The Rotary Nostalgia Thread
The Whirlwind above coded J ( for Eagle) is a Mk 3 ,XG581 ,photographed in the harbour at Malta circa May 1956. It was allocated to the Ships Flight that year.With the arrival of Mk7s in57 it was allocated to 701 for training but was relegated to instruction at Arbroath after being written off in an accident at the end of 1957. After that it just faded away .
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Underwear Commercial
I recall an incident at Biggin Hill where an advertising firm for an underwear manufacturer contacted us and asked that we supply a helicopter with a rope ladder underneath to shoot a commercial for their underwear.
The story line was that a gorgeous girl driving an open Aston Martin would drive down the runway while the helicopter lowered a young man in his underwear, hanging on the ladder, into the seat next to her. Not as easy as it sounds. The poor guy was dragged on the pavement, over the back of the car, over the windshield, almost ran over and eventually success.
I shall admit to old age and the fact that this occurred in 1962 makes it even more hazy but I was not the pilot flying the Bell 47, thank goodness. I don't suppose you can get away with that nowdays.
The story line was that a gorgeous girl driving an open Aston Martin would drive down the runway while the helicopter lowered a young man in his underwear, hanging on the ladder, into the seat next to her. Not as easy as it sounds. The poor guy was dragged on the pavement, over the back of the car, over the windshield, almost ran over and eventually success.
I shall admit to old age and the fact that this occurred in 1962 makes it even more hazy but I was not the pilot flying the Bell 47, thank goodness. I don't suppose you can get away with that nowdays.
Thread Starter
Heli1: Grazie Mille!
Thank you for identifying the Whirlwind in question from Summerlee's photos .. even obtaining her registration, much appreciated.
Nice one TRC! Were you involved in that production?
Some more 'scantily clad' antics beneath a Bell!
Thank you for identifying the Whirlwind in question from Summerlee's photos .. even obtaining her registration, much appreciated.
Nice one TRC!
Were you involved in that production?Some more 'scantily clad' antics beneath a Bell!
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Were you involved in that production?
Had one guy underneath for the formation with the car - he was upside down with his head level with the driver's window of a BMW sports car. Didn't scrape him on the road once.
At the end of the picture we had two people under. I was inside voice marshalling and ready to cut them off if we lost an engine - once they were on the ground, obviously. We'd be SSE - or at least flyaway - once their weight was off.
All CAA approved!
Last edited by TRC; 8th May 2013 at 20:57.
Thread Starter
Bravo TRC! 
For 'Eric the Ferret'
Here's what I have of MPN:
Bell 206B JetRanger II 5H-MPN landing at Bahari (north of Dar es Salaam) in 1986 flying as 'Kilimo 5'
This was a contract I flew (just a teenager back then .. commercial licence fresh in hand) for the UN's Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
We were tasked to assist in the control of Quelea Bird and Desert Locust. We were aided by two teams .. one from the Tanzania Ministry of Agriculture flying unit called 'Kilimo Anga' (literally 'Agricultural Air) based in Arusha, who provided Cessna 185's .. the other was the Desert Locust Control Organisation based in Nairobi who supplied the trusty De Havilland Beaver. Both the 185's and Beavers would support in spraying whereas the Ranger, when not spraying, would serve as a scout to locate the swarms.
This is NOT a swarm .. but a 'normal' size (for Africa) flock of Quelea birds visiting a watering hole
Quelea's in a tree
Before the animal activists get up in arms .. you should firstly know that I am an animal lover myself .. and absolutely mad keen on dogs and horses!
Secondly .. an average size swarm of African Quelea birds can consume upwards of 50 tonnes of grain per day .. causing devastation to rural villages which, if unprotected, would starve. In East Africa the principal crops to be affected by Queleas are cereals such as millet, sorghum, rice and wheat.
Spraying Quelea birds was something of a task, not only because of the irregularity of the areas to be sprayed .. but mainly because this was only ever done at night once the birds had roosted.
It was impossible to carry out this work without hitting the birds as some of them would fly up as you approached the roost. At one point we had snow baffles fitted in order to protect the air intakes. I have to admit though .. it did take a while to get used to the sound of these small creatures banging into the aircraft. However, as they are generally quite small (and very light) their impact was 'relatively' insignificant although .. on one occasion the chin perspex on the pilot's side 'imploded' when .. after hitting what I felt were simply too many of the creatures .. I climbed .. only to slam into a larger flock which were trying to escape the mayhem. Pieces of perspex hit the instrument panel and my legs! Not fun.
The Colonel coming out to greet a landed Savoia
You can tell its the Colonel holding the door .. because .. well what can one say .. he wore those white gloves to the very end of his career!
Eric: You can be thankful that by the time you arrived I had managed to persuade the Colonel to 'consider' a uniform other than tropical whites, citing the fact that deep in the bush while assisting to load chemicals and fuel, this was perhaps not the ideal form of attire. So I was permitted to 'experiment' (under trial) with the khaki coveralls which were eventually worn. However, I was under strict instructions that for all formal meetings with the client, meeting the Tanzania DCA, Ministry of Agriculture and the like .. that the 'whites' had to be put back on!
The Colonel had of course been recently encouraged in Brasil where, with 12 pilots under his charge (operating a fleet of S76's) he discovered (to his delight I should add) that they loved donnig the whites and standing-out from their 'blue slacked' brethren!
By the time you arrived, MPN was probably wearing red stripes. Between the blue and red schemes, she was (for about 3 months) painted in camouflage for a short contract with the TPDF (Tanzanian Army) which involved carrying an armed patrol across what are now Tanzania's western most goldfields.
Regarding ANI .. sadly was never able to get a photo of her before her demise. But, as you may recall .. she was imported from Germany (where she had flown as D-HOOL) and was an ex-Rotorflug bird and still wore Rotorflug's old colours.
ANI's colours
For 'Eric the Ferret'
Here's what I have of MPN:
Bell 206B JetRanger II 5H-MPN landing at Bahari (north of Dar es Salaam) in 1986 flying as 'Kilimo 5'
This was a contract I flew (just a teenager back then .. commercial licence fresh in hand) for the UN's Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
We were tasked to assist in the control of Quelea Bird and Desert Locust. We were aided by two teams .. one from the Tanzania Ministry of Agriculture flying unit called 'Kilimo Anga' (literally 'Agricultural Air) based in Arusha, who provided Cessna 185's .. the other was the Desert Locust Control Organisation based in Nairobi who supplied the trusty De Havilland Beaver. Both the 185's and Beavers would support in spraying whereas the Ranger, when not spraying, would serve as a scout to locate the swarms.
This is NOT a swarm .. but a 'normal' size (for Africa) flock of Quelea birds visiting a watering hole
Quelea's in a tree
Before the animal activists get up in arms .. you should firstly know that I am an animal lover myself .. and absolutely mad keen on dogs and horses!
Secondly .. an average size swarm of African Quelea birds can consume upwards of 50 tonnes of grain per day .. causing devastation to rural villages which, if unprotected, would starve. In East Africa the principal crops to be affected by Queleas are cereals such as millet, sorghum, rice and wheat.
Spraying Quelea birds was something of a task, not only because of the irregularity of the areas to be sprayed .. but mainly because this was only ever done at night once the birds had roosted.
It was impossible to carry out this work without hitting the birds as some of them would fly up as you approached the roost. At one point we had snow baffles fitted in order to protect the air intakes. I have to admit though .. it did take a while to get used to the sound of these small creatures banging into the aircraft. However, as they are generally quite small (and very light) their impact was 'relatively' insignificant although .. on one occasion the chin perspex on the pilot's side 'imploded' when .. after hitting what I felt were simply too many of the creatures .. I climbed .. only to slam into a larger flock which were trying to escape the mayhem. Pieces of perspex hit the instrument panel and my legs! Not fun.
The Colonel coming out to greet a landed Savoia
You can tell its the Colonel holding the door .. because .. well what can one say .. he wore those white gloves to the very end of his career!
Eric: You can be thankful that by the time you arrived I had managed to persuade the Colonel to 'consider' a uniform other than tropical whites, citing the fact that deep in the bush while assisting to load chemicals and fuel, this was perhaps not the ideal form of attire. So I was permitted to 'experiment' (under trial) with the khaki coveralls which were eventually worn. However, I was under strict instructions that for all formal meetings with the client, meeting the Tanzania DCA, Ministry of Agriculture and the like .. that the 'whites' had to be put back on!
The Colonel had of course been recently encouraged in Brasil where, with 12 pilots under his charge (operating a fleet of S76's) he discovered (to his delight I should add) that they loved donnig the whites and standing-out from their 'blue slacked' brethren!By the time you arrived, MPN was probably wearing red stripes. Between the blue and red schemes, she was (for about 3 months) painted in camouflage for a short contract with the TPDF (Tanzanian Army) which involved carrying an armed patrol across what are now Tanzania's western most goldfields.
Regarding ANI .. sadly was never able to get a photo of her before her demise. But, as you may recall .. she was imported from Germany (where she had flown as D-HOOL) and was an ex-Rotorflug bird and still wore Rotorflug's old colours.
ANI's colours
I'm not sure why you persist in calling the 206 variants "Rangers"? The Bell 47J Ranger was the first VIP variant of a Bell (and the first helicopter to carry a US President):
Whereas the Bell 206 is a JetRanger:
Getting to the suspending people below helicopters, I had to transfer a "Who Dares Wins" contestant to a motorcycle underway along a runway, from my BK117. Not at all an easy task as the balance required on the motorbike was a far more difficult task than flying along with a live body on the end of a long line, a few feet off the deck.
No idea what happened to the photos, unfortunately
Hi Savoia
I was half hoping you might have a photo of MPN post birdstrike as it was quite spectacular.
I remember that a result of the incident was the fitting of snow baffles to keep birds out of the intake. A strange fit for an aircraft operating in Africa.
Another issue that was raised was what to do in the event of an accident and the pilot getting covered in chemical. The answer being atropine, the antidote for nerve gas!!!!!!!
I have to say that I am surprised (and gratified) you are still with us after working with what was a seriously toxic chemical.
I remember MPN being re painted locally in what turned out to be paint with zero resistance to engine oil. Nice brown streaks everywhere.
I was half hoping you might have a photo of MPN post birdstrike as it was quite spectacular.
I remember that a result of the incident was the fitting of snow baffles to keep birds out of the intake. A strange fit for an aircraft operating in Africa.
Another issue that was raised was what to do in the event of an accident and the pilot getting covered in chemical. The answer being atropine, the antidote for nerve gas!!!!!!!
I have to say that I am surprised (and gratified) you are still with us after working with what was a seriously toxic chemical.
I remember MPN being re painted locally in what turned out to be paint with zero resistance to engine oil. Nice brown streaks everywhere.
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Hiller's continue to fly in the UK.
A few images taken only a few weeks back of the ex LAPD Hiller UH-12C helicopter as starred in 'Vertical Challenge - The Hiller Aircraft Story' book by Jay P. Spenser now in U.S. army colors, along with a 12A model converted to the UH-12C based out of Henstridge, UK. Images taken from an Enstrom 280.
Thread Starter
Rotorhead: Great to see the classic Hiller 12 still flying in the UK!
The Africa Years ..
Eric, thanks for your well wishes. The chemical used (a Fenitrothian derivative) is now a thoroughly banned substance. My heart went out to the Beaver drivers (hmm .. that doesn't sound quite right does it) anyway .. several of whom (having been in the game for many years) suffered from respiratory problems of one kind or another and one of whom had scraped-up enough money together (these were local pilots) to make a medical visit to the US where he had a lung or part of a lung (is that possible?) removed!
Being a 'contact' chemical it was necessarily lethal and, as a result, one tried to do what one could to minimise risk. Obviously I flew with the vents and windows shut and, after a short while a rubber painter's mask arrived from Dar which I also wore. One of the problems was that, spraying at night, it wasn't especially easy to line-up on one's previous swath after making the end of run turn .. so it could sometimes happen that you inadvertently passed through your own spray, until that is, I employed a different pattern of spraying! There are, as you might imagine, many intriguing stories relating to that contract.
It was my first job as a commercial pilot and although I loved flying .. I don't mind saying that I was somewhat relieved when it ended. The risks were just a little too much .. even for someone as eager as I was back then.
Regarding Rangers ..
I'm certain I don't really have to explain that this is colloquialism! And .. its use is not altogether inaccurate as, according to the manufacturer, the 47J, 206, 206L and 429 .. are all Rangers of various kinds!
Nevertheless, now that John, and before him TRC, have both mentioned this .. I shall relent in my further employment of this phrase. I hope this sacrifice causes widespread jubilation !!
Eacott's Westland Sprout in 'Who Dares Wins'
The Sprout with SAS members dangling beneath
Of course this really was an SAS technique .. but one specially reserved for those who had been recently court martialed. Being suspended below the Sprout was an alternative option for those not wishing to be placed in the 'Glasshouse'!
The Africa Years ..
Eric, thanks for your well wishes. The chemical used (a Fenitrothian derivative) is now a thoroughly banned substance. My heart went out to the Beaver drivers (hmm .. that doesn't sound quite right does it) anyway .. several of whom (having been in the game for many years) suffered from respiratory problems of one kind or another and one of whom had scraped-up enough money together (these were local pilots) to make a medical visit to the US where he had a lung or part of a lung (is that possible?) removed!
Being a 'contact' chemical it was necessarily lethal and, as a result, one tried to do what one could to minimise risk. Obviously I flew with the vents and windows shut and, after a short while a rubber painter's mask arrived from Dar which I also wore. One of the problems was that, spraying at night, it wasn't especially easy to line-up on one's previous swath after making the end of run turn .. so it could sometimes happen that you inadvertently passed through your own spray, until that is, I employed a different pattern of spraying! There are, as you might imagine, many intriguing stories relating to that contract.
It was my first job as a commercial pilot and although I loved flying .. I don't mind saying that I was somewhat relieved when it ended. The risks were just a little too much .. even for someone as eager as I was back then.
Regarding Rangers ..
I'm certain I don't really have to explain that this is colloquialism! And .. its use is not altogether inaccurate as, according to the manufacturer, the 47J, 206, 206L and 429 .. are all Rangers of various kinds!
Nevertheless, now that John, and before him TRC, have both mentioned this .. I shall relent in my further employment of this phrase. I hope this sacrifice causes widespread jubilation !!
Eacott's Westland Sprout in 'Who Dares Wins'
The Sprout with SAS members dangling beneath
Of course this really was an SAS technique .. but one specially reserved for those who had been recently court martialed. Being suspended below the Sprout was an alternative option for those not wishing to be placed in the 'Glasshouse'!
Thread Starter
Ah no Adroight .. those were 'RAF leather flying gloves' (below) ..
.. which were in fact a very very light blue colour .. but looked white until they became soiled.
My godfather used to wear white cotton 'ceremonial' gloves (which I was also made to wear as a youngster). However he was not alone .. there were some who also 'picked-up the habit' such as the late great John Dicken!
.. which were in fact a very very light blue colour .. but looked white until they became soiled.
My godfather used to wear white cotton 'ceremonial' gloves (which I was also made to wear as a youngster). However he was not alone .. there were some who also 'picked-up the habit' such as the late great John Dicken!
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Too Funny
TRC
The video is so funny. We expect as a matter of course here in the US that we can get away with all kinds of idiotic, risky stunts but we expect that our UK ancestors have better sense AND regulations.
The video is so funny. We expect as a matter of course here in the US that we can get away with all kinds of idiotic, risky stunts but we expect that our UK ancestors have better sense AND regulations.
Last edited by sillohed; 10th May 2013 at 04:53. Reason: Out of Position
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Bell Ranger 47J2
In the 60's we used a Bell Ranger N257PH to haul geologists around the mountains of Southeast Alaska so they could crack rocks and do whatever else they do. It invariable included carrying large sacks of rocks back to camp on the beach. The elevations became ridiculous for a non-turbo charged aircraft so I had to inspect each passenger and his bag of rocks prior to departing some high ridge line to make sure we weren't over loaded. There were times when we would load everyone on board, close the doors, pull up the collective and NOTHING happened! To the dismay of the tired geologists I would have to order one of them out of the machine and come back for him later. I have sent Savoia a photo of this aircraft sitting on a mountain top and I appreciate his assistance in publishing them. I apologize in advance for the quality of my photos, many of which were in the form of slides and were later converted to jpeg.
Last edited by sillohed; 10th May 2013 at 05:29.
Thread Starter
Of Eacott, Australia and Sprouts!
Have you ever heard of a Navy Scout ??
Well, apparently in Australia ..
From the information available .. two Scout helicopters were acquired by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in April 1963 and were operated by the 723 Naval Air Squadron, with the aircraft being rotated aboard the hydrographic survey ship HMAS Moresby.
The RAN Scouts proved the practicalities of operating helicopters from small ships for the RAN, and the RAN operated these helicopters up until 1973, when they were replaced by Bell 206B-1 Kiowas.
The experience with the Scouts aboard HMAS Moresby illustrated the need for a higher-level maintenance regime as a result of operating the helicopters in areas with high concentrations of abrasive coral sand encountered around the Australian coastline and the detrimental effect that it had on the rotor blades, airframe and engine components.
Despite the additional effort to maintain the helicopters, the Scouts were considered to be superior to the seaplanes and flying boats that had previously been used in this role.
One of the Scouts apparently ditched in Wewak Harbour whilst taking off from HMAS Moresby, April 1967, although it was subsequently recovered the aircraft was written off.
Have you ever heard of a Navy Scout ??
Well, apparently in Australia ..
From the information available .. two Scout helicopters were acquired by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in April 1963 and were operated by the 723 Naval Air Squadron, with the aircraft being rotated aboard the hydrographic survey ship HMAS Moresby.
The RAN Scouts proved the practicalities of operating helicopters from small ships for the RAN, and the RAN operated these helicopters up until 1973, when they were replaced by Bell 206B-1 Kiowas.
The experience with the Scouts aboard HMAS Moresby illustrated the need for a higher-level maintenance regime as a result of operating the helicopters in areas with high concentrations of abrasive coral sand encountered around the Australian coastline and the detrimental effect that it had on the rotor blades, airframe and engine components.
Despite the additional effort to maintain the helicopters, the Scouts were considered to be superior to the seaplanes and flying boats that had previously been used in this role.
One of the Scouts apparently ditched in Wewak Harbour whilst taking off from HMAS Moresby, April 1967, although it was subsequently recovered the aircraft was written off.
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Bell 47J2 N257PH overlooking the Bering Ice Field in Alaska in 1966
The elevations became ridiculous for a non-turbo charged aircraft so I had to inspect each passenger and his bag of rocks prior to departing some high ridge line to make sure we weren't over loaded.
There were times when we would load everyone on board, close the doors, pull up the collective and NOTHING happened!
Hughes 300 (269A) G-AVZC owned by Air Gregory as seen at Middle Wallop in 1968
Brantly B-2B G-ATJY owned by Cy Rose as seen at Middle Wallop in 1968
Brantly 305 G-ASXF operated by Endeavour Aviation as seen at Middle Wallop in 1968
Agusta-Bell 206A JetRanger G-AVZG owned by Endeavour Aviation as seen at Middle Wallop in 1968
These were snapped in the Summer of 1968 whilst completing my Army Air Corps pilot training at Middle Wallop. Hopefully as 212man was probably still in shorts, I won't be contradicted?
Thread Starter
When Ambidextrous sent me the above photos I though "mamma mia .. Ambi has been keeping these wonderful shots hidden away until now!"
Ambidextrous' 'summer snaps' from '68 just happened to capture the very aircraft we have been reviewing on this thread .. and some special craft at that!
Firstly G-AVZC which appeared on page 78 courtesy of PPruNer Wildboy, the son of Wally Wilding. His photos show his dad with "ZC" during his time with Air Gregory.
Then G-ATJY. There are very few images available of this craft so it is great to have this on record. Although bought initially by the aviation enthusiast Douglas Arnold, at the time of the photo she was under the tenure of the late Cy Rose - someone who was a good friend to the Colonel. Cy was also a good friend of The Maestro, Dennis 'the Menace' Kenyon aka Denissimo!
Next we have G-AXSF. Earier in the thread we looked at all of the UK's Brantly 305's (I think there were around 7 in total). They were certainly a rare craft. "SF" was owned by BEAS but operated by Endeavour Aviation at the time of the photo. In fact the Endeavour titles are just visible behind the door.
And finally we have G-AVZG. Again, there are very few images of this craft and which makes Ambi's 'snap' all the more appreciated.
Oldlae got it in one!
"ZG" was delivered new by Mann's to Tommy Sopwith just before the Christmas of '67. She was the 13th JetRanger on the British register and Ambi just happened to snap her with Tommy. Fantastico! (I think he even had all his fingers at the time!)
In my email banter with Ambi he wrote: "I remember your Godfather being spoken of with affection by my peers whilst under training (e.g: Hugh Colqhuon) my instructor on Bell 47 Sioux."
This was gratifying to hear but .. I have never heard of Hugh Colqhuon. Is there anyone who could tell me a little more about him. Did he remain in the Army for example?
Ambidextrous' 'summer snaps' from '68 just happened to capture the very aircraft we have been reviewing on this thread .. and some special craft at that!
Firstly G-AVZC which appeared on page 78 courtesy of PPruNer Wildboy, the son of Wally Wilding. His photos show his dad with "ZC" during his time with Air Gregory.
Then G-ATJY. There are very few images available of this craft so it is great to have this on record. Although bought initially by the aviation enthusiast Douglas Arnold, at the time of the photo she was under the tenure of the late Cy Rose - someone who was a good friend to the Colonel. Cy was also a good friend of The Maestro, Dennis 'the Menace' Kenyon aka Denissimo!
Next we have G-AXSF. Earier in the thread we looked at all of the UK's Brantly 305's (I think there were around 7 in total). They were certainly a rare craft. "SF" was owned by BEAS but operated by Endeavour Aviation at the time of the photo. In fact the Endeavour titles are just visible behind the door.
And finally we have G-AVZG. Again, there are very few images of this craft and which makes Ambi's 'snap' all the more appreciated.
Is that Tommy Sopwith at the tail with the engine blanks?
"ZG" was delivered new by Mann's to Tommy Sopwith just before the Christmas of '67. She was the 13th JetRanger on the British register and Ambi just happened to snap her with Tommy. Fantastico! (I think he even had all his fingers at the time!)
In my email banter with Ambi he wrote: "I remember your Godfather being spoken of with affection by my peers whilst under training (e.g: Hugh Colqhuon) my instructor on Bell 47 Sioux."
This was gratifying to hear but .. I have never heard of Hugh Colqhuon. Is there anyone who could tell me a little more about him. Did he remain in the Army for example?