Hallo lads and for 'S' ... I'm back in 'Blighty' after a PPL(H) spell at Minaya Airfield (known locally as Balas Aero) just west of Albacete. My error as the Balas place was not General Franco's quoted 'Bolt Hole' but which turned out to be a grass strip adjacent to the village of Penascosa which apparently Franco used extensively and secretly before he left us. In fact my client gave me my first ever ride in a 'Delta' weight shift micro light there. The type has two jet engines! The locals don't seem to object to a micro light being started up in the village hangar and ground taxied olong the main road out to the local air strip for the take off.
For the training I was re acquainted with and flying my old friend, Enstrom G-BEYA which obliged me with my first ever engine failure, (a mixture problem) although fortunately over the Balas Aero airfield. My dear friend Tim Price travelled down a couple of weeks later to do the client's Skills Test where upon the Enstrom similarly treated Tim to a second failure. Happily all doing well, but my apologies Tim.
Now to Hughes 500s. Ref G-BDOY which was purchased from the Costin Engine company. My purchaser, Brian Wronski decided he wanted the 500C with a C18 so the exchange was made by March Helis at Sywell circa 1986. The removed C20 went to Flair Air at Shoreham for their B206. I later purchased the 500 as G-GEEE and sold her as G-OSPG, but now with the 'Norvic' nose a la 500E. The G-GEEE deal involved my selling a 500 'E' model which the purchaser had painted in the most startling 'camouflage' khaki scheme registered as G-HUKA ... all very polo' ish you see. Where is she now?
Finally 'twas the ex Nigerian 500, G-OVPP (go vote People's Party) that became G-HSKY being a 'Skyline' serial and it was this 500 that did airborne battle over the skies of Kent when she collided with a Bristow Bell 47 on a student navex ... and all parties landed safely albeit the resultant blade damaged to the 500 caused vibration sufficient to remove the entire instrument console. And just out of interest the same 500 pilot repeated the incident years later when his AS350 collided with a glider out of Booker. Once again all parties were unhurt! All quite amazing I would think.
Happpy daze and more trivia as and when from Dennis K.