I wonder which oil company this Bandy was on contract to ????
and finally, Sumburgh's biggest visitor. I recall getting a phone call at the Bristow Hangar back in 1981 from Mike Hallums who was over at the Wilsness Line Office... "Have you got your camera, a Boeing 737 has just landed!". I didn't believe a word of it as we never heard it landing, over at the hangar... but we certainly heard it take off - and it used every last inch of runway 15/33 !!!!! (Maersk 737 diverted because of fog at Faeroe's.)
Coastguard Presentation after the Lunokhods Rescue
(Kieran Murray, Paul Bentley,Glenn Oldbury, Garry Williams, Tony Brewster, Mr Coastguard, Friedie Manson, Norman Leask)
A rare look up the front inside of an S61 Gearbox as the Skeff replaced the Freewheel Units
Gosh, G-ASNL looks like a tatty old thing. Although the BHL S-61s were sparse and "working" aircraft, I don't remember them being as ragged as the old BEA machine.
Before starting with Bristow, I did a couple of months working for Alidair as a baggage handler. Alidair owned and operated subsidiary "Guernsey Airlines" and G-BDRC frequently stood in for the Alidair Fleet when required. Alidair Station Manager Willie Leask always referred to RC as the "Green Goddess"
I believe one of the Cabin Crew was posthumously awarded the George Medal for her valiant efforts helping to save pax. Sadly not the only GM to be awarded posthumously to a member of rear-crew on Sumburgh's coast (RIP BD)
On a lighter note, seeing the photo of 'Echo Roll-over' - I saw her at Helitech the other week. Now with FBH based at Middle Wallop, in green and grey paint!
I think I remember this incident as I was laying horizontal in the net at the side of the rig ( the wildcat) after ER was re-positioned and got the rear of the skid tube caught in the hydraulic controls.
Resulting in it rolling over sending bits and pieces around the deck with a portion of one main rotor blade embedding itself in the hangar wall
Just to further explain the accident to ER, the hydraulic controls mentioned by 332L1 were the hydraulic controls for the landing trolley which was used to move the aircraft into the hangar. Leo couldn't get the door open from inside and was rescued by the marshaller.
Re ER's little rollover, there was a bit more to it!
The Noggy crew had installed a hydraulic system for getting the trolley in and out of the hangar, but the control levers were something from a derrick crane and stuck up well above the platform, and there was a strong chance of them being sideswiped by an errant skid during landing. We badgered the skipper for ages to lower them for safety, but he advised that he would put a guard on them instead. I toddled off on leave, and came back to the result
The guard turned out to be a half inch diameter steel tube bent over the top of the levers, which neatly caught the heel of the 212 skid with inevitable results
One other result was the issue of getting occupants out of a 212 on its side, as mentioned by AS332. The modification to paint the legs of the pax seats as a ladder was a direct result, encouraging trapped pax to use them to climb out; not that it helped in the front, where the 'top' door was/is impossible to push open from inside unless you are a 7' giant with a reach of another 5 feet!!
I thought it was the Nordraug, not the Wildcat? We also got massive firefighting monitors on the helideck as the previous hose points wouldn't reach, ISTR.
One other result was the issue of getting occupants out of a 212 on its side, as mentioned by AS332. The modification to paint the legs of the pax seats as a ladder was a direct result, encouraging trapped pax to use them to climb out; not that it helped in the front, where the 'top' door was/is impossible to push open from inside unless you are a 7' giant with a reach of another 5 feet!!
The same problem resulted in the death of several (8-10?) skiers in an accident in Canada a few years ago whilst heli-skiing. The aircraft rolled over and caught fire and there was no way the occupants could get to the door which was now the roof - no seats. I think they all have ladders on the ceiling now.
