Gazelles in Berlin

[md 600 driver]

Hi I am researching which uk gazelles were based in Germany especially 7 flight and Berlin anyone got any info in their logbooks of Berlin based gazelles

[HaveQuick2]

Here is a start for you.
A swap-over of cabs in 1983 was listed in BAR
XW844
XX371
XZ291
XZ295
XZ304
XZ310
XZ311

[pasta]

One of the highlights of my time as a Cadet was a ride around West Berlin in the left seat of one of those :-)

[Less Hair]

Fantastic. Did you get to fly over east Berlin or the GDR (within the control zone) as well?

[chopper2004]

Does anyone have any photos of these? Is there a website for history of 7 Flight or Book?

How long was the familiarisation training for new Gazelle pilots coming into the Flt be like and I guess there be elements of 'peeking' being BRIXMIS.

cheers

[pasta]

Originally Posted by Less Hair

Fantastic. Did you get to fly over east Berlin or the GDR (within the control zone) as well?

No, but they did bus us through Checkpoint Charlie for a wander round Treptower Park and some souvenir shopping (the plastic coins received as change were probably a better souvenir than whatever we actually bought). It was a pretty cool trip.

[diginagain]

A fellow Aircrewman Observer and I took a trip up to Berlin as guests of 7 Flt in the mid-1980's. Rather than a flog about in the back of a Gazelle we were taken on a 'Tour' of NVA barracks around East Berlin, armed with a couple of BRIXMIS' cameras.

[HEDP]

Dare I ask why you are doing the research?

[md 600 driver]

I am looking to find a gazelle that was stationed in Germany Berlin for a display

[HEDP]

A good day in the office...

[NRU74]

HEDP
Good photo which also shows the sun shining on the TV tower showing a cross and was nicknamed in the sixties/seventies as St. Ulbricht's !

[Less Hair]

St. Walter (for Walter Ulbricht) to be precise. They even tried acid to get the shine away on the metal plates.
"Report position". "Abeam Führerbunker".

[NRU74]

Originally Posted by Less Hair

St. Walter (for Walter Ulbricht) to be precise.

Thanks - I'd probably had too many sherberts at Edinburgh House at the time !

[Less Hair]

Concerning Gatow Gazelles I remember watching a flight with maxed out passenger load. No doors and people squeezed inside some with their feet outside on the skids. Don't remember the headcount but it must have been next to a Chinook.

[gsa]

I was at 7 Flt in Berlin from 82 to 84, it was the best posting I ever had by a long way. You got to see the city in a very special way, both sides of the wall.

[gsa]

Originally Posted by md 600 driver

I am looking to find a gazelle that was stationed in Germany Berlin for a display

Which display? For the queen’s birthday parade a Herc would bring up 2 extras from Wildenrath and they all got fitted with smoke grenades to give the colours.

[gsa]

Originally Posted by Less Hair

Fantastic. Did you get to fly over east Berlin or the GDR (within the control zone) as well?

It was only fixed wing that was allowed over the wall into the control zone. The RAF did have 2 Chipmunks that were used occasionally and the Americans over in Tempelhof had a couple of Turbo Porters to loiter around.

[melmothtw]

Was that to prevent a helicopter landing and spiriting away a dissident/defector or two?

[Less Hair]

IIRC US Army Hueys went over East Berlin and East Germany sometimes. As did the odd soviet Hip over East Berlin.

[melmothtw]

Originally Posted by gsa

It was only fixed wing that was allowed over the wall into the control zone. The RAF did have 2 Chipmunks that were used occasionally and the Americans over in Tempelhof had a couple of Turbo Porters to loiter around.

The French had Turbo Porters out of Tegel also, I believe. Seemed a far more suitable aircraft than the low-winged Chipmunk, IMO.