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Working with PG was a dream and I got to see some amazing Scottish scenery.
She is a fair land indeed SJ and on the few occasions that I return to the UK I invariably head north in order to take in a sampling of Highlands scenery and hospitality. If time permits then a little hill walking is usually in order and which pursuit Scotland satisfies completely.
But, I'm absolutely sure the helicopter had an anti-collision light fitted - at least when I left it.
You may (or may not) be surprised to learn that in the UK during the 70's and 80's there were quite a number of 206's sailing around with inoperative anti-collision lights (acl). Aside from the non-functioning units there was a small squadron of aircraft which were defined by the fact that the acl was missing altogether.
G-AYTF (the 'Dancer' - above) never sported an acl during the length of my exposure to her (4 years) as was the case with Jock Cameron's mount (below) and it would seem as though BAUN also fell into this category. I think the feeling (on the part of some mechanics) was that they were a royal pain the solution to which was to simply remove them.
I used to complain bitterly as a youngster to my godfather whenever we flew such aircraft, not I regret to say, motivated by some higher conviction in faithfully following the ANO's but because I used to like to see the light flashing .. especially at night!
AgustaBell 206B G-AWGU at Inverness in 1980 (Photo: Wallace Skackleton)
Have something in the order of 60 hours in this craft from the early 80's when Jock Cameron would lend her to my godfather in the post-Ferranti days. The BA ground crew would recall as 'GU' did not have 'quick fit' dual control receptcles installed and which meant an operation which took the better part of a half-hour to see them fitted.
When Jock Cameron neared retirement my godfather approched BA's board with the recommendation that 'GU' be gifted to Jock in much the same way as Shell had presented Douglas Bader with his own 'ride' upon
his retirement.
But, BA did not share my godfather's appreciation for Jock's contriution to Britain's rotorcraft industry (well, not sufficiently enough to hand 'GU' over to him) and sadly declined. The ship (which had always been used by Jock for trundling up and down the country) was sold off to Oman.
Am not going to go into too much detail about AWGU as she has her own page on the Ferranti site entitled 'Closest Cousin' in which her entire history is recorded.