GSA: Your memory serves you well! See additional comments below from Wiganairways.
VFR: You may well remember G-BUZZ which was delivered to Western Air in 1978 by Mann's. I've posted a poor quality image (the only one available) of BUZZ from 1980 wearing a red and blue scheme (below).
Fairchim: Please feel free to post any photos from your time with CB.
Ciao Wiggy! Grazie mille!
Eric the Ferret: See comments below from Ahh de Havilland.
Originally Posted by
wiganairways
Western Air seemed to have started in 1976 with a Brantly B2B, G-WASP (ex G-ASXE) registered to Sims Automatics, Glasgow. Sims is a supplier of friut machines, gaming machines, pool tables etc. (and are still around today) in 1977 G-WASP, as it had become, changed hands to Donald S. McGillivray, Elizabeth A. McGillivray and Walter Glen, (the partners), T/A Western Air (Scotland) Partners Ltd. from the same address as Sims.
WASP lasted from 2/77 to 11/81 and then joined by Jet Ranger G-BUZZ, (WASP, BUZZ), in 4/78, lasting until 8/82, next was G-WOSP Western Air (Scotland) Partners T/A WASP Helicopter Hire from 11/78 to 9/81 when it went to Burnthills Aviation Ltd. Don't know of anything after 1982 but I'll have a dig about, but would seem they quit the helicopter hire business about that time.
Originally Posted by
Ahh de Havilland
Wasp was headed by Don McGillivray and operated G-CHIC Hughes 269 in addition to G-WASP, G-BUZZ & G-WOSP. Don also had a Campbell Cricket (G-AYHH) which was replaced by G-WASP.
G-CHIC was regn to Wasp on 31.7.79 but crashed soon after on 13.11.79 near Betws-y-Coed when it struck trees shortly after t/o. The pilot died from a fractured skull as he was not wearing a crash helmet. I am not sure but I think the pilot killed in G-CHIC was Don McGillivray, as the MD changed from Don to Elizabeth McGillivray.
Wasp were based to quote Flight in a small hangar behind an industrial estate in north Glasgow, and all the aircraft were regn to the same Glasgow address as Sims Automations so there may be a financial link.
Agusta-Bell 206B JetRanger II G-BUZZ on location in Scotland during the filming of the movie 'Death Watch' in 1980
(My apologies for the atrocious quality of the above image). G-BUZZ was delivered by Alan Mann to Western Air in April of 1978. In November of the same year they took delivery of a new Bell-built 206 (probably from CSE) G-WOSP.
Bell 206B JetRanger III G-WOSP at Glasgow c. 1980's (Photo: David Whitworth)
As mentioned above, what became WASP Helicopters seems to have begun as a helicopter supporting a business called 'Sims Automatics' which evidently distributed slot machines. This business appears to have been developed by Donald and Elizabeth McGillivray who then cultivated charter work for their helicopter (initially the Brantly B2 G-ASXE).
This charter business then began trading as Western Air (Scotland) Partners (from where the WASP acronym was derived) along with a Walter Glen.
Quite what happened to WASP I am not sure but one or more of their aircraft (as mentioned by Wiggy) went on to Burnthills.
If I remember correctly then Paco flew WOSP while she was with Burnthills.