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12th Jan 2014, 17:00

#2234 (permalink)

Dave Ed

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: Cyprus

Age: 65

Posts: 297

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USA

USA

In the early eighties Bristows attempted to break into the North American market and more specifically to serve the ever expanding Gulf of Mexico offshore community. Details are few at the moment but the size of the fleet gives some idea of the importance of this venture. It consisted of 15 A-Stars ( single-engined Aerospatiale A.S.350s ), 5 S-76s, 1 Bell 212, a couple of Hughes 500s and a fixed wing.
Head office and overhaul facilities were set up at Sabine Pass and main operational bases were located at Beaumont ( Jefferson County Airport ) inTexas and at Houma in Louisiana.
Unfortunately due to market conditions during the following years, the USA operations were scaled back and eventually Bristows pulled out all together.

Taken around 1980 at Jefferson County Airport three S-76As and an A-Star await their next tasks.

Alan Bristow with Derek Cook during a base inspection at Jeffco.

An aerial shot of the Houma base in Louisiana with three A-Stars on the pads. And no doubt it is a Bristow hangar.

.......and down at ground level a Squirrel infestation in the Houma hangar.

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