This was an ex Irish machine EI-BLY and became G-BXSN in Feb 98. It went to Air Logisitics as N161AL in Mar 01. It then went to Brazil as PR-MDS from Apr 03 to Jan 05, back to the US as N761N until Nov 05. It is now C-FHCH, initially with VIH, and is currently with Cougar Helicopters.
Sorry for blurr but these shots were taken at night while the remaining 212's were being loaded into the CL44 in Dubia. Bill Petrie had sent myself and Davie Foote out to do some work on the 212's based in Dubia.
This photo was taken the day before BZ departed from North Denes going I don't know where.
The names left to right:
Robby Parker, Doug Sturman, Fred Ling, Dave Gash, and Paul Holmes. The pilot was Des Sadler.
G-ANJV was in Abu Dhabi from May 1969, having been ferried out from the UK, Brian Williams was the engineer for the ferry flight. John Griffiths set up the operation and Cliff Saffron was the Station Engineer. The client was ADOC (Japan) and the rig was Pegasus. Not sure where she went after AUH.
I did a leave relief for Brian Williams in Abu Dhabi, must have been 1970. I was studying for my licence at that time, and as my bedroom also doubled up as Cliffs tech office, it was a good opportunity to get to know the company paperwork.
I was talking with someone today whose instructor in the 70s was D E Eddie Ford. Uncle Eddie was always a great flying companion in the early days of the Bristow 332Ls and before that I sometimes used to share a house with him and David Stephens in Sumburgh which led to the odd headache next morning. Eddie was always a great Training Captain when doing the IBC and IRR.
Anyone know what happened to Eddie? He would be getting advanced in years now but my conversation today brought back many memories and I hope he is either OK or resting upstairs.
I was hoping someone could translate the shorthand on the back of the last pic!
Here is an old shot of early Port Harcourt, Nigeria, including a couple of Whirlwind 1's and a Twin Pioneer. I don't suppose there are many Twin Pioneer pilot's / engineers on this thread!
There is at least one Twin Pin engineer on this thread, I was on them in Singapore, though with the RAF, not Bristow. They did a good job in the , malayan and Borneo emergencies landing in very small jungle clearings. They also had loudhailers that played Christmas carols. A twin Pin has actually been seen to fly backwards, (ground speed wise), in a headwind.
I am trying to get Larry Coram on-line, he was very much involved in Nigeria in the early days, unfortunately, he is still getting to grips with modern technology so we may expect some relevations from those far off days soon.
The STOL capability of the Single Pioneer was equally impressive, I remember seeing one doing what was effectively a vertical landing at Noblefield K.L. in the early 60's
