I think the stories of Bristow ferry flights would fill a very interesting book. My introduction to the company was a flight from Redhill to Dubai in a WS55 series 111, (Whirlwind), my Pilot was an ex French Air force pilot who had flown Thunderbolts in Algeria. He would not let me fly, but made me navigate, of which I had no experience. He would pretend to lose his temper with me, and blame me for being lost, whereas he knew exactly where we were. The only Nav. aid we had was a coffee grinder ADF, the knob of which fell off during the first stages of the flight, going over France. My pilot wanted to turn back to Redhill, but I told him I could tune the ADF using a pair of pliers, as I did not have an allen key small enough, this went on for several hundred miles, until at one of the stops, I managed to manufacture a tool to refit the ADF knob.
Anyone who has flown the Whirlwind will remember how uncomfortable the pilots seats are, after a couple of hours my back was killing me. Also I had not then learned the trick of wearing a baseball hat to reduce the discomfort of the heavy headsets that were used then, so my ears were also killing me. It was also very hot.
At Ankara airport in Turkey, a truck court the end of one of our Rotor Blades, as the aircraft was parked, so having been with the company less than a year, I had to import a Main Rotor Blade into Turkey, and immediately export the old one, or pay tax of 100% of the blades worth, I also had to hire a gang of Turkish men to help me change the blade. After that being an ex engine man, I had to do my first main rotor track and adjustment in the middle of Ankara airport. It went OK though.
At one stage of the flight we had to take off with full fuel load, and climb straight to 9000 feet to clear the Iranian mountains, if you want a good example of retreating blade stall, try 9000 feet in an AUW Whirlwind, the old girl would not go more than 60 Knots before a banging and clattering told us to slow down.
On the last stage over the Iranian Gulf, the lower gearbox pressure indication went to zero, I was not too worried, as the transmitters were notably unreliable, but I did clamber down into the cabin, over the sea, and take off the panel, to see if oil was being lost, or anything was getting hot.
One thing you quickly learn from this sort of trip, was if you wanted to work for Bristow in the field you had better learn self reliance.
The five star hotels were good however.