S.E.A. Helicopters Sdn Bhd

[Gray 14]

Fred Poff was in management there back in 1977. I took an acceptance ride with him in a 206B for a potential contract in Sarawak but they did not get it. He was a US type, was one of the instructors in my flight when I went through Primary in 69. I ended up on Prakla with IHAC (Bristows) and a few months later Fred showed up there as well.

[gnow]

I know the late Capt Armit Tilgner was an instructor at SEA Helicopters. Late he flew for Hornbill skyways a couple of years before he died in a crash in Sarawak. Used to enjoy listening to his war stories. I was a young co pilot with the Air Force at the time (1978).
The Chinese Air Force officer who seemed to know everybody mentioned here must be the RMAF check pilot at SEA ,Mej Benjamin Lee. Ben Lee us now retired in NZ.
I also know of another Malaysian the late Capt Nasir Ma Lee who flies for SEA.

[ramblingrotors]

I never worked for SEA Helicopters, met Smiley, Ron Beadle and Otto Graham a few times, all very decent people and had a good memories of the time spent with them.
It was sad what happened to them when Alan left them high and dry.
The other Chinese X RMAF pilot is Greg Lim whom I belief to have moved down under.
Met up with Franky Cheah last year and still very active in the industry working out of Subang.
Had the pleasure to work with Armit Tilgner in Kuching and Kapit.
Also worked with Bill Canada and Alan Watson, both are great guys to work with.

Cheers.

[David Underdown]

SEA

Originally Posted by kirt178

Hi, the Aussie guy may have been my father Mike Kirton, who was the fixed wing and Chief Pilot who stayed on when they morphed into Hornbill Skyways.

Hi I worked with Mike in the 70's in Kuching and he and Charlie? were flying fixed wing and myself flying Jetrangers with Chick Baron, Tilgner (who crashed a Jetranger trying to let down through cloud in Sarawak) and a Malaysian pilot (nice kid, can't remember his name) also killed when a skid got caught on a floating log helipad and the machine turned over and I think he was drowned).
I was doing flying doctor operations in the 7 divisions and carting ministers around to kampongs.
Managed to get out back to Aus before the s##t hit the fan with Mac Donald (I actually got paid, but the Malaysian Tax dept contacted me in Sydney for back taxes Mac hadn't paid. I sent them a copy of my contract which included the company paying our taxes and they were happy with that and chased Mac instead).
He really dudded some of the other employees, bit of a bastard and a crook!
Could you let me know how to contact Dawn (With her permission), would love to catch up, so would Chick Baron.
Alan Watson has full blow dementia apparently and Chick is trying to find out which nursing home he is in.
Regards
David Underdown
0422575660
[email protected].

[Saint Jack]

Please allow me to post a couple of up-dates to this most interesting thread.
Helicopter doctor : Ref your Post#15 in April 2015. Dave Sanders is still in Singapore. I'm afraid he's not in the best of health having been overcome with dementia and is now confined to a wheelchair at home. The good news is that he is being well looked-after by his loving wife and a very capable live-in helper. He is visited regularly by his friends from around the region. I first met Dave in the early 1980's when he worked for Heli Services Pte. Ltd. and was assigned to fly the Bell 205A-1's on their heli-rig operation in Sylhet, Bangladesh. I met him again later in Singapore where he was doing a lot of free-lance work with Bell Helicopter Asia, testing, demonstrating and delivering helicopters for them. A real gentleman.
gnow : Ref your Post# 22 in June 2016, Nasir Ma Lee, one of the real "characters" in the Malaysian helicopter scene during his day, died following a crash sometime in the early 1990's. I understand he was flying a small fixed-wing aircraft that went down in a remote area. It was said that he survived the crash but died before help reached him. When the aircraft was eventually located, it was said that Ma was found "in a praying position." I first met him in early 1980's in Singapore when he was flying for Genting Sdn. Bhd. and took their Bell 206L-1 down there for some maintenance. I crossed-paths with him again at the Seganbut Heli Base in the late 1980's. Blue skies Ma.

Apologies for some very vague dates - it was a long time ago.....

[skidsoff]

Alan Watson is in the early stages of dementia and still living at home with his wife Colline, on the Sunshine Coast. My wife worked with Alan as the Aircraft Tech Records Clerk for Wira Kris Schreiner and later Hornbill Skyways in Kuching around mid to late 70's. When we were married in Kuching I met Alan and Colleen and we have pretty much stayed in touch ever since as well as worked together at various times over the years. Even though I didn't work for any of the companies in this thread I had the pleasure of briefly meeting a few of the people mentioned. They were very interesting times back then.