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The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

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The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

Old 28th Nov 2011, 22:06
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Gay Absalom is my step-grandmother (my grandfather's second wife) and still lives in Warwickshire.
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Old 29th Nov 2011, 04:59
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C2004 well done, nice images.

F-QWAP Fly By Wire demonstrator
Yes, I can see the wires!

Smoth: Welcome to Rotorheads.

We would love to hear anything you might be able to communicate from Gay. Please let her know that my godfather, Col. Bob Smith ex-MD of Ferranti Helicopters is still about (now in his 90's) as I know they knew each other.

I had been saving this clip for when something 'Absolomish' came up; I suppose this would be your great step-grandfather!

British Pathé Clip of Gay Absolom's Father (Rowland) Going to Work in a Brantly

Rgds

Sav
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Old 29th Nov 2011, 12:23
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Survival training 'GreenlandAir' style

Not quite sure about feeling nostalgic about this particular extravaganza conducted East of Godhaab (Nuuk) in March 1977. The water temp was close to zero and the air temp -15 deg C. We had to move the ice flows out of the way to launch the liferaft and the wind was a cruel 20 knots so the raft was tethered to the quay so as not to loose it out to sea.



The S61 survival pack contains a 'shotgun/rifle'. This Czech-made 12 bore/7.62 weapon was designed to enable the survivors to protect against Polar Bears and to hunt Ptarmigan and similar game.



It was bl***y cold - a 'never again' experience.



We spent the night in a 25 man raft in arctic grade sleeping bags that are vacuum packed into small bricks and carried as part of the normal kit. Anything left outside the sleeping bag would be frozen solid by the morning so you slept with your boots alongside you and passed a less than comfortable night. Still, when morning came you were still alive despite temps of -20 deg C. You were well enough to gather mussels on the beaches of the Fjord and light a fire.



G.
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Old 29th Nov 2011, 22:16
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Gay

It's been too many years since I was able to have a regular chat with that lovely lady and rotary pilot Gay Absolom. (later Gay Barratt) It might not be generally known she was the lady pilot in the 'To the Manor Born' series flying a Spooner Aviation Enstrom ... G-PALS for the reggie buffs! A tall, elegent lady blonde who flew the pants of the difficult old Enstrom Shark I seem to recall. The filming was completed at the Crinkley Bottom 'Manor House' now a hotel. Was it Creech St Thomas or something like that?

In fact I think Gay was the first female commercial heli pilot in the UK. She was certainly flying when I came in to the rotary industry circa 1972! Would love to have some words from her on the thread. Dennis K.
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 04:33
  #1065 (permalink)  
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Westland Bells

Great stuff Geoffers! Seem to recall some Air Greenland 61's being shown on this thread.


British Army Westland Sioux aboard HMS Bulwark in Helsinki, Finland in 1971

Quite what the Bulwark was doing in Helsinki I don't know - perhaps they had gone there in an early attempt at cold weather training à la Geoffers!.


Trent Helicopters Westland Bell 47G-3B-1 G-BFEI sits in Cranfield's lushous grass on 8th July 1985 (Photo: Don Hewins)

My thanks to Don Hewins for this (and his previous) contribution to Nostalgia. As always, a great photo Don! Note the Schermuly dispenser on the craft's lower rear hind quarter.
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 05:59
  #1066 (permalink)  
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AS350B VH-NFO at Schofields on 10th November 1985 (Photo: Wolodymir Nelowkin)

A newly registered VH-NFO attends the Schofield Airshow in November 1985 at HMAS Nirimba.
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 14:16
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Well if there's anyone reading who is planning on buying an aircraft please make sure that you either purchase it from a reputable supplier or, if that is not possible, recruit a capable consultant (one who can refer you to a string of satisfied clients) to manage the pre-buy survey.

I've always said that I wouldn't let PPRuNe interfere with my day job but this was sufficiently long ago not to impinge on the sensitivities of my often persnickety clients:


PPruNer Savoia, with client from the Middle East in tow, conducts a pre-purchase inspection on a GII SP

Most of the planks I conduct pre-buys on involve a two and a half, sometimes three day, affair that takes in the log books and paperwork (one and a half days), flight testing (half a day) and physical inspection (one day). That is aside from the numerous specially ordered inspections which will already have been performed such as borescopes on the engines, x-rays of critical components etc. etc. (all depending on the condition and type of craft).

Granted, my services are not cheap but .. in return the client gets an iron-clad assurance (through the pre-purchase consulting agreement) in which my business is liable for any recourse arising from dissatisfaction which can be attributed to the quality of the inspection. I do not view my guarantee as a risk but an asset because, so long as you are conversant with what needs to be done, the process (while involved) is pretty straight-forward and clients enjoy the fact the your work comes with an assurance.

Sadly, it is always the few corner-cutting non-professionals (across both the fixed and rotary wing industries) who create bad press and cause unnecessary losses for clients who, if it is their first time buying, can become sufficiently disillusioned so as to give-up altogether.

Moral of the story; stick with reputable professionals in everything you do when it comes to aircraft acquisition (and operation). It may cost more 'up-front' but it will even out in the long run and, crucially, insure you against losses such as those written about in the post above.
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Old 2nd Dec 2011, 05:06
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The Grand Kenyon

Posted on behalf of the Maestro:


Dennis 'The Menace' Kenyon with Bell 206 G-AYTF (aka The Dancer) at Leeds Castle in 1983


Dennis' hangar at Booker in 1985 harbouring some Nostalgia Thread 'stars' including G-WIZZ and G-CSKY (formerly G-TALY)


Enstrom F28-A G-BAHU at Blackbushe in 1986 (Photo: Don Hewins)

Based on Dennisimo's previous comments BAHU may have been a 'Presidential' model with its half-covered door (or perhaps this was just painted over!). She was in the Maestro's Shoreham stable in 1972 from where she was sold to Ben Turner. The craft seems to have spent some time in Ireland in the late 70's before being sold to one of Dennis' business partners Peter Millward.
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Old 3rd Dec 2011, 06:59
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The answer to the earlier question about who made up the army complement of Aerial Peeler in Scotland is extracted from a history of police aviation a free download book on a well known site......

The Scottish task was allotted to 10 Flight, normally based at Carter Barracks, Bulford, Wiltshire.
Four pilots were eventually directly involved in flying the Westland Scout AH1 helicopters in the support mission. Major Maurice Taylor [Lancashire Fusiliers], Captain Jerry Jones [Royal Corps of Transport], Ronnie Matthews [Duke of Edinburgh’s Regiments] and, lastly, Lt. Norman Overy.
Matthews replaced Overy early in March after the Lieutenant was posted elsewhere. Major Charles Wastie, Captain’s Paul Lyle and David Dance shared their time between police flight support and local military requirements using a DHC2 Beaver AL1. To this mixed band of military men Aerial Peeler III became affectionately known as “The Peeping Police Saga”. Their compatriots
were four observers provided by the local police - each held the rank of inspector to ensure the use of the Kinloss Officers Mess although one of their number was actually a sergeant. Charles Rhoden, Murdoch [“Murdo”] McLeod, Charles Inglis and Dick Young, the sergeant. Under normal circumstances police sergeants and constables are only “worthy” of accommodation in the Sergeants Mess.
Also in the police party was Superintendent Alec Findlay, in overall command, and acting as the controller of operations, with a sergeant and two constables manning the Kinloss Control Room
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Old 3rd Dec 2011, 10:56
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PANews well done, that was a great discovery and completes the post!

For those just joining the thread PA is referring to post #1063 on page 54 which talks about a special exercise conducted by the British Army using Westland Scouts conducting evaluation missions for the Scottish Police in 1968.

Thanks to PA we can now complete the crew photo:


Back row: (L-R), Sgt Young, Insp MacLeod, Insp Rhoden, and Insp Inglis
Front row: (Order unknown) Major Maurice Taylor of the Lancashire Fusiliers, Captain Jerry Jones of the Royal Corps of Transport, Ronnie Matthews of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Regiments and Lt. Norman Overy
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Old 4th Dec 2011, 19:44
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AS355F1 G-TALI at Cranfield on 8th July 1985 (Photo: Don Hewins)

Just in today from Don .. G-TALY's successor G-TALI visiting Cranfield. When the son of the former pilot (Ken Davies) to the Duke of Westminster signed-up to PPRuNe in order to post evidence of his dad's ferry flight with G-TALY from Frosinone to Fairoaks (together with PPRuNer Geoffersincornwall) he mentioned that the Duke was sufficiently gracious to as to permit Ken to use TALI to visit the PFA Rally.

For those just joining Nostalgia .. this thread began life as the "G-TALY" thread and so we are always thrilled to see both her and her sister TALI. G-TALY can be seen in Dennis Kenyon's photo in post #1123 above wearing the registration G-CSKY.

Both aircraft were named after the Duke's wife, Natalia, a descendant of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.
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Old 9th Dec 2011, 04:54
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Westland Gazelle SA341G G-BBHW at London Luton in 1984 (Photo: Anton Heumann)

Delivered from Westlands in 1974 to Bruce Fletcher of Leicester and on to McAlpine's the same year. Bought by MW Helicopters in 1998 when she became G-IZEL and latterly G-WDEV now registered to 'Cropspray Ltd' of Marksbury, Bath.

More Great Gazelles on the following pages: 24, 39 & 46
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Old 9th Dec 2011, 07:02
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Savoia, thanks for posting on (always) interesting Gazelle theme
My two cents...

G-IZEL at Faro Portugal 29May93 photo by Pedro Aragao
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Old 10th Dec 2011, 04:19
  #1074 (permalink)  
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Zishelix, it is as though you have risen from the grave! Welcome back.

Wiggy, for you:


EC135T2 G-SPHU (with sister ship G-SPAO) at Glasgow City Heliport on 27th July 2011 (Photo: Udo Haafke)
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Old 10th Dec 2011, 12:11
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We (the owner and I) flew IZEL down there from UK in one and a half days via somewhere in Normandy, Biarritz and Madrid Quatro Vientos (nightstop) and back in just one day. Same owner as the lovely G-BESS pictured previously in these pages.
In it's previous ownership IZEL had been old man McAlpines personal hack, had extraordinarily low hours and had been thoroughly under used and over-maintained. It was beautifully presented with black leather seats - a glorious machine and an utter joy to fly. Still smelled like a gaz though.
Anyone know where it is now?
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Old 10th Dec 2011, 12:23
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G-SPHU was recentyl if not still covering for the air ambulance in Swansea and I have seen it here a good few times, it sure gets around considering the distance to Glasgow from here.
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Old 10th Dec 2011, 15:46
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Bolkow are you aware SPHU is a stand in when the others are on maintenance?
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Old 15th Dec 2011, 01:24
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Lenton Lane Heliport

In the mid 1950's BEA decided to operate a regular helicoptor service between Nottingham and Birmingham, calling at Leicester on the way.

A site off Lenton Lane in Nottingham (where Willow Road is now situated) was acquired and an area of tarmac laid to accommodate landings. The service began in 1956 but was a short-lived affair running only for a matter of months.

The two images below were taken by Ada Marriott, who lived on Gregory Street. They show passengers getting on the helicoptor and in the middle a number of locals, including her own mother, Sarah Wesley, posing for their photograph in front of the aircraft.






The craft used for this service was G-ANUK, seen above in float-equipped configuration departing London's South Bank

G-ANUK, Westland Whirlwind S-55 Series 3: 1954 Westland Aircraft > 1955 BEA > 1957 The South Georgia Company > 1961 Bristow Helicopters.
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Old 21st Dec 2011, 06:41
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Earlier in the thread we touched upon John Crewdson's trips out to 'Sealand' in the North Sea. It seems however that he was not the only one to venture onto these decommissioned forts as in 1990 the Port of London Authority chartered a Twin Ecureuil to do something similar:




An AS355F lands atop decommissioned 'Maunsell Fort' G5 in the North Sea in 1990 (apologies for the atrocious image)

Evidently the Port of London utilised a fort which was formerly part of Radio Sutch's 'Shivering Sands' facility. The PLA maintained the 'G5' searchlight fort for their remote 'wind and tide' gague.

I flew once with Bristow's SAR team from Lee-on-the-Solent (this would have been mid-90's .. S61) and the driver pointed-out some sort of concrete facility off the south coast (a small ex-WW II installation) and which was equipped with a helipad. I think the facility had been converted to a home (of sorts).

Last edited by Senior Pilot; 21st Dec 2011 at 21:38. Reason: Add less atrocious image
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Old 21st Dec 2011, 08:33
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Yes, Brilliant Stuff, was aware of that, but not aware it covered the whole lot North and South.
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