Zis: Grazie mille! It does seem strange that there is no public record of RA-1558G and her serial number. Do you suppose this is an ex-Soko Gazelle?
More from Anton's 1984 Brand's Hatch collection:
Skyline Helicopters Agusta-Bell 206B JetRanger II G-WIZZ at Brand's Hatch in July 1984 (Photo: Anton Heumann)
Also delivered by Geoffers and purchased by Denissimo but (unlike TALY) not flown by Savoia. However .. as with TALY .. she was prepped (prepared for delivery) by TRC.
G-WIZZ was the second helicopter to be discussed on this thread after TALY and, like TALY, had a poem written in her honour.
After her delivery from Frosinone she was despatched to Sheffield to her owner .. William Monks builders.
Now for some cross-stitching; the Colonel had names for everything and everyone .. it was one of his many foibles! One of the craft managed by Ferranti Helicopters was G-BBBM which the Colonel (for reasons known only to himself) referred to as the 'Brave Brave Black Man'! But at the same time .. there was another 'triple bravo' running about .. this one a zulu .. G-BBBZ .. an Enstrom which had been sold by Denissimo to none other than .. William Monks builders!
The 'JPS livery' seeen on WIZZ (above) was in fact worn by three aircraft .. firstly 'The Dancer' G-AYTF (which was Colin Chapman's personal mount), then G-WIZZ and .. finally .. G-TALY when she became G-JOKE having been purchased by Freddie Starr.
Bell 206B JetRanger II G-BTWA at Brand's Hatch in July 1984 (Photo: Anton Heumann)
Another 206 to feature earlier in the thread was G-BTWA .. so named after Tradewinds Airways (Charles Hughesdon's company) and this craft was in fact used privately by Hughesdon when not engaged in charter work. When flown for charter she was 'driven' (according to TRC) by Geoff Cox.
This craft had distinctive tri-colour tail markings overlaid by a small coat of arms which Charles opted to preserve when he bought her. The origins of these markings only become evident thanks to Hofmeister who identified that 'TWA' had once flown as D-HJFF .. which had belonged to Baron
Heinrich von Furstenberg.
'Back in the day .. TWA' was frequently chartered by Estepo .. whose Gazelle Hofmeister ended-up having a go in!
Bell 206B JetRanger II G-AYMW at Brand's Hatch in July 1984 (Photo: Anton Heumann)
'Mike Whisky' has similarly featured previously on Nostalgia; a former BEAS and Wykeham Helicopters craft which for a time flew in Eire as EI-BJR which, according to Shane, was with Irish Helicopters. Personally I remain curious as to Irish Helicopters' choice of livery given how similar her scheme looks to Denis Ferranti's 206's
à la EI-ASW. Perhaps they had wanted to convince Denis to upgrade or even supplement his existing craft!
In this photo she is seen under Dollar's tenure although flying on the day for Cabair.
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More Brand's Hatch copters on the way ..