A little snippet......
In September 1978 I was sitting on top of the Wolf Racing Pits/garage with a bunch of hangers-on. It was the Italian GP and this was Monza. Ronnie Petersen had that terrible crash during the start and subsequently died in hospital. Ronnie was with Lotus but Colin Chapman did not have a helicopter at that race but I was flying G-BCYP, Walter Wolf's 206. It was parked nearby on the infield helipad.
Without discussing it with me Walter went to Colin and offered 'YP' as an ambulance to take Ronnie to hospital. He then came and found me and told me to get ready to fly an injured driver to hospital.
You can imagine that there was a moment of panic whilst I juggled the notion of carrying a stretcher in a helicopter with no fixtures and fittings (actually it would have been physically impossible to carry anyone other than 'walking wounded'). Then there was the matter of 'taking him to hospital'. What hospital? Where? Fortunately wiser heads were already dealing with the situation and Ronnie disappeared in an ambulance.
Situations like that were the reasons why Sid Watkins pushed for (suitably equipped) helicopters (x2) at every GP.
G.
Last edited by Geoffersincornwall; 16th Oct 2012 at 08:39.