Barry Sheene RIP

[Wunper]

Very sorry to hear the news of Barry Sheene's passing today, a true British sporting hero, but also a helo pilot of some years.

Does anyone recall flying with him? I am sure he would have been a fine pilot with all his motorcycling skills and mechanical know how.

I recall he used to keep a Hughes 500 G-STEF at Shoreham in the early 80's so there is a fair chance he might have been taught at Spooner by Dennis Kenyon.

I last saw him race a Manx Norton at the Goodwood revival meeting two years ago, he had'nt lost his touch......

RIP number 7

Wunper

[Dantruck]

Great man was Barry.
Never flew with him, but know a lass who was in the back when the donkey quite - I think it was in a JetRanger - and he put it down safely.
First met and interviewed him in 1985 when truck racing first got going in the UK. He was the first big name to embrace the fledgling new sport, and it went from there. I've never met an interviewee since who was so easy to talk to.
RIP
Dantruck

[Happy Landing !]

RIP "Baz the man"

I remember him over Box Hill in a B206 on a Sunday afternoon popping Auto's (Anyone who's been to Box Hill on a Sunday knows what I'm referring to !).

Barry used to drive the crowds wild with his anticts both from the air and on 2 wheels.

Without giving too much away.....:cool:

Surrey Police were chasing a car through Hookwood in Surrey that had been involved in a burglary. Barry who lived local decided to help out:D Up went the 206 with 2 officers on board (This was well before the advent of a full time Police Heli). They managed to keep tabs on the car as it sped through the local lanes towards Gatwick ! The villians were finaly captured and Barry got a lovely letter from the Chief Constable thanking him for his public spirited assistance. Barry produced the letter Months later during a roasting from the CAA for a rule 5 infringement that happened ages after the Police incident ;) "I got a nice letter from the Chief Constable the last time I did it" said Barry !

A realy nice bloke - Sadly Missed. RIP

Happy !

[Flying Lawyer]

I posted this on the thread currently running in JetBlast ............

Very sad, and hard to take in.
The poignancy of a conversation over lunch less than a year ago when he seemed to be a picture of good health comes back ..... and perhaps also a message.
He asked me why I still smoked - he'd given up about seven years earlier.
'I'm not nagging, it's up to you."
"I know. I've tried several times, I find it very difficult."
"Tell me about it. Remember I used to smoke 60 a day untipped, and I stopped and haven't had one since. If I can do it, so can you if you really want to. You know the facts."
Barry's cancer was diagnosed only a couple of months later.

I never saw Barry again after that lunch and, in many ways, I'm glad. He was on good form, full of fun and enjoying life, and that's how I'll always remember him.

I never flew with Barry but, ironically the reason he was over at that time was to look at A109s. He bought one, but never had the full pleasure of flying it.

[All-Blacks]

I had the privilege of meeting Barry a few times on the Gold Coast of OZ. One of his mates, Mick Doohan has a nice AS-350 (now a B3) over there that Baz used to go flying in now and then.

Was a real gentlemen. When he found out he had cancer he pulled out of all his commentating and commitments to try as hard as he could to beat it and be with his family. You could always tell when he was commentating the racing, wether it was the V8 supercars or the biks, his accent and wit stood out a mile.

He will be sadly missed by racegoers and industry people in this part of the world also.

AB

[ppheli]

I'm pretty certain Dennis taught him - certainly Dennis sold him his first helicopter - the black/yellow Enstrom 280C G-BGMX in October 1980 - and he later move up to the blue/red/white 500C G-STEF in November 1984. I remember reading an article on him which said that he was such an aviation nut that he often had Gatwick Approach audible around the house on an airband radio - he lived just 1 mile west in the village of Charlwood.

[Captain Lai Hai]

I would like to add that I too had the pleasure of knowing Barry and flew with him on a few occasions on the Gold Coast a few years ago.
A true gentleman who had a passion for helicopters.
RIP Barry

[rotorboater]

I 1st met Barry when I was a young oik helping a bike racing team during a race meeting at Siverstone, he was world champion at the time and I was in awe of him but he treated me like a real person, definatly not up his own ar*e like some of them!

A true star and a gentleman (in his own way;) We will all miss him, RIP Bazzer

[ali250]

Barry will be sadly missed by all of us at Biggin. Up until October last year he was a regular. At the time he was proud to show us his replacement to G-STEF (a 109 that is not his missus!). It was being shipped over to Oz. Unfortunately by the time it had arrived he'd been diagnosed.

In answer to previous questions I can assure you that Barry was a very conscientious pilot. He may have been aggressive, fast and furious on the track but he showed nothing more than professionalism in his attitude as a private helicopter pilot. Like everything Barry applied himself to he did it extremely well.

In my opinion his best skills of all were his people skills, he would gladly talk to anyone, anyone who showed an interest that is, about anything from the good ol' days at Brands Hatch to landing on a bowling green instead of the hotel lawn. (Hey! we can all make mistakes, I never said he was perfect!)

He was a great character and friend; the world will be a sadder place without him, but a richer place for having known him.

[Jiff]

I was nine (I think) and I will never forget watching TV and seeing probably the most awesome motorcycle race ever with Mr Sheene and Mr Roberts one lap ahead of the pack at Donnington in 77-79

My condolences to his family
RIP Barry

Peter

[Woss goin on..?]

And what is going on when somebody so fit, healthy and with so much going for them, should succumb to this 'horrible little disease':confused:

As a 13year old schoolboy with nothing on his mind except helicopters and Magnum PI, I was lucky enough to have my first ever helicopter trip with Barry in G-STEF when after a day out, he brought my brother and I back home....a day I will never forget as it finally sealed my determination to fly and has cost me thousands over the years! :rolleyes:

Being close to Barry's family makes this week rather sad, and I feel particularly for his father Franco who sadly lost his wife a few years ago and has now lost a fantastic son.

Many people around the world will be missing Barry but we should all say thanks for the enjoyment he brought to us all..Good on yer mate! :ok:

[CyclicRick]

A great shame. I remember watching him on the telly as a kid, a great sportsman and a very likable guy. I'll always remember the stories of him having more metal in his body than was in his bike!

So sorry to hear of his death, RIP Barry

[Dennis Kenyon]

From Dennis Kenyon


I was out of the country when I heard the news on TV. Such a very sad loss.

I was running the sales side of Spooner Aviation in those days.
Barry bought G-BGMX and immediately set about his PPL(H) training with a broken left wrist following his 1980 crash at the Sugo GP race. I did some of Barry's flying and conducted his flight test for PPL issue, but the bulk of his training was completed by no other than John ZZ !!!
Yes he was a natural, (except his R/T where the cockney accent never left him.)

Call to LGW. "Hi fellahs - its Barry. Can I fly over runway 26 for Charlwood. (where he lived just 500 yards from the 08 threshold.)

I met his lovely wife Stephanie several times and still have a super signed photo of them both to remind me of the happier times. I also have a poignant picture of Barry with my son when he was twelve. Now both are gone.
On one occasion, Barry I and were returning from a Silverstone truck racing event when he spotted Friary park just north of Henley. "Oh that's Georges place - (Beatles) Let's drop in on him" Barry said. And that's just what he did.

I got my selling boots on and suggested George Harrison also bought a helicopter.

The Liverpool accent was wonderful. "Nooooo - I'd have to moooove a couple of the Pooorsches from the garage." And when once asked by a marketing man why he wouldn't buy another Porsche, he replied "Cos I think six is enough for anybody"

But back to Barry. A gentleman who never let fame go to his head. His clashes with Kenny Roberts were a marvel, but Barry once confided in me that he and Kenny decided to swap places for most of the race to give the punters 'a show'. Then race it out on the last three laps !!

I have a wonderful video of Barrry's first attempts at hovering on G-BGMX and his concentration was something to see.
I also recall his Suzuki 'Fruits of the Loom' poses with page 3, Jilly Johnson. A real glamour lad who knew how to pull in the advertising revenue.

So dear Barry do 'Rest in Peace' And all helicopter men will send their condolences to Stephanie, Sidonie and Freddie.

A sad farewell to a loss far too soon.

















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