World Wide Helicopters [Archive]

sillohed

30th Apr 2013, 05:08

Does anyone have any pictures they care to share about World Wide Helicopters during their base operations at Biggin Hill or elsewhere in the world. I flew for them in the 1963/64 era and spent a good deal of time on the North Sea project for Shell as well as in Libya. I would very much like to hear from any of the old crew members as well. Many thanks to everyone out there. It was great to meet some of you at the Las Vegas HAI.

chris_h

1st May 2013, 11:34

I flew for World Wide on their last contract in Sharjah, UAE for a short period in 1977/78. I'll see if I can find some phots.

Regards, Chris H

Savoia

1st May 2013, 12:43

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WkLsjWim4rM/UYEAhSUB9rI/AAAAAAAANKM/AdWyZtvIb-Q/w706-h476/World+Wide+Helicopters+S58F+N871+Ameland+Netherlands+15+un+6 3+%2528Ed+Stewart%2529.jpg
World Wide Helicopters S58-F N871 as seen at Ameland in the Netherlands on 15th June 1963 (Photo: Ed Stewart)

Engaged in ditching practice in preparation for geophysical survey operations over the North Sea.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OOpAGIbQXes/UYEMlKL7uCI/AAAAAAAANKo/OByzl4HZ_dY/w794-h510/N871+Biggin+Hill+Mid-60%2527s+%2528Ken+Wilkinson%2529.jpg
N871 as seen at Biggin Hill in the mid-60's (Photo: Ken Wilkinson)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rrpD45FfXQQ/UYEMlpSgOxI/AAAAAAAANKs/iKIvIKHjI-o/w901-h459/N885+Biggin+Hill+mid-60%2527s+%2528Ken+Wilkinson%2529.jpg
N885 as seen at Biggin Hill in the mid-60's (Photo: Ken Wilkinson)

sillohed

8th May 2013, 05:18

I flew for a company named World Wide Helicopters who operated mostly American registered helicopters and a few fixed wing aircraft out of Biggin Hill. The year would have been 1962. When I was with them we had Sikorsky S-58's, Bell 47's and a few fixed wing. I stayed at a pub called the Fox and Hounds.....fabulous. The flight crews were a mix of British, Dutch and Australian and I think I was about the only American. I have tried to run down some of the old crew members to no avail. I have a photo of a Beech parked on the ramp at their hangar but I do not know how to upload it. On another matter I also flew A-26 N3710G a good deal in the US which some years later you will recall crashed at Biggin Hill Sept 21, 1980 tragically killing everyone on board.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9TrTpkYudrw/UY3yJihdnpI/AAAAAAAANcI/q5bjwdQs3NQ/w768-h510-no/WWH+Beech+TC-45J+Tri+Expeditor+N8181H+Biggin+Hill+4+Feb+64+%2528Brian+Nic hols%2529.jpg
World Wide Helicopters Beechcraft TC-45J Tri-Expeditor N8181H as seen as Biggin Hill on 4th February 1964 (Photo: Brian Nichols)

sillohed

8th May 2013, 05:40

Chris
Thanks for the information. Do you recall an engineer named Metcalf? He was with me on the North Sea project and I ran into him elsewhere in the world after I left World Wide.

I have a few pictures of the North Sea operation and a picture of a Conrad 10-2 that World Wide sent to us in Libya but that is about all I have in the way of airplane pics.

Regards...ed

Nigel Osborn

8th May 2013, 06:07

A few names come to mind, Frank Minjoy, Dick Saker, Chris ? ( locked up in Iran), Ken Cos, can't remember the others.:confused:

There was a derelict S58T in Madras as World Wide hadn't paid fees to the Indians. It was basically in good nick with flat tyres & a resident cobra!:ok:

chris_h

8th May 2013, 10:13

Sorry, Metcalf doesn't ring a bell with me.
How about Frits Hasselman, Stan Franklin, John Turner, Chris van Riet? - all World Wide and then involved with Abu Dhabi Helicopters (as it was originally named before becoming Abu Dhabi Aviation).

Chris and Frits (Chief Pilot of ADH) were both Dutch and now both deceased.
Stan was the GM of ADH and now lives in Gloucestershire in England. I've lost touch with John.

I was hoping to attach some photos but apparently I’m not allowed to! Don’t have time to resolve that just now so you’ll have to imagine a Jetranger on bags in an oilfield in the Arabian Gulf. This was the last World Wide aircraft on the last World Wide contract - for Crescent Petroleum based in Sharjah, UAE in late 1977.

Savoia

8th May 2013, 10:18

If you need photo hosting I'll be glad to assist.

Simply email your photos to: [email protected]

Please include your PPRuNe name with your email so that I may attribute the photos to you.

chris_h

8th May 2013, 11:09

Thanks to Savoia for helping with the following:

The last World Wide aircraft in the Cresent Petroleum field off Sharjah, UAE in 1977:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SmzfEj3iHUg/UYotQ_LaudI/AAAAAAAANWE/uSAgjoljb7s/w462-h336-no/World+Wide+JR+1977+2.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6cYCi2LZV-A/UYotQTHun-I/AAAAAAAANWA/7LNFnFpxlqA/w477-h336-no/World+Wide+JR+1977+1.jpg

spinwing

8th May 2013, 12:37

Mmmm ...

By 1980 ... Aerogulf Services Dubai had that contract !!

piggybank

8th May 2013, 21:07

I worked for World Wide in 74/75 in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi on their two Bell 206’s then as an unlicenced mech. I did take quite a few pictures but they are not scanned to digital format. Most of the work I remember was to the rig Rowan Texas. The helideck ‘boy’ opening the 206 doors was on three times my pay, which kicked me into action about getting licenced up and on better pay.
My time with World Wide did not last long. I do remember pilot Tom Loosemore (spelling), later killed when with the newly formed ADA, when the main rotor brake quill of his B212 departed the main transmission.
My time with World Wide finished after a ride in a drunken car from Pauling’s (the roads were mainly rough tracks then, with only a few good ones). In the car with me was an engineer from Bournemouth, Mike Coleman. We had an overnight in the women’s part of an old prison. It was a rough night with rats squeaking in the walls, blanket that would not unfold and a vitamin tablet for breakfast.

edited to add 'brake'

sillohed

10th May 2013, 04:29

You guys are making me feel VERY old. I started with World Wide in 1962 and did a summer with the S-58's off the North Sea in Holland followed by Beavers and Bell 47's in Libya. The Ameland crew consisted of mechanic Ken Metcalf, UK; Bob Bishop, UK, Tony Biddle, UK, Pilots George Strolenberg, NL; Ted Von Capelle, NL; John Wood, UK; George Cummings, CDN. When in Libya we received a Conrad 10-2 (converted Beech) that I am uncertain as to who took the picture but I think it is at Biggin Hill awaiting transfer to Libya. Fortunately I didn't fly it because almost every flight it came back with a landing gear problem. I recently made contact with the grandson of Arni Sumarlideson who lives in the DC area but he doesn't know anything about the company or any of the crew. The old corporation is still in business as a real estate holding company in the Caribbean.

sillohed

11th May 2013, 00:28

I remember Frank Minjoy and Frits Hasselman but I do not remember in what context.

When I last heard of World Wide they were doing very well as a real estate operation in the Caymans. Probably a better deal than any helicopter operation.

Nigel Osborn

11th May 2013, 01:53

Frank the Merciless Ming was either a chief pilot or manager in this part of the world & very experienced on the S58. After that he became the general manager of Helicopter Utilities in Sydney.

sillohed

11th May 2013, 03:11

The general manager in Benghazi in 1963 was an Australian who had his wife and son there with him. The chief pilot there was also Australian but was only experienced on fixed wing aircraft (I happened to fly both helicopter and fixed wing there). There were also a couple of aircraft engineers there who were Australian. I dearly wish I could recall any names because it would be great to renew old acquaintances with them. Alas, my brain has turned to mush!:ugh:

Fantome

11th May 2013, 07:43

Ahhh . . . Nige . .. . . you'd remember the company that Frank Minjoy and Denis Killen proposed forming, combining their two names - "KILLJOY AVIATION PTY LTD" (My only link there, apart from pestering Arthur Dunn for a job, was working for one of HUPL's subsidiaries, Westernair Navigation at Eagle Farm, Brisbane in '68-'69.)

ambidextrous

11th May 2013, 09:14

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1_jLXSO5w4w/UY4GytPwW3I/AAAAAAAANcw/W4cWKwKefBI/w902-h488-no/WWH+S62A++Brunei+International+airport+1966+operated+on+beha lf+of+the+Brunei-Malay+Regiment.JPG
World Wide Helicopters S-62A as seen at Brunei International Airport in 1966

This aircraft was operated on behalf of the Brunei-Malay Regiment.

212man

11th May 2013, 09:49

Ambidextrous says: "This aircraft was operated on behalf of the Brunei-Malay Regiment

They were also flying for Brunei Shell out of Anduki (with S55s as well.) We have several scanned photos but I don't have access at this moment. I do know that the accident rate was one driver towards forming the BSP aviation department in 1967!

carholme

11th May 2013, 15:15

Does anybody know what happened to Ken Metcalfe as posted by sillohed in post # 12 and if this was the Ken Metcalfe who was with Bristow in Egypt?

Gerry

sillohed

11th May 2013, 22:13

Jerry,
In December of 1969 I was flying a DC-3 for Phillips Petroleum when I had the occasion to stop over in Cairo. We stayed at the Cairo Hilton and upon my arrival at the hotel I saw across the lobby by the pool a young man facing the opposite direction with perhaps 5 or 6 young ladies around him. Although I had not seen him since 1963 I immediately thought "Ken Metcalfe" and sure enough it was. I don't remember a Bristow connection but I wouldn't be surprised. Ken was one of my favorite people within the international aviation community. Would love to run him down. Just keep an eye out for someone surrounded by lovely young ladies!:)

carholme

13th May 2013, 09:46

That would be Ken Metcalfe. Forever the centre of attention in a social setting. Haven't heard anything about him since I left Egypt.
Thank you kindly for responding.

Gerry

Savoia

14th May 2013, 08:21

Sillohed wrote:
In December of 1969 I was flying a DC-3 for Phillips Petroleum ..

Perchance, did it look anything like this:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1_7gN4-s8x4/UZHx3BsHNNI/AAAAAAAANig/8B7_O5x7rPc/w550-h323-no/Douglas+DC3-C47+Dakota+aircraft+N59534+Phillips+Petroleum.JPG
Phillips Petroleum Douglas DC3-C47 N59534

sillohed

15th May 2013, 18:00

The one I was flying was N219F. When I last saw her she was sitting in the Egyptian desert on 15 October 1969 waiting for an engine change.

Savoia

15th May 2013, 18:51

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uh5jkPBwoDs/UZPYgmO4RZI/AAAAAAAANl8/-cR3rkpoT-I/w600-h394-no/DOUGLAS+C-74A+DC+3+N219F+PETTY+BAY+DIV.+GEOSOURCE+1978+MALTA.png
Geosource Douglas DC3-C47 N219F, Malta, 1978

sillohed

21st May 2013, 04:35

Here is a picture of Ken Metcalfe from the World Wide Ameland project in 1963. That's him in the dark sweater and light pants.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7318/8745784147_7040673e96.jpg

carholme

21st May 2013, 09:43

Many thanks for the effort sillohed! That is him. I worked at Ras Shukhier in the early '70s when he was there.

Regards

Gerry

sillohed

22nd May 2013, 01:48

Thanks Gerry,
I was flying a DC-3 for Phillips out of Alexandria in the late 60's - early 70's so we weren't far apart.

I think there is a picture of the old beast that I was flying a big further up in this thread.

On my last day with the company I had an engine failure out in the Qattara Depression and had to abandon the plane to the engineer and a new pilot. I suppose they weren't too pleased with me.

sillohed

23rd May 2013, 03:40

The World Wide crew in Nes, Ameland, NL in summer 1963.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7306/8745783641_cd0699cdf7.jpg

JW Hasselman

4th Aug 2013, 10:02

I've followed this thread with intrest, since my father Frits Hasselman belonged to World Wide, later Abu Dhabi Helicopters. Unfortunately he passed away 11 october 2011....
As a small boy and later in life I've met some of his colleagues, and know some others by name.
He has left quite some photo's which includes the one in Nes.
My mother recalled a number of the people, Rudi Cortenbach (7th from left),
John Wood (on his left), Dick te Groen and Sjors Strolenberg (end of topline), Ted van Capelle (squatting-bottom row left) Dennis Gilman (one but last squatting).
Would you know any of the others?
If you are interested I could post some of the photo's of Libya.

Regards

Jan Wim

sillohed

4th Aug 2013, 21:44

Jan,
Thank you for contacting me. As you can see I have had little contact from anyone because we are all much older now and many have passed away. Your fathers name is so familiar to me but I can't quite recall his face or where I knew him.
Here is what I recall regarding the names in the picture....I hope it is accurate.

Left: Not sure
Second Left: Not sure
Third Left Standing Behind: Ken Metcalfe, Helicopter Engineer
Fourth Left: Not Sure
Fifth Left: Not Sure
Sixth Left Standing: Not Sure
Seated by Ball With Hat: My Friend Ted Von Capelle
Seated to Ted's Left: Myself, Ed Stewart
Behind me and to my Right: My friend John Wood
To My Left Squatting: Peit Alofs, Flight Crew (Blasting)
Behind Peit, Standing: Hank Hendry, Helicopter Engineer
Squatting to Peits left: Jan Fens, Flight Crew (Blasting)
Behind Jan, Standing: Harry Dreissen, Project Manager Shell NL
Squatting to Jan's Left: Not Sure
Standing Behind Him: My friend George (sp) Strolenberg

sillohed

4th Aug 2013, 21:52

Here is a another photo of the Ameland crew. More photos at Photo and image hosting, free photo galleries, photo editing (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/sillohed/library/#/user/sillohed/library/World%20Wide%20Helicopters?sort=3&page=1&_suid=137565283107807392578759458126)

Left: Not Sure
Second Left: Tony Biddle, Engineer
Third Left: Hank Hendry, Chief Engineer
Fourth Left: Ken Metcalfe, Engineer
Fifth Left: Can't Recall, Engineer
Last: Bob Bishop, Engineer
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/sillohed/World%20Wide%20Helicopters/MaintenanceCrew_zps45f04db3.jpg

sillohed

4th Aug 2013, 22:02

Jan,
Any pictures you care to share will be much appreciated. As you can tell, I posted most of my pictures of Ameland onto "Photobucket.com" so if you have several you could use a site like that.

Many thanks, and look forward to anything you care to share. My personal email is [email protected] if you would like to contact me directly.

I presume you are in Holland.....I still live in the US but in 2000 I took my grandson on a trip which included Ameland. I didn't see much change. The hotel still run by the same family (The Hofkers), the town much the same. The only difference was the sight of the oil rigs off the North shore (which of course we were partly responsible) but now they don't look so good.

Once again......my appreciation.

Nigel Osborn

5th Aug 2013, 00:58

Hank Hendry became chief engineer of Helicopter Utilities in Sydney & Frank 'the merciless ming' Minjoy, an excellent pilot, became the general manager. Good days in the 60s!

JW Hasselman

5th Aug 2013, 16:15

Thanks Ed,

Never expected such a quick reply, many thanks!
I'll look into the link you've sent for the foto's, as on this forum I seem to have the same problem as Chris (not being allowed to add attachements).

Anyway, we'll find a way to get those pics to you.

Regards,

Jan Wim

JW Hasselman

5th Aug 2013, 19:39

Made an account at Photobucket jhasselman2's Library | Photobucket (http://s1285.photobucket.com/user/jhasselman2/library/) and uploaded some pics.
Hopes this works?

Regards,

Jan Wim

JW Hasselman

7th Aug 2013, 16:05

I remember Tony Biddle, who lived a few streets away , from us in Tripoly.
His son Christopher was a vriend of mine.
Mike Bishop lived just beond the two piaster beach.

sillohed

15th Aug 2013, 03:51

Jan, I visited your photobucket site and found it very interesting. Some of the photos are extremely familiar but then everyone was taking so many pictures on the North Sea job that many were probably the same. I never knew Bishop and Biddle came to Libya. I had probably left for some other location by that time perhaps. Were you there when the king was de-throned? I think some of my pictures in Benghazi were taken when rioters were burning cars in the street below the company apartment. Over the years I ran into Ken Metcalfe (one of the other engineers in the photos) in numerous places around the world. I saw him last in Cairo when he was working with Bristow. Thanks for the photos and information. It would be nice if we could find a couple of the other guys but I have searched for most of them by name and came up with nothing.:)

JW Hasselman

16th Aug 2013, 18:40

What I know is that the World Wide Helicopter contact was terminated shortly after the 6 day war between Egypt and Israel. The situation deteriorated and all Westerners had to leave the country. This was in 1967. We (our family) had gone back to Holland just before it all started to escalate. My father however was was held prison for 4 days when he went back to Tripoli, together with a group of non-Libyans. Luckily they were all put on a plane for Europe. During these days the American Air Base Wheeles was surrounded and Italian and Jewish shops set a-light. But the king was still in power, although the people where turing against the West and against him.
Fortunately, just being a boy, it all passed me by. What did I know?
So only fond memories remain of my stay in Libya.

sillohed

17th Aug 2013, 02:26

The riots in Benghazi in 64 were by students at the university and were just the prelude to deposing the king. The British airbase near Benghazi kept things in control until the final collapse in 67 I suppose. Completely unrelated to World Wide, I was flying a DC-3 for Philips petroleum in Alexandria in 69 when yet another fracus with Israel stirred up problems and we had to shut down operations for a while. Did you ever make it to Leptis Magna or over to Cyrene when you were in Libya? Wonderful Roman and Greek ruins. I had pictures but haven't been able to find them.

JW Hasselman

18th Aug 2013, 07:00

We visited Leptis Magna a few times, and also went to Sebrata (which was closer to where we lived). I don't recall Cyrene. My father always took a keen interest in these places and also made photo's. From what I remember the sights where quite spectecular!
I might find some pics for you.

sillohed

24th Aug 2013, 17:57

Cyrene is an ancient Greek city to the east of present day Benghazi. It is a fabulous ruin and part of it is under the Mediterranean so a great place for divers.

JW Hasselman

26th Aug 2013, 16:49

I haven't been that far east, Tripoli was our area.
We did have a trip into (or should I say onto) the plateau, where we stayed in a very old hotel. It was out on the ridge, overlooking the coastal plain.
I remember when we stayed there we had a huge Gibli, which made shutters and doors rattle, while the wind howled underneath our door.
No need to tell you we got very little shut-eye that night, especially since we were the only guests!

Oh, by the way, sent you a mail to the address you gave, but I'm not sure it went off allright?

sillohed

28th Aug 2013, 03:50

I use two email addresses. You can try either [email protected] or [email protected] . I didn't get anything at either address from you and I checked to make sure there wasn't anything in "junk" either. I have been in a couple of Gibli's where I just landed the Beaver and waited it out. They were ferocious! The pressure drops so low that sand is just sucked right into every crack and cranny including airplane parts. It takes a lot of cleaning after being in one in an airplane or helicopter.

Regards....ed:p

JW Hasselman

28th Aug 2013, 16:46

Resent it (e-mail) to the second address again, seemed to go off allright so hope it reaches you.

I remeber the first Gibli, which was early in the morning. Woke my mother because you could only see yellow sand out of the window. I'd never experianced anything like it. Also as you said, there was sand everywhere, blown through the cracks and openings under the doors. My mother didn't know what had hit her, she'd just cleaned the house the day before!

And when it rained (and that wasn't often) it really poored!
The garden was completely flooded to my amazement and the lightning terrifying.

Regards,

Jan Wim

G B Watson

18th Dec 2013, 06:40

Hi Sillohed and everyone else on this thread which I have only just come across (after all these years). I joined WWH as a 27 year old pilot in Tripoli in 1958, flying their 3 British registered EP9s and 5 American registered Beavers. Manager was Ken Howard and our main contract was with Esso Libya. Other pilots at that time were Kees Bos, Chris van Riet and Jan Mante. Later additions to the fleet were a Cessna 170 (for communications work and vastly underpowered, which made for some interesting desert take-offs), a Twin Bonanza (delightful aircraft) and then the two Conrads (N102S and N8181H) which were a good idea in theory but turned out not to be in actual operation. A growing family (I married Elizabeth, a Yorkshire girl, at Tripoli in 1959) resulted in our finally leaving WWH in 1965.
In the winter of 1958/59 I also had a six-months detachment to the WWH operation at Chittagong in what was then East Pakistan, flying two PBY5A Catalinas in the Bay of Bengal for Pak-Shell. The manager was Wal Rivers, and one interesting visitor during that time was Douglas Bader who was at the time the boss of Shell's world wide aviation operations.
I have lots of pics of all of these aircraft but see that some guys are having difficulty downloading. I will explore further and in the meantime would be glad to hear from other ex-WWHers either here or at [email protected].
Regards to all,
'Doc' Watson

JW Hasselman

18th Dec 2013, 19:31

Hi 'Doc' Watson,

Nice to hear from you.

There's not a lot on WWH on the net which is easy to find.
I have been looking for some years and it's only since recently that this seems to change gradualy. I also came accross this thread and became friends with Ed ( Sillohed ). Like myself there are some next generation WWH members (sons of actual employees). The problem seems to be that most of the earlier WWHers have never taken to computers (my dad also never gave it a trie...).

Chris van Riet was a friend of my fathers and I have met him several times.
According to my dad he had a great sense of humor and was a fun guy to be with. He bought a farmhouse in Brabant ( Holland ) where he lived with his wife ( he married late in life ). Unfortunately he also is no longer with us...

You may have read about my photobucket account. Please don't hesitate to visit, as there are photo's of Lybia.

Regards,

Jan Wim

Nigel Osborn

18th Dec 2013, 19:49

Wal Rivers, now that's a name from many years ago! Wal ended up flying for Helicopter Utilities in Australia & PNG. He flew the Beagle 206 in PNG & a variety of helicopters. Sadly he died quite a few years ago.

sillohed

19th Dec 2013, 05:43

Doc,
I was happy to see that you made contact with us. As you can see there are few of us left apparently. I was on the Glomar 5 flying a Bell 47 for a short while and then went to Benghazi to fly the Beaver. That was in the winter/spring of 1964. I had been in Ameland on the Shell operation there the previous summer.

I started a facebook page for a bit more intimate contact between us and I have sent you an invitation to that site as well.

I am very interested in your PBY operations. I had heard there was a PBY operation in that area but did not know who it was. I would be very interested in hearing the story. After I left WWH in the summer of 64 I spent many years flying aerial survey including a couple of stints in PBY's in India and Central America. We only flew airborne survey and not waterborne which I understand you were flying. From what I heard you were doing something similar to what we were doing in the North Sea with helicopters.

I look forward to your input with interest as I am sure the other guys do as well. :D

sillohed

19th Dec 2013, 05:48

Hey Nigel,
Do you know Doug Morrison? He is an old aerial survey hand/historian down your way. I am in regular contact with him as we worked for the same survey company for many years. I also understood that Hank Hendry went to work for Helicopter Utilities as well after he left the North Sea operation of World Wide Helicopters about the same time that I left there in the fall of 63. I tried to locate him but to no avail.

briani

28th Feb 2015, 02:29

Hi, have only just discovered this site!. Fascinated by the 'World Wide' messages. I spent several years as 'Company Radio Engineer' based in Tripoli (2 years) and then Benghazi (1 year) - visiting the Doha Helicopter base for radio problems - staying with Dave Thrippleton - manager. The manager in Libya was Wal Rivers, the chief Engineer was Jim Dean. Pilots Ernie Howlett, Chris Van Riet, Tom Stoney, Max Popp among others flew the Beavers and a twin Bonanza N565MR. The Beaver regs. are a bit hazy, but N1397N and N6676C - ring a bell. We also had the Catalina parked on the grass(!!) opposite the Hangar and I remember the day when Jim Dean fitted the batteries and started the engines (after she had been standing for years) and taxied across the field so that the local scrap man could cut her up for scrap - very sad. Frank Parker was one of the engineers. The Beavers were moved to a disused strip close to Benghazi town and operated from a compound there. I anyone is interested, I will probably remember more details!. The local manager and Chief Pilot in Benghazi was Andy (surname escapes me!) who was an ex Navy Pilot.

Tavish

4th Apr 2015, 06:58

Aviation is such a small world. I was with World WIDE late 50's in Pt. Moresby when the S-58's arrived in large crates, we also had a Catalina. Bob Wilson, Frank Minjoy, Bob Larder, Frank Tarr, Bruce Evans, Joe Clarke, Jin Dean were a few of my co-workers. We took 2 amphibious Catalinas to Chittagong (East Pakistan then) That is where I met Doc. Watson (refer his post) After Chittagong I went to Seria to the S-55's, ( John Woods the boss, Andy McLeod C/E, Jack Greer, Rudi Cortenbach to name a few, then later back to Port Moresby and the Catalina (Whisky Charlie). I left WWAS in 1960 to start a flight engineer career but that is another story.

Nigel Osborn

4th Apr 2015, 08:08

Quite a few of those WWH names joined Helicopter Utilities. Frank was general manager, Hank engineering manager & Wal was PNG manager.:ok:

Fareastdriver

4th Apr 2015, 15:20

I can remember when a WW S58 crashed in Brunie. I think Brian Danger was flying it and another S58 crashed rescuing him. Eventually I saw them at Labuan in the back of an S62 being medevaced back to Singapore.

Mark69

21st Jun 2015, 12:05

That chief engineer was Dan Beecham his wife was Maree and his son was Daniel he went on to work for airfast my name is mark I am his youngest son

JW Hasselman

3rd Oct 2015, 12:13

If any one is interested we have this small face book group World Wide Helicopters, started by Ed Steward (sillohed). Just a few members, but Doc Watson is one of them. Would be great to exchange info and/ or photos. So please drop in, there's plenty to see and read.

stanfranklin

25th Jul 2016, 22:53

Hi Folks,

Have just discovered this WWH thread.

Great to see Wim's photographs of his father's time with the company. Frits and I spent many years together especially after we set up and ran Abu Dhabi Helicopters

bucklt

4th Oct 2017, 16:56

I worked with WWH in Airwing, Berakas Camp, Brunei, from August 1983 to July 1985. Great times and memories! Returned to Brunei in April of this year and was astonished at how things have changed since then.Would go back tomorrow!:ok: Tony Buckley (Avionics)

chopper2004

30th Mar 2020, 00:50

chasbang

27th Feb 2024, 14:31