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The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

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The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

Old 21st Dec 2011, 12:43
  #1081 (permalink)  
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Sav, that sounds like the Nab Tower off the eastern end of the Isle of Wight.
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Old 21st Dec 2011, 14:51
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Treadi,

Definitely NOT the Nab...

There are some concrete structures off the south coast that were converted to plush accommodations and resemble round co-centric forts but now with helipads. :roll eyes:

The Nab tower was a piece of **** metal deck that sloped from one side to the other and the BO105 was the perfect size to fit
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Old 21st Dec 2011, 20:45
  #1083 (permalink)  
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Griffo, do you mean the three in the Solent, or are there more out there?

Energetic bunch, our forebears...
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Old 21st Dec 2011, 21:50
  #1084 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by treadigraph
Sav, that sounds like the Nab Tower off the eastern end of the Isle of Wight.
It would seem to be the searchlight tower of the Shivering Sands fort: Radio Sutch.
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Old 21st Dec 2011, 22:16
  #1085 (permalink)  
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Ah no, Senior Pilot, I was referring to Sav's last para about his trip from Lee-on-Solent...
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Old 22nd Dec 2011, 00:01
  #1086 (permalink)  
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Inspired by Griffo's "At odds with the world" photo in post 607 on page 31 and more than six months in-the-waiting to obtain these images un-watermarked and with the photographer's permission .. I am thrilled to be able to present these great Bölkow shots:


Swedish Air Force MBB Bo105CB3 09217
(Photo: ©Rickard Gillberg/Nordic Rotors)


Swedish Air Force MBB Bo105CB3 09209
(Photo: ©Rickard Gillberg/Nordic Rotors)

These images were taken on 16th September 2005 on the outskirts of Stockholm by Swedish photographer and helicopter pilot Rickard Gillberg (also the Head of Publishing at Nordic Rotors) during his visit to 'Team Vingarna' (the Swedish Armed Forces helicopter display team). Rickard joined 'Vingarna' during one of their practice sessions and captured these striking images.

In their day (between 1995-2010) the Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing operated more than twenty HKP 9's (Bo105's).
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Old 22nd Dec 2011, 09:25
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Hi Guy's, the forts look like the collection of forts of the North Kent coast, i fly over them every day, I don't think there are many I would land on now, and certainly not shut down! very interesting to look at though
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Old 22nd Dec 2011, 12:26
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Essex Oil's LongRanger

Back on page 15 (post 289) I made reference to a LongRanger which was owned by Essex Oil founder David Thieme. In my reminiscence I recounted how wonderfully impressive this craft was - she was one of Europe's fist LongRangers pre-dating even Ferranti's G-BFAL.

When I encountered her it must have been the summer of 1978. She was still on the French register flying as F-GCGZ. In those days Ferranti Helicopters performed almost all of Team Lotus' charter requirements and, when their fleet was fully committed the Colonel would sub-charter the chaps from Manfred Mann.

I was at Biggin Hill (during the Brands Hatch Grand Prix) and had been 'dumped' there in between shuttles when this azure apparition made a high speed large semi-circular sweeping approach opposite what in those days was the Air Touring Club (distinctive back then for its fleet of yellow Rallye aircraft). In waltzed this 'stretched' JetRanger (it was my first time to see a LongRanger 'in the flesh' as it were) in a most impressive colour scheme and .. as a youngster .. pretty much took my breath away!

There was no holding me back and as soon as she was shut down I was standing next to the driver pummeling him with questions. The craft's azure finish was overlaid with a crimson flash complimented by 'mirrored' silver accents. Inside she sported an all-white leather ensemble set off with lush sheepskin carpets. It was quite simply the most beautiful helicopter I had ever seen.

She was owned by David Thieme the oil trader who for a couple of years became the official sponsor of Lotus Team and it was doubtless Thieme who urged Colin (Chapman) to trade-up to something more 'respectable' (sorry Dennis) and which led to the purchase of G-AYTF .. the Dancer.

The first time I flew the Dancer (1980) she was wearing the 'Essex Motorsport' livery (identical to Thieme's LongRanger) and I was as chuffed as a youngster could be. I have the photos in Blighty and will retrieve them when next there.

I think it was probably the following year (1979) when Thieme had the craft transferred onto the Monégasque register when she became 3A-MSX (and where I think she was upgraded to an LII) . From her time with Essex this craft went on to serve in Spain where she flew as EC-DYO and later in Switzerland flyung as HB-XRX.

I never imagined that I would see this wonderful craft again and you might appreciate my surprise therefore when the Swiss photographer Anton Heumann wrote to me saying "Oh, but I have a picture of that helicopter":


Essex Oil's distinctive Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II 3A-MSX landing at Bern Belpmoos Airport in Switzerland in 1980 (Photo: Anton Heumann)

The image (while deeply appreciated) does not do justice to how wonderful this craft appeared in real-life but .. I am thrilled to be reminded of what was for me a very special piece of machinery.
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Old 22nd Dec 2011, 12:59
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More Navy Nostalgia

Hiller of 705 NAS at CU 1968



Sea Kings of 824 NAS fly past the last of the beautiful old 'open-bridge' Cavalier Class Destroyers in 1970. From Wikipedia
HMS Cavalier is a retired C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by J. Samuel White and Company at East Cowes on 28 March 1943, launched on 7 April 1944, and commissioned on 22 November 1944.[1] She served in World War II and in various commissions in the Far East until she was decommissioned in 1972. After decommissioning she was preserved as a museum ship and currently resides at Chatham Historic Dockyard.[2]


When you lived on a 'real' carrier back in the '70s you had to put up with the occasional 'visitor'.





G.
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Old 22nd Dec 2011, 13:32
  #1090 (permalink)  
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Great shots (as always) Geoff but .. what is that ahead of the F4?
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Old 22nd Dec 2011, 13:57
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Looks like a Tu-16 Badger to me.
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Old 22nd Dec 2011, 21:59
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Continuing the MBB theme ..


MBB BK117A-1 D-HBKA at Farnborough on 5th September 1980 (Photo: Derek Ferguson)

This example was the second (German) prototype of the BK117 (Kawasaki only built one prototype) and was exhibited at Farnborough 1980. German and Japanese certification was achieved in December 1982 with US certification in March 1983.

Some 450 117's were manufactured; around 330 in Germany and about 120 in Japan.
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Old 27th Dec 2011, 05:43
  #1093 (permalink)  
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Mystery Gazelle



I managed to secure the above image which credits the Gazelle pictured as being XX377 but .. extracts from the MoD report into the loss of 377 read:

"Gazelle helicopter XX377 of 656 Squadron Army Air Corps, the air element of 5 Infantry Brigade, was tasked to fly signal specialists from Darwin to a Radio Rebroadcast Station on Mount Pleasant Peak. The conditions for the sortie were good with excellent visibility and a full moon."

"As the sortie was to be flown within the airspace of 5 Infantry Brigade on a Brigade mission in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures there was no requirement for report to be made to any outside authority. Consequently there was no prior knowledge of this sortie in the HQ of Commander Land Forces Falkland Islands, Commodore Amphibious Warfare, the Carrier Battle Group (CTG 317.8) or any ship including HMS Cardiff."

"Gazelle XX377 was fitted with IFF but the weight of evidence leaves no doubt that this vital equipment was switched off during the sortie."

"The Gazelle had been called forward from Goose Green and, having collected two passengers and equipment from 5 Infantry Brigade HQ at Darwin, launched at 03:50Z on 6th June. About seven minutes later radio contact was lost and a ball of fire together with the sound of an explosion was reported by those personnel manning the Radio Rebroadcast Station on Mount Pleasant."

"Post Accident Reports embracing forensic evidence and engagement data convinced the Board that HMS Cardiff shot down the Gazelle with a Seadart missile."
My questions are: a) Would there be snow on or within the vicinity of Mount Pleasant in June? and b) If XX377 had been 'skewered' by a Seadart .. would she still have the bulk of her fuselage intact (perhaps if the missile hit the rotors but .. unlikely).

I am wondering therefore if this image is not in fact either XX378 or XW905 both of which crashed in whiteout conditions in Norway in their recovery efforts in response to the whiteout and subsequent crash encountered by Puma XW234.

Any 'enlightenment' is welcome!
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Old 27th Dec 2011, 07:26
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Savoia, you're right... it's XW905. Photo taken probably 25Feb82.

Btw, good find
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Old 27th Dec 2011, 09:19
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1982: A busy year for accidents

Zishelix, Merry Christmas!

Well I hope one can be excused for getting a little confused as '82 (with the advent of the Falklands Conflict) was a busy year for UK mil rotary accidents:

First there was this three cab pile-up in Voss, Norway on 24th February involving a Puma (XW234) and two Gazelles (XW905 and XX378) on training exercises. A summary reads: "During exercises in Norway in February 1982 an RAF Puma suffered a whiteout. It force-landed near Voss suffering only slight damage. An RAF Gazelle, XW905, was sent with ground crew to assist the Puma but also suffered a whiteout and crashed. An Army Air Corps Gazelle, XX378, was then sent to assist both of the downed aircraft but it too suffered the same fate."

The following month, in March, a Navy Gazelle, XX397, from 705 Squadron crashed in Cornwall during a wing-over manouevre.

Then in April there was the two cab pile-up involving Wessex Mk 5's (XT464 and XT473 from 845 Naval Air Squadron) on South Georgia island during their attempt to extract SAS troops.

On the same day in May two Army Gazelles (XX402 and XX411) were both downed (in separate locations but related duties) by small arms fire in the Falklands.

Then in June was the tragic incident involving Army Gazelle XX377 which was downed (by mistake) by HMS Cardiff. Five days later, on 11th June, another Gazelle (XW896) flew into rising ground in the Suffield training area in Alberta, Canada.

In August Gazelle (XX452) crashed at Andover after the instructor crossed his hands on the controls during a training exercise and in December Gazelle (XX400) flew into power lines in County Armagh.

And there were more besides!
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Old 27th Dec 2011, 12:00
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In August Gazelle (XX452) crashed at Andover after the instructor crossed his hands on the controls during a training exercise
Reckon that one was preventable....CFS can sure teach some silly stuff! That is one exercise that should be left to the coloured pencils exercise.
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Old 27th Dec 2011, 12:16
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Sav, UK Serials (Losses), right?
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Old 27th Dec 2011, 13:48
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SAS

Forgive my dimness if you already get it, but we didn't teach anyone how to cross their hands and instruct at CFS(H), we allowed student instructors to see how quickly things could go wrong if they did....with a staff instructor in the other seat.

Tam
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Old 28th Dec 2011, 06:47
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If I remember well, there was few comments on this thread about SABENA's rotors... an old postcard just found.


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Old 29th Dec 2011, 04:50
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Zis, yes, on page 12 there is a piece on Sabena's rotary fleet which, at one point, was moderatley substantial (for the day) and mainly consisting of S-58's.

Your image shows one of their Bell 47's (a D model with the enclosed tailboom). There were only three D's listed on the Belgian register in the 'SH' sequence and which were respectively: OO-SHX, SHY and SHZ and your image is therefore most likely to be one of these. The craft appears to be landing at some sort of stadium and it would be great if someone recognised the building or .. perhaps it was an early Zaventem?

More Bölkow Classico ..

Well, as the Swedish Air Force were preparing to dispose of their Bölkows .. the Albanians were gearing-up to take delivery of theirs:


The first Bo105E-4 enters service with the Albanian Air Brigade in 2006

And .. more Bölkow "At Odds with the World" cabin shots:


Red Bull display pilot, Chuck Aaron, pulls his 105CBS into the vertical as he prepares to go 'over the top' in one of his trademark loops
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