- Paco
When Noel Edmonds bought this 206 (c. 1980) he was presenting a BBC programme called 'Swap Shop'. The show had impressive ratings and largely captured the Saturday morning children's/teens audience. Resultingly, Edmonds had (by the Beeb's standards) a fairly impressive presenter's salary but .. even for a successful presenter the cost of acquiring and operating a helicopter made some significant financial demands.
Edmond's manager set about seeking sponsors to help offset this cost and, with Edmond's contacts in radio and television production, was able to secure sponsorship from Sony UK.
On one occasion when Sony's worldwide president was visiting the UK he came into Battersea from LHR on a McAlpine AS355 when G-NOEL was departing and later made a comment to Sony's UK MD stating: "I didn't realise we had a helicopter here!" Sony's Japanese offices at the time owned several corporate aircraft including helicopters.
When Edmonds up-graded to a Squirrel (G-NOEI) his manager again 'successfully' secured sponsorship, this time from Phillip Morris who were already sponsoring, albeit it indirectly, the Team Lotus JetRanger.
This second sponsorship was not without its problems though as before long negative PR began to surface questioning the 'appropriateness' of Edmond's bold promotion of Phillip Morris' products (in this case Marlboro cigarettes) and, unsurprisingly, the sponsorship offer was soon thereafter declined.
Edmonds, across the years, has been a friend to the helicopter industry (even operating his own charter business at one point) but, as with his career, was dogged with bad luck on a number occasions and which marred his aviation experience.
Of those I've met who knew him - they all say that at the peak of his popularity, and while he was flying about the country in his various aircraft, he was the epitome of a down-to-earth, approachable and affable chap!
G-BCWN purchased from Alan Mann by Noel Edmonds and re-registered to become G-NOEL
G-NOEI (ex-G-BHIU) at Brands Hatch 6th October 1985 wearing the colours of Edmond's mid-80's sponsor Phillip Morris
Earl
Last edited by Earl of Rochester; 9th Sep 2010 at 06:34.
Reason: photo added