Dennisimo Ciao! Great to see you back on the thread again!
Newforest: The craft in question was G-SPEY (formerly G-BIGO) and I was also told about her association with RR but would like to learn more.
As far as I was aware the last 'corporate' helicopter to be owned by Rolls in those days was G-BATB (a Bo105) which was bought by Ferranti who then operated her under contract on behalf of Rolls.
NJT: Great stuff!
I'm sure we shall happen upon some more stories as time goes by - hard not to with a character like that!
Because the records showed Cadbury as being CHOC's first owner I mistakenly believed that Cadbury had bought her new from CSE (given that she was a Bell as opposed to an Agusta). Then on
page 11 Tarman disclosed that CHOC had originally been D-HMAC below:
Bell 206B D-HMAC
G-CHOC at Blackbush in 1978 (Photo courtesy of Helipixman)
I was intrigued when I saw HMAC because I was imagining the Cad requesting that his craft be repainted in an identical scheme to HMAC's - even including the white piping around the circumference of the windshield - until it dawned on me .. the Cad .. ordering a full repaint? No! And I am now fairly certain that the reason CHOC's scheme followed HMAC's so faithfully is because he probably settled for having the red portions painted over in the Air Pegasus navy blue as opposed to ordering a full strip down and respray. At least that's what happened to the Pitts Special he bought from Rothmans!
Do you have any recollections of importing HMAC from Germany?
S.