Thoughts
Just to upate on a few of my associated recollections on the individuals and rotary types mentioned. Yes while working with Archie McKenzie's March Helicopters up at Sywell. Original name came when Mike Smith and Archie set up the new business ... Mike & Archie ... I flew his Lordships Hughes 500 and great fun it was hobnobbing about with a Royal Crest on the side.
When visiting his Endeavour Motor car business in Brighton, Tommy Sopwith often parked his AS350 for the day, close to the A27 entrance of Shoreham Airport. As has been mentioned, he was a regular flyer from Shoreham in the late 1970s/early 1980s.
Many stories of Mark T abound. In 1984. being a regular client at Skyine Helis, when on leaving the offices for a practice H2/H4 Heli Lane navex, I called back to Mark ... "Got your map?" His simply replied. "There's more than a few people out there who say the worst thing I can carry is a map!" This followed his well reported car rally foray into the Sahara.
Peter Millward's Hughes 500D, G-BESS was one of the Skyline fleet. In 1984, Peter was unfortunate to lose the engine while flying over Oxford. He put it down safely. However the college who owned the land wouldn't allow entry of the recovering truck without an exhorbitant indemnity. We solved the problem by removing the engine and lifting G-BESS using a second H500 and lowering her on to the platform lorry standing by on a nearby road.
Oh and I have now met James 'The Hoff'. ex CO of 1X Squadron up at Marham. I spent the day with his Squadrom pilots ... not one being over thirteen I swear! I was kindly allowed to spend an hour on the Thales GR4 Sim. Absolutely FAB.
An end titbit. Taking tea in the Squadron crew room, one of the pilots said ... "I'm told you used to fly the Meteor ... when was that?" "1954" ... I had to admit." He raised his eyes. "Over fifty years ago ... My Dad wasn't even born then." Now that has to be the line to end all lines!
Best wishes to all.
Dennis Kenyon.