown back to Redhill to have some of the loose rivets knocked in over a weekends work.
There was a strange hierarchy at B/Aerospace where there were about five different canteens, and you used the one according to your pay grade, so after a morning doing a check one, up to my neck in grease, oil and exhaust grime, I would have to have lunch with the lower middle mangers.

[Dave Ed]

Could be Phil.............;)

Shenzen "work" party 1994...

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20people/cliveh1.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Definitely not Phil...............

1962 Trinidadian Bristow Hiller and...........
.......only John Odlin knows......he provided the pics ;)

I am presuming it's the same girl......no doubt a few hundred Rotorheads will work it out from the serial number of the Hiller:)


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20people/girlinpink.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20people/jod5.jpg

Far too much nudity in last two posts

[Dave Ed]

.......and here she is Dave.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/sandietank.jpg

[SASless]

Will the new birds wind up as corroded as the 212's did?

[Dave Ed]

Malaysia - Kerteh

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kuantan/malaysiamap.jpg

Posted some of these pics before without the info so this will add context.
I spent over six years at Kerteh, the first period was a three month " transitional" leave relief as the operation was relocated from Terengannu.
I actually arrived back in UK a year and a half later!!

Second period was married accompanied with Jan and it was during this posting our son was born in Kuantan :)

Kerteh could be really busy and one morning, for a brief time while a 412 was on a flight test, we had 14 aircraft airborne out of 14.

Around 1980 a new airport was built in the state of Terengganu which would mainly serve the off-shore installations, one hours flying time from the East coast.
In 1981 Bristows/Malaysian Helicopter Services re-located their main operations from Terengganu airport to Kerteh. It is unclear when the aircraft changed from Bristow to M.H.S. ownership but as can be seen from the pictures all the aircraft were in M.H.S. colours except for 9M-SSK which was soon to return to U.K.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/Kerteh4.jpg

The fleet was growing all the time and soon outgrew its new home, so a new hanger was added in front of the fuel tanks in the picture plus new hard-standings to accommodate the six new S76Cs. It became pretty busy with 8 X S76, 6 X S61 and a couple of Bell 412s.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/Kerteh3.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/Kerteh2.jpg
The brown hut is the engineers' crew room and also contained the line-office.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/Kerteh1.jpg


Some names for the pics below. Forgive my spelling and the ones I've forgotten and I won't even attempt the wives!

Chas Ducat, John Church, Gordon Dumphie, Craig ***, Adrian ***, Clive Golding, Ian Macgregor, Sean Parker,Dave Thompson, Phil Turner...

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/76clubhash_big.jpg


A n Cs scrubbed up well!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/hashball_3men_big.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/hashball_3p_big.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/upriver_big.jpg
Anchor being a Malaysian beer! Jan took the pic Graig and Dawn on the oars. There is an engine but too shallow to use it. Monitor lizards on the banks of the river up to 2 metres long!

Not seen very often on Prune...........wives. Apparently a few of the guys had them. Had to be patient and understanding bunch and willing to travel.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Kerteh/wives_kerteh_big.jpg

[Tail-take-off]

9M-SSK was an ex-BCal S-61 (G-BIHH) which was registerd in Malasia from Sept 1988 to Sept 1992. I think it was just leased to MHS.

[Dave Ed]

Is the vehicle towing her, a Landrover 1 to series 3 conversion?

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/redhillgaoda.jpg

Do you relate to your aircraft as it or she/her. Quite often, after my 412s have had a hard working day with no snags I'll tap them on the nose and say "well done girl". You become quite attached to machines you have worked with for ten years plus.

[Dave Ed]

Whilst many of us were swanning around the world on cushy overseas postings, the real work was being done on the North Sea.....

FIRST NORTH SEA OIL

The following letter was e-mailed to me by Hugh Martin and it was issued to all locally based staff in 1975 following the first North Sea oil to be produced.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/firstoilletter.jpg

So, moving on to 1983......

Beryl Field (Mobil)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/ac19744a-72ab-4ebf-8802-f77892f253f3.jpg


ALI BABA (Sun Oil)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1044.jpg


Forties Field (British Petroleum)
I still have nightmares about getting this "one off" 212 ready for North Sea Ops :bored:

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1045.jpg


WESTERN PACESETTER 2 (Tricentrol)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1046.jpg


Brae Field (Marathon)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1047.jpg


Ninian (Chevron Petroleum (UK) Ltd)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1048.jpg


Tartan Field (Texaco)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1049.jpg


SEDNETH 701 (Phillips Petroleum)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1050.jpg


North West Hutton Field (AMOCO)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1051.jpg


Beatrice Field (Britoil)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1052.jpg


Brent Field (Shell Expro)
She did get around a bit!! Perhaps the were a couple of BALZ's!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/IMG_1053.jpg


Murchison Field (CONOCO)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/North%20Sea%20Rigs/b70747be-1ded-4978-bb23-f6a5b56d28a2.jpg




.

[Savoia]

Wow! What a great historical document and what great nostalgic pictures! Amazing all round! :D

[Tail-take-off]

Why was the 212 G-BJZS a one off Dave? I'm intrigued.

[Dave Ed]

TTO,

ZS was a one off buy from ??? that needed full North Sea mods and as I mentioned many posts ago the 212 mods really got out of hand ....there were hundreds of them!!!.
It was a tight schedule as per normal and we had about 16+ avionic engineers working 24/7 including night shifts.
On the evening/night shift prior to first flight I had listed 135 items we needed to finish off, there were loads of us...........takeaways were ordered. Unbelievably by the early hours of the first flight day we were actually getting there. Then disaster.
The battery was connected to enable functional checks however the battery bus panel down by the pilot's feet was not secured yet.
The battery circuit breakers made contact with the airframe and the battery bus feeder wires started to discharge the battery. Within seconds the wires went into melt down. The avionic staff were having a well earned break at the time. Seeing smoke pouring from the center console a sheety jettisoned a fire extinguisher into the fire zone.....what a mess!!
Every wire that the two battery bus feeders wires had touched was also damaged and needed to be replaced and as Bell wiring under the console was generally one big tangled twisted mass that was a lot of wires.

That is why the battery bus panels are now hinged at the bottom.

After working sooooo many hours that night I then had to break the news to Jean Dennel...............He took it remarkably well starting his response with.................."I had a dream.................!!!!!!"

[Dave Ed]

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/212taildown_big.jpg

[S61-S92]

Ah, BJZS ... I can still smell the smoke (as can Smokey Smith I bet!)
;)

I was there that night, did my first ever (and only) ghoster, but I knocked off just before the fireworks.

Somewhere, I have a picture of Dave Ed waving BJZS off, in fact it appeared in the wonderful Redhill Avionics publication "ITK", if you recall that Dave ;) Nuff said about that

[industry insider]

ITK - PR's (Einstein) creation if I remember. I used to crave my copy of ITK. It was hilarious. Where is PR these days? Have known him for 35 years.

[Dave Ed]

"In The Know"

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calendar%20misc%20and%20ITK/SCAN0010.jpg

"In The Know" was a monthly newsletter that came about at Bristows Aberdeen base during 1988 to 1990. It was edited by an engineer, Paul Richardson on a (state of the art) Amstrad PC 1512 and printed on a dot matrix (remember them?) printer.

Paul had been in Bristows since 1977, and knew how it ticked. The first two ITK's were written at Redhill by Eoin Harcus in the early 1980's and were a light hearted (and a little 'blue') look at the goings-on in the hangar. Paul borrowed the title as it fitted in so well with the Bristow Aberdeen regime at the time.

At Aberdeen there were a number of engineers 'griping' over various things, and the highlight for Paul was when the catering firm refused to change the 'pineapples with everything' policy in the sandwich machine. This was the impetus for ITK issue 3 (the first Aberdeen ITK). It was clear that the Bristow operation at Aberdeen had a wealth of other subjects, anecdotes and inter-department bickering that could be tastefully written into a monthly newsletter. The single-sheet ITK was born again!

Careful articles were needed to include hot subjects like lack of grease guns, the introduction of 12 hour shift patterns, canteen food, the discrepancies between flying staff conditions and engineers. It was clear from the start that management were not happy about their portrayal in ITK, as it highlighted problems all too clearly, without mentioning their names. After just a few issues, stories were being relayed, anecdotes and little bits of 'info' were all fed to be included in ITK, even poems about the hangar doors being left wide open in the winter. Nobody was safe, if 'they' wouldn't listen, then ITK would tell everybody else.

ITK seemed to be filling a hole in the market. Non-engineers were asking for copies, flying staff, Redhill management, overseas staff, in fact the popularity was spreading fast. Too fast for some people. No matter that the subjects covered in ITK were 'trivia' and not concerning BHL as a whole, it seemed to raise a smile on otherwise uninformed staff. It was clear that ITK would have to stop (according to the bosses).

A few heated discussions took place between Paul and the management. Once he was blamed for the repair costs being too high on the aircraft jacks (mentioned in ITK). Nothing changed. But the final straw came when ITK pointed out one too many things and a meeting was called. It was decided that ITK had to go, after all that time the management had finally won. Paul was sure that somebody would pick up the challenge, but nobody came forward. Some operations have printed small numbers of similar newsletters, but kept the distribution on a small (safe) scale.

Keep your ear to the ground, you never know when ITK will rise again!

PR

And NO, I am not putting all the ones I have in my procession on-line!! de.

[Dave Ed]

Anyone know what is the image maximum pixel dimension that will fill the PPrune post box width wise?

[SASless]

I can only imagine the reception ITK got with certain members of management!

It seemed more than a few could not "take" a joke....despite being one themselves!

I wish I had kept the Memo that I issued while serving as the "Acting Chief Pilot (Unpaid) and Chief Engineer (Acting and unpaid) at the Papa Charlie Operation in Iran.

John Black took great exception to the tone of my Memo wherein I called for all assigned Staff to work as one in achieving our Operational Goals and Commitments.

That I was the only person present, had an Alouette and Jet Ranger all to myself, and flew both of the machines into scheduled maintenance while waiting for the rest of the Crew to return from Bandar Abbas.....seemed to escape Black.

I guess he was still a bit sensitive to such things as when crewed we routinely re-arranged the White Washed Rocks surrounding the Wind Sock pole.....from "Papa Charlie" to things like "Here for the Beer" and " Uckers ya F@ckers"....which caused him to suffer Apoplexy and kick the rocks all over eastern Iran.

[Tail-take-off]

Dave

From http://www.pprune.org/spectators-balcony-spotters-corner/203481-image-posting-pprune-guide.html

Size is important!

Picture size must not exceed 850x850 pixels MAXIMUM, to avoid the PPRuNe thread viewing window becoming too large.

[Dave Ed]

I bit of an experiment to see if these scans are going to be readable or fit the page properly..........
Not sure who sent me the photocopies but thanks. Never posted on the original site.

So, from North Sea oil to Whale oil!

We covered whaling some time back using a Whirlwind........now we go even further back to the beginnings of Bristow......where it all began with a Hiller and S51.

It involves some reading:sad:, Yes, I know you've all got better things to do with your lives than read........ but it is really interesting....believe me.
Perhaps if AB had given up with all this there may not have been a Bristow Helicopters!

From a 1958 Neville Duke's Book of Flight.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whaling%202/Whaling1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whaling%202/Whaling2.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whaling%202/Whailing3.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whaling%202/Whaling5.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whaling%202/Whaling6.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whaling%202/Whaling7.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whaling%202/Whaling8.jpg





.

[Dave Ed]

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calendar%20misc%20and%20ITK/SCAN0013.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calendar%20misc%20and%20ITK/SCAN0012.jpg

[212man]

ITK - PR's (Einstein) creation if I remember. I used to crave my copy of ITK. It was hilarious. Where is PR these days? Have known him for 35 years.

He's the Engineering Training Manager (I think that's his title) based on the second floor in the Aberdeen Head Office.

[Dave Ed]

Miri


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/fareastmap.jpg

As can be seen from the map, Miri can be found in East Malaysia just south of Brunei. It is another operation with a long Bristow history and has been home to a variety of aircraft types such as A.S.330 Puma, A.S.332l Super Puma, Twin Otter and H.S.125.
As with Kerteh the operation was gradually taken over by Malaysian Helicopter Services who continue to operate from Miri today.

The picture below shows most of the fleet in the Miri hanger and was probably taken mid Eighties.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/mirihngr.jpg


All the aircraft were on contract to Shell with the Pumas and Otters operating from Lutong strip (see pic below) after transferring from Miri Airport in the morning. The Pumas carried out off-shore duties whilst the Otters routinely flew to Kota Kinabalu, Bintulu and Labuan. The H.S.125 was used for longer legs such as a daily flight to Kuala Lumpur.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/pumaldglutong.jpg


The pictures below reflect a typical Puma sortie showing 9M-SSE returning from the drill-barge "Charley-Graves".

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/drillbargemiri.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/pumartngmiri.jpg


Early morning line up at Miri probably taken late Eighties/early Nineties and note all aircraft now in MHS colours.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/miriir1.jpg


A Miri Puma undergoing major maintenance.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/miriir2.jpg

........and a few misc Miri pics

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/twotter_cn.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/pumalutong.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/pumakids.jpg

Quite a few Miri people to follow....

[Dave Ed]

Miri people 1

A bunch of pics from Andrew Doyle to start........

Andy Paton - pictured shortly after the aircraft were repainted in the MHS colours, 1983.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/AndyPaton.jpg



Andy Redfern - pictured on 9M-SSF shortly after the gearbox boiled with a cooler failure. We landed on the barge "Charley Graves" and the gearbox was replaced with the use of the barge crane.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/AndyRedfern.jpg



Bob Jones, now director of flight ops, CAA

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/BobJones.jpg



Duncan Leech as loadmaster on an underslung job.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/DuncanLeech.jpg



Dick Maloney, pretending to be awake

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/DickMaloney.jpg



Miri had both married accompanied positions and expat P2s, so in the early 80's there was a big social scene, centred on the "top house" bar on Tanjong Lobang, and on weekend beach barbecues. Most houses had an Amah, or home help, and they were well integrated in to the social scene.

Dennis Russell - at a tarts and vicars party

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/DennisRussell.jpg



Roger Williams-Wynn receiving fashion advice at the same party with Brian Fairclough in the background.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/RogerWilliams-Wynn.jpg



The Top House bar closed in October 1984 with the departure of the last 2 expat P2s, myself and Mike Holley, Mike seen here on one of the last nights. We were so hopeless at making a profit that after 2 years of trading our assets consisted of 8 cases of beer and a cassette player.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/MikeHolley.jpg



Finally, probably Miri's naughtiest boy - and there was a lot of competition - Roddy Macaskill finally realises he might be out of his depth.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri%20Andrew%20Doyle/RoddyMacAskill.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Miri people 2.............last bunch.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/mirigroup1990.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/mirigroupir.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/kdgroup4.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/pumagroup1.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/kdgroup1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/kdgroup2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Miri/1988-06-001.jpg

[C.C.C.]

If my long term memory is still working properly when I arrived at Miri in 1981 The Tranquilli**er Bar was located in the bottom Co-Pilot's House. However after a certain F/O (not me) left the beer cans in the freezer too long (none survived to be drinkable) for a Pilot's or Flight Safety Meeting it fell out of favour, and we then frequented one of the bachelor status Fixed-Wing pilot's house instead.

When Thridle Op Des moved up the hill to the Top House he brought The Tranquilli**er Bar with him as he owned it by then (departing Co-Pilots would sell their motorbikes, TV's, etc. on to new arrivals). The Top House was the better venue as it had a large walled open flat roof for the sundowners & curry nights.

Here is a censored photo of The Tranquilli**er Bar in 1982 at the Top House.

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w283/CCairns_2007/Bristow/Miri_17E.jpg (http://s179.photobucket.com/user/CCairns_2007/media/Bristow/Miri_17E.jpg.html)

[John Eacott]

During a bit of a hiatus when most of the JetA1 in Scotland and beyond was contaminated we had some extremes to get the bears to work and back. Somewhere along the line a helidack was welded onto the stern of a Stena ferry, and we would shuttle the troops on and off as they changed out from the Brent:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/Stena%20212.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Malaysia - Trengannu

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/malaysiamap2.jpg


Bristow Helicopters first operated in Malaysia in 1969 beginning a long association with the Malaysians which led to the establishment of Malaysian Helicopter Services ( M.H.S.) in 1983. Prior to the move to Kerteh in 1981 the oil fields off the East coast were served by S-61s and S-76s from Trengganu. The main client was Esso and later a smaller contract for Carigali. The rigs were about 140 miles offshore which would give an approx 3 hour round trip in the S-61 and somewhat quicker in the S-76. Work routines were 6&1, 6&1, 6&1, 6&4, (days) which was not considered to be the best shift pattern ever
conceived.
Most staff lived in Kuala Trengganu and "Club 61" was the focus for social events.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/club61.jpg


The pictures below show the operation, the terminal being next to the hanger.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/tren3.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/61tren.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/tren1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/tren2.jpg



.....and the pics below show earlier shots of the base when it only had one hangar. The aircraft are VR-BDN and BDO which were probably the first S61s Bristows put into Malaysia. Does anyone have any details? From the first photo it can be seen just how close to the beach the hangars were.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/ktold1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/twomalay61.jpg
.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/ktold2.jpg

[1helicopterppl]

If the previous post was referring to Bristow Gazelle c/n 1470, that was indeed F-GIBU & now I believe resides in Clywd as G-IBME.

Any photo's of IBME greatly appreciated !

[Dave Ed]

Warning............post under influence of alcohol after watching England / All Blacks in a local Cyprus sports bar!

Mauritania

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Mauritania/map_mauritania.gif


Bristow Bell 212 supported by an ACN AS 365 and an OLOG Bell 412 from April to August 2001. Based at Nouakchott, Mauritania's main airport.
The contract was to support Australian Woodside Oil Co. during a two hole drilling campaign, 50 miles offshore in deep water (4000'). The 412 was an OLOG machine ex Egypt and all three aircraft were supporting the same rig but only two at a time, ie, when the Dauphin departed the 412 arrived to fill the slot until the operation folded. The rig was a semi sub which had at one time been in the North Sea, believed to be the Polycastle as it was known then.

Bristow 212 and ACN AS365 awaiting passengers outside the Nouakchott terminal building.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Mauritania/mauri1.jpg


A view from the Bell 212 looking over Nouakchott - described by engineer on site as very grey.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Mauritania/mauri2.jpg


Bachelor accomodation about 15 mins from work - very spacious.
Roads pretty rough - mostly compressed earth!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Mauritania/mauri3.jpg


The contract called for full SAR coverage and this pic shows 5N-AOV and crew during winch training off the back of a supply boat.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Mauritania/mauri4.jpg


A few names :- Engineer Mike Grinstead who supplied info and pilots Rowan Greenwood and Richard Evans plus Providence being trained as a winchman.

[Dave Ed]

Morocco...........getting there...

FERRY FLIGHT. HILLER 12E, G-AWME.
REDHILL - TAN TAN, MOROCCO.
10TH AUGUST 1968 -16TH AUGUST 1968.


10/8/68 REDHILL - GATWICK - LE TOUQUET.
My first job after being employed by BHL was to ferry a Hiller12E from Redhill to Tan Tan, in Morocco, to replace an earlier aircraft which had a gearbox problem and had to force land short of Agadir. Rumour has it that when the engineers came back the next day to assess the aircraft, very little of it was left and the parts had made their way into various Bedouin encampments!

I was given a ferry flight plan by a certain Peter Richards and told to get on with it. Being new to the Company, I took him at his word. I later found out that nobody followed Peter Richard's ferry plans - except me. I asked him where the engineer was to do the turn rounds etc and with a twinkle in his eyes he said, "You're on your own, Son".

After finally getting the aircraft away from Redhill (little has changed) and clearing Customs at Gatwick I set out to cross the Channel and night stop in Le Touquet. As the evening was settling in, I got the clearance from Le Touquet Tower "...to land and park between the Spitfire's and the Messerschmit's." Rubbing my eyes, there in front of me was a squadron of Spitfires, Messerschmits and a B25 Mitchell. These aircraft were at Le Touquet, en-route to the South of France to film "The Battle of Britain". I seem to remember that the crews of the Me109's (Spanish pilots, I believe) and the British Spitfire Pilots( RAF) didn't mix socially.

11/8/68 LE TOUQUET - CHARTRES - TOURS - POITIERS.
The next day's weather was dreadful with low cloud and heavy rain, but trying to keep to the ferry plan (I know different now), I launched off VFR, low level using this marvellous thing called an ADF in the Hiller. I didn't have them in the Royal Navy and learned about them when I did my licence. Here I had a needle that would point me to where I was going. The weather improved as I headed South and with a smile I followed this needle which was to take me to Chartres. I had that sinking feeling when the needle reversed direction and there was no airfield to be seen. The fuel gauge didn't fill me with confidence as I reversed direction and followed my ADF needle. Still no airfield but I did see a large antenna in a field so I found a nearby farm, landed, shutdown and asked the farmer in halting French "Ou est Chartres". The copy of the Michelin Guide was produced and I was directed a further 20 kms to Chartres Airfield. What did I learn? Firstly, NDB's are not always co-located with an airfield. This one was an Airways NDB. Secondly, always have a back up to your navigation; don't rely on a single instrument. Something I have kept with me for the rest of my career.

When I refuelled at Chartres, I didn't know the Hiller could take so much fuel! My logbook shows no mention of any stop between Le Touquet and Chartres. The rest of the day's flying to Poitiers was uneventful and a much wiser pilot had a good nights sleep.

12/8/68 POITIERS - BORDEAUX - TOULOUSE - PERPIGNAN - BARCELONA.
A splendid flight with beautiful weather, I followed the Garonne valley over one of the many wine-growing areas of France and then the Canal du Midi to Toulouse. The Pyrenees were crystal clear, still with a covering of snow, even though this was summer. I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and routed through Perpignan and around the Pyrenees (although the ferry plan called for a crossing). After clearing customs at Perpignan, I followed the Mediterranean coast southwards to Barcelona, my night stop.

13/8/68 BARCELONA- REUS - VALENCIA - ALICANTE - (ALICANTERELLA) -ALMERIA.
This was an easy part of the flight; just keep the coast to your right. Brilliant hot weather, low level flying along the shoreline. Appreciating the natural wildlife! I always knew the Alicante to Almeria leg was going to be tight. The Hiller was only cruising at 55kts, very tail low, something I thought was particular to the "civvie" Hillers. En route between Alicante and Almeria, I decided to divert to Alicanterella, a military airfield, but cleared for me. I pulled the nose of the Hiller gently up and as I came level with the hotel roofs I pushed the cyclic forward. Nothing happened, the aircraft nose kept rising. A swift boot full of rudder and rapid change of power setting and the aircraft reversed direction and I was able to regain level flight much to the appreciation of the people of the beach. They thought it was an air display. Far from it, I had just learnt about the perils of an incorrect Centre of Gravity. On landing at Alicanterella, I took a whole bundle of Maintenance Manuals and spare oil from the boot and put it inside the cockpit alongside me and all of a sudden the aircraft was cruising at 65 kts with a level attitude.

14/8/68 ALMERIA - MALAGA - TANGIERS - RABAT - CASABLANCA. Due to the political situation between UK and Spain, I was unable to refuel at Gibraltar, in fact I was given a very stern warning about going anywhere near Gib due to political retributions. Hence the long leg between Malaga and Tangiers. No floats on this aircraft. However, the Company did give me a lifejacket.

With my new-found cruising speed and the constant purr of the Lycoming 540 (It is amazing how your hearing is sharpened over a long sea sector, with one engine and no floats), the trip to Morocco was uneventful. Luckily my knowledge of French helped me through formalities in Tangiers. Morocco was formerly a French Colony and French was their second language. I never found Humphrey Bogart's bar though it wasn't for lack of looking.

15/8/68 CASABLANCA - SAFI -AGADIR.
Following the coast, I passed the Atlas Mountains in the distance. It was getting hotter and more arid. I arrived in Agadir, a city rebuilt after a disastrous earthquake some 20 years earlier to be met by my new Chief Pilot "Johnny" Johnson. One thing I remember about Johnny was that he had quite a bad stutter except when he was speaking a foreign language, when he was fluent - and his rendition of a certain dictator's speech, using a comb and his hair parted the wrong side, is legendary - especially after a few beers.

16/8/68 AGADIR - TAN TAN.
The final leg was probably the longest I did and the normal routine was to carry 2 jerry cans of Avgas on the side panniers of the aircraft. I was talking to our base at Tan Tan on the radio but was very concerned about my reducing fuel gauge. The maps of the Sahara were not too good so I descended and landed alongside a road and shut down to refuel. I put one jerry can in the fuel tank and lifted off to see out base no more than 500 metres away in front of me. The road was at the end of a graded strip for the crewchange DC3. The base was at the bottom of a small cliff so I didn't see the base until I had crossed the road. When we went back, 5 minutes later to collect the jerry can, it had gone!

So ended an eventful first ferry flight for the Company where I learnt many valuable lessons. The ferry flight had taken 7 days (6 on Peter Richard's plan) and I flew 29 hours and 15 minutes.

Welcome to Bristow Helicopters.

John Whale.

[Dave Ed]

Morocco

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/map_morocco.jpg

This contract for Esso started 1968 and was based at Tan Tan, some 100 miles South of Agadir.
The aircraft were a Hiller UH 12E (G-AWME) and a WS 55-3 (G-ARPW) replaced by VR-BDH in 1969. A second base operated out of Tarfaya, close to the Spanish Saharan border.
The Moroccan contract was the Companies first contract with Esso. This picture of a Hiller was taken at Tan Tan, an abandoned holiday camp, some 55 miles to the rig ( Drillships Glomar Grand Isle which was joined by Glomar Sirte in 1969).

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/morocco1.jpg



Whirlwind at Tarfaya, 1969.
The work routine was 3 weeks on and 1 week off in U.K.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/morocco2.jpg


No positive i.d. for the guys in this pic but I have a few names for this operation:-
Chief Pilot Johnny (Jake) Johnson, John Nicholls (Pilot),Jacques Fages (Pilot), Jacques Villeneuve (Pilot), Graham Conway (Chief Engineer) and(?) Paterson (engineer), John Church (engineer), John Holmes (engineer).

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/morocco4.jpg


"Well that's the tail rotor stand knocked-up. What can we make from the rest of this stuff?"

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/morocco6.jpg


Crew change was by a Martinair DC3 to Agadir then Sterling Airways F27 to Stavanger via Bordeaux (refuel). Finally a S.A.S. DC9 to Heathrow.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/morocco3.jpg


Catering was carried outby an external catering company, Desert Cruise, who was a retired British Swissair pilot and his wife. They had a huge pantechnicon which was the kitchen and the dining room.
Pantechnicon - n. furniture van.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/morocco5.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/morocco1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Morocco/twows55s.jpg




.

[Dave Ed]

Anyone know how many 125s Bristow operated?
Any 125 anecdotes?
We (Redhill Avionics) supported the one at Gatwick. I only got to work on it once or twice.........didn't learn much......never disturb the pitot static drains and every pipe union on a British Aircraft is wirelocked!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20fixed%20wing/125400_kk_big.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20fixed%20wing/hs1259mssl.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20fixed%20wing/125700_dubai_big.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Trengganu revisited.....


Just received a pic and some further info from Frank Chammings.
Over to Frank..............

Herewith photo of first S61’s on arrival at Trengganu January 1970.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trengannu/trengganu1970.jpg

Seeing the photo again reminded me of the pan on which the far aircraft is sitting. It was added a few weeks before, and while the site was being surveyed we heard a few gun shots.The surveyor had come across a snake and was trying to shoot it. We came over to see what the fuss was about and saw the snake, a Viper I believe. Paddy O said a gun is no good and grabbed a large stick and beat the snake to death.

For the record so that they are not forgotten, the pilots were Bill Farnell, Ken Smith and John Waddington, the engineers were Paddy O’Mara, Mike Austin and John Rankine, the Managing Pilot was Ken Bradley. We also had French pilot Daniel Pouron.


......and..........


Frank recalls the demise of a Whirlwind lost at sea.

The pilot was Ken Smith. He landed on the sea OK and elected to stay in his seat so he could stay on the radio. A RMAF S61 arrived to take him off but either didn’t have a winch or it didn’t work so they used a rope hoist. Ken had a job to get into the strop and I understand that he fell into the sea and disappeared on the other side of the aircraft because the rope hoist was so slow, I can imagine the winch operator running up the cabin pulling on the rope. He was eventually hauled aboard OK. Paddy O’Mara was on a boat hired to recover the pilot intending to be a back up for the RMAF S61 but was not needed and his endeavours to find theaircraft were in vain as it couldn’t be located. The Whirlwind was last seen drifting around the South China Sea until a storm sank it. The engine oil fanbelts had failed because an instruction to reduce the life didn’t get to the operation.
I was en-route to Trengganu in early November 1969 when this happened, I gathered all the story from the rest of the Op when I arrived. Not a lot was said about the loss, probably due to the lack of information about the life of the fan belts, communication was very difficult in those days.

[Dave Ed]

Netherlands
Den Helder has probably moved on since this was posted over 10 years ago! Anyone got any up to date info/pics?


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Netherlands/map_netherlands.jpg


In 1998 Bristows won a large contract with a Shell led consortium to provide helicopter services to support the offshore gas installations in the southern North Sea. Den Helder was chosen as a base to serve the Dutch side. The city has a close association with the offshore industry and many suppliers and oil companies are based here. It also boasts a large port.

An aerial shot of the airport.
Schreiner helicopters also have a maintenance facility at Den Helder.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Netherlands/denhelderairport.jpg


The hangar.
Staff were posted from U.K. bases and work a 4 weeks on 2 weeks off routine.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Netherlands/denhelder1.jpg


Three S76 A+ helicopters are based at Den Helder, 2 on contract to the NAM consortium and one used on ad hoc work.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Netherlands/denhelder2.jpg


Staff accommodation is at the Hotel Beatrix in the village of Huisduinen, a few miles from Den Helder.
The hotel is the large building in the background of this picture and the bit of green behind it is a dyke beyond which is the sea.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Netherlands/denhelder3.jpg


4 star Hotel Beatrix.
Gone are the days of tents and porta-cabins!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Netherlands/hotelbeatrix.jpg


This snippet of information was found on the internet.
"G-BCTX Sikorsky S-58T c/n 581103.
Bristow Helicopters operated out of Eelde in the early sixties with two float equipped Westland WS.55 Whirlwind 3s and one Westland WS.51 Widgeon. Sweet memories of this period came back when this S-58T was noted on the Eelde tarmac on July 2nd 1977."


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Netherlands/eeldes58.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Nigeria

Getting there.

FERRY FLIGHT - 2 x S76A's.
REDHILL TO PORT HARCOURT.
27th April 1981 - 1st May 1981.

27th April 1981, Redhill - Gatwick -Perpignan.

In the afternoon, two S76A's, G-BIPR and G-BISZ departed Redhill in company for a 3500 mile flight, Trans-Sahara to Port Harcourt in Nigeria. The aircraft were equipped with the standard nav/com fitting (but no area nav) and internal ferry tanks. We were loaded down with full fuel, spares, bottles of water, whisky and cigarettes. (The latter can be helpful to ease formalities en-route sometimes!!). After clearing customs at Gatwick, we climbed to 7000 ft along the airways to Perpignan in the South of France (a little different to my ferry of a Hiller 12E some 13 years earlier!) We arrived to a balmy evening and having cleared French Douanes with a helpful Officer, we departed for our hotel. I remember eating in a small cafe where the locals loved to sing. - a fitting end to the day.

28th April 1981, Perpignan - Algiers - El Golea.

We left late morning on a direct track for Algiers. The Pyranees were magnificent in the morning sunshine. We routed overhead Majorca where, would you believe it was raining? After passing Majorca, the weather improved and we landed at Algiers for entry clearance into Algeria early afternoon. When I was at school, I spent a fair time on exchange with a French family and now I found my French really useful. Though I hadn't spoken French for some years now, I found I had to slow down for the Algerian authorities. It did help as Algeria was once a French Protectorate and French was their second language. We were lucky to be permitted to fly Trans-Sahara, as we didn't have an HF or Area Nav system, which, if my memory serves me well was a requirement. However, as we were "in Company" and able to look after each other, then we were permitted to continue. We decided to make El Golea, a former Foreign Legion outpost, for the last sector of the day. We soon ran out of the traditional Nav aids and only had the NDB's and a map left. The maps were pretty featureless and therefore pretty useless. Finally, we made El Golea in the evening after an 8 hour flying day. The Taxi driver took us to the "hotel", the former Foreign Legion Fort (water was only available on certain days and at certain times and we weren't in any of them). We had a meal of sorts in the town's cafe after which he invited us back to his brother's house for some traditional mint tea.

29th April 1981, El Golea - In Salah - Tamanrasset.

We left for Tamanrasset, early the next morning before the sun was really hot. The intention was to climb to 10,000 feet and route direct to Tamanrasset, using the reduced fuel flows to extend the endurance. However, as the flight progressed and with the weather turning into a sandstorm, it was obvious that we were unable to make Tamanrasset in one leg. The engine particle separators were working overtime as we diverted to In-Salah, an oil base, for a refuel. Having filled up with maximum fuel, we set course for Tamanrasset. I note from my logbook that the visibility never got above 2 kms for that sector. Again, due to the weather, all the ground nav aids were lost and due to the build up of sand over the aircraft, the radio's performance dropped to virtually nothing. By this time we had lost contact, both visually and by radio with the other S76A. We were flying at around 10,000 to 11,000 ft aware of 9000 ft Mount Tamanrasset not too far away. We had passed our ETA and still we didn't have contact with Tamanrasset. Finally we got in contact with ATC only to be told that there was a sandstorm blowing and they had lost their ILS. I saw a road underneath me and descended and followed it. As we closed Tamanrasset, the weather improved enough for us to make the airfield visually. After another 8 flying hour day, we made our way to the hotel and sank several Coca-Cola's (believe that if you will).

30th April 1981 Tamanrasset - Agades - Kano.

The next day dawned clear and it was sobering to see the size of Mount Tamanrasset and the wrecks of many aircraft, left as they crashed, around the Tamanrasset Airport. We climbed to 9000 ft and set course for Agades. When we got in contact with Agades ATC, we could not believe our ears when he reported an air temperature of +47 degrees C. We landed just after mid-day and sure enough it was +47C. We paid for our fuel in US Dollars and true to their Islamic upbringing, they would not accept the balance (some US$30) as a tip but insisted on splitting it between them and us - US$15 each. We felt that to offer them a "bottle" of spirits would be frowned upon but they certainly loved the bag of mint sweeties we had. Take off clearance was given and we lifted the collective to the Allison limit - nothing happened, not even light on the wheels. The Sikorsky limit was squeezed gently but we were unable to lift into the hover in that heat and at maximum (?) weight. Make like a fixed wing, I thought and was airborne after about 150 metres ground run. The rate of climb was non-existent for the next 15 minutes it took us to achieve 500 ft. Luckily, the ground was quite flat. Eventually we climbed to our cruise altitude and sighted the Nigerian border in the late afternoon. Arriving in Kano, all the formalities were completed but this time we were deficient of some of our goodies. This was my introduction to "DASH". We were met by Company personnel and after clearing customs proceeded to our hotel for a shower and one or two celebratory drinks.

1st May 1981 Kano - Port Harcourt.

The final leg was short compared to the other days. We left Kano mid morning and climbed to a couple of thousand feet in clear weather. It is amazing how the scenery was changing as we flew South from the arid desert to the lush vegetation of the Nigerian River State. We completed the ferry flight with a 2 aircraft fly past followed by a Champagne reception.
The total flight time was 30 and a half hours - an experience I am unlikely to forget.

Thanks to Clive Knowles who was the Captain of the other aircraft for jogging my memory.

John Whale

[Dave Ed]

Burutu


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Burutu/map_nigerdelta.jpg

One of the earlier Nigerian operations which served the increasing amount of exploration and production activities in the Niger Delta region.


A Hiller and Widgeon on the pan.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Burutu/burutuhillerwidgeon.jpg


Servicing at Burutu.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Burutu/burutu.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Calabar

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calabar/mdmap1.gif

Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, is a seaport on an estuary of the Gulf of Guinea. The city is the market centre for the surrounding area in which cacao, palm oil, rubber, and timber are produced.

So here we have Bell 212, 5N-AJX in front of the hangar which was converted from a dockside warehouse. Calabar was really a satellite operation to Eket, Mobil being the client. Base was operational late eighties to ..?

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calabar/calabar1.jpg




5N-AJX, on the helipad, dwarfed by a passing cargo ship.
The wharf had to be strengthened to take the weight of the aircraft which were towed into position by tractor.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calabar/calabar2.jpg




Accommodation block.
Looks well posh for Nigeria! de

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calabar/calabar3.jpg




A couple of staff group photos.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calabar/calabargroup2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calabar/calabargroup1.jpg

......and a mystery bar...

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Calabar/bar_calabar.jpg

[pstjgw]

That's Barrie Asquith behind the bar.

It's the Bristow bar which was in the accommodation block and continued in a slightly revised form up until the sad day that the operation closed. :ugh:

Peter

[Droopy]

Claude Pujol looking furtive right of centre. He left Eket for Trinidad late '85-early '86, when did he return to Calabar?

[stacey_s]

Sorry Peter, thats not the Bar in the House, thats a bar that Barry and Nasim ran/frequented in town, the 212 operation temporarily closed down in 1999 when I closed it after Nick Owen took early retirement, for the last two or three weeks I had no helicopter just packing the spares up for shipment back to Eket, the operation opened again sometime later.
Claude Pujol or known as BBC (Bad Breath Claude!!) retired to Nice, some years now since I have had a message from him.
In the staff photo's it's Graham (Boots) Conway sitting in the pilots seat and Sammy Samarisihna (R.I.P)(BEARDED AND LEANING ON THE NOSE)

Stacey

[Dave Ed]

Eket 1

It was my 55th birthday Thursday. The fire audio warn circuit breaker tripped on our primary SAR aircraft. Didn't take long to carry out repair on chafed wire but had to take out complete Bell 412 instrument panel to get to it!!! Started 05.30, back on line 16.30......earned my beer that day....


So, off to Eket. I'll leave it as it was written eleven years ago. No doubt there have been many changes since then, IF it's actually still there ???
Also I have posted some of the pics before but this will put them all together.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/wafricamap2.jpg


Bristow Helicopters has a wealth of experience of operating helicopters and aeroplanes in Nigeria with the Bristow Group's first ever oil industry support related contract being awarded by the Shell D'Arcy Company of Nigeria in the mid-1950's.
As of year 2000, helicopter sectors (flights) were standing at over 1.5 million and passengers carried 7.5 million.
Most of the oil related work is based in the Delta region where numerous flow stations, production wells and other facilities are scattered. They are served by a number of bases, one of which is Eket. In recent years the contract has been in support of Mobil but this base has origins dating back to the Fifties and below are some excellent very early pictures of how it came about. The captions beside the photos are as they were written on the reverse sides.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket1.jpg

Snr. Ing Lombardi looking pensive - having found out that Mobil's planning for the hanger, if built to plan, would mean building over the prison next door.
"Shorty" Gibbons says, "Hell, we will buy the place, charge it to Mobil !"




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket2.jpg

Hangar foundations laid - awaiting roof and sides !


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket3.jpg

Lombardi again - Getting correct bearing on Mobil's pipe yard to enable construction to continue.
Hangar was mainly built out of drill-pipe "borrowed" when tool pusher wasn't looking.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket4.jpg

Minor take-off obstructions being cleared - just so we can see the road.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket5.jpg

Another view of our up to date air conditioned facility.
Block and tackle in foreground is looking for a tree to hang it on. "Shorty" is still bemoaning the lack of hours being provided - 150hrs per a/c per month - having provided all the luxurious maintenance facilities.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket6.jpg


First Hangar/Workshop cost 25 Naira - extension cost 15 Naira. Had a problem collecting money from "Shorty" Gibbons due to lack of receipt ! He must of thought I was trying to defraud Mobil of N25 and thus cause them to stop the Nigeria programme.




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket7.jpg

Now we are really established - fully air-con hangar and scales. Writing on plank says, "Eket International. Daily flights UK-USA-Idaho platform, round trip 10 USD.

Thanks to Nick Strange (and his mum for Pics).

................................................moving on...


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/ekethngr.jpg

This picture is dated at about 1984 and was taken from the runway. It was a compact base as can be seen from the proximity of the staff
accommodation behind the hanger.
I have no details of Wessex operating at Eket but as can be seen from above, Whirlwinds were operational and of course the 212s have been Eket's trusty work horses for the last 20 years.

The following two pictures were taken at Eket in 1977 and show the BN2A Islander that was in use before the Twin Otters, and a Wessex giving a Bell 206 a helping hand presumably after suffering some misfortune.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/bn2eket.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eketwes206.jpg



The following pictures were taken at the Mobil Airstrip, after the fire station and before Q.I.T. What was Q.I.T.? See Bottom of page.
The first two show general shots around the base:


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket13.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket14.jpg




The rescue of 5N-AJS, whose tail rotor struck a wind-sock offshore.
Replacement parts had to be robbed from a Check 2 aircraft and flown out to the stricken aircraft.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket12.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eketgroup3.jpg


Thanks to Paul Richardson for the following:

The QIT is the Qua Iboe Terminal, a major terminal with about 10,000 workers.The BHL Eket helicopter base is now within this compound. If you ask anybody about the QIT, the best thing to do is to ask them about the meals in the QIT mess!
Just outside the QIT is a accommodation block where most of the BHL guys are located. This is similar to a school dormitory block, and has the local name of 'Club Med'.

I spent some time there Sept 2000 and I can remember the lovely rusty brown water coming out of the showers, along with the evenings where each guy cooked something in his room, and all would sit down to a meal served by walking around between the various 'cooks'. Next door to the QIT is a golf course. So if you get posted there, don't forget to take your golf bats!

About 20 mins driving from the QIT and Club Med is Esa Akpan. Esa Akpan is where most of the BHL engineers had accommodation. Late one evening I was introduced to House One (once a very grand place) and noted that quite a few of the lights were blown/didn't work and the water was inop. This prompted a quick reaction from a local electrician who set about the next day re-wiring the main hall light to the fuse box. Much scratching of head, but just before nightfall he finished. A wafting smell of 'warm' wiring sent me off to the BHL bar for refreshments. A few hours passed (very thirsty) and on returning to House One, bless me, the light was still working! Unfortunately, some cross-wiring must
have taken place as the bathroom fittings had all become live! It was still possible to have a bath though, by standing on a rubber mat and getting in/out with some care.
It's only by going there yourself that you can really experience the whole place!


I remember the house electrician at Warri.......used to check for voltages with his fingers. de

[Dave Ed]

EKET 2
The remaining pics.........


Don't know why this one got separated from the other two in previous post.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket11.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket2122.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket2121.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eketgroup1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/redhorse.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eketstaff.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eketpool.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eketgroup2.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket_group_big.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/eket15.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Eket/Eketdog.jpg

[SASless]

What was it Barry Oliver said to Nigel Tanner when the need for the new Wind Sock occurred?

Something like...."I think that was the Wind Sock, Nigel!"

[Dave Ed]

Remember post 2169, the first bit about the short circuit on one of my 412s.
A couple of pics. Not the sort of thing you want the passengers to see..............and not the sort of line defect you want to crop up very often!!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/706%20instrument%20panel/Shortcircuit3.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/706%20instrument%20panel/Shortcircuit-706.jpg

[Ainippe]

The hangar picture above was post a check two, I am the slimline bloke in the middle with the beard holding a bottle of Star, Jeremy Wright behind me (RIP) CP at the time.

The swimming pool was built with some help from the German construction company that built the new Mobil Housing site, BHL bought the pump, filter etc. Jim Lawn used to bring bits and pieces down in the King Air and used to really go out of his way to help us.:)

[stacey_s]

Indeed, Barry (Thermidor) Oliver!!

Stacey

[stacey_s]

Me! Standing by the Volkswagon door and putting 'lubraplate' on the bolt holes of the tail boom

Stace

[SASless]

Had to think about that a bit....but it is early here!

Was it "Tiger" or "Tigger" for the Boss Dawg?

[Droopy]

Definitely Tigger. He used to wander in to the accommodation corridor in the middle of the night and jump up to paw open the door of whoever's room he wanted to curl up in. Quite alarming to get up for the middle of the night pee to put your feet on the bloody dog beside your bed. Brilliant dog.

[C.C.C.]

When we moved from the airstrip accommodation into the Esa Akpan compound 'Tigger' picked up the transport schedule very quickly. As Crew No.1 one day it was my turn to drive the rest of the pilots to the airstrip in the minibus. As I climbed-in in the low morning light I noticed a distinct dog smell, only to find 'Tigger' had been left in the back overnight. Opened the sliding door to let him out, he did his 'business' then climbed back in to start the morning shift at the airstrip! Priceless!

When he was finally put down after a bad illness he was given the dignity of a burial at sea from one of the unmanned platforms so that he did not end up on the menu of the local 'roadkill' - roadside restaurant signs displayed '504 is ready' if I recall correctly.

[Dave Ed]

Lagos


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/map_portharcourt.jpg



As usual the info below is over 10 years old....things have probably moved on!
The Lagos base is the headquarters for Bristows operations in Nigeria and over the years a variety of fixed wing types have provided transport to the outlying bases such as Warri, Port Harcourt and Eket.

A panoramic view of the Lagos hangar and pan with the Mitsubishi MU-2 just visible inside.
Some way out of the airport is the Bristow guest house which provides accommodation for Lagos based staff as well as having spare rooms for staff transiting to and from the outlying bases.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/lagos1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/twotter_lagos_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/mu2_lagos_big.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/whirlwind_lagos_big.jpg

......and from Keith Roberts
An aerial shot of the Lagos hangar (left hand one) with a Shell owned Dornier 328 stationed outside. The Dornier 328 Props and Jets are operated by BHNL on behalf of Shell.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/krlagosaerial.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/krec155lagos.jpg

............and a few people pics.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/pg1.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/kraaandag.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Lagos/barlagos.jpg

[stacey_s]

Tigger was indeed buried at sea, just north of Ubit Delta I think from a 212.
He was placed in a wooden box with enough concrete to weigh down a dog twice his size, the original idea was for Barry Pettet to winch me down to within a few feet of the sea then cast him adrift, however none of the pilots on site wanted to do that, so from a low hover we kicked the 'Ole Bugger' out, and true to form he floated!!!!, well only for a minute or two but enough time to think that we were going to have to go and get the winch anyway!! but slowly down he went.
On board were myself Martin Boardley (Chief Engineer) & Bary Pettet (Basil) and Lady the replacement German Shepard who hid around the opposite well seat thinking she was next!!!.
Pretty fitting that we were the ones to put him to rest as we were the ones who had to hold him while the vet give him the 'Jab', still got the mark on my hand where he bit me as he closed his eyes, drank and cried a lot that night, welling up now!!.
RIP Tigger!

Stacey

[SASless]

Tigs was a Character amongst many Characters.....as it should be too!:ok:

Eket Stories are legend!

A Captain in a Chain Gang....CP's killing Wind Socks....mild parties in the Bar....Snakes in the Accommodation Block....Strikes...Riots...The Wizard of Oz...Fishing offshore...A Parrot talking about the Stock Market.....some good times there!

[Dave Ed]

Port Harcourt

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/map_portharcourt.jpg


Bristow Helicopters has a wealth of experience of operating helicopters and aeroplanes in Nigeria with the Bristow Group's first ever oil industry
support related contract being awarded by the Shell D'Arcy Company of Nigeria in the mid-1950's.
As of year 2000, helicopter sectors (flights) were standing at over 1.5 million and passengers carried 7.5 million.
Most of the oil related work is based in the Delta region where numerous flow stations, production wells and other facilities are scattered.
They are served by a number of bases, one of which is Port Harcourt.


I never received any 212 era pics for Port Harcourt.
The following pictures were taken in the early sixties.

The two hangars, the control tower plus three Widgeons and a Twin Pioneer.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/lcph1.jpg


As for above except the addition of a Hiller 12E.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/lcph2.jpg


A Hiller 12E on finals to a swamp based oil installation.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/lcph3.jpg




Widgeon 5N-ABV on a sortie over typical Niger Delta scenery.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/lcph4.jpg


This picture is a bit grainy but you can make out a couple of Whirlwinds and a Twin Pioneer.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/phbasepic.jpg


Ignore pic above comment in this pic.
http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/lcdove.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/lcbonanza.jpg


Port Harcourt, AGIP

Only about 5 miles from the Shell operation it was operational circa
1981-1985.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/phagip76.jpg


As can be seen from the pics an S76 was based here servicing an
offshore rig.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Port%20Harcourt/cmagip76.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Warri - Shell

A good aerial shot taken by Gunter Burmeister showing the general layout of the Shell, Warri base.
Having been based there for two years I found this of particular interest. There are a few small location words in the following two pics if you look closely.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warriaerial.jpg


And another aerial photo of Warri Nigeria. This picture was taken by Dave Cameron from about 8,000 feet sometime in 1993 or 94. It clearly shows the layout of the Shell residential area, dock area, Idugbo camp, (where the world famous no.17 is.) and Ogunu village.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warri02.jpg

Types known to have operated at Warri (Shell) were Wessex and Bell 212s, the latter replacing the former in the early eighties. Both types can be observed in the picture.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warrihngr.jpg


The staff routines were either "two and one" or bachelor postings or one year and six weeks leave for married accompanied staff. Travel to and from the operation was by fixed-wing out of Warri strip, typically BN-2 Islander in the early days replaced by the Twin Otters later on.
Always a great feeling walking down the path to board the twotter.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/otterwarri.jpg


One of the numerous swamp based installations supported by Warri based aircraft. This flow station was equipped with an NDB ( navigation beacon) that was fitted and maintained by the Bristow avionic guys.
After this beacon mysteriously stopped functioning I was dropped off at the flow station with toolkit and test equipment and spent the next few hours in the little white metal box clearing electrocuted ants out of the electrical junction box. With outside temperatures of about 32C I was well parched by the time we got back to Warri - had to wait a few hours to be picked up if I remember rightly.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warriflowstation.jpg


Another dramatic shot from Gunter showing a Warri Bell 212 positioned on an offshore installation.
Some of Gunter's original pictures are quite stunning but cannot be done justice in a 50kb jpeg!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warriflame.jpg



....and a few misc pics.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/212_5nalt.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/3x212s.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warwesrrr.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warriwessx.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warriwinch.jpg

Warri Shell people pics next time.

[parabellum]

At the beginning of 1969 the Shell Warri operation was supported by two Bell 206, 5N-AHM and -AHN. Previously a Whirlwind III had been there and amid considerable controversy as to why, it ended up in the bush, a T.W.O. ,between PH and Warri. Some Shell staff were injured and Shell aviation did their own safety audit.

[Dave Ed]

Parabellum,


I guess it might have been this one?


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/mdcrashed55.jpg



......a bigger version to help with reading!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Whirlwind/mdcrashed55-1.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Warri 2


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/warrisskids.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/abraka.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/17warri.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/kp67.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/kp63.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/nigerparty.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/no34housebar.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Shell/kdbushbar.jpg

[soggyboxers]

Dave,

In 1978 when I was there we were operating Wessex and Whirlwinds from Shell Warri.

There were several Number 17s and in 1991 when I was at WT I lived in house 17 (whose real number has slipped my mind now) because that was the Bristow bar. The Shell guys would have a fish and chip night in their no. 17 on alternate Fridays, whilst we had roast pork night in our no 17 on the other Fridays.

I remember my first flight from Lagos to old Warri airstrip in an Islander. The pilot, an ex-RN Buccaneer pilot asked if their were any pilot 'chap pies' amongst the passengers. When I admitted that I was he asked me to come and sit in the cockpit, right hand seat. As we were flying down to Warri he asked me if I'd like to fly and even when we arrived at the airstrip, told me that I could land it and he'd just talk me through! I'm pretty sure I could feel many helpful inputs on the controls as I landed and that I was really just following him through on the controls.

[Tony Mabelis]

The black and white pictures of the crashed Whirlwind............

Thats me in the pictures, young, beard,shorts, flipflops.
Also Lambert Abali, and Bill Petrie:uhoh:

I think the photo was taken by our pilot Tom Bayden who was an old time Fison/Bristow LAE who got his pilots licence.

We had flown out in a 206 to do a technical investigation, and found nothing wrong technically.

The pilot of the 55 was "Bentnose" Baker, who got bored while in the cruise, and decided to manually control the throttle.
Somehow he managed to end up selecting half way between computer and manual, the engine went into overspeed, the O/S cut out operated, causing the engine to shut down.
Tony

[SASless]

Soggy.....it is well known you "live" in Bars.:ugh:

[Dave Ed]

Warri Texaco


Few details on this base. See previous posts for Bristow Nigeria general information.

Taken around 1992 when the fleet consisted of 2 X Bell 212 and 2 X AS355F1. One 355 based offshore on the Funiwa platform ( 4 days on, 4 days off ).


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/warrit1.jpg



Bell 212, 5N-AOV on the pan. Work rosta in 1992 was 56 days on, 28 off.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/warrit212.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/warrit_engs.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/warritexacogroup96.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/wtbar1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/wtbar2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/pg4.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/pg2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Warri%20Texaco/pg3.jpg

[Tail-take-off]

Warri Texaco group 1996:
Richard Turner far left & Jim Trott seated front right.

3rd bar picture:
Richard Turner on the left.

4th bar picture:
John MacIntyre on the right.

5th bar picture:
Simon Sorrell behind the bar with finger raised.

[Dave Ed]

Nigeria misc....


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/fernandogroup.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/mobilwidgeon.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/jv15.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/lastniggog.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/owerrigroup.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/nikpik2.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/nikpik1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/dinghydrill.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/sandievip2doe.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/chokoloba.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/rileydove.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/sandieotter.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Nigeria%20Misc/kr328s1.jpg

[heli1]

The Widgeon in the set above is probably the one now in
The Helicopter Museum .it certainly was flown offshore onto a rig when the Biafra war got too close for comfort. I think it was the only survivor of the Widgeons in Nigeria.

[Ainippe]

the group photo taken in Owerri 2nd from left is Don Strange, I was one at the time !!!!

[Dave Ed]

Muscat

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Yemen/map_yemen.jpg


No pics for this one. Info from Ken Rowe.


Muscat Sept 71 (a/c Wessex G-AWOX)

We arrived at Muscat to be greeted by the rest of the crew, the total operation being:- Chief Pilot John Hobday, John Spreadbury, Chief Engineer Frank Tucker, engineers Geoff Chandler, Pete Robson, and of course myself Ken Rowe.
There was also "greenie" John Ferchal who had seemed to haunt us from times at Kuantan and we were soon to have a substitute Chief Engineer, Christos Niocholas, as Frank Tucker went on leave.

Conocco was contracted to drill 2 wells. The first one was only 2 miles off shore and took a whole 8 minutes flying time and as we only did one crew change a week so the first months flying hours were only 2hrs. During the second month the rig moved to 8 miles offshore and together with night flying training and one trip to Dubai for spares we reached double figures, just. It was hell working in that Waddi as it was flat out on the work front. The airport that we operated from was at Baet-el-Falaj and was the main operations base for the Airwork operation and was also the "international" airport. It was situated at the bottom of a waddi and was extremely difficult to enter. It was quite awe inspiring to see a 707 banking steeply and turning seconds before touchdown and the airline pilots used to say it was the most difficult airfield in the world to access.
Needless to say it doesn't operate today.

Muscat at that time was a walled mud brick town and operated at about three hundred years behind Britain. We had to have special dispensation from the Sultan to leave the town after dark to go to the airport should there be an emergency as no one was allowed to enter or leave the town at night as the gates in the walls were closed at sunset prayers and no one was allowed out or in. We lived in a beautiful three-story mud brick building next to the British embassy on one side and the countries gaol on the other. The embassy was a good contact as we could get alcohol through their diplomatic bag and the gaol reminded us of the severe penalties of a strictly Islamic culture should we digress and drink it. The embassy won.


After a quite enjoyable Christmas celebrated in secrecy, as I said at that time Muscat was three hundred years behind and strict Islamic rules prevailed, the oil company announced that it was moving its rig to Bangladesh but the Bangladeshi authorities would not let the helicopter company in so we were now homeless with one spare Wessex.

Then Alan Green telexed to inform us that we were on loan to Das Island!

[SASless]

Ken Rowe..... a name from the Past!

[Dave Ed]

Pakistan

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Pakistan/mappakistan.jpg


Allthough not a strictly Bristow operation, the company provided the services of pilots and engineers.
A Bell 412SP was bought for "tourist development", by Panjnad Aviation and was based in Islamabad but operated all over Pakistan. V.I.P. and charter work.
Similar involvment with the Aga Khan foundation involving a couple of Bell 412s.


Completion of annual inspection at the Army Aviation Workshops, Rawalpindi in 1992.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Pakistan/pak1.jpg


Aircraft contracted to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, in1993 for S.A.A.R.C. conference in Sri Lanka. Ferried by Pakistan Air Force C.130 to Colombo from where it operated for two "weeks"

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Pakistan/pak2.jpg


Group picture with Bell 412SP ( AP- BEA).

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Pakistan/pak3.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Pakistan/barmj.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Panama

In 1960, Sir Miles Wyatt asked Alan Bristow if he would like to take over the running of Fison Airwork and effectively merge it with Bristow Helicopters so although many of these operations were not strictly Bristow operations they were under Bristows control for a time and many staff joined the company.
Therefore the general feeling is that Fison Airwork should be included as part of Bristow history.
Fison Airwork itself was formed from Airwork and Fison Pest Control and had many contracts in the field of crop spraying of which Panama was one.


Panama - located at the narrowest point in Central America being only 36 miles at its narrowest.The climate is tropical.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Panama/map_panama.jpg


Hiller 12, G-APKX, 1958.
Blade washing. Note the spray booms and insecticide tanks.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Panama/pamama1.jpg



Crop spraying has always had a reputation for being unforgiving as there is very little time to react if the aircraft suffers a malfunction.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Panama/panama2.jpg



G-APNI, April 1959.
Puerto Armuelles - Panama. 4" Drive Tube came adrift!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Panama/panama3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Panama/uh12_panama2.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Panama/uh12s_panama.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Panama/almirante_group.jpg

[Oldlae]

The chap with a cigarette in his mouth is Stan Chapman.

[Dave Ed]

Papa New Guinea

Thanks to Andrew Rice for his input on this base.

PNG began for Bristow in 1985, when Pacific Helicopters bought a Puma from Bristow Australia. They had been contracted to provide helirig support for Gulf Oil, which later became Chevron. Initially two SA330J Pumas were required, one each from Bristow and Pacific. These were initially based at Tari, in the central highlands, 5,000 ft above sea level. Several BV107 helicopters from Columbia Helicopters shared the same facilities.

Crews worked 3 weeks on 3 weeks off and crew change flights arrived from Cairns in Australia. The rigs were drilling in the mountains and varied between 3,000ft and 9,000ft AMSL. In May 1986 the operation moved to Poroma, also 5,000ft AMSL. As there was no airstrip, crew change flights arrived at Mendi and the crews were transferred by helicopter.

In August 1986 the Bristow Puma VR-BIG was released from contract along with a number of BHL staff, but some Bristow crew remained to assist the Pacific staff fly and maintain their aircraft. Several other oil companies started operations in 1988 and in November that year Pacific bought two more Pumas from PHI (P2-PAY and P2-PAZ). The three aircraft continued to operate at various bases around the country, mainly in the highlands, and flew a considerable number of hours each month. Pilots could expect to fly100 hours in their three weeks of duty.

In January 1988 the operations changed to using long line and vertical reference techniques, requiring considerable pilot training.

Bristow did have a brief operation for Shell drilling in the Sepik River region in the PNG lowlands using one Bell 212 and a Tiger. Over the years the amount of flying began to reduce, and this became a dramatic reduction when Russian built aircraft began to work in PNG, lifting higher loads at considerably lower costs. The KA32 was able to lift almost twice the useful load of a Puma. The final Bristow crew left PNG in January 1991.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/map_png.jpg


PNG operations seem to have been scattered around the countryside with the pictures having locations such as Tari, Paroma, Kikori and Sepic River. The contracts involved supplying technical and operational support to Pacific Helicopters for various clients and using types such Bell 212, Puma, Tiger and Hughes 300 as can be seen below.


Pumas P2-PHZ and VR-BIG (Bristow colours) at Tari.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png1.jpg




Bell 212, P2-PHJ at Sepic River 1987. This aircraft is sporting the Bristow and Pacific names.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png2.jpg




Bush operation with Puma P2-PAY at Kikori River late eighties.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png3.jpg




Hughes 300 also at Kikori.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png4.jpg




AS 332L Tiger P2-PHP location unknown.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png5.jpg


Poroma base camp circa1986.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png_ar1.jpg





Crew change at Mendicirca 1987.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png_ar2.jpg





Gearbox change with rainbow and hangar boys at Poroma circa1986.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png_ar3.jpg


Cement hopper over Lake Kutabu circa 1986.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png_ar4.jpg




P2-PHZ at O'Malley Peaks relay station, 11,000ft AMSL, 23rd May 1986.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png_ar5.jpg




AS 330 Puma underslinging materials to a typical rig site.1985.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/djpngrigsite.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/png_ar6.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/PNG/djpngrace.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Rhodesia


Even I had forgotten how Rhodesia came to be on the Bristow website!
But it all came from the complicated early days of Airwork, Fison, Bristows, British United etc etc


Here is a link to the British Caledonian website which clears things up a bit and has some great vintage pics............not just the helicopters.


BUA Bristows Helicopters Pt 3 (http://www.british-caledonian.com/BUA_Helicopters_Pt_3.html)


So Rhodesia pictures, all from John Odlin I think.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Rhodesia/map_rhodesia.jpg




The photos were taken in 1963 and show Hiller 12s being used on a contract for Rhodesian Federal Surveys working with Rhodesian United Air Carriers ( RUAC) who were based at Salisbury Airport.


The Granite outcrops were typical of the Rhodesian countryside.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Rhodesia/jod3.jpg


The twig construction in this picture and the small lighthouse in the following one are survey markers.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Rhodesia/jod2.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Rhodesia/jod4.jpg



Rhodesia-Namwala, July 1963, VP-YVP.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Rhodesia/jod1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Rhodesia/cheetahgirl.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Romania, Constanta

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Romania/romania_map.jpg


I have details on 2 Bristow operations in Romania, both presumably at Constanta. Bristows provided a Bell 212 to support Enterprise Oil's offshore exploration activities from January - September 1997.

Previously, the same company contracted Bristows to provide an S-76A "plus" from November 1994 - April 1995.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Romania/s76_constanta.jpg



As can be seen from the above dates the S-76 operation was through an extremely cold Winter and at one point the aircraft was so caked in ice it required six hours to thaw it out. This resulted in a state of the art hanger being erected by a team of leading construction engineers using some of the most advanced equipment available.See below.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Romania/workmen_constanta.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Romania/hanger_constanta.jpg

[Rokan1]

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Panama/almirante_group.jpg


That is indeed Stan Chapman (4th from left).
I worked under his guidance for a few years on the Caltex operation in Duri Sumatra, and learned a lot from his high standards of aircraft maintenance.

[Ainippe]

The lady next to Stan is my mother and the elbow belongs to my Father. Only reason I know is mother told me when she pulled out a copy of the picture a fews back.

[Dave Ed]

Seychelles

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Seychelles/map_seychelles.gif

"Sitting like pearls in the tranquil turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean lie the 115 little islands which make up the Seychelles - glorious sandy beaches and outstanding natural beauty make this archipelago as close to paradise as you are likely to find."
No, not an excerpt from Bristow's "notes to newcomers" but from the Kuoni 2001 tour brochure. Not often we get a posting to paradise!


So here we have an over worked Kev Smith looking after Bell 212, G-BMVF on the main island Mahé. The 212 was supporting Enterprise Oil's offshore exploration activities (August - September 1995).


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Seychelles/seychelles1.jpg

[spinwing]

Mmmmm ....

Those with 'eagle eyes' will note that the '300 in post #2189 is in fact a Hughes 500 D/E ...

Those were the days ... good fun in the PUMA ... it was in fact a pretty good job ... those machines used to run 12 hrs a day ... day in day out ....

:ok:

[Dave Ed]

Mogadishu, Somalia

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/map_horn.jpg


In 1994 Bristows were contracted to supply five Bell 212s to the United Nations in support of peace keeping duties in Somalia. The aircraft were based at Mogadishu.
Two of them were ferried in from Singapore in an Illyushin 76 and three came from U.K. on board Belfasts. From the look of the registrations the Bells had seen previous service in Trinidad and Indonesia.


The pictures below show the ex-Singapore machines being off-loaded as well as the re-mantling area and crew.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/212illy.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/212smog.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mogcrew.jpg

The contract was awarded at fairly short notice which meant that the avionic mods to meet the aircraft specification requirement had to be carried out on-site.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mogmods.jpg


The pictures below show the Bell flight line, the 5 star gourmet restaurant, the early morning "tank" wake-up call and finally J.D. posing in the only flak-jacket!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mog212flightline.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mogrestrnt.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mogtank.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mogjd.jpg


......and a few people pics....


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mogroup2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mogroup1.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Somalia/mogroup3.jpg

[Tail-take-off]

While 9Y-TFA & 9Y-THL were indeed formerly Trinidad aircraft, I believe that others were transferred to the Trinidad register specifically for the contract. Possibly less of a target in a war zone than a UK registration.

[SASless]

Dave,

You are at risk of being sued for slander.....you have produced the only photo in existence of Graham Worsley "working" that has ever been made. It was definitely a Kodak Moment to be able to capture him in such a lapse of Will and Discipline. He is reputed to be an excellent worker when cornered.

At some point I should tell the story of having to scrounge a Jesus Nut Socket from the US Marines so we could put the Rotor Heads on the aircraft.....as ours was languishing on a shelf somewhere in Redhill.

Bob Jones still remembers me kindly for stealing a UN Toyota to replace the one that got stolen from our parking spot.....the Lord does work in wonderful ways sometimes and provides for us in a time of need.

I still get a very good laugh when I recall Graham making like a Gopher one evening while assisting me in a bit of scrounging......and when I cautioned him to stop that....."You look like a thief when you do that!" to be told in his wonderful way....."But we are thieves!".

Over a bit of time I was able to come up with Air Cons and an Ice Maker so we could have cold beer and sleep comfortably at night.....and did not risk being killed by exploding Strawberries.

Being on the Trinidad Registration also made licensing for the Indonesian Engineers and Pilots easier too.....along with most of the Brits and Americans having that License as part of our Joining Package in the old days.

[Dave Ed]

Las Palmas, Canary Islands


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Spain/mapcanaries.jpg


Minimal details but contracts for Conoco and ship support duties are mentioned in an old publication about the Wessex.

Ship support duties included ferrying tanker cleaning specialists to tankers in the ocean.
These pictures were taken in 1971-1972.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Spain/laspalmas1.jpg



A Bristow Wessex dwarfed by the tanker "London Pride"
The aircraft also carry the name "Helicsa" so one would assume this was a joint venture.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Spain/laspalmas2.jpg

[albatross]

Thought this would jog some Mog memories!

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e68/midcanada/image_zps793d68c5.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e68/midcanada/image_zpscd14c0f4.jpg

Been there, done that, scammed a T shirt from the Bristow guys!

[Dave Ed]

Sant Carles de la Ràpita


Info and pics from Graham Conway.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Spain/map_spain.gif


The town lays approximately half way between Barcelona and Valencia. The base was supporting Esso offshore installations late sixties early seventies.
An unusual fleet of one Whirlwind, one Allouette 3 and a Bell 212. I don't suppose you would be swapping too many bits between those three. The Whirlwind was first on contract and when the client needed more capacity it was joined by the Allouette 3 which was one of the only aircraft available. Later on the first Bristow Bell 212 made an appearance.

Whirlwind G-AOZK in the hover. The Shell refuelling bowser appears in all three pictures which confirmed the same location for the three types.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Spain/gcspain1.jpg


Bell 212 VR-BEK awaiting its next task against a rocky backdrop. It was the first Bristow Bell 212, being a Bell demonstrator at the time.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Spain/gcspain2.jpg

This was the first time I had heard of Allouettes operating some place other than Iran. This one being VR-BEC. The picture is a bit fuzzy but worth including.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Spain/gcspain3.jpg

[Tail-take-off]

I'm guessing VR-BEK was only on loan from Bell because it was subsequently registered to Oxford Heli-Services in January 1973 as G-BALZ. From there it went to Irish Helicopters in March 1973, & BEAS in July 1974 before being absorbed into the BHL 212 fleet following the acquisition of BEAS.

[Tail-take-off]

Ironically G-BALZ was also the last BHL registered 212.

[S61-S92]

TTO


VR-BEK 30542 first appears on the Bristow List in November 1972, on contract to Shell in Spain... shows it was "on-hire" from Oxford Heli-Services Ltd


212's first appear in March 1972
VR-BEG 30504 (Das Island for BP) A/C Leased from Bell
VR-BEE 30533 (Dubai D.P.C. the following month)

[Dave Ed]

South Africa

See Rhodesia a few posts back for the link that explains the inclusion of some seemingly non-Bristow pics!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/South%20Africa/zs-hsl.jpg


Ref R.S.A. Wessex Picture. Info from Ian Dobson and Hans D.Holle.

The picture of the Wessex in South Africa is probably ZS-HSL and the back drop will be the bush backing the beach at Virginia airport in Durban. The Wessex was in Durban on ship servicing work 1974 -1976 with Helicopter Services Ltd (BHL owned company) hence the registration. I have photos of her being crated up at Virginia for shipment back to the UK.

Sharky Ward was the area chief eng and Vince Ogilvie was the Wessex LAE, pilots John Yates, Martin Ford, Jeremy Labauschagne and an american guy whose name escapes me at the moment.

We operated an Allouette II and a Whirlwind Series 3 as well as the Wessex.

AND......

The "american guy" refered to most likely was Ed Ban. He was posted from Jo'burg to Durban in about 75. There was also Gordon Blackman who, if I remember correctly, was involved in the ditching of a Wessex off Durban. They had been drifting about in shark infested water for quite some time to eventually be picked up by a freighter. Grant something was in the back of that aircraft and cut himself when getting out....


AND.....


The engineer mentioned in my previous mail must have been Grant Williams. "Lopiz" Labuschagne (based in Durban) was the CP in RSA during my time out there (74/76) with David Woodhead (based in Jo'burg) being the MP. Lopiz L. later on left BHL/Helicopter Services PTY. to join Court Helicopters.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/South%20Africa/uh12_southafrica.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/South%20Africa/sauh12.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Trinidad

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/map_trinidad.jpg


Another location with a long Bristow association is the Caribbean island of Trinidad off the coast of Venezuela. The biggest operation is located at Galeota Point where flights are operated to offshore installations on behalf of Amoco Trinidad Oil Company.

An article from a 1970 "Trinidad Tesoro News". This photo shows a Bristow Bell 206 approaching for its first landing at the new Trinidad-Tesoro's helicopter base at Galeota Point, Guayaguayare.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinidadnews2.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinidadnews1.gif


Trinidad based Hiller shutdown on what looks like an offshore wellhead.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinihiller.jpg




Bristow Bell 47 G2, VP-TCF, Mayaro, Trinidad 18th July 1961. Johnny Johnson and John Odlin. Oil Company was possibly Amosea.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trini47andcrew.jpg




This montage of three pictures shows the Galeota hanger and a collection of Bell 205s and 212s.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinidad1.jpg


An aerial shot of Galeota Point.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/galeotaerial.jpg


Early operations, in Trinidad, were carried out by Hillers, Bell 47, WS 55 Whirlwinds and later on by Bells 204, 206, 205 and 212.
This prile of Bell 212s, again at Galeota, were ferried back to Bristows Redhill for major refurbishment which included total rewiring.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinidad2.jpg


The 1991 Bristow calendar picture of 9Y-TEY presumably over a Caribbean beach.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinidad3.jpg


This picture, circa 1981 is of 9Y-TGV at Piarco Airport from which it operated offshore flights on behalf of Texaco.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinidad4.jpg


In the North of the Island lies Chaguaramas where Bristows were contracted to provide technical and operational support for the Ministry of National Security ( Air Division ).
Sikorsky S76s and Gazelles (pic) were operated from here.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinidad5.jpg

9Y-TEY during a rotors running turn round on an offshore rig.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trinidad6.jpg


....and from Tony Stafford .........

"My first posting in Bristows was in early 1969 to Trinidad. We had a small hangar at Mayaro on the east coast with a S55 and a Bell 206A. Marcel Avon was Chief Pilot and we initially worked for Pan American Oil with the Bluewater 3 rig. In January 1970, we opened a new heliport at Sea Lots in Port of Spain, and operated from there with a second rig coming on site, together with a second Whirlwind."


A couple of pics showing the hangar at Mayaro on the east coast of Trinidad, with 206A 9Y-TDF and our first Series 3 (9Y-TDA) undergoing some "headwork". This was probably early 1969 - Chief Engineer was Neil Leppard.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/mayarohangar.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/mayaroww.jpg


.....and

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/trin212odd.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Trinidad people


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/matbillv1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/matbillv2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Trinidad/clivetrinigroup.jpg

[Dave Ed]

USA


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/map_susa.gif


In the early eighties Bristows attempted to break into the North American market and more specifically to serve the ever expanding Gulf of Mexico offshore community. Details are few at the moment but the size of the fleet gives some idea of the importance of this venture. It consisted of 15 A-Stars ( single-engined Aerospatiale A.S.350s ), 5 S-76s, 1 Bell 212, a couple of Hughes 500s and a fixed wing.
Head office and overhaul facilities were set up at Sabine Pass and main operational bases were located at Beaumont ( Jefferson County Airport ) inTexas and at Houma in Louisiana.
Unfortunately due to market conditions during the following years, the USA operations were scaled back and eventually Bristows pulled out all together.

Taken around 1980 at Jefferson County Airport three S-76As and an A-Star await their next tasks.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/sabinepass1.jpg




Alan Bristow with Derek Cook during a base inspection at Jeffco.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/gcusa1.jpg




An aerial shot of the Houma base in Louisiana with three A-Stars on the pads. And no doubt it is a Bristow hangar.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/gcusa2.jpg


.......and down at ground level a Squirrel infestation in the Houma hangar.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/gcusa3.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/g-bufw.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/singlesq_big.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/jod11.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/USA/hughes500.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Vietnam

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Vietnam/map_vietnam.jpg


As a consequence of Bristows direct involvement with the provision of helicopter services for a number of oil companies since 1990, the company gained valuable experience of operating and working in Vietnam and in particular working in direct association with Vietnam Helicopter Services Company Limited ("Helicop"), the helicopter operating subsidiary of Service Flight Corporation.
Bristows operations seem to have been centred on Vung Tau.

Contracts involved tripartite agreements between Bristow Helicopters, Helicop and various oil companies such as Enterprise Oil and Petro Canada.
In each case Bristows were required to provide a senior pilot and licenced engineer to monitor all aspects of the operation and maintenance of the aircraft.

Engine change for "Helicop" 330J, VN-8607.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Vietnam/vietnam1.jpg


VN-8607 in a more serviceable state at Con Son, a small island that was used for refuelling on some of the longer trips out of Vung Tau.pic 1991-92.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Vietnam/vietnam2.jpg


These last two pictures show an SFC 330J during a check 2, being carried out by local staff and a team from Redhill in 1995 ish, around the time that a Bristow AS332L arrived.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Vietnam/vietnam3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Vietnam/vietnam4.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Emden, West Germany


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/West%20Germany/map_northgermany.jpg


Emden, West Germany, Winter 1964.
The aircraft was Whirlwind S55 Mk3 D-HODE operated by United Helicopters GMBH.

Arriving at Emden Heliport after a rig trip.
Note:- Crew in immersion suits and no heating in the helicopter.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/West%20Germany/emden1.jpg


..........and a few names
Engineers: Dick Jones, Basil Davey, Horst Voigt.
Pilots: Marcel Avon, John Waddington, Willy Weitzel.
Labourers: Karl Ackermann, Hans Joachim.

[Dave Ed]

Yemen

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Yemen/map_yemen.jpg


The only hard information I have is that Bristows provided a Bell 212
to support BP's activities offshore Hodeidah ( October- December 1992 ).


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Yemen/Yemen1.jpg




That just about wraps up the world wide bases for now.
UK next!

[Tail-take-off]

G-BUFW is actually an AS355F1 which went to Nigeria rather than an A-Star.

[Ainippe]

The Hiller picking up a load: the pilot I believe was Tony English and the other guys was my old man(DOS). They used to ferry coal and diesel to the top of Table Mountain. If I remember correctly we had a place that overlooked Camps Bay.

[Saint Jack]

Ref the sixth picture in Post #2203 "This montage of three pictures shows the Galeota hanger and a collection of Bell 205s and 212s" dates the photo to 1975 when Ernie Perrin was Managing Pilot and Dick Davisson was Chief Engineer. Not only because this was the time when 205's and 212's were on-site butlook at the mis-matched panels above the hangar doors. These, and numerous others around the hangar and on the roof, were replacements for those torn off when a tropical storm (not quite a hurricane) swept across Galeota. Of course we had advance warning of the storm and had all the helicopters and loose equipment safely inside the hangar before it arrived. Or so we thought, the wind began to increase and panels all around the hangar were coming loose. When some began falling into the hangar it was decided that the helicopters would be safer outside, so in the middle of the tropical storm, we all - pilots, engineers and local staff - opened the doors and pushed each helicopter onto a parking spot. Sure enough, not a single helicopter sustained any damage but the hangar, particularly the roof, took a beating. We were all soaked to the skin and Bob Turner took it upon himself to organise a change of clothes for everyone from the staff house - quite a day that was.

[griffothefog]

The montage pic looks like a 204 nearest to camera?

[mtoroshanga]

I started that op in 1971 I think it was with an Alouette318c Astazou,the 316B from the Cape Town operation having crashed in Wellington on the way to De Aar due to a tail rotor piano wire failure.
The aircraft that crashed off Durban was a Whirlwind with Grant and Jonny Cler as crew as far as I remember. It sucked a gopher into the intake while hovering over the ship.
Brian Mangen and I started the Durban ship servicing.
Poor old Lappies died a few years ago. Dropped dead on an exercise run I seem to remember

[terminus mos]

Griffo

Is it not Bell 212 G-BIXV?

[Tail-take-off]

I think Griffo is referring to the aircraft on the right outside the Trinidad hangar which does indeed look like a 204.

[SASless]

Nope.....tis a 205......a 204 only had a single window in the door....and not the small window in the short door. The camera lens must be distorting the image a bit to "shorten" the aircraft. It also has a round nose (no radome). Compare it to the 212 behind it.


http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4891041250805647&pid=15.1

[Tail-take-off]

Was the 205 available in different sizes then? This one looks smaller than some of the othersv(204 size). I've no idea, they were before my time.

[SASless]

Tail,

The progression was 204, 205, 212,214, 412.

The 204 had a single window in the cabin door.....due to the much smaller cabin size and layout.

The others have two windows in the cabin door and a window in a Short Door.

[Oldlae]

I was at Galeota for the first 3 months of 1975, with the late Dick Davisson and Ernie, 9Y-TEI is definitely a 205, the image is distorted by the photo montage join. Graham Conway was with the two 204's awaiting John Snow. I well remember the drive to Port 0f Spain with Nobby Clarke every few days drinking beer and throwing out the empty bottles.

[chopper2004]

Any guys flew and supported G-AYNP on the production set of this movie and got autographs from the lovely Maud Adams and Bitt Ekland?

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/Hostage_Tower_Whirlwind_2_zps024e9924.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/Hostage_Tower_Whirlwind_4_zps470b5af9.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/Hostage_Tower_Whirlwind_3_zpsdde9056c.jpg

Cheers

[BTC8183]

Apart from The single[big] sliding door window,the 204 had the TR on the LH.
Most[iirc] 205's had the TR on the RH[as per pic].