Calling memories of Bristow Wessex G-AVNE

[heli1]

The Helicopter Museum has just finished restoring this Wessex ,the first long range Series 60 which operated in several countries during its service with markings G-AVNE,PK-HBQ in Indonesia,VH-BHC in Australia,9M-ASS in Malaysia,and 5N-AJL in Nigeria. I have been writing up this history for publication and seek anecdotes and pictures of the aircraft in service with copyright clearance please. G-AVNE completed over 10,000 flying hours in service between first entering service in the North Sea in June 1967 ,operating from Sunderland to support the Glomar IV rig, and it's retirement in September 1981 in Nigeria following the tragic loss of a sister aircraft in the North Sea . A story well worth recording I hope you all will agree .
Please email pictures to [email protected] and share your memories on here too.

[212man]

Sorry I can't help with Wessex info, but the registration was reallocated to a BHL B212 which was crashed on the 30th June 1998, killing 5 (including the pilot), following the failure of the rotating scissors drive link descending through 1500 ft inbound to Port Harcourt (long messy story involving criminal culpability).

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/170196 (https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/170196)

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=3337

Sorry for drifting....

[Hedski]

Sorry I can't help with Wessex info, but the registration was reallocated to a BHL B212 which was crashed on the 30th June 1998, killing 5 (including the pilot), following the failure of the rotating scissors drive link descending through 1500 ft inbound to Port Harcourt (long messy story involving criminal culpability).

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/170196 (https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/170196)

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=3337

Sorry for drifting....

Yep, ex EI-BFH. A relatively inactive of late Pruner was P2 on it.

[212man]

Yep, ex EI-BFH. A relatively inactive of late Pruner was P2 on it.

Technically he was a pax, as it was a SP operation and he was picked up from QIT on the return leg as part of his country visit.

[heli1]

Thanks for that but can we get back to the subject please everyone....

[SASless]

Memory serves the Engineer that was culpable for the accident went on to a job in Quality Assurance.

[Tail-take-off]

See anecdote & article at the links below:

ferryair4 (http://helitavia.com/Skyweaver/ferryair4.htm)

article_wessex (http://helitavia.com/Skyweaver/article_wessex.htm)

[XA290]

Thanks for the link TTO. It reminded me very much about my own ferry flight to Dhaka in Bangladesh in 97. We also had the delights of stopping in Pasni and an engine issue in Dubai.

Cheers,

XA

[John Eacott]

See anecdote & article at the links below:

ferryair4 (http://helitavia.com/Skyweaver/ferryair4.htm)

article_wessex (http://helitavia.com/Skyweaver/article_wessex.htm)


Article one: that was a brave ferry without a spare computer!

Article two: the listing of Australian bases seems to have missed Derby. Pronounced as spelt in this side of the planet, causing much merriment among the locals when a Pom tries to call it 'Darby' :rolleyes: :p

[nomorehelosforme]

John,

The Pom that pronounced it “Darby” was clearly a well educated southern gentleman (posh) whereas the poms in the North of England would definitely pronounce it “Derby “

Its quite surprising how different accents are in England in the space of a 100 miles or so.

[John Eacott]

John,

The Pom that pronounced it “Darby” was clearly a well educated southern gentleman (posh) whereas the poms in the North of England would definitely pronounce it “Derby “

Its quite surprising how different accents are in England in the space of a 100 miles or so.


;)

Thinking more of the Derby Stakes: ISTR even Scotsmen pronounced it 'Darby' :p

[212man]

See anecdote & article at the links below:

ferryair4 (http://helitavia.com/Skyweaver/ferryair4.htm)

article_wessex (http://helitavia.com/Skyweaver/article_wessex.htm)

Interesting ferry flight read, although not quite sure what he means by "Marseille beach"?

[SASless]

Article two: the listing of Australian bases seems to have missed Derby. Pronounced as spelt in this side of the planet, causing much merriment among the locals when a Pom tries to call it 'Darby' https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies2/icon_rolleyes.gif https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/tongue.gif

​​​​​​​I suppose that is fair....considering how the Pom's make fun of Aussies at every turn!

[Tail-take-off]

Having been born and raised in said midlands city I’ve never heard any of the locals call it anything but D-aah-by!

[Tail-take-off]

Another photo from the old “Skyweaver” site
http://helitavia.com/Skyweaver/images/jv26.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/468x358/jv26_15089d89289e22741bdb18c2caaeb1a8eb711251.jpg

[Tail-take-off]

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/511x324/djambi2_095bed659f7a9a5e090a494eaf0ce6ab43531bd6.jpg
bases_duri (http://helitavia.com/Skyweaver/bases_duri.htm) Another Sumatran operation was Djambi which again was used to support helirig operations of which there is a good explanation at Base-Ecuador. The pictures show some of the earlier aircraft used in Sumatra, at Djambi, such as the Wessex and Bell 206s, plus the on-site accommodation and a typical onshore drilling rig.

[212man]

Duri - 2 weeks on, 10 days off in Singapore! What wouldn’t I give for that roster?!

[heli1]

Some interesting snippets coming in but still need some decent photos of this Wessex. Some of those around st the time surely had their cameras handy plus a few Bristow PR pictures in the archives?