Back on page 15 (post 289) I made reference to a LongRanger which was owned by Essex Oil founder David Thieme. In my reminiscence I recounted how wonderfully impressive this craft was - she was one of Europe's fist LongRangers pre-dating even Ferranti's G-BFAL.
When I encountered her it must have been the summer of 1978. She was still on the French register flying as F-GCGZ. In those days Ferranti Helicopters performed almost all of Team Lotus' charter requirements and, when their fleet was fully committed the Colonel would sub-charter the chaps from Manfred Mann.
I was at Biggin Hill (during the Brands Hatch Grand Prix) and had been 'dumped' there in between shuttles when this azure apparition made a high speed large semi-circular sweeping approach opposite what in those days was the Air Touring Club (distinctive back then for its fleet of yellow Rallye aircraft). In waltzed this 'stretched' JetRanger (it was my first time to see a LongRanger 'in the flesh' as it were) in a most impressive colour scheme and .. as a youngster .. pretty much took my breath away!
There was no holding me back and as soon as she was shut down I was standing next to the driver pummeling him with questions. The craft's azure finish was overlaid with a crimson flash complimented by 'mirrored' silver accents. Inside she sported an all-white leather ensemble set off with lush sheepskin carpets. It was quite simply the most beautiful helicopter I had ever seen.
She was owned by David Thieme the oil trader who for a couple of years became the official sponsor of Lotus Team and it was doubtless Thieme who urged Colin (Chapman) to trade-up to something more 'respectable' (sorry Dennis) and which led to the purchase of G-AYTF .. the Dancer.
The first time I flew the Dancer (1980) she was wearing the 'Essex Motorsport' livery (identical to Thieme's LongRanger) and I was as chuffed as a youngster could be. I have the photos in Blighty and will retrieve them when next there.
I think it was probably the following year (1979) when Thieme had the craft transferred onto the Monégasque register when she became 3A-MSX (and where I think she was upgraded to an LII) . From her time with Essex this craft went on to serve in Spain where she flew as EC-DYO and later in Switzerland flyung as HB-XRX.
I never imagined that I would see this wonderful craft again and you might appreciate my surprise therefore when the Swiss photographer Anton Heumann wrote to me saying
"Oh, but I have a picture of that helicopter":
Essex Oil's distinctive Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II 3A-MSX landing at Bern Belpmoos Airport in Switzerland in 1980 (Photo: Anton Heumann)
The image (while deeply appreciated) does not do justice to how wonderful this craft appeared in real-life but .. I am thrilled to be reminded of what was for me a very special piece of machinery.