.
Dennisimo: Cy was an incredibly pleasant human being. The last time I saw him would have been at the Cranfield Show in '79. At the same show both David George and Mike Smith were running around in 500's and many of the usual business operators from the 70's - Mann's etc. were there.
Cy walked me around to the Westward (I think) parking area where he told me he had bought a new Enstrom - it was not a Shark. He was very happy with it, told me to climb aboard and began showing me the new radio system (LED display) where you could pre-set radio frequencies and change them at the touch of a button - and he began loading the numbers for his journey home.
He had heard about 'Bob's godson' who could fly (I was 12 then) and when eventually Bob 'found me', Cy told him he was taking me home and that Bob should collect me from there in G-AWJW (which was visiting the show). Cy had wanted to see me fly!
Sadly, there were things to do and so I had to dismount the 'Rose Copter'. As it turns out, the Colonel's pressing engagement was a very boozy evening with a chap called Colin Heathcote (I think) who at Cranfied '79 I managed to harass so much with my professions of how great helicopters were that he promised to 'give it a try'. I understand he later went on the acquire an ATPL(H). He had formerly only ever flown planks!
But Cy always spoke to me as if I was much older than my years and which confidence met with my appreciation. He was simply a thoroughly decent person and, so it might seem, among the last of a special breed of 'helicopter gentlemen' as you say.
(Anyone with a photo of Cy please post or PM me for my email address).
Paco: Do you remeber at the Towers how visitors would sometimes inadvertantly stray into the vacinity of the helipad and enquire 'Is this a ride?'.
Actually Bob did respond to a query from JLB re: the concept but both agreed that it would not be economically viable and that the HSE implications from a CAA point of view (even in the early 80's) would be too cumbersome to make the exercise easily manageable. The main factors though were capacity and cost.
However, it seems that down under, at Dreamworld, they
do have helicopter flights!
http://1.bp.********.com/_GL8CaCyCFe...er+Outside.JPG
S.
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