Bristow Photos

[Dave Ed]

Indonesia, Jim Hubbell

Indonesia, Jim Hubbell

Before I finish off Indonesia with people 2, a short article.

Thanks to Jim Hubbell for the following information on Bristow operations in Indonesia, sent in for the original web site

I'm not in the helicopter business, but worked for many years in Indonesia using Bristow-Masayu helicopters. I knew a lot of Bristow people who were there between 1969 and 1985. I have a number of photographs taken in various places, such as Lhoksukon, Sumatra (1969--Mobil Oil job), Jambi, Sumatra (1981), and Borneo near Samarinda on a Huffco job.

My company was GSI, Geophysical Service Int./ aka earlier as ISSA, Indonesia Surveys, S.A.. We operated a number of crews for Caltex over the years, and had base camps in Duri, Dumai, Rumbai, Muaratembisi (Jambi), where Bristow provided support for moving our field crews and supply transport.

The black and white photos below are of PK-HBF, shot about 1970 or early 71. If I recall, (Fred) Dermawan began working for Bristow in the Lhoksukan seismic operation for Mobil Oil. The seismic company was ISSA, Indonesia Surveys S.A., and we were based a Lhoksukon, Sumatra, in Aceh near the coast on the northeast end of Sumatra. He eventually became one of the wheels running the Indonesian operation in Jakarta. These pictures of him were the first time he actually flew on the job--from what I remember and what he told me.







The Chief Pilot was Bill Pollard. Another pilot on the job was *******, an American who left after pranging PK-HBC (or something similar), a new 206. He hung the cargo net on the skid at the rear (before there was a cable to prevent it), and the "helicopter co-ordinator" signalled him to lift off.. Instead of lifting, he went over and the main rotor hit the ground. It came apart like a cheap watch.

HUFFCO operation. Bristow was at Badak. This one was taken at the GSI field base camp at Lambonang, SW of Samarinda.




It is a small village on a tidal creek, and we rented a house there. Bristow used our pad as a fuel staging area for a rig they were moving during the time I took the picture. Normally the 206 was the only helicopter that landed there. We used it occasionally for scouting and supplying the field when we were working away from timber roads or waterways.