Rescues in the Southern Ocean January 1997
 

With the recent passing of Tony Bullimore, it was reported in The West Australian that television pictures of the rescue were relayed from HMAS Adelaide at sea to the mainland via a "chartered twin-engined aircraft". This may have been cutting edge technology at the time. Does anyone know which aircraft was used? The author of the article does not know and Channel Seven in Perth can't help me.

It sounds like a long range operation but the aircraft may have needed to go only halfway if it was at high altitude. The RAAF Orions were not involved in this aspect of the operation. Any leads will be most welcome.

Rgds

Have you tried a Gin and Tonic? ;)

Fris B...while yr here ...and any others of historical bent...Any one know of...??

Looking for book about the Salvage Ketch NUJINCO by Allan Work/Worth " Diary of a Dumb Airman"
RAAF salvors collected downed aircraft off the Cape York beaches and mud-flats. during WW2.

Alas not all...time and tides have done 'em in.
Anybody heard of it..???

Sorry Bloggs. You've lost me there. I'm from Queensland.

Fris, try Geoff Thomas. He was probably around then, and is the font of all knowledge aviation, especially in The West.

Thanks Bloggs. I'll give him a go.

Folks,
One sideline of this rescue.

At the time, CASA had legislation mandating fixed ELT in all aircraft (more or less) despite the very poor in service record of such devices ---- plenty of false activations but a better than 90% failure rate when you needed them to work.

At the time, AOPA/AU was conducting a political campaign to allow portable ELT to meet the ELT requirement, thus saving huge amounts of money for fitting something virtually useless. CASA was blind and deaf to the failure figures produced by ATSB and AOPA/AU. Another example of refusing to do a benefit/cost analysis, despite government (then Labor) policy.

Bullimore lost his mandated fixed ELT in the capsize, 100% of ELTs do not broadcast underwater.

It was an additional portable ELT/PLB that broadcast, and was critical in him being found.

A cover of the AOPA magazine of the era had a picture of Bullimore sitting on the hull of his yacht in the southern ocean ---- to great political effect ---- and the Howard government legislated (John Sharp, Minister) for PLB, much to the disgust of those in CASA who supported mandated fixed ELT despite the proven failure rate in real world accidents.

Tootle pip!!

"A cover of the AOPA magazine of the era had a picture of Bullimore sitting on the hull of his yacht in the southern ocean"
Are you sure about this LS? I remember differently - TB was inside the upturned vessel and swam out when AUS navy crew banged on the hull. There was another rescue at the same time (was it Thierry Dubois?) - that skipper was standing on the upturned hull of his yacht, clinging to a rudder and knowing that if he fell asleep, he would die. I have seen a photo of that, many years ago.

Recidivist recalls correctly.

Fake news once again by LS.

LS may have been in error regarding the the Bullimore or was it Dubois photograph but he was spot on with his recall of the shambles that was CAsA and the fixed ELT saga.

CAsA proved at that time and have frequently since that they certainly are not an Authority on Safe Civil Aviation.

CC

Rec, Charlie,
Come to think of it, you are probably correct. But the facts at the time got through to even some of the most dense of the politicians of the day.

Squawk 7700,
FANTASTIC NEWS, FIXED ELT ONLY FAIL 85% OF THE TIME, INSTEAD OF 90%+ ???

Clearly we should revert to the original legislation and make fixed ELT mandatory.

Call it an obsession if you like, I just call it facts, (and certainly not fake news) and there have been at least two occasions since the mid-1990s, when "the usual suspects (latest generation of)" have started a move to once again mandate fixed ELT.
All in the name of ICAO compliance. There was huge pressure brought to bear on the person who did the post-implementation review of the original change (which only confirmed the failure rate) but he also stuck to the facts.

The "case" that CASA originally presented to justify the mandate was mindblowingly inaccurate, to the degree that it, in my opinion, it went beyond the usual level of incompetence. Then again, we have seen similar in more recent times, think of the grossly wrong benefit/cost analysis (both No.1 and No.2) for ADS-B.

What other piece of aeronautical "safety" equipment, with such a grotesque failure rate would allowed, even tolerated, much less mandated.

And, 7700, there is the little matter of those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it.

Only in recent weeks, a most earnest young instructor took it upon himself to tell me how much better a fixed ELT was --- as fitted to his company's several aircraft. That I declined to leave my GME PLB in the car more than surprised him. I trust now he understands a little more of the "true facts".

Tootle pip!!

Update
 

I am still trying to identify the aircraft that was used to relay the television pictures. I almost had it pegged as a Beech 200 but then I located someone who was on board and although he can't remember the type he does remember that it had a sliding door, which effectively rules out the Beech 200. He also recalls that it operated out of Albany. Does this ring any bells with anyone? We are talking January 1997.

(GT couldn't help me)

Was something like a 2,600nm round trip which I'd imagine rules out any GA aircraft. Bullimore mentions an aircraft overhead when rescued, reading the following would seem to suggest P-3 operating out of Perth International at war time weights.

https://qam.com.au/portfolio/lockheed-orion-brooke/

Megan
There was an Orion orbiting as Tony Bullimore was picked up (indeed it was A9-760) but the television pictures were relayed two days later on 11 Jan as HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Westralia were steaming back to Fremantle. It was definitely not an ADF aircraft.
Rgds

I seem to remember that Albany was a fuel stop both ways, I would check news owned or hired from Jandakot .

I believe that to be the case.

Please explain? (Remember, I'm from Qld!)

There where light jet aircraft operating in freight and fly in out mine changes at the time.

Sorry Fris, I assumed from the first post (quote) that the TV was relayed in real time, not,Would a sliding door be possibly an aircraft set up for skydiving, can't think of any other possible type?

Back in the 1980s I was at Hawker Pacific and we modified a number of B200s for the National Safety Council with inward opening doors. The aircraft could be depressurized and the door opened in flight. The idea was for deploying parachuters, once they jumped out the door was shut and the aircraft could be repressurised. I went on a number of the flights where we tested the process opening and closing the door. It might have been one of those Kingairs after the NSC was wound up - can't remember the time frame of that happening.

I often wonder what happened to those aircraft and if they're still operating.

The NSC collapsed in 1989, but one of their ex 200's would be an ideal candidate.

Thank you WV for that most helpful information. I have been researching the NSCA B200s hence my delay in getting back to you. It seems that they had 6 in total:

VH-NSD BL-55 NSCA #21
VH-NSE BL-10 NSCA #22
VH-NSF BL-50 NSCA #23
VH-NSG BL-09 NSCA #24
VH-NSR BL-40 NSCA #30
VH-NSS BB-12 NSCA #25

All were B200C with the big freight door except VH-NSS which was the ex Thiess B200 with the single airstair door.

It appears that 4 were modified with the inward opening door and the bubble windows aft of the door on both sides. These were NSD, NSF, NSG and NSR.

VH-NSF and NSR departed Australia before the Bullimore rescue in JAN97 so they are eliminated. That leaves NSD and NSG. The NSCA collapsed in 1989 and by 1997 NSG was with Lloyd/Skywest as VH-KZL. NSD had been operating with the North Qld Emergency Response Group in Cairns but on 14FEB97 it was re-registered VH-FDA to the RFDS. I'm guessing that at the time of the Bullimore rescue NSD would have been undergoing overhaul and mods before delivery to the RFDS. That would leave VH-KZL as the most likely candidate.

One interesting anomaly that came up during my research concerns VH-NSR. It definitely had the modified door while with the NSCA but in FEB90 it was photographed at Cairns in Lloyd colours, still with the bubble windows but with a conventional downward opening airstair door! This prompts me to ask if Hawker Pacific reworked the original door or did they build a new door from scratch thus enabling the original airstair door to be refitted as required?

The only aircraft remaining in Australia is the former VH-NSG which is currently with Aus West Airlines at Jandakot as VH-NTG. Disposition of the others:

NSD to USA as N356AA
NSE to Canada as C-FAMB
NSF to USA as N54HF
NSR to Denmark as OY-GEB
NSS to USA as N193GA.

Rgds

Hi Fris B. Fairing, they were good days - lots of innovation and lots of overtime. In relation to NSR I seem to recall once modified it would have been an expensive proposition to be mod back to an airstair door - unless they were able to buy a whole cargo door and replace the lot, so I don't know what was done for that aircraft.

Probably warrants another thread, but Hawkers used to make the door completely. We made formers and went to the rubber press at De Havillands and pressed out O condition 2024 which was then heat treated by them. Once heat treated they were bought back to 275 and put in a jig for assembly of the door. A lot of the latching mechanism was taken off the airstair door and reused on the inward opening door. The door was on articulated arms attached to modified yacht sail roller carriage thingies and tracks mounted on the floor. The door was pulled inwards and rolled forwards into the fuselage. I remember going on the test flights and once strapped in opening the door and making sure it could be closed - there was a deflector on the forward edge of the opening. Have some photos somewhere, after modification the hull was ground pressurized to 1.5 times max diff to check integrity.

Along with the bubble windows some of the aircraft were modified with camera hatches, seem to recall one aircraft had two camera holes. There were also two tubes in the luggage area for deploying (i think) flares in flight, the flares were put in on the ground and released without having to depressurise.

Thanks for the info on where they are now. I wonder if NTG is one of the modified ones.

Thanks WV for that further clarification. I had assumed that the door would slide aft but clearly that would intrude on the observation bubble and the fuselage taper might be limiting anyway.

VH-NTG was formerly VH-NSG which had the door mod. Recent photos of NTG show that the bubble is no longer fitted on the stbd side so I'm guessing the door is also back to normal. Does anyone have recent experience of NTG?

Since my previous post I have found another modded ex NSCA aircraft that reverted to an airstair after NSCA collapsed. Given your experience that Hawkers built the door from scratch using components from the original airstair door, I would imagine that the original door was kept in reserve and removed components could be refitted to return the door to original spec.

Here is a picture of VH-NSG taken at Archerfield on 13 October 1985, just two months after it joined NSCA. The NSCA fleet number 24 has yet to be applied:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...30a3d289c5.jpg

Here is a close-up of the door. The apparent shadow at the leading edge of the door creates the illusion that the door opened outwards but is this the wind deflector that you mentioned?

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...4d47fd594e.jpg

For good measure here is a picture of VH-NSR taken in Brisbane in June 1989, probably soon after close of business.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...2b8c7b38ac.jpg

Getting back to the Bullimore rescue in January 1997, it would appear that VH-KZL (ex VH-NSG) is the likely candidate. I will take your advice and create a separate thread to try and locate someone who was flying KZL in Jan 97, probably with Lloyds/Skywest. Thanks again for your help.

Rgds

megle2

All of the NSCA aircraft (except VH-NSS) were Beech 200Cs with the big freight door with the inset airstair door. VH-NSS was a B200 ex Thiess Bros VH-THS and just had the small airstair door. You are correct that VH-AKV (VH-NSE) had the big door.

If you look closely at the door of VH-NSR in the photo above it has two inset handholds, a flush handle and no hinges at the bottom. I believe VH-NSG is the same.

Rgds

The aircraft used in the initial search was a Bombardier Global Express (range 6000+ nm), chartered from one of Australia's Billionaires which was able to pin point the location from the ELT that Bullimore activated.

Chance
I think you might be confused with something else. Bullimore was located by RAAF Orions. The Global Express was not certificated until July 1998.

[Off Topic]
I got a ride in THS in 1975 when it was quite new. Barry? Kerr was the pilot.
He went on to fly the Lear for UTAH Mines!
By today's standard, THS was not an old aircraft when it went to the NSC.

[Back On Topic]

I seem to recall the inward opening door wanted to fall in at the top (there was a top rail or some sort to prevent it falling in) when opened, so to close it from the outside there was another hand hold further up so you could pull the top of the door towards you and latch it with your other hand lower down. While standing on a ladder.

Fris B - yes, you are correct. That is the deflector, not a shadow.