Bristow Photos

[Dave Ed]

.....and a few more from Tim.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/PaullWessex.jpg

Wessex 60 taken at Paull airfield in 1977 the ground crew are Terry West and Jim Wilmott and the pilot is Bill Holmes.




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Paullairshow.jpg

G-ASWI taken at the Paull airshow of 1977/78.




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/PaullS61.jpg

S-61 which landed at Paull...my Dad is in this shot.




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Wessexengines.jpg

Engine layout of the Wessex.




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/BillandNic.jpg

Dad and brother Nick at Dyce airport about 1991




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Dyce1991.jpg

Dyce airport about 1991




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/WessexATSC.jpg

G-ATSC having returned from an offshore gas rig off the East Yorkshire coast.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/AWOXEastington.jpg

Dad with G-AWOX at Easington gas terminal in about 1978/79. G-AWOX I believe replaced G-ATSC and G-ASWI which both had accidents if I am right.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/NigerianWhirlwind.jpg

Nigerian Whirlwind

[ABZ155]

Working now with chaps in Canada, said they had an HUMS equipped 212.

Turned out to be G-BALZ, 30548.

Now working for Coldstream Helicopters, pics can be found here:

http://www.coldstreamhelicopters.com/uploads/CSH_WEB_2.pdf

And here:

Coldstream Helicopters (http://www.coldstreamhelicopters.com/services.html)

Long way from Mog, Bangladesh, Brents and whereever else, but is in good hands working hard and looking good

[ABZ155]

Found another one, this time in Montana..

Ex Stornaway and Sumburgh SAR back machine, G-BCLC.

Now a Shortsky, with Carson Blades, doing Forestry Fire Fighting.

Not got a good picture as yet, will get some when I got up to audit them

Flying for Bliings Flying Services - BFS - some dodgy photos here, but can see the North Sea Mods we stuck in it..

Billings Flying Service (http://www.billingsflyingserviceinc.com/refurb.htm)

[Tail-take-off]

From Sikorsky S61N (UN) Photos Page 1 (http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/gert_burkert_opitz2/sikorsky_s61n_un/) G-BBHM in Kosovo.

http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/gert_burkert_opitz2/sikorsky_s61n_un/images/sikorsky_s61n_un_1_of_4.jpg

http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/gert_burkert_opitz2/sikorsky_s61n_un/images/sikorsky_s61n_un_2_of_4.jpg

http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/gert_burkert_opitz2/sikorsky_s61n_un/images/sikorsky_s61n_un_3_of_4.jpg

http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/gert_burkert_opitz2/sikorsky_s61n_un/images/sikorsky_s61n_un_4_of_4.jpg

[meloni]

WOW!! I like those photos!!
do U know where they was made? I'm courius because I'm working there now... based in Pristina Airpost...

Cheers
Daniele

[yorel]

hi phil,doyou remember yves le roy;...it is me!!!!!regards;yves:rolleyes:

[Saint Jack]

Yves le Roy, I certainly remember you, we worked together at Padang then met again a few years later in Tehran. Glad to see you're still on the website.

[Rosh]

Libya during more stable times.


Arrival in Tripoli from Malta, enroute to Benghazi. The Libyan's were planning for a new airport building on the scale of Dubai International, being built in the background.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya25.jpg



The Hangar at Benghazi airport.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya2.jpg




Benghazi.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya24.jpg




Team Mascot. (Frank's best friend)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya3.jpg




Returning to Benghazi Airport.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya1.jpg

[Rosh]

Operating from Tripoli Mitiga Airforce base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya4-1.jpg




Keeping out of the way of the Migs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya6.jpg




Watching an African Champions League Match in Tripoli.
Football seems to cross all cultural / religious boundaries.
(Having said that, I wouldn't like to have been wearing a Tunisian shirt while watching the match)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya5-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya11.jpg



Departing Tripoli Mitiga Airport

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya15.jpg




Libya's only dive boat! A few wrecks to see, above and below the surface.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya15-1.jpg




Heading West, along the coast towards Tripoli.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya14.jpg




I didn't have enough Safety Focus cards for this one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya16.jpg

[inmate]

Thanks for the memories Rosh although it has changed a lot since I was there in 64'

It was a bit of a family hang out so to speak, my dad was there in 51' flying the old "meatbox" and again in the late 70's (before it became politically incorrect) , then I showed up when it was RAF Idris (64),( learned that both whisky sours and climbing coconut trees at the same time can be dangerous to your health!!!)

One thing I remember was that just diving off the coast you could see so many artifacts just laying on the bottom, and nobody really cared about them.

Now I'm the Bristow artifact, although not quite laying on the bottom yet.

[Rosh]

Inmate - I'm glad that the pictures brought back some memories. I'm sure it looks a lot different to how it was in '64.... but maybe not as different as it is now, following the events of the last few months.

[419]

but maybe not as different as it is now, following the events of the last few months.

I'm sure that a few thousand tons of high explosive ordnance has improved Benghazi a great deal, especially if someone made a slight error and dropped a 2000 pounder on the Al-Noran!

[TipCap]

Rosh

Did I hear right that CX was destroyed in the conflict in Libya? :sad:

I ferried that one when it came to the UK in January 1986 and nurtured it through the IHUMS trials in '87. If I remember correctly, only certain crews were authorised to fly CX whilst it was accruing IHUMS time

CX was even involved in the BBC Production of "The Bell Run", a play partially filmed offshore Aberdeen about North Sea Diving. Even though I flew the a/c for the filming, never got a role as an extra cos I wasn't in Equity - lol

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv287/kernow_lad/cxscan.jpg

John W

[Fareastdriver]

CX, what a warrior. A last survivor of the Bristow China operations, the last UK registerd aircarft I ever captained at 64 years,11 months, 27 days in February 2005 punched off in that great 747 out of Hong Kong a year later and apparantly sculled around a bit before it reached Libya.
A great paint job in Malta.

[419]

CX was left in Libya, but it's current condition is unknown, but considering where it was hangared, and this photo, I doubt if it's ready to fly!

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/05/13/world/13airport/13airport-blog480.jpg
Ali Mahmoud, a Libyan rebel, drew a caricature of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi on an aircraft seized in Misurata on Thursday.

[Rosh]

Fareast Driver - After CX left Hong Kong in the 747, it headed to Kenya where we had it alongside G-TIGB operating out of Mombassa, before finally ending up in Libya.

John - I'm not sure of the whereabouts or condition of CX at present. Fingers crossed, we'll see her again.


CX in Mombassa 2006/7

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Kenya20060005.jpg




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/kENYA.jpg

[TipCap]

Only reason I asked was because of the report in Helihub (Got to grab whatever info I can get now that I am retired and away from the North Sea)

05-Apr-11 G-BMCX Eurocopter AS332L Misurata, Libya

Helicopter destroyed in hangar as a result of the local unrest in the country. Date is approximate, not confirmed.

Date
05-Apr-11
Make Eurocopter
Model AS332
Reg G-BMCX
Country Libya
Location Misurata Air Base
CivilMilitary Civil
MSN 2164
Operator Bristow-Helicopters

John W

[Fareastdriver]

Hopefully if post 1752 was taken on the 14th July there may be some hope for it. (Unless Bristow have already pocketed the insurance.)

[212man]

FED,
the picture file was 'modified' on the 13th of May, so sadly taken well before the 14th July...

[Fareastdriver]

Looks like the second part of my post has come to fruition. Mind you it had a good innings. Tufty was always telling us that it had the highest hours of the Bristow machines.

[parabellum]

(Unless Bristow have already pocketed the insurance.)


Doubt it. Underwriters would have either cancelled War Cover, most likely, or increased the premium by several hundred percent at the first sign of trouble in Libya.

[TipCap]

Before I "left" Bristows in 09, I am sure GE had the highest fleet hours. I can't remember the exact amount but I do remember thinking "As many hours as that?" as I signed the tech Log before a flight

It was the original "Marathon" a/c for the Brae so had a load of flying.

I am sure some present BHL guys can enlighten me

JohnW

[Fareastdriver]

You're probably right, John. I would not have thought that CX, even though it was really hammered when in China, could have caught up.

[C.C.C.]

From G-INFO

G-BMCX Total Hours:25887 at 31/12/2009 (Still on the Register today).

G-TIGE Total Hours:38450 at 31/12/2010.

[Dave Ed]

More from Tim N,

These are of the Whirlwind series 3 in Dubai circa 1970. My Dad can be seen with his head in the engine so to speak. The next shot is the helicopter returning from the Gulf back into Dubai and the other is the cockpit of the whirlwind.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Helo1.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Helo2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Helo3.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Helo31.jpg


Mike Austin working on the rotor head and also in picture 2 from a different angle.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Helo4.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Tim%20N%20Bristow%20pictures/Helo5.jpg

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brazil

A story of taking a highly sophisticated flying machine into the middle of nowhere……

Back in 2001 I was lucky enough to be offered the chance of being one of the team to support an Aberdeen based Tiger that was to be based in Northern Brazil in support of a 6 month offshore drilling campaign by BP. At the time I was still posting stuff on the Skyweaver website so armed with a non-digital camera I intended to take lots of pictures to tell the complete story of a typical posting into the middle of nowhere. Not just the flying maintenance side of things.

As all of us know, the flying and maintenance side of a new overseas posting is normally the easiest part of job. Getting used to unfamiliar surroundings, working with local population, erratic communications, support network and spares back-up, poor facilities, challenging climates, bugs and wildlife (including the local girls!), dodgy food and water supplies, less than ideal accommodation all make for memorable tours.

Obviously, I will spread the 50 odd pictures over quite a few postings. The comments on the pictures might seem a little "basic" at times, but they were added for friends and relatives quite a while ago.

So here we go…

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/amapa.jpg

On or about January 6th 2001 G-TIGO left Southampton on a freighter bound for Jacksonville, Florida.

From there it departed on an approximately 5 day ferry flight to Amapa in the state of Amapa, Brazil. I had a particular interest in this particular contract as I was one of the engineers manning it.
Amapa lies close to the equator in the Amazon Delta, the climate being tropical with humidity reaching 100% with wet and dry seasons. The airstrip forms part of an old U.S. Air force base dating back to the 2nd World War when it was used as a base for antisubmarine patrols. This web address has some interesting pictures of the Airships and crews that were based at Amapa airfield in 1945.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grappie/with/3087449335/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/grappie/with/3087449335/)

The contract was for an initial 120 day offshore drilling programme for BP and the aircraft to be used was a Bristow International AS 332L Tiger (G-TIGO) with an S61 provided by Aeroleo as a back-up. The Tiger was IHUMS equipped.

7/03/2001 The following is an excerpt from a phone call by Ian Robinson:
“It's like working in a water fall........no hangar, no spares yet, snags galore, no hot water at "hotel", 12-14 hour days, flying the ***** off it. All surrounding "land" 3 feet underwater. Bring wellies, mossie net, multi vits, anti s**t pills, rehydration salts, etc etc but you can get a cold beer although no time to drink it!”

Yup, I was really looking forward to it...............
(http://www.pprune.org/Dave/Desktop/Bristow%20CD/skyweaver/images/amapa9.jpg)

30/05/2001 "And how it really panned out.................."

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Amapaairfield.jpg

So this was our first view of the base, turning down wind, on board the North Star Bandeirante having taken off from Belem 1 hour 30 minutes previously. The total journey time from home was about 40 hours, routing Heathrow, San Paulo, Rio, Belem, Amapa.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Typicalmorning.jpg

This was the scene at 7.30am on a typical morning when things were running smoothly (ok, probably an exception!) The Bristow/Aeroleo staff having left the "Hotel" at 6ish will have endured the 10 km tortuous journey to work along a dirt track filled with pot holes, mud holes and lined with vultures. Comments like " ooh look, is that a ****" ( Replace **** with any form of wildlife we saw EVERY morning) didn't help matters!

The picture shows the North Star Bandeirante taxiing in to drop off passengers who having flown up from Belem would then be whisked through the terminal and boarded on the Tiger for the 1h 30m flight to the drill ship CR Luigs.

The "hangar" was for show only for the first six weeks at Amapa as the floor resembled the dirt track mentioned above.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/CRLuigs.jpg

The drill ship CR Luigs tasked with drilling two holes thousands of feet below the surface and held on position with GPS controlled trim engines. The first hole was approximately 200 miles offshore and the second about 175 miles which gave a round trip sortie time of about 3 hours. The manifest for the Tiger included everything from core samples to cauliflowers and sometimes pushed us to the limits trying to deal with surprise cargo in torrential rain.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Amapacity.jpg


Amapa city, the second biggest "city" in the state of Amapa and our home for six weeks. Note the lack of traffic as all roads out of town turned into dirt tracks, the nearest neighbouring sizeable town being Macapa some 100 km to the South.

Communication in the early days was mainly with sign language with meal ordering resembling a game of charades. The language is the Brasilian form of Portuguese and my thanks goes out to Sylvia, an Aeroleo dispatcher, who, with patience, managed to get us to speak a few words which made the second half of the tour far more fun!

Accommodation was in the Amapa Hotel which I suppose we would class as a back packer hostel but things did improve with the arrival of hot water. Often, breakfast would consist of little more than stale bread and water.

The restaurant I have labelled in the photo was the favourite social venue where we were well looked after by Soraya and Talita.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Boarding.jpg

Probably about 7.45am with TIGO on the hot spot. The crew consisted of a Bristow training captain and an Aberdeen trained Aeroleo captain. All the Aeroleo staff were working a rotating 15 days on, 15days off routine.

....to be continued.............

[Dave Ed]

TIGO In Brazil 2

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/MGBfittingreplacement.jpg

Finally, we had enough concrete on the hangar floor to get half of the Tiger under cover.
The picture shows GPC endeavouring to replace a timex main gearbox support fitting which would put the aircraft AOG if this couldn't be accomplished. The replacement item was on its way (apparently!) in a single-engined light aircraft but the weather at the airfield for most of the day was grim, with heavy rain and very low cloud. The crane had been brought up from Macapa and with the help of a JCB digger made it through the mud and into the hangar. The gearbox weight was then supported and everything prepared for the part replacement but by 2pm the weather was still awful and nothing had been heard from Jay Lacaze who was in the light aircraft.
At 3pm there were a few breaks in the clouds and shortly after, the sound of a small plane could be made out and sure enough out of the murk came the gearbox fitting which was on the aircraft within 30 minutes and the whole team in Edmilson's bar within the hour!



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Raincovers.jpg

Prior to being able to get the aircraft under cover, Ian and Kev had these covers made up which if you look closely you can just make out about 20 guy ropes that held them all in place. On a nice single flight day with fine weather and a team of six, putting the covers on was manageable, however, in the pouring rain, wind blowing, a team of two and after the third flight with darkness imminent.......................*?!*"#!?.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Re-registration.jpg


The Bristow crew, arriving late after a well deserved lie in, were astounded to see the registration on the Tiger had changed to PP-MIM even though we were still on the British register. After much discussion Brazilian style G-TIGO was restored and PP-MIM painted over (see pic)until a few days later when we finally made the Brazilian register, which was no mean feat in itself, when the whole process was reversed. Kev Smith would probably need many years of counselling after this posting!!



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Aeroleo76.jpg

Just when we thought we couldn't reach any higher celebrity status in the town the Aeroleo S76 breezed onto the scene. By coincidence the road back to town was yet again blocked and we flew over the town looking for a suitable landing site which turned out to be the hospital forecourt just opposite the hotel. Four minutes by S76 or forty minutes down the muddy track - I know which I preferred, however we only managed to squeeze a return trip out of it. As I was taking this picture, the wall behind me was packed with about 100 children who had run over to watch the helicopter landing.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Amapakids.jpg

[Savoia]

.
Smashing pics and enjoyable narrative! :ok:

No close-ups of Sylvia? And .. your 'nightclub' appears to be in the middle of a street - lol!

[Dave Ed]

You don't think I'd put the pictures of the girls on first do you :)

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brazil 3

Plenty of time to do this today.
Wife has gone to UK for two weeks at short notice.
Son has abadoned me to stay with a mate for a week.
On-call all weekend.
33C, so too bloody hot to do much else.

So, part 3


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/PT-YEK.jpg

Ex Falklands machine PT-YEK also taking advantage of the newly concreted strip of hangar floor in order to change an engine mount.
The S61 was on site as a backup for the Tiger acting as an SAR machine and occasionally doing the odd rig trip but in this roll it was limited due to payload/range limitations.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/SkyweaverJournalist.jpg

Coasting back from the drillship CR Luigs with yours truly on a photo-jolly and luckily an empty cabin. The in flight meal was excellent ( ex rig ), and after a short nap, a visit to the cockpit.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/WaypointSylvia.jpg
The picture shows the crew discussing the co-ordinates of waypoint Sylvia!!! Seriously!



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/SylviaandTIGO.jpg
Guess who...

[TipCap]

Thanks Chris.

Is GE still the high time Tiger?

John W

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brazil 4


As I touched on earlier, it would be almost impossible to set up a new overseas helicopter operation, in a remote location, without the knowledge and help of the local agent / population. Over the last 60 years or so, many of the local work force have gone on to have lengthy careers with Bristows especially in places such as Nigeria and Malaysia and of course many Bristow staff eventually settled down with local girls.

Even though this Brazil BP operation was relatively short lived we got to work with, socialise with and know a great bunch of people from the guys at the sharp end flying and maintaining the aircraft all the way down to the great Edmilson (labourer, odd job man, ran closest bar to work … a many of many hats.) We needed people to drive us, house us, feed us, sort out the bureaucracy, find us trucks with cranes when we needed them and a hundred other things that need sorting out behind the scenes.

There were three groups of people that were directly involved in getting the job done:-

The first consisted of the people responsible for looking after the Super Puma. Me and Ian (avionic engs.) Guy or Kev (A and C) and Grahame and Neil??? (Pilots) - all British.

The second part of the team were all Brazilian, worked for Bristow's partner (Aeroleo) and looked after the back-up helicopter (S61), flew as second crew on the Tiger and also organised the passengers and freight. This group also consisted of engineers, pilots and dispatchers - about 7 of them at any one time.

They had two crews and rotated every couple of weeks back to the main bases a lot further south!! And like their English work colleagues, they also suffered from culture shock finding things as difficult as us at times! They were mostly good fun to work with, some more serious than others, some more faithful to their partners than others!!!

The third part of the team were the locally employed people hired by Beckman - "Mr Organiser". He was the guy to get things done!
I suppose we had about 5 or 6 local people working with us - all good people :) Beckman organised transport, drivers, cranes etc etc. Without him we would have been doomed from the start. I am not sure I would ever trust him to look after my daughter though !! (if I had one)
All the above either lived or stayed in Amapa town so we often socialised together as far as the language barrier would allow.

Some of the Brazilian crew "socialised" a little too closely!!

So, a few pics of some of the team........


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/MirandanRicardo.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/AmapaHotel.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Antonio.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/BarSilva-Santos.jpg

Me and Guy also in this one.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Hangarfloorteam.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Fuellingteam.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/GeorgenKarin.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Engineout.jpg

[Fareastdriver]

Cut out the crap. Where's Sylvia?.......just joking, super posts.

[Upland Goose]

Gone but not forgotten

[hihover]

Dave, what a great story, looking forward to reading more. Also looking forward to more photos too, however, Super Pumas, S61s, Bandeirantes, Hangars.....yep we've seen all those, you must have more of Sylvia though.

[industry insider]

Goose, you are correct, Adam Faith did buy and learn to fly in MY in 1980.

[Cabe LeCutter]

Dave

For a minute I thought that said Bar Silvanas, would have made me feel right at home. I see that you used to sleep in helicopters even back then!!

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brazil 5

So as we leave the operation for a while let’s head off to town. The daily commute.

In the Amazon Delta it can rain!

During our first month at Amapa it rained, rained and rained some more.
Amazon rain is heavy! Everything was soaked, our clothes, us, the helicopter (inside and out), the hotel rooms, the roads were water logged and just mud. Just getting to and from work was a nightmare.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Rainrain.jpg


During the rainy season the water level in the surrounding swamp/marshland crept slowly upwards until making the mud track impassable some days.
The only things that really seemed to enjoy the rain were the water buffalo.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Buffalo.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Dailycommute.jpg



Every morning the Bristow/Aeroleo staff having left the "Hotel" at 6ish will have endured the 10 km tortuous journey to work along a dirt track filled with pot holes, mud holes and lined with vultures probably waiting for us to get permanently stuck in the mud. The journey could take 30 minutes to two hours by minibus or 4 minutes by helicopter!!
……and here we all are on the return journey, in the steamed up minibus. We were stuck again! Not exactly an all-terrain vehicle that minibus. Needless to say I was standing in 6 inches of liquid brown mud taking this picture. You might remember a picture in Part 4 with a shoe shine man, I got my money’s worth out of the shoe shine man that night J

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Stuckinmud.jpg




http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Minibuslift.jpg

[Tacho Genny]

A most enjoyable collection of pics Dave E. Thanks for sharing them with us. I hope there is more to come.:D

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brazil 6

So, to Amapa……………..
And to refresh your memories of the basic layout........


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Amapacity.jpg

Amapa "city", the second biggest city in the state of Amapa was to be our home for those 3 months. Note the lack of traffic as all roads that led out of town turned into dirt tracks although there was a regular bus service to and from Macapa, the nearest sizeable town 100km to the South and of course the nightmare road to the airfield.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Amapastreet.jpg



I have no idea how many people lived in the town itself. It was never very busy but one thing we soon learnt was that hardly anyone spoke a word of English. Communication in the early days was mainly with sign language with meal ordering resembling a game of charades. We had special signs for beef, fish, and chicken!! BUT just try and order a salad with sign language :) Not that there were ever many vegetables or salads……..this is a strictly meat eating part of the world and the rarer the better.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Amapastreet2.jpg


The town consisted of one long main road through the centre of the town with a few other roads leading off to seemingly no-where!
It had a few small shops, a pharmacy, lots of small bars and "restaurants" an abattoir just outside town where a buffalo or two were slaughtered on a daily basis - we passed it on the way to work. Vultures lined the wooden fences as we passed by.
There was the all important hardware store which was a godsend but I was a bit disappointed with the lack of Super Puma parts.

It also had a hospital, a few small basic hotels, a night club, schools, small food shops, football field and a small stadium where regular fiestas were held.
In fact, it was a nice little town where you could get most of the things you needed for a reasonable standard of living.



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Sabortropical.jpg

On our first night we were guided to and introduced to Soraya who owned and ran one of the more popular restaurants in town. This restaurant turned out to be the hub of our social life in Amapa and was frequented by almost whole team, supporting TIGO and YEK, at some time or another. This was the first of many evenings and Sunday lunchtimes at the Sabor Tropical when we would sit, eat, drink beer, learn the language, and generally watch the small world of Amapa go by.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Cowboy.jpg

Those Sunday lunchtimes, with most of the team, drinking seemingly endless cold beers and watching girls on bicycles and horses amble by was one of the highlights of the week. Simple pleasures J



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Bicycle.jpg






http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Sundayentertainment.jpg





.........and if you were desperate for a beer and couldn't make it as far as Soraya's there was this cosy little restaurant complete with semi open air toilet where you could watch the world go by.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Smallbar.jpg


..........and a picture taken from this bar of one of the busy road junctions during evening rush hour....... most of these pics must have been from my second six week tour as it all looks a lot less wet!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Viewfromabar.jpg

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brazil 7


Accomodation.

Accommodation was in the Amapa Hotel, not likely to ever get into the World’s leading hotels directory.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/AmapaHotel.jpg


I suppose I would class it as a back packer’s hostel but things did improve up to a 1 star rating with the arrival of hot water although most of us were scared to use it due to early instances of minor electrocution!
It was run by a woman, Conceicao and her two reluctant teenage daughters Sarah and Matah.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Hoteldaughters.jpg


On a good day, if Sarah and Matah got up before 6am (pretty unlikely for a teenager anywhere in the world) breakfast would consist of little more than stale bread and water and some fruit if you were really lucky :( On most days it was help yourself to anything you could find in the kitchen or hope the small kitchen at the airfield terminal was going to be open.

I don't have any pictures of inside the room, just the view from the door.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Roomview.jpg

It was pretty basic but with en-suite - cold water though during the cool rainy season!!!
The mattresses were a bit infested with bugs and a mosquito net was a real necessity. The aircon was pretty noisy but at least I had one! When it rained, the room leaked badly and careful positioning of the bed was necessary to keep dry through the night.
Did I sleep well in Amapa??? No, not at all!
Unless I had drunk lots of beer - so sometimes :)

The Bristow team stayed at the Amapa hotel along with Aeroleo Pilot’s and dispatchers. The Aeroleo engineers stayed at another hotel in town but it couldn’t have been much worse than ours.

Bugs and animals

An excerpt from my small diary:

23rd
Bitten by a dog! (me)
S61 Co-pilot in hospital (Bites!)
Ricardo in clinic - bitten.

All during the same afternoon.

We didn’t really get to see an abundance of Amazonian wild life but one or two interesting animals as you can see from the pictures. And millions of mosquitoes and ants that were a real pain as could be the town dogs!

You couldn't go out in the evening without covering yourself in 100% DEET. The mossies were BIG and quite capable of biting through clothing and sleeping under mosquito nets was a necessity.

As you have seen previously, there were plenty of water buffalo wallowing in the swampy wetlands and lots of vultures hanging around at the abattoir. And the most common bird - Egrets - white Stork looking things.

Occasionally when we were sitting at Edmilson’s, a hunter would pass by on a bike enquiring if we would be interested in buying his latest catch. Some jungle tree deer squirrely thing. Just because we didn’t buy it, it didn’t mean we didn’t get to eat it. There were some evenings, at Sorayas’, when the barbecue was filled with similar looking skinned things with lots of bones! Cooked rare of course….I don’t think they even lit the charcoal some nights L

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Hunter.jpg



It was also a hunter who turned up at the hotel with a Leopard cub one evening….

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Leopardcub.jpg



……and for a few days this little Armadillo made an appearance at the office. He disappeared after that……..probably another barbecue treat:bored:

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Armadillo.jpg


It's hard to imagine everyone in these pictures is now ten years older including the Leopard and Armadillo!


Next time…… Guy cooks at curry at Sorayas.

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brazil 8

10 should do it!

In part one I put in a link to an amazing set of pretty good quality black and white images taken by someone who was stationed at the airfield in 1945. The airfield was constructed in the Second World War and was used as a base for Search and Rescue airships that would look for crews of American transport planes which had to ditch off the coast of Brazil or in the jungle. They also flew anti-submarine patrols. The whole airfield is now a permanent museum. Most of the old relics lying around the airfield have old rusty signs offering descriptions of those times.
The guy(s) who took the pictures 56 years previously obviously had the same idea as me and captured the whole experience of being posted there. The work, locals, social life etc.


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Amapa1945.jpg

It is amazing to think that some of the elderly residents of Amapa 2001 were probably little kids when these guys were stationed there.
There are some great shots of the airships, aerial views and bringing supplies into Amapa jetty.

So, click on the link on part one and take a look!

One of the airship mooring masts was still at the airfield and we had considered using it at one point as a gantry but it was just a little bit too rusty!!


Back to the TIGO story.

During the last two of the six months of the operation, rumours were rife about when the operation would wind up and this caused no end of stress especially as KS and G extended their tours to see it through to the end. And the end never seemed to come!

I think GPC did just the one tour and as a thank you to everyone, before he left, he sent me and Grahame around town with a shopping list for a curry he intended to make that evening - he was in bed with a hangover!! Cheers mate, I wasn’t feeling exactly brilliant myself. Managed to get most of the ingredients and set to work in Sorayas restaurant kitchen preparing a pretty good curry I think - I don't think we poisoned anybody which was the main aim :)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Currypreparation.jpg


Soraya was a good host to us all - the whole team - and Talita often helped around the place. She was a lovely woman and was quite willing to sit with us and "chat" and was patient enough to help us along with our dire Portuguese :).


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Talita.jpg



And the first two words I learnt? - Sandwich (luckily it was sandwich) and Kayjo (Cheese) That meant we could order a morning snack at the airfield terminal café, as imitating a cheese sandwich with sign language was too difficult to say the least.
Then "Obrigado" and all those sorts of words to say hello, goodbye and how are you. Phrases to chat up girls were not a priority in the early days - eating was!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Phrasebook.jpg


Thanks, mainly to the lovely Sylvia, one of the Aeroleo dispatchers, I managed to increase my knowledge of Brazilian Portuguese considerably by the end of the three months which made things so much easier and more fun. I could talk to the girls :)

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Sylviaandcrab.jpg


Every weekend, from Friday evening to the early hours of Monday morning, the town seemed to go into party mode with fiestas in the stadium...........

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Fiesta.jpg




...............and late night dancing and drinking in the nightclub. Huge distorted speakers if I remember rightly.
It was impossible to keep up with the locals though as we had to be up at 5.30 most mornings and they would just be going to bed - the night clubbing having started at 2am!! Although that didn’t stop KS once or twice! We could only really go partying on a Saturday night if there was no flying on Sunday.



As you could see in the town pics, apart from the things that would take a lump out of you the town felt relatively safe with no crime we were aware of and small kids seemed to wander the streets quite happily and safely. Of course we were a fascination to the children as we are anywhere in the world whether it be Malaysia or Nigeria.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Localkids.jpg

........all probably at University now!


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Andre.jpg


I wonder what Amapa will be like if they do start exploiting vast oil reserves. The town could be swamped with outsiders. It will bring money into the town and employment I suppose but a whole host of other problems.

Next time … leaving.

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brazil ...final part!

If any of you are still awake!

As I touched on earlier, the end of the contract was seemingly a never occurring event. Also relations between Aeroleo management and Bristows seemed to be souring, possibly because Aeroleo would rather have seen the operation as a 100% Aeroleo venture, not involving Bristows. This didn’t affect the working relationship down at our level though and things were ticking over nicely. The rainy season was over and the second hole being drilled by BP was closer to shore so flight legs were shorter resulting in a shorter working day.

.........and so it came for us to leave.

The first going away party was at a restaurant close to the airfield.
This is the one where we invited all the people from Amapa that had been good to us, helped us, and some friends we had made during our stay. We took a lot of them up for a flight in the Puma, with the cabin doors open locked open, and flew very low over the town and local countryside. Only one of them threw up which was a surprise – I was expecting more! No doubt it was the first time most of them had ever flown.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Firstleavingparty.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Firstleavingpart2.jpg
After the flight - yet more beer, food and dancing before heading back into town.



A few days later..........

The BP drilling contract came to an end approximately 12th July and five of us flew down, in three different aircraft, to the big town of Belem to attend a celebration party organized by Aeroleo.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Offtoaparty-1.jpg


The party turned a bit sour (Aeroleo managers!) and I ended up sitting in a small park outside the Hilton Hotel with someone else (I can't remember who) watching prostitutes going about their business and drinking a few beers. We were all a little surprised at the amount of notice we were given to pack up and leave. It was to be in two days time!! Not exactly a lot of time to wind up a six month operation L


The next day we flew back to Amapa in the Super Puma, taking 2hours 40 minutes, loaded it with all the spares and equipment in 3 hours and had one last night partying in town where we had to say a lot of short notice goodbyes!

............and the last night in Amapa ....

Just pretty much like any other really!! But tinged with a little sadness. Me, Kev and Grahame started at Sorayas with the usual mix of locals and then we all moved into the main square, sat around a big table, chatted about endless things, the last six months, the future, drank more beer - a really good night - I wish I had taken more pictures of all of us. Perhaps I was pictured out by then.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Franci-1.jpg

This picture got me in trouble with Jan L Sorry AGAIN. It was in a really busy square with loads of us around the table …..honest!
The guys back in the Bristow’s Redhill avionic workshop were impressedJ
But seriously, Franci was just another nice Amaponian that became part of our social group and another nice girl to practice our bad Portuguese on J

Then off to a backstreet bar we had never been to before, lots of locals, loud music and just about everyone we knew was there. (that is where the New engineer pic was taken). Just imagine a hundred more people and really loud music!! Oh, I forgot, the new Aeroleo engineer was soooo enthusiastic and flew up with us from Belem in the Tiger, again with the cabin doors open (I think Kev got claustrophobia if we closed them) and consequently made use of the sick bags most of the way.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Lastnightengineer.jpg

Unfortunately, we had an early start the next day so we couldn't stay up all night, so before we all got "falling down drunk" we said a lot of goodbyes, shook lots of hands, lots of kisses and hugs (Brazilians do this a lot). and staggered back to the hotel with mixed emotions.
The next day, I went in early to prepare the helicopter for departure.

Again, lots of final hugs and kisses. Their crewing handovers were unbelievable …. All very touchy feely – not like us Brits, just a stern handshake will do J
We boarded TIGO for the last time and taxied out for take-off - lots of final waves - and personal feelings about a place and people I was leaving and that I would never see again.


We flew down to Belem which is where I saw the last of her - my dear friend G-TIGO – the only time I have ever worked on a Super Puma on the line!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Amaparainbow.jpg

Maintaining her in that environment was pretty difficult in the early months and by the time the six months were up she was definitely in need of a bit of TLC from Aberdeen Engineering.

Wonder were she is now?

Edmilson’s bar was the closest bar to work being only a short walk from the line office and many days we would wind down and have a couple of chilled beers before heading back to town.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Edmilsons.jpg

It was a place where you could contemplate whether it would be possible to sell up everything in UK, take a roundabout journey up to northern Brazil and go missing in Amapa for the rest of your life. Slower, less complicated! Some days I still consider it now!!

When the first strip of concrete was laid in the “hangar” we made our mark! Hopefully it will be there for many years, just like the relics leftover from 1945 when those US navy guys were looking after those blimps. I am trying to get in touch with the guy who took the pics 56 years before I did.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Amapa/Concretememory.jpg

I’ve also suggested that my son (18) one day plans a trip to find the imprint…….it would be a challenging trip to back-pack up to Amapa. At least I can recommend a good hotel to stay in….NOT!


So, finally I would like to thank all the people we worked and socialised with at Amapa - "Foi bom trabalhar com voce"

The End

[Dave Ed]

TIGO in Brasil post script.

"As the time progressed, those facilities although completely isolated from any human contingent beyond the outskirts of that tiny military outpost, gradually became comfortable despite shortcomings such as the lack of any recreation facilities so necessary for those isolated men."

http://sixtant.net/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=2 (http://sixtant.net/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=2)

Puts our discomforts at Amapa into perspective really.

I guess the mooring mast shown on that site is the one we considered using!

de

[Upland Goose]

Current Bristow presence in Brazil - 42% share JV with Lider
http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff368/uplandgoose1/Lider6-1.jpg

S92's and S76C++'s and growing fast. Rock on IBU!

[Rosh]

Upland Goose - It looks to be a 'greener' version of Bristow. Great news on the expansion.

It sounds slightly larger than the contract that involved the Bell 47 that you posted earlier.... but this one might not be quite as much fun.

[Rosh]

Es Sider, Libya 2009

Es Sider Camp. Not a great deal around.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya20.jpg




The Songa Saturn.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya7.jpg




Fire cover on the Songa Saturn

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya8.jpg





Sunset in Es Sider

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya9.jpg





John Spencer looks over G-TIGB prior to some Night Deck Landing Practice.
Aaron Rainbow watching on.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya10.jpg





Night Departure Es Sider

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Essider1.jpg





Night Decks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/17364_402417755283_538235283_10325120_58441_n.jpg





LIMSAR. Winching in Es Sider Harbour. Winch Op - Smiler Grinney

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/17364_402417260283_538235283_10325055_7373903_n.jpg





Chief Engineer Mike Stearn on the line.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya23.jpg






Trying to keep up with Thomas Kleijs (Den Helder Winch Op) on Es Sider beach.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya21.jpg

[Rosh]

Operating from the military base in Tripoli, we were under strict orders to keep cameras away, and not to openly snap Military aircraft.

However, when an airshow and static display were put on, the Libyans were more than happy to show us around their kit.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Tripoliairshow.jpg


This Libyan Air Force Pilot showed me around his Mig. I recall having a long chat with him, and him being a good guy. He shared the same interests as most of us in this industry.... fast planes, cars, bikes, and...... I think he had more than one wife.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/Libya17.jpg

I can't help wonder what he is up to now. A normal guy (apart from the wives) caught up working for the wrong person, in the wrong place at the wrong time.




A rare sight in Libya!!!......

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/17364_402417830283_538235283_10325128_8364006_n.jpg

..... I believe it's a Piaggio Avanti. Great undercarriage on those things! :)

[Tail-take-off]

A normal guy (apart from the wives)

May be a little unusual to have more than 1 at a time but It's SOP in the aviation industry to collect ex-wives:\

[Rosh]

TTO,

Too true! I'm sure most of us in the industry have heard, and been warned of AIDS.

Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome.

I've managed to avoid the 'marriage' part so far. Not sure how long I can hold out.... I will grow up one day!

[Upland Goose]

Early 1980's MSV Tharos - bolted alongside the original Piper Alpha.

SP-IFR with SFENA Ministab and Dixie Newton as Engineer. Graeme Moir took the picture - both of them excellent engineers.

Pilots - Graham Morley (AKA Banana Boots), Mike Trotter and Upland Goose

http://i1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff368/uplandgoose1/DesertFox001.jpg
"Desert Fox" was a sound machine.
After a casevac one night, I was returning to Tharos on my own and was told by Scottish Info. that, for brief period, I was the only aircraft movement in UK airspace.

For once, with my family tucked up in bed in Aboyne, I thought "what the hell am I doing here". SP-IFR flying can be lonely at 3am. A few years later the skies would be swarming with postal flights in the middle of the night.UG:ok:

[Upland Goose]

Hey Rosh

I notice on the night take-off that the co-pilot's ASI was unlit - was that in the ADD's list?

Nice pictures, especially the Avanti undercarriage legs - and you guys said it was a hardship posting in Libya!

Keep smiling - Bangladesh next.:hmm:UG

[Fareastdriver]

I would suggest it is the same reason as the captain's altimeter seems to be unlit. They are masked by the radalt warning light.

Of course any other helicopter operator would wonder what we are talking about, not knowing Bristow's unique instrument layout; though it would appear completely sensible to a 'captain in the LHS' fixed wing driver.

[Rosh]

UG,

They must have been practicing some 'Partial-Panel' IF!!

..... or as Fareastdriver says, the unlit instruments may be being masked by the Radalt Warning Light.

As for the Avanti undercarriage, and Libya being a hardship posting ..... that was the only time we caught glimpse of a landing gear quite like that during a fairly long stay there. As quickly as they arrived, they retracted and departed to somewhere a little more hospitable, leaving us sipping on Libyan coffee.

Bangladesh next!?? Are you sure you don't mean the Bahamas?

Still smiling.

[Phil Kemp]

Ah, the fun days on the Tharos! All those names bring back fond memories of the good old days on the North Sea (and the Ivy House)! I saw Graeme Moir in Jakarta just last year, after I hadn't seen him since 1986; when he headed South and I went to the States.

[SASless]

The Ivy House with the down stairs bar with exactly one Abba Cassette....and the best cooking in the County....staggering distance from the Pub at the bottom of the hill.

[Troglodita]

And Dixie Newton can still be found sunbathing between jobs in his budgie Smugglers on the ramp at Port Harcourt NAF Base!

[unstable load]

and what of the Dixie Chicks????

[Zishelix]

Excuse my ignorance, is this an official Bristow badge? BRISTOW HELICOPTERS.WIRE EMBROIDERED PILOTS CAP BADGE. | eBay (http://tinyurl.com/3hoav59)

[Thridle Op Des]

When I joined in 1980, I seem to recollect that the centre disc on the cap badge was embroidered with the "Jet Ranger" silhouette (not sure if it had an original name) when we drew our uniform from the BCal stores in Gatwick. Later the disc was an enamel version of the same and sometime at the end of the last century the "Bob the Builder" logo appeared. So in short - yes it could be.

[industry insider]

My "formal cap" badge was enamel TOD and I got my cap at the same time as you. Not sure when the embroidered ones came into being.

[212man]

Looks decidely dodgy to me! Mine had the enamel centre too...

[HOGE]

I wore my enamel badged cap, once, for the graduation photographs.

[Fareastdriver]

Once upon a time Alan Bristow bollocked one of his pilots in the Middle East for flying in shorts and trainers.

"Why aren't you rearing the uniform you were issued with?"

To be safe when I flew him around in the Redhill S76 I used to wear my headphones clamped over the top of my uniform peaked cap.

Just been up a ladder. August 1978; enamel badge.

[SASless]

TOD.....you joined a lot sooner than the 80's young lad!

You might as well have been company issue!:E

[mtoroshanga]

That wasn't a Jet Ranger on the old Bristow badge,it was a compilation of the aircraft the company operated designed by one of the boys who also did the Company calenders which were collectors items in their day.His name escapes me but he was ex-Navy and Smudge jumps to mind.

[Droopy]

Wasn't it Tugg?

[Snarlie]

I thought the only person to wear his uniform cap with his headset was the infamous Peter Royston and then only because he had followed a children`s TV hero Gary Halliday and thought it looked cool. The fashion in those distant days, long before immersion suits and even Uvic jackets, was full uniform, jacket et al and black polo necked sweater.

[Geoffersincornwall]

I still have my nice enamel version of the cap badge issued in 1975.

G :)

[industry insider]

Gordon Mitchel (mahatma coat) used to wear his all the time in Sumburgh. I seem to remember old Dave Tink wearing his from time to time.

[Tail-take-off]

Dougal Douglas wore his occasionally too!

[mtoroshanga]

Your right Droopy,Tugg rings a bell!!!

[js0987]

I saved my Bristow wings with the ceramic center from my days in Abu Dhabi. Not much call for the BC uniform in the middle east. A few years ago I sewed the wings on a jacket given by Transocean marking the world record water depth they drilled (10011 ft). We supported the rig with an ST. Makes a good flight jacket.

I am often asked by the young wippersnappers "what kind of wings are those?"

[Fareastdriver]

I had to fly GTIGP from Tanguu to Shenzhen one winter. Believe me, on my travels though various airports in China the Bristow Uniform and company hat could move mountains.

[TipCap]

Funnily enough, I think I still have my BUA badge. (For those who don't remember, Bristows was reputed to be British United Airways (Helicopters) in the early days)

Now that really dates me

John

[js0987]

The Bristow/British Caledonian uniform caused a minor diplomatic incident in Abu Dhabi back in the mid 70's. Seems a new Bristow pilot decided to wear his brand new uniform when he flew to Abu Dhabi from England.

Upon entering the terminal, Customs and Immigration waved him on through believing that he was part of the British Airways crew. When Bristow submitted his passport to obtain a work visa, it was discovered there was no entry stamp - therefore he had entered the country illegally. Well needless to say, there was quite a kerfuffle.

[TipCap]

There is that lovely story (how true it is I don't know) but it would have been maybe late 60's / early70's at North Denes when apparently the Old Man was doing one of his "pep" talks and a certain Archie Yates is reputed to have said during question time whether the BUA bit of the Bristows stood for Bristows Underpaid Aviators. He was fired on the spot but rehired the following days.

Like most of these stories, I can't vouch for it being true as I didn't arrive at North Denes on the Wessex until 1971 but these things sometimes have a ring of truth about them

John

[Nigel Osborn]

If that was the australian Archie Yates, then it's very likely to be true!:ok:

[CharlieOneSix]

If that was ex-RN (820 Whirlwinds) John (Archie) Yates then he is now living in Norfolk. A mutual ex-RN friend said in an email recently:
Archie was one of the great eccentrics and the two items that immediately come to mind are the huge old open top lagonda type car he drove around smoking a pipe as big as the gear lever and the laughable incident when we were both doing a hover check and we backed into the windsock!

[TipCap]

Hi Nigel & C16

I believe it was John Yates, Ex RN but who knows where these stories come from???

John

[mtoroshanga]

When I joined Bristows in October 1969 we were still heavily involved with BUA and the Old Man spent about 4 days a week in their offices.
Uniforms didn't feature much in those days,it was hard enough getting the boys to wear shoes!!

[Tail-take-off]

Wasn't there some guy whose job (or part of it) was too go round re-hiring the people the old man fired the previous day?

[mtoroshanga]

That was Jack Wooley for the engineers,can;t remember who did the pilots. He was Engineering Director and a great bloke.

[parabellum]

I joined Bristow in spring 1968 and AB was the chairman of BUA then, seem to remember he wanted all the BUA pilots on contracts and was offering GBP5000.00 a year!!! Didn't happen.

The 'dress' for overseas postings was khaki shirt, trousers, 'suitable' footware, (pilots), the various interpretations of those dress instructions had to be seen to be believed! I was issued a cap but no other part of a uniform and the cap had the BUA badge on it, the cap was never worn and I think the hangar dog got it in AUH!

[Zishelix]

Glad to see my „btw“ question sparked so many of your valuable recalls re Bristow insignia & outfit. Thanks for shed some light on such details… :ok:

[TipCap]

For the pilots, I think it was Alistair Gordon who was the re-hirer and yes, Parabellum, I will go with you on your obs, it was only the cap (with badge) that we got issued with. My flying gear in Morocco in '68 was t shirt, shorts and flip flops - oh yes and the orange Mae West!!

If my memory serves me well, when I was working in Morocco, on my first posting with BHL, we were working 3 weeks on and one week off (the week off included the travelling time) and were paid the princely sum of £1800 a year. Doesn't sound much but was double what I was earning as a Lt with flying pay in the FAA!!!

John

[Fareastdriver]

Doesn't sound much but was double what I was earning as a Lt with flying pay in the FAA!!!


But a couple of years later marriage allowance was abolished and the singlys got as much as their married brethren.

[Alan Biles]

05 Sep. As I was driving to work this morning it occurred to me that thirty-eight years ago this day, Jack Moss and I jumped into a newly-refurbished, zero-houred Whirlwind, G-BAMH, and flew to Abu Dhabi. The route was Gatwick – Toussus Le Noble – Lyon – Nice (U/S for an oil leak – no, really) – Pisa – Rome – Naples – Brindisi – Corfu – Athens – Rhodes – Cyprus – Beirut – Damascus – Badanah (arrested by the Saudi’s for spying) – Qaisumah – Bahrein (two days to get over the ice in the ‘Miranda’ we had in Badanah) – Abu Dhabi. The trip took 14 days with night stops in Lyon, Nice, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Corfu, Athens, Nicosia, Beirut, Damascus, Badanah and Bahrein. We had some incredibly long over-water sectors wearing only lifejackets with no flotgear on the aircraft and a 10-man raft & survival pack in the passenger cabin. The plan being that I would go into the cabin and chuck out the liferaft while Jack held the aircraft off the water. Yeah, right.
Jack was appalled to discover I couldn’t fly a helicopter and said there was no way he was going to fly it all the way to AUH. He had me following him through on the cyclic before we reached Ashford and on pedals after Toussus. Somewhere between Pisa and Rome I had all three and apart from landing and take-off, we shared the flying from there on in. Great trip; fantastic character; probably moved on by now but, Cheers Jack, wherever you are.
I just wish I’d taken some pictures.

[Tail-take-off]

Must have been a rough trip Alan, nightstopping in all those grim places!:ok:

[Alan Biles]

It was awful! Scarred for life.

The more I think about it, the worse it gets. I have a lasting memory of the Lyon - Nice sector; looking down at the traffic hurtling past two thousand feet below as we flogged down the Rhone valley. The Whirlwind was not the fastest of machines.

[Ainippe]

Badanah is such an inviting place - its a real scream (not) following the pipeline/road down across Saudi - I have done it in a 212 and we both fell asleep to find it was still following the road - clever beasties those Bells.

[monkey_wrench]

Great Post Dave!
Looks like you went on from strength to strength after I left :)

Do you remember working (how many night shifts) modding every Tiger with the Generator wire separation AD? Not quite as glamorous as your stint in the Amazon, though gratefully we did not need mozzie nets at the Skean Dhu!

Cheers,
Steve

[Dave B]

Reminds me of a flight I did from Redhill to Dubai, with Jacques Villeneuve, (apologies for spelling if wrong) also in a Whirlwind, although well used. Jacques was ex. French Air Force, having flown Thunderbolts in Algeria.

He would not let me fly, But made me navigate, of which I had no experience, and when I got lost , he would pretend we were really lost, although he new exactly where we were.
The most frightening time was when we had to fuel up to A.U.W. and then immediately climb out to 9000 ft. to clear a mountain range. The old girl managed 60 Knots, before a banging and clattering heralded the onset of retreating blade stall.

Parked at Ankara, a truck hit one main rotor blade, so having been with the company only a few months, I had to import a MRB to Turkey, and export the old one. I also had to hire a gang of Turkish laborers to help me change it.
I soon learnt that working for Bristow overseas required initiative.

[blongb]

The photo reminds me of an evening at PH when we went out to check tighten the rotor head nut. All went well untill my companion called down to Monday to get the Hydropack Ram from the Workshop. He came back 10 minutes later saying "It is not there sir, it has gone". Not to be daunted I looked down at Monday and said "Monday we fix am diss one, go get am the diss thing for diss one". "Ah ha", he say's and goes into the workshop and comes back with the Hydropack Ram:ugh:

[pants on fire...]

I never realised that Nigerians comprehended Welsh so clearly! :eek:

[industry insider]

Talking of cap wearing earlier here, on the Bristow Sumburgh thread post 141 there is Gordon Mitchell (mahatma coat) in his goon suit resplendent with uniform cap.

[S61-S92]

Just for You ii, :)

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/Mahatmacoat.jpg

[industry insider]

OK you older (like me) Bristow guys. In the 1970s and 1980s, many of the S-61s had the oil company's logo on them. Some aircraft started off with one oil company in one place then moved to Gt Yarmouth or Sumburgh or Unst, some were traded against 332Ls and some ended up in Malaysia with MHS.

I am trying to remember which aircraft displayed or was contracted to which oil company. A trawl through the logbook has thrown up these matches but you maybe able to fill in the gaps and add more information, with a photo if possible!

G-AZNE ?
G-AZDC Mobil
G-AZRF BP
G-BAKA Texaco (Tartan)
G-BAKB Britoil (mainly Beatrice)
G-BAKC Chevron (Unst)
G-BBGS Mobil
G-BBHL BP
G-BBHM BP
G-BBHN ? (Ditched)
G-BBVA Amoco (Montrose)
G-BBVB BP
G-BCLA Amoco
G-BCLC ? Then Shell Southern North Sea 1983 Then SAR?
G-BCLD Hamilton Brothers (TW58)
G-BDII Mobil?
G-BDIJ Phillips
G-BFRI Chevron (Unst)
G-BGWJ Britoil?
G-BGWK ?
G-BHOF BP
G-BHOG ?
G-BHOH BP then Shell Southern North Sea in 1983

[S61-S92]

There are a number of pictures on the http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/389322-bristow-sumburgh-end-era.html thread (which I won't cross post), but I will have a look and see what other base pictures I can find, which illustrate this.

If I get me anorak on :8, I can tell you exactly which oil company each S61 flew for, but its a bit warm at the moment :)


The Tigers also featured an Oil Company Logo in the early years, as they rolled out from the production line (and Redhill).

One day soon, I will get round to posting my pics from this era.

[industry insider]

I put my anorak on and this is what I remembered

G-TIGB Britoil (Thistle)
G-TIGC Amoco (NW Hutton)
G-TIGD Amoco (NW Hutton)
G-TIGE Marathon (Brea)
G-TIGF Britoil (Thistle)
G-TIGG Marathon (Brae)
G-TIGH Amoco (NW Hutton)
G-TIGI Mobil (Beryl)
G-TIGJ Conoco (Murchison)
G-TIGK Conoco (Murchison)
G-TIGL Hamilton Bros (TW58)
G-TIGM Britoil
G-TIGN Phillips (Maureen)
G-TIGO Mobil (Beryl)
G-TIGP BP
G-TIGR Amoco
G-TIGS Mobil
G-TIGT ?
G-TIGU Conoco?
G-TIGV Conoco?

[S61-S92]

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/BAKA-Abdn.jpg
G-BAKA (Texaco)

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/BCLA-Abdn.jpg
G-BCLA (Amoco)

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/BDII-Abdn.jpg
G-BDII (Mobil)

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/S61LineUpAbdn.jpg
G-BHOF (BP)

(G-BPWB in the foreground also had a BP logo IIRC)

Four Pics to be going on with, all taken in Aberdeen in the 80's :ok:

[industry insider]

G-BPWB must have come back from overseas or maybe ex BCAL? It arrived after my time in ABZ.

[S61-S92]

G-BPWB was ex Irish Helicopters (61822)
I seem to recall, we leased it for a while, returned it and then got it back again when it became the Portland SAR machine.
http://www.irishairpics.com/images/iap_fullsize_images/1030002.jpg

[bolkow]

yep, that is the current Portland machine, with 16000 hours plus on the airframe currently.

[S61-S92]

yep, that is the current Portland machine, with 16000 hours plus on the airframe currently.Anorak On
... it WAS the Portland SAR machine, obviously CHC now run Portland with the AW139 G-CGWB.

The S61 G-BPWB is still flying for Bristow in Den Helder along with G-BIMU (the former Stornoway SAR machine).;)

[Eket]

Yeah , when she returned to Cork Apt where she was based ..... we got her back with the wheels timexed and the airstair door wouldnt fit cuz of a drill bit being dropped on it :=

Took us weeks to get that door right ..... almost needed a check 10 after ye lot getting yer mits on her !!! Still , kept us in work I suppose .

I reckon ye raided the Bristow stores and bolted on all the old knackered stuff before returning her to us . Well done !!! :ok:

We got her from Okanagan Australia ..... arrived with a nice little arangement of fuel drums and hand pumps in the cabin . Flew the whole way from OZ , with some remarkable engineers , who had many a run in with the local cops . She was based up in Shannon and later was based out of Cork Apt . Then she went for the SAR mods to Redhill . Where nothing worked .

Mick Whelan (Avionic chief) and the eng manager Mick Fitzgerald went to pick her up , as I said nothing worked , so right in front of the Bristow managment , at some hotel a check for one point something million was ripped up and binned ..... there was frantic movement in Redhill , EI-BHO worked fine after that and a new check was written .

Very sad that IHL (Irish Helicopters) closed as there was some brilliant people who worked there .

IHL leased a Bell 212 from ye , sometime in the mid 80's ..... it was overall white with a big vertical fin above the cockpit ..... we called her Jaws .

[AS332L1]

Think that b212 was G-BIGB from my north sea offshore days and remember the sharks fin it used to get in the way when climbing onto the roof;)

[Eket]

Somethings tellin me that she was a Bristow machine , but on a South African reg ..... could this be ?

[S61-S92]

N16831, ZS-HHU, A2-ACJ, ZS-HHU, G-BIGB, EI-BRE
was this the culprit Eket ???

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/G-BIGB.jpg

[Eket]

Oh yes ..... that was the beast in question !!!

Cheers for that . The old mind was a bit cloudy , years I guess . Thank you :ok:

[mtoroshanga]

The fins were on the old 212s because of doubts about yaw SAS stability when they first came out but were removed after a couple of years and mods.

[stacey_s]

SI 212-47 de-moded to SI 211-48 or 57 if I remember right, I did (with help! I supervised) one in EKET 5N-AYX, cant remember serial number, but did the ferry flight from UK to Nigeria with Bob Roffe 1990 ish.
They had more than the fin on top, Cyclic, anti-torque & collective were all coupled with an extra jack-shaft under the floor, flew like it was on rails.
S

5N-AYX Bell 212 30599 N12MT,N12MY,N12MT,N12MY,VH-NSJ[2],N212NK,5N-AYX,C-FNPG

Now I remember!

[Tail-take-off]

From ROTORSPOT - Complete Civil Rotorcraft Register of Nigeria (http://www.rotorspot.nl/5n.htm)

5N-AYX Bell 212 s/n 30599
N12MT, N12MY, N12MT, N12MY, VH-NSJ, N212NK, 5N-AYX, C-FNPG

[Dave B]

If I remember correctly from my time at Redhill, doing" C of A s", the FAA said the fin must be fitted, the CAA said it must not be fitted. How Two authorities can come to totally different conclusions has always been beyond me.

Dave

[GCMOIR]

A few posts back there was a picture of G-BIGB. Here is a picture of her when we operated in Cape Town. This would have been 80 or 81. The S58ET was a previous Bristow ship and one of the three sold to Republic. If I remember correctly this was G-BCRW. Yours truly is sitting in the cabin door taking the picture of HHU.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp98/gcmoir/ZS-HHU.jpg

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp98/gcmoir/ZS-HHY.jpg

[biscuit74]

Industry Insider -

I think G-BBHM was originally contracted by/for Arco, not sure if she had a logo. Later possibly BNOC (later Britoil) with a logo as I recall.

She did a spell working for the UN - there are pictures of her doing that her a few pages back.
I think she eventually burnt out near Poole a few years ago following an emergency landing due to ? gearbox ? fire while on Coastguard contract. Crew got out OK.

This is a terrific thread - real nostalgia for some of us, even though we were just SLF.

Regards,
biscuit

[Savoia]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FUbdvoP1WZ8/Tp61B-bON-I/AAAAAAAAFVI/HZ4QplXo85o/s700/BEWY%252520Bat%25252082.jpg
Bristow Bell 206B G-BEWY at Battersea Heliport in 1982 (Photo: Anton Heumann)

Ah .. nothing like a nice little public transport flight to the City in a 206 fitted with shorts! :E Am kidding of course. 'Twas doubtless a BHL crew stopping by for a cuppa.

[Brilliant Stuff]

G-BEWY is now owned by Polo Aviation and based at Bristol plodding on nicely.

[MichelleWernerWilson]

Hello everyone,

first of all I wish to thank AJ for directing me to this wonderful forum. My name is Michelle Wilson (Werner). Some of you may remember me, or my parents, Helmuth and Jennifer Werner. My Dad was with Bristow for some 20 years. I think we were in PH from 1980-1986 or so; I can't remember exactly when. I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of amazing people, mostly at 17 Afam or during dinner get-togethers my parents had. If any of you are on here, we'd like you to know you've never been forgotten.

I'm sad to say that my father passed away on September 25th of this year. I came across one of AJ's YouTube videos on the day of dad's funeral, and I was surprised to see a photo with my dad in it from the time after my Mom and I had returned to Austria so I continue with school. I emailed AJ and he was kind enough to dig up that photo and send it to me. If it's not too much of a bother, I'd be most grateful if anyone else happens to come across any photographs with my father/parents, could I please request a copy? I'm feeling more than nostalgic these days, and it's no lie when I say that our time in PH and being a part of the Bristow family was the best time of our lives :)

My Dad (probably in Duri in the early 70s)
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k551/mwilsonart/PH-Bristow/Dad_Duri_01.jpg

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k551/mwilsonart/PH-Bristow/Dad_Duri_02.jpg


http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k551/mwilsonart/PH-Bristow/Dad_PH.jpg

My favorite family portrait :)

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k551/mwilsonart/PH-Bristow/Dad_Me_Mom.jpg

[Alan Biles]

Hello Michelle,

So sorry to hear of Helmuth's passing; I knew him well during my time in PH (1986 - 92) and although I rarely flew with him I played an awful lot of golf with him. He was known as 'Tin Hat' (Helmut - Helmet - Tin Hat) and had a lightning quick and dry sense of humour.

I was playing golf at the downtown PH golf club with him and another chap who'd had his name embossed onto his golf balls. We were playing a fairly straight hole with a wall on the left of the fairway, the other side of which was very thick bush. Your father and I had tee'd off and 'embossed balls' was up next. He hooked his tee shot something awful and it disappeared at great rate of knots over the wall and into the bushes. He turned to us and said, "I had my name on that ball" and quick as a flash, Helmut said, "You should have put your f**ing address on it too!"

I suppose you had to be there but I still laugh about it when it comes to mind.

He was a good man and I shall have a drink for him tonight.

[SASless]

The response from your Dad when I suggested the Austrian's spoke German but only one Octave Higher is a good memory as well! In a high squeaky voice (due to his blood pressure getting elevated over my comment) he explained in great detail why I was wrong....but all the time proving my point!

Your Dad was good fun....and always gave as good as he got in the banter!

[Bristowops]

What a great thread- the pictures bring back great memories of ABZ/ LSI /Scatsta/Unst and Galeota from 74 to 99- now retired after being chopped by BHL in 1999 and unable to post any pictures as I loaned my photos to John Odlin in the mid 80s for the then forthcoming BHL book and never ever got them back!- would be great to hear from any old mates- you know who I am....

[Rescue1]

I do if you have your back to a big hill:)

[bellboy]

I do too if you are related to the massed pipes and drums. I you are please PM me.

[TipCap]

Hi Michelle

Sorry to hear about your dad passing away. I met him on my occasional visits to Nigeria when I was involved in Nav trials on the B212's.

From my log book I flew with him in JH on 5th May 81 and JV on 10th June 81.

I remember his filing system. "Dis am IN", "Dis am OUT" and "Dis am SLEEPING". Tickled me pink at the time

RIP Helmuth

John Whale

[XONBOY]

Liked your conversation about the badges. Around the page 79 page mark I put some photos up of some of my dads( Chief engineer -Africa-Middle East etc-70's-early 80's) stuff and bits I collected as a Bristows / Gulf helicopters / Dubai Airwing brat. Might bring back some memories for ya. Real treasures to me.

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/287207-bristow-photos-79.html#post6163321

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/287207-bristow-photos-79.html#post6163282

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/287207-bristow-photos-79.html#post6163315

[Savoia]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-APBvv6Tw9zE/Tr4Gbyb6pNI/AAAAAAAAGQY/5GBfw93yWfo/s720/G-AZDC%252520lands%252520at%252520Mobils%252520Block%2525209-13%252520Beryl%252520A%252520platform%25252019th%252520April %2525201977%252520This%252520was%252520crew%252520change%252 520day%252520%252526%252520the%252520helicopter%252520would% 252520return%252520to%252520Aberdeen%252520heliport.jpg
Bristow S61N G-AZDC wearing Mobil titles lands aboard Mobil's Block 9-13 Beryl platform on 19th April 1977 during the performance of a crew change from ABZ

[Rosh]

A little background before posting some pictures taken while working on the Baltic Sea contract over the past 18 months.

Bristow (IBU) have been supplying one AS332L to provide Crew change support and Medevac cover for the Castoro Sei pipelaying Barge operated by Saipem.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40312_10150223716345284_538235283_13670768_7645735_n.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40372_10150223715800284_538235283_13670752_7743370_n.jpg


The overall project being run by Nordstream.

Nord Stream AG (http://www.nord-stream.com/)

The two pipelines running from Vyborg in Russia to Greifswald in germany, when finished, will be the longest sub-sea pipelines in the world.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/nord-stream-operation-facilities_3244_20111025.jpg

In order to follow the Castoro Sei around, we've been dotting around in between temporary bases set up in:

Visby,Sweden
Turku, Finland
Ronne, Denmark

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/ScreenShot2011-11-13at203717.png

[Rosh]

Operating from Visby Airport on the Swedish Island of Gotland.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/39806_10150223712290284_538235283_13670578_7324727_n.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/37984_10150223711695284_538235283_13670567_1365031_n.jpg



Visby, a picturesque town.....


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40462_10150223711670284_538235283_13670566_4213273_n.jpg



surrounded by Medieval walls.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40264_10150223714890284_538235283_13670692_551660_n.jpg



Some beautiful coastline.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/39194_10150223711605284_538235283_13670564_7346192_n.jpg



Our passengers would arrive via 737 or Dash-8 from Stockholm.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40919_10150223711090284_538235283_13670550_3097637_n.jpg



Rotor's running on the Castoro Sei


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40907_10150223709270284_538235283_13670483_1840753_n.jpg



Pete Collins inspecting the interior roof during an offshore shutdown. All was well....nothing unusual was spotted.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/35984_10150223715865284_538235283_13670754_5176670_n.jpg



Providing Medevac cover.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40371_10150223710715284_538235283_13670537_2578831_n.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40690_10150223710685284_538235283_13670536_4673414_n.jpg



The Castoro Sei lit up.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/52284_10150268507565284_538235283_14721083_4756942_o.jpg



I didn't expect Sweden to be so warm in the summer. Visby being a great place to be, a holiday destination for the mainlanders.

Kalis Beach Club


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/39634_10150223712580284_538235283_13670584_6092689_n.jpg


and from a different angle.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/39912_10150223714790284_538235283_13670676_2709411_n.jpg



With the heat.... came flies..... even at 3000ft and offshore??!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40873_10150223712110284_538235283_13670575_2909863_n.jpg



The flies were blamed on Ivor Griffith!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/36831_10150223712260284_538235283_13670577_3270262_n.jpg

[Savoia]

Wonderful shots Rosh, bravo! :D

[Fareastdriver]

Nice to see Ivor the Diver still going.

[TipCap]

Nice to hear from you again Rosh.

I guess the As332's are now a diminishing type within Bristow's. Got many hours on WI.

Sounds like the new AW189's are going to replace them.

Keep the photo's coming

John

[Rosh]

Thanks Savoia.

Fareast Driver - Ivor the Diver is still going well. Him and June spent some good times over the Summer 2010 with us in the Baltic. Ivor was with us as a contractor, I'm not sure where he is just now, he may be contracting in Aberdeen.
The last email I received from Ivor said that he had just learned to 'fly' a hovercraft and he'd just bought an old Moto Guzzi to do up, for an Italian Rally... all this in between following his son around the Moto Gp calendar. His son being Colin Edwards' race engineer. So, as you say, Ivor is still going well.

Tip Cap / John - You're right, WI in the Baltic is the only 332L that IBU have operational at the moment. I'm not sure how many Aberdeen are operating. I'm hoping that I get to have another go with the 332 Classic somewhere along the line.
At present, I'm in Bangladesh, trying to find my way around the cockpit of a S76C++.

More photos of the Baltic to come as I manage to sort them.

[Thone1]

Can anyone jump to page 64? I´m constantly redirected to #63... :ugh:

[Tail-take-off]

try clicking this http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/287207-bristow-photos-64.html

[Rosh]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/41290_10150223709360284_538235283_13670485_5486097_n.jpg



Returning to Visby.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/37980_10150223714570284_538235283_13670635_7419764_n.jpg



Sharing the airfield with some Saabs....


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/38577_10150223716425284_538235283_13670771_4735898_n.jpg



and the occasional Floatplane.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40935_10150223715100284_538235283_13670706_3427574_n.jpg



Training with the Visby SAR Unit.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/34015_10150197967425284_538235283_12925372_619000_n.jpg



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/41302_10150223717075284_538235283_13670806_1681556_n.jpg



Tom Barker, Daryl kelly, and Ivor Griffith studying the Kart track looking for the best line.....


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/37966_10150223710360284_538235283_13670520_849123_n-1.jpg



..... it didn't help them.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/40283_10150223717040284_538235283_13670804_6887375_n.jpg



An English pub which became the 'local'. Unfortunately the prices were not so 'English' and were positively 'Swedish'!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/rjaypalan/41020_10150223715450284_538235283_13670730_3726547_n.jpg

[soggyboxers]

Some of the Wessex 60 in civil ops

Shell Warri, Nigeria, 1978

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/evansniger/5N-ALFShellWarri1978-2.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/evansniger/5NAJOonDeckBKShellWarri1978.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/evansniger/BristowShellWarri1978-1.jpg

One for the Whirlwind lovers (also Shell Warri 1978

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/evansniger/BristowS55ShellWarri1978-1.jpg

The S58T was similar (Figuera da Foz, Portugal 1977)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/evansniger/GBCTXPortugal1977-1.jpg

[Topper49]

This is just great. I am having my big brother Bill write a short story of this helicopters ferry flight from Redhill to Iran for my next series of Newsletters. He was the engineer who went with the bird. First chapter is in next months (April 2012) edition. He wasn't even aware that it was made up from two birds. If you would like to follow his story please go to PlaneTorque Australia Pty Ltd (http://www.ptaaus.com.au) and then the menu to Newsletters. We both would welcome feedback on the story. Bill is already unsure of some of the details and is keen hear from anyone. He says I must not forget the event occurred some 42 years ago and he has lived in USA for quite some time and these two things in combination can make the brain loose focus. :=

[hoveratsix]

I first flew DC on 14 Feb 1972 in Aberdeen. She was not long out of rebuild in Redhill. My own personal registration on Valentines Day!!

DC

[Tail-take-off]

Thanks to Sara Jones (formerly Sara Tonks) for this one:

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/527479_387474684617753_100000656730776_1249989_1014912231_n. jpg

[Sue ne Boardley]

I have been trying to find my brother, Martin Boardley for the last nine years. I've tried the Nigerian Embassy, Bristow Helicopters and the Salvation Army all to no avail. I last saw him in Oct 89 when our father died. He was as I heard later dissappointed in my choice of marriadges and thought I could have done a lot better. For the past nine years my life has been a lot happier and was lucky enough to have owned two properties and a boat in Cyprus with my partner living there most of the time. Back in Hampshire now and desperately want to try again to find Martin. He'll be 65 in November and I'm 60 so time may be running out.
Please help.
Sue Schisan ne Boardley

[Oldlae]

Martin has posted on PPRune, I PM'd him at the time April 2009. I hesitate to disclose his ID without his permission but with any luck he might read this.

[stacey_s]

Hi Sue

PM me please

[dedhead]

Hi Sue,
My memory may be imperfect due to advancing body failure!
I worked with Martin in Nigeria in the mid eighties,and I have
a vague memory that he left BHL to go to Abu Dhabi Aviation.
As I say,many years back,and I could be wrong.I do,however,
hope that you find him,as he was both a good guy and a very
good Chief Eng.
DH

[Rokan1]

Hi Sue,

I've sent you a PM.

Martin.

[XONBOY]

Well good question. I saw that one myself...some where back in this thread you will find Bristow badges from the 70's that are real which are mine. The center should be enamel. This particular badge construction is 70's early 80's I think. Not sure when that logo was dropped. But to answer you question - no its not authentic..a copy me thinks :)

[oguh]

Newly registered to this,just wanted to say hello to Martin.I worked with you in EKET 1990 to 92 and liked and got on very well with him.Hope you are well and doing ok .HUGO

[Rokan1]

I'm sure most people here know, or at least know of Pete Harris... Well here he is back on the street again :). He appears at 03:00, wearing a black wastecoat and playing saxophone :rolleyes:... Once the entire menagerie has assembled, he is 1st in from the left as viewed, next to the big fella on trumpet...

h6FTxkVnIaM

[Tacho Genny]

Brilliant....I wouldn't have recognised him now he's had his hair cut :) :D

[BOMB-DOCTOR]

`retired from Irish, lives near Exeter, owns a supermarket to keep him busy in retirement.

[Rokan1]

Here's an interesting article published in June 2007 featuring Ernie...

40 years on, captain recalls flight which began oil revolution (http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/40-years-on-captain-recalls-flight-which-began-oil-revolution-1-910862)



40 years on, captain recalls flight which began oil revolution


Published on Friday 27 July 2007 00:05

THERE was no fanfare, no speeches and no cheering crowd. But a Westland Whirlwind helicopter flight carrying seven Texan oilmen which left Scotland 40 years ago yesterday was to completely transform Britain's economy and herald a new dawn of prosperity fuelled by "black gold".

The Bristow's aircraft, which was based at the Dyce airfield, then a quiet aerodrome on the outskirts of Aberdeen, picked up the men at RAF Kinloss in Moray before flying out to a drilling rig in the Moray Firth.

The short flight marked the beginning of the search for oil in the northern North Sea and the eventual discovery, two years later, of the first oil field in British waters. That oil strike paved for the way for the dramatic growth of an industry which has ploughed 232 billion in tax revenues into the Treasury over the last four decades and now employs 480,000 people across the UK.

But Captain Ernie Perrin, the pilot of the historic flight, yesterday admitted he hadn't realised the moment's significance.

"I had no idea at all of the history in the making," he said. "The general view at the time was that the whole idea that they could prospect for oil off Scotland was faintly ridiculous."

Capt Perrin, 66, who is now retired from the aviation industry and runs two convenience stores in Exeter, had worked in the offshore industry in Egypt and Nigeria before arriving in Scotland in 1967.

The former Army Air Corps helicopter pilot was sent by his employers, Bristow Helicopters, to work for the oil company Hamilton Brothers which had sent the drilling vessel, Glomar IV, to the Moray Firth to begin the search for oil and gas in Scottish waters.

Capt Perrin said: "I don't think people really expected to find anything - certainly not the vast reserves that we now know were out there. I think that all that the oil companies were just hoping to find a bit more of something somewhere."

The Labour government of the time, he explained, had intervened to force the RAF to allow the Moray air base to be used for the flights. They were hardly welcome guests with no facilities for the oilmen as they waited for their flight, and the helicopter banished to the remotest part of the airfield as it prepared for take off.

He recalled that there was a similar icy welcome at Dyce airfield, then a quiet backwater of Britain's airline industry, made up of a few wooden shacks.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the historic flight, two of Bristow's latest hi-tech helicopters staged a fly-past of Aberdeen Airport yesterday, "bowing" to the control tower at Dyce and the firm's Aberdeen headquarters.

[scarecrow18]

Just found this post - that was my dad!! I remember the tweed jacket and the polos!

[TipCap]

Scarecrow18. Is your Dad EP?

TC

[Tail-take-off]

I must have had this about 25 years. There were so many made, who else still has one?

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z74/Tail-take-off/IMG_20121106_103047.jpg

[Alan Biles]

Yep! Still got mine.

It has a 125 on the other side.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/AlanBiles_51/SAM_1445.jpg

[Ainippe]

Alan - you still have Moses Staff!!!!! :ok:

[whirlwind]

Ah... that'll be from the days when Bristow was a proper company, run by non-corporate heads...

[Alan Biles]

I'll grant you that some of them are getting on a bit but they're not that old. :E

Didn't realise Moses had staff; what did they do? Hold his tablets?

(Yes I know, Moses staff, turned into a snake and all that).

[Hueymeister]

Anyone know where I can get hold of Simon Cotterell? We were in contact while he was at CHC Aberdeen. Known him for yonks, both did OASC at Biggin Hill together....in 1986!!

[righopper]

Huey check your pms

[meanttobe]

Simon might be the ops manager in waiting for Bristow Northern SAR bases.Contract starting July 13:D

[Alan Biles]

Not strictly Bristow but 4 out of five are ex-BHL machines - G-BFER, 5N-ALS, 5N-ALU and VR-BEJ. The fifth cab is ex-Gulf Helis and barely run-in at 19,995hrs.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/AlanBiles_51/P1000232_zps57899142.jpg

[whirlwind]

Alan,
Do the 5Ns still smell of fish in the boot?
;)

WW

[SASless]

LS was always a good bird.....as was LU.....where they at now Alan?

[Alan Biles]

They're in the Army now, with the Army Air Corps at Middle Wallop. Between them they have clocked up slightly over 140,000hrs.

[SASless]

Just getting broken in then.....

[Alan Biles]

...this afternoon and found these.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/AlanBiles_51/DSCF5016_zps09a52d54.jpg

They're mine from May 1977! As I haven't worked 205's since about 1984, I shall consign them to the recycling bin. Also found T53-13B notes, C20, Arriel, PT6, Bell 206 and 212. Got so much more room up there now.

[Oldlae]

Alan,

Give your notes to the Helicopter Museum.

HNY.

[blongb]

I loved the B205 it was such a joy to work on after theWessex 60. Best of all was being sent over to Stratford Connecticut for the T53course with Ray Farnes and Brian Luthwaite in 1982.

[Schinthe]

It wasn't one of,if not the, most successful helicopters ever for nothing. In 1973 Bristow sent me to Frosinone for the 205 course, and Sydney Australia for the T53 course (One of the best courses I ever attended), and I spent many years afterwards as a confirmed Bell man.

[SASless]

Sluicegate.....bet your Liver looked like a Rugby Football upon return!:oh:

[Oldlae]

Big Al. Mr Biles on sick 212 in Nigeria (Eket?)

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag67/fchammings2/abiles_0001_zpsd133cfc3.jpg

[Thridle Op Des]

I think the Shell logo and the overhead (but intact) wires overhead give a clue to this event. Suspect PH early 90s - how not to do an air test.

Missing overhead green transparency, evidence of high RoD on impact, tailboom top mounts weren't 'big enough', Seat pins sheared (18g AFAIR) I think AB can tell us how far down the 'Hell Hole' the Main TXMN was.

[Savoia]

C'mon Oldlae, I know its Sunday morning but .. you could at least have cropped the photo square! ;)

Would be interested to know a little more about what happened. A Bristow fishing trip gone wrong perhaps!

[industry insider]

TOD

Wasn't that SJ's famous air test? The Doc and 212 Man would know I am sure.

[Thridle Op Des]

I think Doc was still scrabbling around the rivers in a well used Jet Ranger and (young) 212 Man was still hiding in ABZ before being dragged out to Eket a year or so later. I was up in Warri at the time; yes the SJ event.

It's just as well that OLAE cropped the TR off, there wasn't much left anyway

TOD

[SASless]

And the punishment was a transfer to Trinidad....as the culprit was a Bristow Trained British Cadet.

Getting out of PHC to Trinidad was something a lot of folks had been begging for but it took a Hijacking and being held Hostage for some to make the escape. (With a resulting cut in pay).

[Thridle Op Des]

Umm SAS, I normally agree with you on 90% of things but I'm afraid this is in the 10%. I am a little bemused by your contradictory statement that Trini was desired by thousands - but you got less pay so the thousands didn't want to go?! As you know, I am one of those BTBCs. I don't recollect SJ having a long career in BHL after the event, but then my memory is probably not as good as yours :p

[SASless]

It was off to Trinidad with him.....which somehow seemed a bit short of an adverse entry into his personnel file for writing off an aircraft due to sheer stupidity....not to mention nearly killing the Engineer that was along for the Air Test.

if you recall, another Pilot at the same base was sacked over a "Low Flying Complaint" that did not result in damage to the aircraft.

You failed to tweak to what I said.....After being Hijacked, held hostage, and asking to be posted, the fellow took a huge pay cut upon being sent to Trinidad. Sounds like a strong sense of loyalty to the folks who had been with the company for 20 years or more.

[bellboy]

SAS you are off the mark. SJ Spent quite a time in a spine cast having had his licence and logbook confiscated by the NCAA staying was not an option.

[SASless]

Bellboy.....I firmly agree.....staying was not an option....I would have tied a Can to his Tail and sent him down the road. People got the Sack for much lesser Sin's than writing off an aircraft through stupidity.

[industry insider]

It caused the company a lot of bother with Shell when added to some others. I think that was when they got the "if another accident happens, Bristow will lose all the Shell contracts" speech.

[stacey_s]

Port Harcourt, after flying through wires on an air test

[parabellum]

Way, way back in about 1968/9 a WS55III out of PH for, I think, Warri went into the bush, I believe the pilot, (nickname 'Bentnose'), said he got a mis-match when changing from auto to manual throttle control. Shell threatened to take away the Nigerian contract then and give it to Aero Contractors! Threatening to change suppliers is, I am told, a standard Shell practice.

[C.C.C.]

At Eket we used to fly a regular 'bus' run to the Shell IA in PH. I recall seeing the sad outcome of that accident parked in the hangar with a tape 'fence' around it - scary to see a cracked 'I' beam pushed up through the cabin floor!

SASless - As another product of the Redhill FTS I recall that we were all being painted with the same 'tar brush' as S.J. by the other pilots following that accident. This accident lead to the Company Policy on 'Indisciplined Flying'. The pilot, a very senior company pilot and not trained by the FTS, who was sacked over the famous PH 'Santa Claus' event had previously had a warning for a similar event. I was based in Redhill at the time when he was invited in for an interview without tea & biscuits, and he asked for a fellow colleague to sit in on that interview.

The 'Indisciplined Flying' policy also led to the sacking of one of your fellow countrymen when he beat up the Mobil beach compound at Eket. If you recall the previous Mobil manager used to request a helicopter to fly-by on a Sunday afternoon to entertain his guests, but that Manager had been replaced before the above event. I readily admit doing at least one wing-over (not a torque turn and without passengers on-board) at that beach compound before the 'Indisciplined Flying' policy, and other pilots including non-FTS products did something similar. Brightened up life in Eket at the time.

With regard to the Warri hijacking and subsequent stay 'up country' I recall a slight variation to your version. I was in Warri doing a standards visit at the time of the hostage negotiations, and was back in Redhill when the 2 pilots had been released and flown out of country. After company medical checks the Company Doctor advised that they did not return to work in Nigeria, so the company looked at relocating them. The British pilot having a CAA licence could easily be relocated to another 212 operation worldwide (cannot remember where), however the American pilot did not have a CAA licence so his only option was Trinidad, thus it was a drop in pay or no job.

[stacey_s]

I remember you dropping me off at the beach after a couple of wing overs, as I exited the aircraft with towel under my arm the germans trying to chat up the latest girlfriend (Patti, now wife for 14 years and mother of two sons) decided if I can arrange that type of entrance I wasn't to be taken likely!!!!

S

[Savoia]

.. or even lightly!

[C.C.C.]

Happy days Stacey!

Were you not also driving the Israeli road grader with Barry on the beach which meant I had to climb up a bit before a wing-over! Fortunately no photos exist (that I'm aware of) although it was the end of my 'Indisciplined Flying' displays!!

[Adroight]

Wing-overs and low-level beat-ups are things of the past sadly. I am glad that I experienced fun flying before the days of trial by mobile phone and youtube.

[Fareastdriver]

Adroight

How true. I was lucky. In China eveybody thinks a helicopter belongs to the PLA so they're not going to complain.

[Alan Biles]

I was actually meant to go on that airtest; it was a quick whiz around the block after a swashplate & scissors change (when engineers were allowed to do such things), but there was delay for some reason so I made a cup of tea and ARK went instead. The take off was normal but the circuit was low and fast, disappearing behind the Grand brewery on the downwind leg. They were wazzing down the river to the east of the IA and hit the static line of the power lines running along side the railway bridge. I watched (fascinated) from the engineering office door as the aircraft reared up, yawing violently left and right before disappearing again behind the tree line about a mile and a half to the east.

Matt Ward and I cranked up JU and went over there, getting in underneath the wires in the picture. I jumped out and waded 50-odd yards through 3-4 feet of mud and water and found both of them still strapped in but both seats had 'stroked' and then collapsed. They were both in a lot of pain but I didn't dare try to get them out for fear of further injuring their backs; quite apart from which, there was nowhere to put them. 'JU came back a few minutes later with a doc from the Shell Med centre and we got them out and on to stretchers. He didn't give them anything before we moved them in case they needed surgery so it got pretty noisy for a while. The floats had been blown manually by the pilot (whose name escapes me) in an effort to cushion the impact although I'm not sure it would have made much difference. That said, I'm quite sure going into the water saved their lives.

The static line they hit had passed between the pitot tubes and the wx radome. The wire broke about half a mile to the left where they hit it and as they continued moving forward, the cable effectively sawed through the nose until it came up against the battery otherwise it would probably have continued 'sawing'. IMHO, if things had stayed that way they'd have probably gotten away with it but as the broken end of the cable came to the aircraft it took out the tail rotor and the TGB departed.

As SASless has said, the I-beams were poking up through the cabin floor and the transmission mounts had sheared allowing the whole assy to tilt forward 20 degrees or so.

The ac was recovered to the IA later that day by which time my tea was cold (but just where I'd left it). I went home, had a couple of large whiskies and considered the effect that apparently minor decisions have on our lives.

I have a video somewhere of the wreckage; I'll try to dig it out and post it.

[us.and.you]

I was traweling around my old hard drive and found a few pics of G-BCLD when it cam back to the UK and also G-BDIJ

It used to serve our Jack-up Rig out of HUY. I was owndering how do Ipost the pictures.

[Savoia]

UAY: See this thread: http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/145070-how-post-photographs-videos-incl-photography-tips-gurus.html

Basically, photos must be hosted externally on another site and then 'pasted' into your PPRuNe post.

If you still have problems then PM me.

[Tail-take-off]

For anyone who does not want to set up a photo sharing account but wishes to contribute to this thread I would be happy to upload your images to my photobucket account & provide you with the links you need.

[alfie1983]

hi i am looking to get in contact with fred knott in this photo if any one know his where abouts please contact me on [email protected]

[indexalex]

You are right, these stingers had been build for uranium research in the Iran 1976/78. There was much more equipment inside and outside the Bell 212.
You may read here:
http://downloadportal.prakla-seismos.de/Download/Report/OCR/Report_77_2.pdf
Go to page 12.
Sorry, but the potos there are not colored.:ooh:
Equipment and personnel had been evacuated from Iran in Operation Sandstorm in 1979.
This post belong to page 67

[chopper2004]

Here's my offering from Las Vegas a month back :)

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/IMG_8773_zpsd1ea6fa1.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/IMG_8863_zps6de6369d.jpg

Cheers

[chopper2004]

Also from my trip to Le Bourget here is the AW189 in Bristow colors :)

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/IMG_1344_zpsd89c4a94.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/IMG_3039_zpsac8a1036.jpg

Cheers

[DirtDiver]

There probarly be the floats and live raft the helicopter needs when ditching in the sea.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hkedition/attachement/jpg/site1/20101229/00221917e13e0e84b42a04.jpg

http://www.diamond-executive.aero/Users/X514/X514_466_Bond_helicopter.jpg

http://images2.sina.com/english/china/p/2009/0219/U101P200T1D219945F12DT20090219223153.jpg

[terminus mos]

I am familiar with that concept Dirt, (just) although floats and life rafts are rarely integrated (Apical excepted). I would have thought that AW could have designed something a little more elegant, whatever these are, they look like an afterthought.

[DirtDiver]

Yeah sorry didn't know you knew.

But yeah for Italian design something went wrong :P

@AW -> yes we finished the helicopter on time!
@Customer -> were are my floats?
@AW -> CRAP ok hold on .!#@$@!$!@ (something in Italian)
@AW -> here you are ;) match the lines of the helicopter more or less.

[SimFlightTest]

If anybody is interested in old Bristow photos and happens to find themselves at the Bristow Training Centre in ABZ, look in the back right corner of room A2 in the simulator hall. There are several boxes of old Bristow photos there of both aircraft and people.

They've been there for quite a while, so if you ask around somebody might be willing to let them go.

[TT2]

In 82 - 83 they had a Puma doing icing trials. Had some French blokes to ride along. They were officed' in the old UAS buildings at ABZ. After a particular 'icy' ride they used to fight amongst themselves to my great amusement - the youngest lad used to get the worst of it, he would literally be bounced off the walls. Don't suppose he has any happy memories of Sconny Botland.........

[XONBOY]

Following on from some of my previous posts about my dad and Biafra, I have been trying to find more info on the Dove from the Biafra war. Well Dad (Patrick O'Mara) was the engineer for the aircraft. I have managed to find some of the papers for it. Will post next. It shows Patrick O'Maras Airframe manual for the dove. I also have his flying log and a photo of it in Bristow livery but they are archived. Will post them soon as I have it. Also I found a photo of dad and an armed Nigerian soldier standing by one of the Bristow Widgeons. Bare with me as it will take time to access this information.

[XONBOY]

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k639/xonboy/Dove.jpg?t=1375954604

[SASless]

A Dove at War.....there is some mileage to be had with that!

[XONBOY]

Probably why the Military version was called the DEVON. Im sure they saw the Irony in it. Although the one in Port Harcourt was a Dove that they applied the camo too. Good name for a book :)).

[SASless]

At least Stringbags had class....but going to war in a Dove/Devon....now that takes Cojones grandes!

[Tony Mabelis]

Thats a Riley Dove, a McAlpine conversion (minus its Lycoming engines), that used to belong to Bristows, before the Biafrans stole it.
Came to grief at night when it collided with a "Mammy Wagon" on take off, hence the damaged wing tip.
The picture shown looks VERY like the one I took in 1970, and appears in the book "Shadows".
Tony

[XONBOY]

Hi Tony.
Yes the image in the top right is your image. It's appears back in this thread.
Sorry I should have asked your permission but I was just using it to make a point. My father was the engineer for this aircraft ( we have spoken about this from memory)and I have managed to find references to it now in his papers plus photos of the dove and other aircraft prior to being taken by the Nigerian airforce. I thought people would be interested as little or no records exist on the dove but I have some. When I get access to the images and log book I will post it. They are buried in boxes in my lockup. But the above images shows dads manual and some drawings which i found in our attic in Ireland last week. These are for the Bristow dove in your photo.

[Tony Mabelis]

ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember your dad with great affection. The reason I posted was that the author of "Shadows" told me that my picture was the only one in existance.
Its a great pity I could not unscrew the main entry door kick plate, otherwise I could have sent it to you as a souvenir, engraved was "Riley dove a Mc Alpine conversion".
But they idiot that fitted it did not use any grease, the screws were rusted solid................ with the Nigerian Soldiers approaching fast, all I could do was take a photo, and beat a quick retreat.
Later that day my wife and I were arrested outside a Nigerian Army Barracks for taking a picture of a Biafran "Minicon" that was their gate guardian.
A little negotiation with the CO and we were allowed to keep the film, thats why your Dads Dove picture still exists!
Tony

[XONBOY]

Hi Tony. Phew. Thought I was in trouble ;))
Sounds like you had a lucky escape. The Dove probably ended up as pots and pans ;)) Well The author of the book is right. I looked everywhere in the public arena and your photo is the one referenced and illustrated. Its amazing that there is no info on this aircraft. That's why I think its important I put it together and make it public as I have some good stuff. So Tony between you and me we have the only photos. Yours its final grave and mine when it was born. The photo I have the Dove looks new with Bristows written down the main fuselage. From memory the top section is white and under carriage blue but till I dig it out cant confirm. I hope dads log book will give us some more insight but also from memory they pranged it bending the props. But I need to confirm that was the Dove. Kinda exciting really. Who would have thought the old Dove would have been of interest. I bought the book and tried to find the author as I wanted to have a chat with him. Are you still able to contact him? So how long were you in Nigeria for?? Dad was always taking photos. Slides were his thing so I have to get a slide scanner to get them sorted. I went to Port Harcourt in 75 to see dad. He brought us to a restaurant that had bullet holes in the windows. Then we flew to Eket in a DC3 chickens and all. That was some flight. In Eket dad brought me to see an old house that had a dry fountain out front. In the fountain were a few rusty AK47's. Seemed to be the trappings of war all over. Very memorable trip.

[Tony Mabelis]

I was in Nigeria from Autumn 1968, until summer 1973, mainly in Warri, but with stints in PH and Eket.
After three years in the good old South Africa, I returned to Ikeja:yuk: for a year, then off to Dubai where I met you as a nipper.

In the book "Shadows" there is a picture of the S55/3 Whirlwind that I was crew on, when it was ferried from UK to Nigeria in 1968.
It flew briefly for Shell on the Warri/PH/ Bonny route before "bent nose" Baker wrote it off being silly:ugh:
I'm the guy in the picture with shorts, no shirt and a beard.

If you are trying to contact Mike Draper the author, I would Google the publishers and the editor will have Mikes contact number.
Tony

[XONBOY]

I just had a chat with my brother who was born in port harcourt. He told me he's been in side the Dove. When he was little dad brought him to have a look around. He remembers it was under guard by Nigerian soldiers. I am amazed he actually remembers that.

I have fond memories of Dubai. Spent a lot of time in the Sheiks ammo chests that seem to be stored in the Dubai Airwing hangers. I remember there was loads of machine gun ammo with yellow tops...also with lead tops so you can make I'm into dum dums...all illegal I am sure...Nuf said. I liked the desert camo cessna and Bells. Looked kinda cool. Dad was the chief engineer at the Airwing for a while. An officer left his swag stick on dads desk..its now in my office :)) Think they were beside the Bristow hangers ?? but not sure. I remember a crashed / wrecked S61 lying behind the hangers..was full of cool stuff for kids to play with (might have been qatar-cant quite remember). Ok I will google the publishers and see what I can find. Will go look in my book for ya in your shorts. Will post the images soon as I can dig them out.

[XONBOY]

Managed to find the Dove in its original state prior to Bristows from the
The de Havilland Aircraft Association of South Africa

DH.104 Dove c/n 04246 / Registrations carried: /SAAF 105 (South African Air Force)

SAAF 105 Sold to Keegan Aviation as G-ASUV 30 Jul 1964.Converted to Riley Dove Wfu 10.8.64. Exported to Nigeria as 5N-AGF 17 Mar 1965 and used for mercy flights by Bristow Helicopters. Captured by Biafran Army 18 July 1967 and subsequently used by Biafran Air Force. Ground-looped, hit a truck damaging a propeller and the right wing at Uli airstrip and declared a write-off. Sent to a school play ground at Uli Village, Nigeria. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k639/xonboy/RileyDove2.jpg

[XONBOY]

Found this info of the Dove in Bristow Livery. I have contacted the photographer for further info.

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k639/xonboy/Screenshot2013-08-12at165838.png

[XONBOY]

Also the 4 engine sister to the Dove. I now suspect the image I remember might be the heron. But will keep digging till I find it.
I have contacted the Photographer for further info.
http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k639/xonboy/Screenshot2013-08-12at170013.png

[bellboy]

Dear XONBOY, great stuff keep it coming. That period in Nigerian history fascinates me as my mother and I were evacuated during the Biafran war from PH on a BP tanker to Southampton. For some strange reason this didn't put me off and did a total of six and a half years with Bristow.

[XONBOY]

Hi bellboy. Well my brother was born in Port Harcourt and my mother was also evacuated with him to Holland. She was pregnant with me at the time. My dad stayed behind. It sounds like your parents might have known my dad? Can you send me a private message. I have tons of Bristow slides that need scanning from his time in Africa and the Middle East.
Best
Sean

[XONBOY]

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k639/xonboy/BristowDove.jpg

[Ainippe]

I was also in PH as a child during this period and remember seeing the Dove at the airstrip, along with the Twin Pin. The Dove did not seem to fly much as I recall but the Twin Pin was always airborne.


Good to see you are still alive and kicking Tony!

[XONBOY]

I think it was used for posh occasions as it had a toilet I think??
dad used to look after the Twin P's as he had to do lots of repairs on it. Apparently the Dove was used to carry spare parts according to Tony :))

[DSquadron]

Hello everyone just to say that i've just finaly got to the end of this post.

Its been very interesting and i read it with a tinge of envy! Ive been at Boscombe Down at D Sqdn on all rotary wing types for the past 13 years and have never been away as much as you lot. when i was a mere scrote and thinking of going into aviation I had the Idea of joining Bristows at Wallop (?) but ended up going to Boscombe instead! oh well I had a few trips away and around the world but never to the amount of you.
great thread made for interesting reading.

BTW does the name Barry Mobely mean spark a memory anywhere?
My mum and his wife (Carol) were "new mum friends" when I was born and continued to be for a few years after. I know he used to be in the AAC on Lynx and then went to Bristows. Just a thought.

Pete.

[Alan Biles]

D Squadron Pete,

Barry retired from Middle Wallop in May 2012 having worked for Bristow/FBH for a little over 30 years.

[CharlieOneSix]

Barry and Carol Mobberley are listed in the Electoral Roll as living in Andover until 2007. This was a couple of years after you could request that your details were withheld from public view so I would rather not publish their full address here. However I suggest you do a directory enquiries search for him on the BT website for Andover...........

Good luck!

[DSquadron]

Thanks for that info chaps! good to know.

cheers.

Pete.

[S61-S92]

Some Vintage Pictures supplied by a Scatsta Based Old Timer ... I can't reveal who it is (unless the price is right) ;)

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-1_zps19375b6f.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-2_zps6ea4284c.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-3_zps2fd5084e.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-4_zps1dcd64e8.jpg
Working on onshore survey work with WS55 S3(Whirlwind) in Fujairah East Coast United Arab Emirates


http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-5_zps94b85348.jpg

[S61-S92]

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-7_zps196e5035.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-8_zps9375415f.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-9_zps9762e09e.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-10_zps45e0f190.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-11_zpsaa515a67.jpg

[S61-S92]

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-12_zps33ad84e9.jpg
Watering the Beer Trees (for the benefit of the Germans)

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-13_zps70852d2c.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-14_zps96ae8d3f.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-15_zps40ae3d9c.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af24/S61-S92/ALP-16_zps5b610037.jpg

(Will add details to each picture as I get them - come back soon !)

[Tony Mabelis]

Who are the guys in the Fujeriah operation pictures............I recognise some of the faces, but it was a long time ago!
Tony

[Oldlae]

Is that Stacey with the overalls with VR-BDL?

[vfr440]

I'd say so! :suspect: Stace, confirm/disaffirm? - VFR
(Ah, but isn't he on hols at the mo?)

[spinwing]

Mmmm ...

...... Is that Stacey with the overalls with VR-BDL?....

... and is that Bob Good standing next to him?? :hmm:

[vfr440]

He with the dark glasses! ABSOLUTELY :ok: Couldn't mistake that crouch and hang-dog expression! :p - VFR

[stacey_s]

Hi Chaps

Back from Holidays!!, yep that,s me in overalls, nearly caught me working again!!, but that is not Bob Good, Bob never worked for Bristows, or never worked for that matter :)), the gentleman concerned was one of the geologists we used to drag around when not flying the 'Dart'.
That operation was one of the most enjoyable and funniest I ever worked one, mainly due to the the pilot with the 'Glove' I worked with, I remember the checkers board with drums for pieces and the complaints from the guys when a 'king' took a 'King' and it was insisted upon that the two were carried over together in that move, needless to say never hardly happened.
I visited the motel that we stayed at some years ago unfortunately now surrounded by a port and other developments, myself the 'Glove' and one another filmed the motel from the air on cine film for the Lebanese owner Rocky who rewarded us with three Martini Henry rifles!, I have a photo of us posing with the said weapons on the tarmac alongside the 55 in Dubai International Airport on our return, try doing that now!!

I'll see if I can find the photo's

Stace

[SASless]

I can affirm Stacey is an excellent Worker.....when finally cornered and brought to bay.:E

[SimonK]

The glove is a dead giveaway! Alan P perchance?

[stacey_s]

one is not allowed to 'out' a person on PPrune, but your incredibly close!!

[Dave Ed]

Been a while since I posted anything and I still have a few hundred pics I had accumulated from the original Skyweaver site. Most of them are not the best quality but still worth adding to the thread. Remember the "good" old days when most of the pics were taken with a Kodak Instamatic and you took your roll of film to Boots to get processed and wait a week to see the mostly out of focus results!

I will post them base by base with the info I gathered for the original website.

Still in Cyprus (10 years now) working on the RAF 412s and just got back from a local sports bar watching footy so forgive any alcohol induced nistakes! I see Photobucket has totally changed its layout so the chances of me getting this first post to work are slim!





Abu Dhabi

Thanks to Al Biles from whose e-mail I copied the info.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/map_abudhabi.jpg




It's all a long time ago but..........
The main clients were ADMA (AbuDhabi Marine Areas), ADOC (AD Oil or Offshore Co) and Amerada Hess. Amerada was the smallest contract and until I arrived in Sep '73 with a 'zero houred' Whirlwind (G-BAMH, later VR-BEQ), they only had 1 x 206 on the contract. ADOC had a 206 and a couple of 55's and ADMA had three 55's and a couple of 212's. By the time I left in June 74 there were probably 4 or 5 212's on site and the 55's were being farmed out to jobs in Dubai and Khasab.

The main base was AUH but there was always an aircraft, usually a 55, based on Das Island and maintained by the crew out there. Between Das and the mainland were the two main oilfields, Zakum and Umm Schaif. Almost everything was offshore support.

Bachelor accommodation was in two blocks of flats (probably long since demolished). The Al Mulla Building on Shk Hamdan Street was otherwise known as the 'wooden bar' and the Shk Latif Building (I think) which backed onto the souk and was known as the 'concrete bar'. A bunch of ex-American military pilots lived in another block, the name of which escapes me.
Some 'marrieds' lived in the Al Mulla Building and others were spread about town. The rotation was 17 weeks and 4 weeks for bachelors and (I think) 2 years straight for the marrieds.


Abu Dhabi flightline March 1974.Types visible are Bell 212 and 206 plus Westland Whirlwind.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/abudhabi1.jpg




Bermudan registered Bell 212, VR-BFB and Bell 206 VR-BDR.
From the logo on the Jetranger it was probably flying for Total. The stinger protruding from the nose is an HF Ae.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/abudhabi2.jpg



Shutdown offshore. Probably Zukum 1 or Umm Schaif collector platform.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Abu%20Dhabi/abudhabi3.jpg

[js0987]

I arrived in the fall of 1974 and I think there were 5 212's by then. The concrete bar was in the Al Kouri building in the flat shared by Alan Saunders and Alan Elgee. My flat was down the hall. The concrete bar had its balcony overlooking the open area by the clock tower and the cities taxi lot.

Rotation for singles was 4 months on - 1 month off and for marrieds, I believe, had changed from 3 months after two years to 1 month after one year and two months after the second year.

[Dave Ed]

Antarctic.

Thanks to Andrew Rice for pics and info.

Two Bell 206 aircraft G-AVIG and G-AWMK were flown onboard the Royal Research Ship Bransfield in Southampton Water on 30 October 1984.
The three pilots and two engineers (Dave Mallock, John Shaw, Andrew Rice, Dave Simpson, Eddie Lawrenson), then flew down to Cape Town to join the ship there for its voyage to resupply the bases of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

The ship arrived at Mobster Creek near to the Halley Base in Mid December, 1994 and tied up to the ice shelf. Several flights were made but the bulk of the base resupply was done by sno-cat and the helicopter team worked alongside the ship's crew unloading on to the ice. This continued 24 hours a day as the sun circled the horizon without setting. The ship then continued south and spent the New Year beset in the pack-ice. A couple of ice survey flights were flown, but most of the time was spent in the bar!

On 4 January the ship once again became stuck in the ice and it was decided to use the helicopters to set up a fuel depot for the BAS Twin Otters to use later in the season. A busy day followed carrying underslung loads of drummed jet fuel.
Unfortunately at 17.34 on 5 January G-AVIG crashed into the ice shelf while en-route back to the ship and was totally destroyed. MK was carrying a load to the depot at the time and landed to pick up the (largely uninjured) pilot and the shore party. Without a second aircraft, which was required to carry out mutual SAR, operations halted. The following day the sea-ice broke up and the ship was able to get alongside the main ice shelf and offload the rest of the fuel by sno-cat.

The ship continued its task, with only an occasional flight in the local area being possible. We were able to deliver some gifts to a Soviet supply ship Kapitan Mishevski at the Russian new Year, before setting off, on 18 January, towards Montevideo to crew-change the BAS personnel. On the way some underslung loads were delivered on the South Orkney Islands on 24 January. The crew also managed some mountain walking from Gritviken on South Georgia on 28 January, and some flights made to Stanley and Goose Green in the Falkland Islands on 2 and 3 February. While in Uruguay a new 206, G-BLPL, was loaded on board with new pilot Bob Innes, and the Bransfield once again headed south.

During early March several flights were made on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula mainly to carry underslung loads for a depot on Spaatz Island.
G-BLPL was deployed to the UK base at Rothera on 18 March and flew some survey flights for the proposed base airstrip. Also on that day a geology recce was made to Pourquio Pas Island during which the aircraft was briefly landed on a 500 foot high iceberg. On 29 March 1985, while G-BLPL was airborne on an underslung mission to James Ross Island, the weather closed in with heavy snow and strong winds. Once the aircraft had been recovered the Bransfield turned north and headed for the Falkland Islands. The helicopter team left the ship in Stanley and flew back to the UK on the RAF C130 airbridge via Ascension Island. The helicopters were offloaded in Grimsby when the ship arrived in the UK.


On deck in the ice pack.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Antarctic/antarctic6.jpg




Halley Bay UK base. 20th December, 1984.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Antarctic/antarctic3.jpg



Landing back on in the ice pack.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Antarctic/antarctic5-1.jpg




Slinging observation huts on the South Orkney Islands, 24th January, 1985.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Antarctic/antarctic10.jpg




Soviet Mil 8 fly past, 5th January, 1985.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Antarctic/antarctic11.jpg




John Shaw and Andrew Rice above UK Rothera Base, March, 1985.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Antarctic/antarctic4.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Argentina.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Argentina/mapfalklands.jpg


After pulling out from the Falklands in 1998 the S61Ns headed for Argentina for a joint venture with local operator Helicopteros Marinos in support of an offshore drilling programme for Mobil. It was short lived though lasting approximately four weeks after which the two aircraft went their separate ways to Brazil and the Congo.


Sikorsky S61N G-BFMY awaiting its next task. Note Argentinean flag top left.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Argentina/argentina1.jpg



Another ex Falklands S61N, G-BFRI on the apron at Rio Grande.
These were the first British registered aircraft in Argentina since the Falklands War.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Argentina/argentina2.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Argentina/argentinagroup.jpg

[CharlieOneSix]

Re the above photo for those who don't know, Dave Mallock passed away in July 2012 after a long battle with cancer.

[SASless]

Sorry to hear that....another one taken too soon!:(

[Tail-take-off]

I'm not convinced that it is David Mallock in that photo (although the hair & beard are similar). He left the Falklands early in 2001, to run Middle Wallop, which is some 7 years before the Argentina contract.

[Alan Biles]

David was already at MW when I arrived there in 1997 to take over from Tony Marshall; I think DSM got there 1995-ish as he was very much involved with the DHFS bid process.

[Laundryboy]

Just to put the record straight, it was only G-BFMY that went to Rio Grande, the picture of G-BFRI was taken at Mount Pleasant Airfield in the Falkland Islands. The bearded fellow in the photograph was an Argentine engineer called Oscar, and not David Mallock. Despite all appropriate diplomatic clearances apparently being in place, the aircraft was impounded for five days on arrival, it being the first commercial flight from the Falklands to Argentina since the 'conflict' in 1982. All the Argentines in the photograph had served in the military in 1982, but despite that were a very pleasant bunch of people to work with.

At the end of the contract MY was flown back to the Falklands, and shipped back to the UK with RI. Ferry tanks consisted of 45 gallon drums, and a hand pump to transfer the fuel to the centre tank - wouldn't be allowed these days I'm sure!

[Dave Ed]

Australia.

Obviously Bristow Australia has moved on since all this was written. The Aircraft Illustrated article being 25 years old now!! So I'll post this in the present tense rather than altering the original. Too much of a pain to change it!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/westoz.jpg


A large and complicated group of operations which can best be covered in one lump. Most of the information on Australian operations came from a 1988 "Aircraft Illustrated" which my wife had saved! So thanks to her, thanks to the original writer, Tony Holmes, thanks to the aussies who contributed to the original article, Captains Jim Gumley, Steve Pearson, ops manager Wayne Sibley, Captain Max Woolf, Bill Wigley ( Woodside Heliport Supervisor) and engineers Eric Dibdin and Rory Crossland and of course "Aircraft Illustrated".

The company, Mayne-Bristow, was formed back in 1967 when Mayne Nickless Ltd of Australia joined forces with UK-based Bristow Helicopters. Most of the subsequent operations were operated from bases in the North-West, with its initial contract supporting the Woodside/ Burmah Oil drillship Investigator, being fulfilled by a single Wessex, VH-BHL ( G-AVEW ) crated out from Britain.

These pictures show Wessex G-AXPJ and G-BGER en-route to Australia.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/ozwess.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/ozwes2.jpg



Other types operated were Bells 205, 206, 212, 47, Sikorsky S61 and S76, plus A.S.330 Puma and A.S.332 Super Puma.


The S-61 was severly effected by the heat and its load was reduced by 150lb for every degree above 27C, so it was replaced by the Puma which loses no power up to 45C.
The Puma was operated as the fleet mainstay from 1979 with the first one being an ex North Sea Aircraft G-BFSV ( VH-BHO ). The fleet increased to five and at one stage was ferrying 1200 passengers a week between Karratha and offshore installations.

The picture shows Puma VH-WOF and Bell 212 VH-BEL.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/ozpuma212.jpg



The 212s were used for general utility work and back-ups for the Pumas. The Augusta-Bell 206s were used for geo-survey work and harbour master duties to name but a few.

Mayne-Bristow became established at Karratha Airport in 1973 when the first of two permanent hangers were built. As demands for its services grew, especially from Woodside, a third hanger was added in 1981.

The company operated from many varied locations such as Jandakot, Exmouth, Barrow Island, Derby, Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Canarvon, Broome, Port Hedland, Wyndham and Darwin, these being within Australia plus a few exotic overseas places such as Kupang (Indonesia), Manila (Philipines), Miri ( Sarawak) and Anduka (Borneo).

Today (1988!) the company has changed in many ways, with the most noticable being that "Mayne" no longer appears on the aircraft. After it gave up its share in the company, Cranley Management bought in and now owns 51% of the company and Bristows 49%. The company is now known as Bristow Helicopters Australia Pty.Ltd. with its administration in Perth. It has been very successful in setting up consortium arrangements where oil companies share helicopter resources and this has led to the company winning the lion's share of recent contracts. As can be seen from the pictures below, Bristow Tigers and S-76s now fly the majority of the offshore missions.


Thanks to Mark Ogden for this pic courtesy of Helicopter World.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/ozhanger.jpg



Another contract won was a Department of Defence award for the provision of dedicated search and rescue helicopters using Bell 212s.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/ozsar.jpg



This photo from Pete Cawthorne shows the Varanus Island base, NW Australia (not far from Barrow Island).

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/varanusisland.jpg


Pete adds - Bristow formed an alliance supporting several companies. The 206L3 was based on Varanus, 3 x S76A+ and 2 x AS330J Pumas were based on Barrow Island, and 1 AS332L at Karratha, although the machines were moved around to fit the workload. 2 on, 2 off based in Perth. Brilliant fishing, diving etc. Some bloody big sharks though!
At first there was a B206, VH-BEK, s/n 274, which had followed me from Duri via Redhill! It later turned up in the next hangar to me when I was working in Queensland for a GA company!



And finally, below are some nice shots of ozzie aircraft plus a quote " The most important fact as far as we are concerned is that we are not just an overseas arm of Bristows UK. We are Australians, the crews are all Australian, the managerial staff are all Australian and the engineers are all Australian". circa 1988. Fair Dinkum! Whatever that means.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/oztiger.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/ozpuma2.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/212opera.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/212yots.jpg


......and a few people pics.....

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/sandieozp1.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/sandieozp2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/djgroup.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae157/skyweaver100/Bristow%20Australia/djs61people.jpg

[Dave Ed]

Thanks for the Argentina corrections Laundryboy.
Can't believe there are so many errors in that one and nobody picked them up before.
Cannot remember who sent me the original pics and info.
I guess the problem is a lot of the info is influenced by old age, blurred memories and alcohol.

[Alan Biles]

"I guess the problem is a lot of the info is influenced by old age, blurred memories and alcohol."

But not necessarily in that order ;).