.
Newforest: Well I'm glad we got that sorted out. SPEY, in her day (ie: while with her original owner) was indeed a fine aircraft.
Wigan: Great to see AYMX in your earlier post. For a time she was owned by Christian Salvesen and I would be keen to discover something about their UK ops (c. 1971-72) in case anyone knows.
The Crewdson Files
John has been mentioned several times on this thread and there is a conversation regarding his role in the film 'The Spy Who Loved Me' currently taking place on the Alan Mann thread.
The Sealand saga:
John Crewdson (third from right) with Roy Bates (to his right) in Aug/Sept 1978.
In 1978 John was involved in the retaking of Sealand from Alexander Achenbach - a German lawyer who had stormed the former fort in August of the same year. Evidently John mentioned that after years of being involved in films where weapons were being waved in his direction - it was 'interesting' to experience it for real during the retaking of Sealand!
Presumably atop Sealand's helideck is the ill-fated G-AWAP, parts of which (recovered from its crash) appear at the top of this page. From
TRC's explanation in #530 AWAP is wearing the saddle-bag style pop-outs. Does anyone have a good photo of AWAP?
Additional comments on Crewdson appear on pages
3,
8 and
26 of this thread as well as on page
3 of the Mann thread.
Dennisimo!
Thank you for your comments on Tony Walker in response to my post #525 on
this page which in turn was in response to
TRC's #524 also on this page.
Great that you taught him to fly - sounds like he was a warm and friendly character! Would still like to discover how BEPP ended up in a field!
A couple of shots which you may recall:
G-AVUK at Biggin Hill on 21st May 1972. (Photo: Stephen Rendle).
Prior to being recorded as destroyed in 1983 this craft seems to have shared a fair number of owners including: Twyford Moors, Federated Designs, Monitor Holidays, Richard Lester, Gerald Dommatt and of course Spooner.
AgustaBell 206A G-FSDG at Brands Hatch on 6th October 1985. (Photo: Keith Sowter).
Known to me as being a sister ship (of sorts) to the late great
'Juliet Whisky' (G-AWJW) a former stalwart of the Ferranti fleet.
Rgds
Sav