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Camp Freddie
26th Aug 2007, 22:35
it says here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_prison_escapes#Dec.2C_1987_-_Gartree_Prison.2C_Leicestershire.2C_UK

about the only ever escape by helicopter from a UK prison and I remember seeing the CCTV video on the news of them rotors running on the ground while the the convicts jumped in

but I do not know who the hijacked pilot was, what exactly happened and where the aircraft originated from ?

anyone got more details of the aviation side of this incident ?

regards

CF

Hughesy
27th Aug 2007, 00:22
I hope they were given a full safety briefing prior to getting in. :}

VeeAny
27th Aug 2007, 04:53
Remembered this being discussed before so knew where to look.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2936705#post2936705

V

Heliport
27th Aug 2007, 06:57
Also in this thread Here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=272162)

WylieCoyote
31st Mar 2009, 18:52
Prison escape plot foiled by staff - Yahoo! News UK (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090331/tuk-prison-escape-plot-foiled-by-staff-6323e80.html)

Could have been nasty!

ArthurR
31st Mar 2009, 19:14
Just goes to show, Don't imprison terrorists, shoot them

SASless
31st Mar 2009, 21:07
Now...Now...Art....cool off there buddy!

I thought a bit of rope stretching would be a better method!

Done the way it is done in the old country.....dead weight method and not the old English style of a long drop with a sudden stop.

tightrope
1st Apr 2009, 02:28
the only successful prison break using a helicopter in the UK was more than 20 years ago when two inmates were sprung from Gartree Prison, in Leicestershire.and since then all the open areas at high security prisons have had wires over them. Thus i feel their master plan was fatally floored.!:}

in fact if you check out live search maps for the prison, you can see the supporting posts for the wires across the sports field..!!

SASless
1st Apr 2009, 02:46
So if ya wuz to fly through the wires with your trusty helicopter fitted with them amazing wire cutters....the ones that look like a Bell 212 Dihedral Sail sort of things....cut them wires down.....then Bob's yer Uncle...right!

R44-pilot
1st Apr 2009, 16:44
If it was stopped just hours before, and they were going to hijack a chartered Helicopter, Which company would it of been??

Was anyone on here suppose to fly that trip???

This thread could be very different if they hadnt of caught them.........

Good job I say, and quite agree with the above ideas....

Flying Lawyer
1st Apr 2009, 18:17
the only successful prison break using a helicopter in the UK was more than 20 years ago when two inmates were sprung from Gartree Prison, in Leicestershire.

That was in December 1987.

A B206 was hijacked by an armed man and used to spring the two prisoners. Gartree was a high security prison in those days - but the authorities hadn't anticipated escape by helicopter.


http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/images/100000B3gartree.jpg


Following this incident, wires were installed across the open areas of high security prisons.

The pilot of the B206 was Uncle Ian of 'Age Discrimination' fame.

The helicopter was on the ground for only 20-25 seconds and the prisoners disembarked about 5 minutes flying time away and made good their escape by road.

Two prisoners escaped - John Kendall, serving 10 years for organising a series of high value commercial burglaries and another serving life for murder. Both were eventually recaptured.

I can't now remember if that was Kendall's first or second escape. He was also sprung from a prison van while being transferred by road from Parkhurst prison on the Isle of Wight to another prison on the mainland.

I represented one of Kendall's gang in their trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court and remember it well for 2 reasons.
Firstly, the gang had used an extremely simple and almost comical - but very effective - method to steal large quantities of high value goods (mainly alcohol and tobacco products) from cash & carry warehouses in night time burglaries all over the South East. They had a long run, until an underworld informant tipped off the police who laid in wait for them at their next job.

Secondly, the evidence against the man I represented wasn't very strong to begin with and, after cross-examination, was even weaker. He was said to have run off when the police sprang their trap. Things looked very promising for my client, who vehemently protested his innocence - until an elderly lady who'd seen a man escaping from the police gave evidence.
She had given a description of the man to the police (said by the prosecution to be of my defendant) and repeated it in court but it could have fitted half the under-25 males in the country. All continued to go well, until she added that she remembered he was wearing an unusual sweater with a very distinctive geometric pattern, and described it, including the colours.

I noticed a couple of jurors looking towards the dock and smirking, then whispering to other jurors who in turn all looked at the dock and smirked. Then another barrister passed me a note telling me to look behind to the dock.
I didn't need to - I'd already worked out what I'd see if I did!


FL

SASless
1st Apr 2009, 18:33
FL,

Coincidence your client was wearing the same piece of apparel....or a very astute old woman?:E

Perhaps you should have sprung for a new suit and haircut for your man!:uhoh:

As it turns out....perhaps you should specialize in criminal defense work....and do your part of reducing crime in the country.

Just get your fee up front and remember the defendant does the time!:ok:

whoateallthepies
2nd Apr 2009, 05:38
FL
A great post, fascinating.

These terrorist b******s would have had to charter something pretty large to lift 9. Has anyone been making inquiries about such a charter? http://i334.photobucket.com/albums/m412/omanjohn/2637784011.jpg

FACT Pilot
2nd Apr 2009, 18:03
Flying Lawyer... It wasnt an 206 L1 by any chance?

Whirlygig
21st Jun 2009, 17:07
This prison escape is featuring in a documentary this evening on ITV4 (ITV+1, presumably) at 2100.

The hijacked pilot was none other than our very own Uncle Ian :ok:

Cheers

Whirls

Camp Freddie
21st Jun 2009, 17:52
cheers whirlygig already got it set to record.

ITV4 is channel 120 sky, 028 Freeview, it isnt ITV+1

regards

CF

Whirlygig
21st Jun 2009, 18:31
ITV+1 is Sky 180 :ok: You need to get past Men & Motors there Freddie :}

Cheers

Whirls

turboshaft
25th Feb 2013, 07:35
Another foiled prison break in Greece yesterday, using one of Air Lift's 355Ns.

Prison guards avert convict's copter escape (http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_24/02/2013_484411)

http://photo.ekathimerini.com/kath/engs/img/NEWS/2013/02/vlastos_copter_390_2402.jpg

2Sticks
25th Feb 2013, 21:37
It must have been in 1988/89 when I purchased a charity helicopter ride in what I recall was a Jetranger of some type painted in the black and gold JPS colours - maybe someone remembers this? Anyway, it turned out that the pilot had been the one hijacked for this prison breakout - I think the story was that he was left handcuffed at the scene of the eventual landing. I'll never forget that 'magic carpet ride' feeling that left me determined to get a PPL(H) one day! My thanks to Uncle Ian whom I now understand, thanks to earlier posts, it was! (Note to self: find out who 'Uncle Ian' is):)
2S

cattletruck
26th Feb 2013, 06:01
These kind of jail breaks are becoming so common they should assign a specific squawk code to it.
e.g. 5275 (JBRK) :E

XTEC
26th Feb 2013, 08:06
I still have the newspaper clippings from December 1987. I was working with Blades Helicopters Stansted at the time.

I took a call, enquiring about helicopter charter to view some golf courses near Leicestershire. Our aircraft at the time was JetRanger G-RODS, which was not available on the day requested, so I suggested that they contact Uncle Ian at TAL-AIR :O

The aircraft concerned was G-OLDN, 206L.

The following year, I went to work with TAL-AIR (Thurston Aviation) until 1992 went it ceased trading.

Uncle Ian, if you are reading this, please send me a PM. I have some photos of you with LRII and G-OLDN, collected before the doors were locked to the offices in February 1992.

XTEC

PANews
26th Feb 2013, 09:29
Just for the record....

I have noted 36 prison meets helicopter moments since the mid-1970s and 24 of the incidents have been successful [if short lived] as far as getting the person out of clink.

So it works and requires a credible deterrence put in place. I am aware the UK started to set up defensive measures as early as 1963 so, with the one blip, it seems to have worked.

uncle ian
26th Feb 2013, 09:39
Reading the failed attempt in Greece I can only thank my lucky stars that we don't arm our prison guards.

I was, indeed, left handcuffed to B206L1 G-OLDN although the hijackers wanted to take me with them. I have always believed that I wasn't shot because they wanted a hostage. I managed to persuade the guy who hijacked me in the first place that leaving the controls with the rotors running would kill us both. Where that came from at that time I have no idea. Survival instincts I guess.

Dennis Kenyon
26th Feb 2013, 18:17
Uncle Ian ... now that's what I call really quick thinking ... and maybe not too far from the truth since with cyclic friction free, the B206 rotors can easily flap down to head height.

I used your idea when I wrote a description of main rotor blades coming into contact with a human head in the final chapter of my aviation novel. I still don't like reading it to this day! Dennis K.

2Sticks
26th Feb 2013, 23:01
And for me confirmation that Uncle Ian introduced me to helicopter flying! Thank you. :D
2S

md 600 driver
27th Feb 2013, 07:24
Yes 2 sticks but where did he introduce you ?did you pay money or threaten him with a gun ? LOL