Pitts v Enstrom
Ah yes ... how well I recall the Pitts incident. I was on my way to White Waltham to pick up Alan Endsor, the MD of RMC's Lesiure and the Thorpe Water Park. Alan was learning to fly rotary as his company RMC had purchased Spooner Aviation. .As we waited on the WW apron, I was watching a stunning aerobatic performance overhead. The Pitts landed and taxied toward us for the clubhouse. It wasn't until he had barely 50 yards to go that I decided the pilot hadn't seen the parked Enstrom, so we hurriedlly bailed out just in time to see the prop slicing chunks out of the Enstrom's nose cone. I think the Pitts pilot was that superb aerobatic guy, Richard Goode, but if not, he will know who was. And G-BALT, serial no 127 it surely was!
Oh and another little oddity. The HH 28A, G-BCOT had the dubious priviledge of being written off no less than three times.
No 1. When I opened the container ex Menominee 'twas sad to see the M/R gearbox had cut loose in heavy seas. The heavy box and smashed into just about every panel of the Enstrom's airframe. Insurers paid out for the resultant TCL
No 2. Was David Voy's night air test at Southend when the three push/pull M/R hub controls had been connected up 120 degrees out of phase. (Yes it can be done!) David must have performed a miracle to keep the old girl on its skids.
No 3. Occurred when Spooner Aviation converted the A model to the turbo-charged C version and used her on its crop spraying contract. Our pilot Derek Alexander was flying under a 33kv HT line in rain when he suffered a 'flash-down' strike. Pilot OK, but G-BCOT was totalled.
Sorry lads ... but sixty-one years and 14,000 hrs in the flying business ensures I've seen more than a few 'happenings' like the above. Best wishes and safe flying to all. Dennis Kenyon.