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16th Nov 2013, 18:05

#2174 (permalink)

Dave Ed

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: Cyprus

Age: 65

Posts: 297

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Morocco

Morocco

This contract for Esso started 1968 and was based at Tan Tan, some 100 miles South of Agadir.
The aircraft were a Hiller UH 12E (G-AWME) and a WS 55-3 (G-ARPW) replaced by VR-BDH in 1969. A second base operated out of Tarfaya, close to the Spanish Saharan border.
The Moroccan contract was the Companies first contract with Esso. This picture of a Hiller was taken at Tan Tan, an abandoned holiday camp, some 55 miles to the rig ( Drillships Glomar Grand Isle which was joined by Glomar Sirte in 1969).

Whirlwind at Tarfaya, 1969.
The work routine was 3 weeks on and 1 week off in U.K.

No positive i.d. for the guys in this pic but I have a few names for this operation:-
Chief Pilot Johnny (Jake) Johnson, John Nicholls (Pilot),Jacques Fages (Pilot), Jacques Villeneuve (Pilot), Graham Conway (Chief Engineer) and(?) Paterson (engineer), John Church (engineer), John Holmes (engineer).

"Well that's the tail rotor stand knocked-up. What can we make from the rest of this stuff?"

Crew change was by a Martinair DC3 to Agadir then Sterling Airways F27 to Stavanger via Bordeaux (refuel). Finally a S.A.S. DC9 to Heathrow.

Catering was carried outby an external catering company, Desert Cruise, who was a retired British Swissair pilot and his wife. They had a huge pantechnicon which was the kitchen and the dining room.
Pantechnicon - n. furniture van.

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