Bristow Photos
This was the same Applecross with the Palm Trees....iddn't?
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Demon Duck
I ran into Joko Prayogo a couple of years ago in Jakarta. He was with Airfast as CP and Training Captain on the rotary wing fleet. It was good to see my old friend again!
I also ran into another old Duri hand, Steve Day, in Malaysia recently.
Thanks for the pictures DD and Graeme.
I ran into Joko Prayogo a couple of years ago in Jakarta. He was with Airfast as CP and Training Captain on the rotary wing fleet. It was good to see my old friend again!
I also ran into another old Duri hand, Steve Day, in Malaysia recently.
Thanks for the pictures DD and Graeme.
HAI Announces Recipient of the 2009 Robert E. Trimble Award HAI is proud to announce
This the same fellow?
HAI Announces Recipient of the 2009 Robert E. Trimble Award
HAI is proud to announce the 2009 Robert E. Trimble Award recipient, Djoko Prasetyo; Pilot, PT Airfast Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Prasetyo graduated from the Civil Aviation Academy, Indonesia, in 1975 and from South West Airline/Arizona Helicopter Aviation School in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1978. He has more than 18,000 flying hours; more than 10,000 of these have been accident-free high altitude operations.
Prasetyo has worked for many organizations, including as Operations and Safety Manager for Conoco Oil Company. He has amassed an impressive knowledge of equipment and procedures including offshore; onshore; logging survey; heli-rig; seismic; laser equipment survey; aerial photography up to 20,000 feet; geology; drilling rig moves; long line up to 13,000 feet; and hoist operations.
Prasetyo joined PT Airfast Indonesia in 1992. His regular flying region includes Tembagapura village at 6,000 feet, and Grasberg Mountain at 14,000 feet. In 1995 he executed a pinnacle landing at 14,500 feet to retrieve the remains of American and Australian flight crews lost during the Second World War.
In 1996, several Dutch and British tourists were abducted by separatists near the gold and copper mine at Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea. During the three-month release negotiations, Prasetyo flew Red Cross negotiators from village to village, on several occasions coming under fire from the separatists. When he retrieved the hostages from no man’s land, he was forced to again execute a pinnacle landing on a hanging rock. A kidnapping of a timber company’s employees also resulted in Prasetyo bringing out hostages under fire. For these acts, the Indonesian Government awarded him the State Medal of Bravery.
In June 2006, Prasetyo was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from PT Freeport Indonesia in recognition of his outstanding contribution to search and rescue by finding numerous people missing on Aru Island. He was again awarded a Certificate of Appreciation in November 2006, in recognition of his outstanding service in the evacuation of victims of the Trigana aircraft crash at Jaya Wijaya Mountain.
Prasetyo is active in providing high altitude mountain training for Airfast Helicopter crews and for Indonesian Army Aviation. Special Forces and Indonesian Army Aviation groups have named Prasetyo an “Honorary Member."
All winners will be recognized at HELI-EXPO 2009’s annual “Salute to Excellence” Awards Banquet on February 23, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in Anaheim, California. For more information about the 2009 “Salute to Excellence” Awards Banquet, contact HAI’s Communications Department at 703-683-4646, fax: 703-683-4745, or email: [email protected]. For more information on HELI-EXPO 2009, visit Home.
HAI Announces Recipient of the 2009 Robert E. Trimble Award
HAI is proud to announce the 2009 Robert E. Trimble Award recipient, Djoko Prasetyo; Pilot, PT Airfast Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Prasetyo graduated from the Civil Aviation Academy, Indonesia, in 1975 and from South West Airline/Arizona Helicopter Aviation School in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1978. He has more than 18,000 flying hours; more than 10,000 of these have been accident-free high altitude operations.
Prasetyo has worked for many organizations, including as Operations and Safety Manager for Conoco Oil Company. He has amassed an impressive knowledge of equipment and procedures including offshore; onshore; logging survey; heli-rig; seismic; laser equipment survey; aerial photography up to 20,000 feet; geology; drilling rig moves; long line up to 13,000 feet; and hoist operations.
Prasetyo joined PT Airfast Indonesia in 1992. His regular flying region includes Tembagapura village at 6,000 feet, and Grasberg Mountain at 14,000 feet. In 1995 he executed a pinnacle landing at 14,500 feet to retrieve the remains of American and Australian flight crews lost during the Second World War.
In 1996, several Dutch and British tourists were abducted by separatists near the gold and copper mine at Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea. During the three-month release negotiations, Prasetyo flew Red Cross negotiators from village to village, on several occasions coming under fire from the separatists. When he retrieved the hostages from no man’s land, he was forced to again execute a pinnacle landing on a hanging rock. A kidnapping of a timber company’s employees also resulted in Prasetyo bringing out hostages under fire. For these acts, the Indonesian Government awarded him the State Medal of Bravery.
In June 2006, Prasetyo was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from PT Freeport Indonesia in recognition of his outstanding contribution to search and rescue by finding numerous people missing on Aru Island. He was again awarded a Certificate of Appreciation in November 2006, in recognition of his outstanding service in the evacuation of victims of the Trigana aircraft crash at Jaya Wijaya Mountain.
Prasetyo is active in providing high altitude mountain training for Airfast Helicopter crews and for Indonesian Army Aviation. Special Forces and Indonesian Army Aviation groups have named Prasetyo an “Honorary Member."
All winners will be recognized at HELI-EXPO 2009’s annual “Salute to Excellence” Awards Banquet on February 23, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in Anaheim, California. For more information about the 2009 “Salute to Excellence” Awards Banquet, contact HAI’s Communications Department at 703-683-4646, fax: 703-683-4745, or email: [email protected]. For more information on HELI-EXPO 2009, visit Home.
Bell 205A-1 accident Balikpapan 1981 flown by Willy Blume.
After trees cut down and a/c stripped for airlift.
The culprit, the centre gear is the input to the engine reduction gearing, all the teeth have been worn away due to a loose adapter.
After trees cut down and a/c stripped for airlift.
The culprit, the centre gear is the input to the engine reduction gearing, all the teeth have been worn away due to a loose adapter.
Last edited by Oldlae; 11th Dec 2008 at 12:41.
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The insurance company sold the airframe and it flew again, or at least its all important manufacturer’s Data Plate did. The aircraft was re-built in Hangar 152 Seletar and went back onto the PK register. The Oz guys who re-built it arranged for a Singapore Lion Dance as it left the hangar- with a 'few' cans of cold. 
VR-BDL as PK-HBM shown on drilling ship Discoverer between Borneo and Sulavesi. Also at Masalembo 1970. Bill Farnell flew it to Singapore from Kuala Trengganu when the 61's arrived with me as crew. We removed the floats, installed wheels, obtained an Indonsian CofA with new reg. Went down the east coast of Sumatra to Palembang and on to Djakarta, wheels off, floats on, and across Java to Surabaja. From there to a small island called Masalembo about halfway to Bandjarmaisan in Borneo where we operated for nine months flying about 1000 hours. After that we went to Duri for a few months before it was shipped to Dubai as VR-BDL. It was an ex-Brunei aircraft purchased when we lost an aircraft off KT.
Last edited by Oldlae; 13th Dec 2008 at 17:18.
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Bob Balls
Full story here Veritas Associates Drilling rig inspections, acceptance testing
On March 7, 1968 I traveled to the Bristow Heliport at Tetney, near Grimsby to travel out to the Ocean Prince. The purpose of my trip was to escort some rig inspectors from The NMD (Norwegian Maritime Directorate) to the rig as we had planned to drill some wells in Norway. When we arrived at the heliport we were told that the weather was too bad to make the flight. The pilot, captain Balls said that the winds were gusting over ninety knots and the helicopter was only designed to fly in winds of less that sixty knots. The Norwegians returned to Middlesborough and I went to a hotel near the heliport. Captain Balls called me later in the day and said that the winds had modified somewhat and that it was a possibility that we could fly. I returned to the heliport. However, the Norwegians could not be reached as they were in route to Middlesborough. I went to the heliport and Captain Balls flew me to the rig, which was about one hundred miles out.
After I arrived on the rig the weather began to deteriorate once again.
I went to bed around ten thirty that night. I was sleeping in the same room with Ronald McDonald, the barge captain and George Moystin, the tool pusher. About three o’clock in the morning of March 8, a very large rouge wave hit the rig on the starboard side. The rig shuddered violently which awoke the three of us. As I awoke I looked over and saw George on all fours on the floor. I looked out of the window and saw in the rig lights a very large wave that was just moving away from the rig. That wave was followed by a series of other large waves the caused the rig to shudder and bounce off of the bottom of the sea floor.
The three of us got up, dressed and went out on the deck. The wind was very strong and the seas were very high. It was very cold. We then went to the radio room which was located just mid ship on the port side of the rig and called the rig manager who was in Middlesborough. Our call woke him. We could tell that we had disturbed his sleep. We informed him that we thought that the rig was breaking up and that we needed to be evacuated. His advice to us was to “stick with it men as it was probably not as bad as you think”. He then promptly went back to bed. We then called a mayday in to the RAF (Royal Air Force) and they informed us that the winds were in excess of what it was safe to fly a helicopter. They said that they could and would send out fixed wing aircraft to look at the conditions. A fixed wing aircraft was of no use to us. We then called Capt. Balls, our regular helicopter pilot. He was asleep in his hotel room in Scarbourgh. We explained the weather conditions to him and explained to him that it was highly possible that the rig was breaking up. When we asked him if he could fly out and rescue us, his only comment was, “Well I’ll give it a go”.
The sea temperature was near freezing. We know that if the rig broke up and we had to abandon the rig and get into the sea we would not last very long. Hypothermia would quickly set in and we would certainly die.
The stand-by boat, the Hector Ganett, was completely awash. Large waves were crashing over the bow of the boat The boat was very near the rig, however, it was generally lost from view as the bow and the decks were being completely covered with large waves crashing over the entire boat and the boat was lost from view as it was not possible to see the boat in the large wave troughs.
The rig was not fitted with survival boats, only inflatable life rafts were available on the rig. We did not have survival suits and the sea temperature was near freezing. The starboard bow life boat washed overboard and was instantly shredded as it washed up and down the forward column. Shortly after making the radio call to Capt Balls, the port after side of the rig along with the radio room fell into the sea ending any communication with the shore base. Everyone began to realize that if the rig sank we would all be lost, drowned or die of hyperthermia if we fell into the sea. No one panicked or became hysterical. I remember the rig electrician going into the engine room and turning off equipment as it fell into the sea. Everyone was on deck as the doors to the living quarters were jammed due to the rig decks being warped.
The weather was miserable. It was misting heavily and the visibility was very poor. The wind speed was far in excess of what the helicopter was designed to fly in. The stand-by boat, the life rafts and the temperature of the sea all left very little hope of survival that day.
We were very close to another drilling rig, a jack-up named the Constellation, but that fact offered us no hope. The visibility was so poor that we couldn’t see it.
The sea was so noisy that we could not hear the helicopter approaching. Someone saw it and it landed without incident. We decided that the first crew to leave the rig would be the third party personnel, i.e. non-ODECO personnel. The second crew leaving the rig was to be the off tour personnel and the last crew was to be the working (on tour) personnel. Again there was no panic, pushing or shoving. The crew (eighteen people) boarded the helicopter with no luggage. They were flown to the Constellation as was the second crew. The last crew was flown to the shore base heliport.
Only four Americans were aboard the rig when it started to break up and eventually sink. They were, George Moystyn, Joe Moystyn, Curtis Evans and myself (Paul Baumgardner)
When I reached the apartment where I was staying, I was very tired and went promptly to bed. The next day I got up and picked up some newspapers. When I began to read the newspapers, I became even more frightened that I had been aboard the rig. Less that an hour after the final helicopter took off from the rig the entire rig collapsed and sunk below the waves.
Were we heroes? Yes, perhaps but only in the sense that everyone was brave and no one panicked. The evacuation was orderly and efficient. The real hero was the helicopter pilot, Captain Balls, who rescued us in winds far in excess of what his Wessex helicopter was designed to fly. He made three landings on the Prince, two on the Jack-up Constellation and one back in Scarborough, England.
After I arrived on the rig the weather began to deteriorate once again.
I went to bed around ten thirty that night. I was sleeping in the same room with Ronald McDonald, the barge captain and George Moystin, the tool pusher. About three o’clock in the morning of March 8, a very large rouge wave hit the rig on the starboard side. The rig shuddered violently which awoke the three of us. As I awoke I looked over and saw George on all fours on the floor. I looked out of the window and saw in the rig lights a very large wave that was just moving away from the rig. That wave was followed by a series of other large waves the caused the rig to shudder and bounce off of the bottom of the sea floor.
The three of us got up, dressed and went out on the deck. The wind was very strong and the seas were very high. It was very cold. We then went to the radio room which was located just mid ship on the port side of the rig and called the rig manager who was in Middlesborough. Our call woke him. We could tell that we had disturbed his sleep. We informed him that we thought that the rig was breaking up and that we needed to be evacuated. His advice to us was to “stick with it men as it was probably not as bad as you think”. He then promptly went back to bed. We then called a mayday in to the RAF (Royal Air Force) and they informed us that the winds were in excess of what it was safe to fly a helicopter. They said that they could and would send out fixed wing aircraft to look at the conditions. A fixed wing aircraft was of no use to us. We then called Capt. Balls, our regular helicopter pilot. He was asleep in his hotel room in Scarbourgh. We explained the weather conditions to him and explained to him that it was highly possible that the rig was breaking up. When we asked him if he could fly out and rescue us, his only comment was, “Well I’ll give it a go”.
The sea temperature was near freezing. We know that if the rig broke up and we had to abandon the rig and get into the sea we would not last very long. Hypothermia would quickly set in and we would certainly die.
The stand-by boat, the Hector Ganett, was completely awash. Large waves were crashing over the bow of the boat The boat was very near the rig, however, it was generally lost from view as the bow and the decks were being completely covered with large waves crashing over the entire boat and the boat was lost from view as it was not possible to see the boat in the large wave troughs.
The rig was not fitted with survival boats, only inflatable life rafts were available on the rig. We did not have survival suits and the sea temperature was near freezing. The starboard bow life boat washed overboard and was instantly shredded as it washed up and down the forward column. Shortly after making the radio call to Capt Balls, the port after side of the rig along with the radio room fell into the sea ending any communication with the shore base. Everyone began to realize that if the rig sank we would all be lost, drowned or die of hyperthermia if we fell into the sea. No one panicked or became hysterical. I remember the rig electrician going into the engine room and turning off equipment as it fell into the sea. Everyone was on deck as the doors to the living quarters were jammed due to the rig decks being warped.
The weather was miserable. It was misting heavily and the visibility was very poor. The wind speed was far in excess of what the helicopter was designed to fly in. The stand-by boat, the life rafts and the temperature of the sea all left very little hope of survival that day.
We were very close to another drilling rig, a jack-up named the Constellation, but that fact offered us no hope. The visibility was so poor that we couldn’t see it.
The sea was so noisy that we could not hear the helicopter approaching. Someone saw it and it landed without incident. We decided that the first crew to leave the rig would be the third party personnel, i.e. non-ODECO personnel. The second crew leaving the rig was to be the off tour personnel and the last crew was to be the working (on tour) personnel. Again there was no panic, pushing or shoving. The crew (eighteen people) boarded the helicopter with no luggage. They were flown to the Constellation as was the second crew. The last crew was flown to the shore base heliport.
Only four Americans were aboard the rig when it started to break up and eventually sink. They were, George Moystyn, Joe Moystyn, Curtis Evans and myself (Paul Baumgardner)
When I reached the apartment where I was staying, I was very tired and went promptly to bed. The next day I got up and picked up some newspapers. When I began to read the newspapers, I became even more frightened that I had been aboard the rig. Less that an hour after the final helicopter took off from the rig the entire rig collapsed and sunk below the waves.
Were we heroes? Yes, perhaps but only in the sense that everyone was brave and no one panicked. The evacuation was orderly and efficient. The real hero was the helicopter pilot, Captain Balls, who rescued us in winds far in excess of what his Wessex helicopter was designed to fly. He made three landings on the Prince, two on the Jack-up Constellation and one back in Scarborough, England.
From an article in the Bristow news letter
“On at least three occasions, by their skill and bravery, Bristow pilots have saved rig crews in dire peril. Early in 1968, when the Ocean Prince was being pounded by hurricane force winds, Captain Robert Balls flew out to the rig from the Bristow base at Tetney, near Grimsby - a distance of 100 miles - in a Westland Wessex 60 and, loaded with the minimum of fuel, transferred the 45 members of the crew, in three trips, to another rig 20 miles away. Captain Balls was later made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and the citation read: "....... but for his initiative, bravery and splendid airmanship, the members of the Ocean Prince crew would have probably lost their lives". Just as the last group was lifted off, the helicopter platform collapsed and, soon afterwards, pounded by mountainous seas, the Ocean Prince sank.”
“On at least three occasions, by their skill and bravery, Bristow pilots have saved rig crews in dire peril. Early in 1968, when the Ocean Prince was being pounded by hurricane force winds, Captain Robert Balls flew out to the rig from the Bristow base at Tetney, near Grimsby - a distance of 100 miles - in a Westland Wessex 60 and, loaded with the minimum of fuel, transferred the 45 members of the crew, in three trips, to another rig 20 miles away. Captain Balls was later made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and the citation read: "....... but for his initiative, bravery and splendid airmanship, the members of the Ocean Prince crew would have probably lost their lives". Just as the last group was lifted off, the helicopter platform collapsed and, soon afterwards, pounded by mountainous seas, the Ocean Prince sank.”
A British government official came around and visited each of us. They asked us if we thought that captain Balls deserved to be made a "Member of the Order of the British Empire". We would have surely recommended that he to be made the king of England, if that had been possible.
Interestingly the Helicopter Museum has a set of Bristow Whirlwind floats but apparently no idea how to fit them ...there may be some bits missing.Anyone who knows how might try getting in touch.
heli1, I have enlarged photo of PK-HBM to show float structure. I am surprised that the Museum are perplexed, I know they have all the civil manuals which show the modification and parts, perhaps the a/c does not have the fixed fittings. They could PM me.
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New arrival in Nigeria
Here's the new Bristow S92 arriving in Lagos. It will soon be on the 5N register and start flying for Chevron. More pics on the What's New in West Africa thread:
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Brilliant Stuff
Bob Balls retired quite a number of years ago but I guess what you are really asking is whether he is still drawing his pension. That I don't know. His son Kevin was until recently flying the SAR S61 out of Portland. Not sure if he frequents this site.
I flew a few hours with Bob in G-AVII from North Denes where Bob was a 212 Training Captain. I understand he was also involved in the certification of the increased MTOW of the S61. I flew with Kevin rather more while I was based in Aberdeen.
Thanks for sharing that with us.
Is the gentleman still with us?
Is the gentleman still with us?
I flew a few hours with Bob in G-AVII from North Denes where Bob was a 212 Training Captain. I understand he was also involved in the certification of the increased MTOW of the S61. I flew with Kevin rather more while I was based in Aberdeen.
Fit like min?
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Hi gents, some great photos there.
As a youth I recall Bristow operating a Bolkow 105, G-AZOM I think. I recall seeing it a few times at ABZ.
Was it owned by Bristow, or only operated by them & owned by someone else. What was it used for & how long was it in the fleet?
Oh, & any photos of it, seen as it is a photo thread.
Thanks.
As a youth I recall Bristow operating a Bolkow 105, G-AZOM I think. I recall seeing it a few times at ABZ.
Was it owned by Bristow, or only operated by them & owned by someone else. What was it used for & how long was it in the fleet?
Oh, & any photos of it, seen as it is a photo thread.
Thanks.
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I used to fly G-AZOM in Aberdeen in 1983. We used to do a flight to inspect the Oxy pipeline. Routing was ABZ - Piper A - KWL - ABZ and it mostly used to take place on a Sunday. Lunch and a stock up of "biscuits" on the Piper A. The flight number was 61A. At other times, G-AZOM was based in Inverness to fill in for the Bell 206 when it was undergoing maintenance.
G-AZOM was leased to Bond in 1985 and was written off after a tail rotor failure of some description. The final resting place is somewhere in The Wash off East Anglia.
I never liked the BO105 much. Politically incorrectly, it was known as Hitler's Revenge.
G-AZOM was leased to Bond in 1985 and was written off after a tail rotor failure of some description. The final resting place is somewhere in The Wash off East Anglia.
I never liked the BO105 much. Politically incorrectly, it was known as Hitler's Revenge.