Bristow Photos
Sedco 704 and G-BARJ.
bluesafari/mtoroshanga,
The breaking of both skids occurred to G-BARJ on the night of 10th.January 1977 whilst carrying out the Piper/Claymore shuttle as PNF, my logbook tells me. My last flight with BEAS before disappearing to Norway for seven years. Oh happy days!
With fraternal greetings,
ambi
The breaking of both skids occurred to G-BARJ on the night of 10th.January 1977 whilst carrying out the Piper/Claymore shuttle as PNF, my logbook tells me. My last flight with BEAS before disappearing to Norway for seven years. Oh happy days!
With fraternal greetings,
ambi
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If you remember the chief pilot who was an American from Hawaii had the most trouble landing and had the trolley made wider after shift one day then we found it wouldn't go in the hangar!! I rest my case regarding stick to what you know.
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If you remember the chief pilot who was an American from Hawaii had the most trouble landing and had the trolley made wider after shift one day then we found it wouldn't go in the hangar!! I rest my case regarding stick to what you know.
In those politically incorrect times he was known as 'Nip in the Air' if I remember correctly
In those politically incorrect times he was known as 'Nip in the Air' if I remember correctly
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Correct 
He was a little difficult to understand sometimes: once when flying with him I was asked to operate 'the environmental selection system', which I eventually worked out was the B212 sliding pilot's window.
I also learnt about shooting up things in 'Nam with 20 mikemikes. Oh what fun we had
He was a little difficult to understand sometimes: once when flying with him I was asked to operate 'the environmental selection system', which I eventually worked out was the B212 sliding pilot's window.
I also learnt about shooting up things in 'Nam with 20 mikemikes. Oh what fun we had
A Little Known Operation
In April 1986 a short drilling contract came up in Haverfordwest, South Wales. One 76, GBISZ, was purloined off Redhill as the sole aircraft. The Aberdeen A team was sent down to pick up the aircraft and run the operation. In charge was Action Man plus two pilots, ably supported by Redhill hangar’s best..
We operated from offices rented from a one ship plank operator which also included hangar space. The flying depended on the same criteria as Sumburgh in the eighties. You waited until the fixed wing from Aberdeen arrived and then you took them on to the rig. When Haverfordwest was socked in then it would go to Brawdy, just up the road, so no problem for us to shuttle them from there. The rig was only thirty minutes away so you could always go to Cardiff.
Action Man was incredibly fastidious as I found out after my first flight. Whilst I was waiting for the engine wash he presented me with a copy, written in copperplate, of my MSLS to sign. This was because one of the major advantages of my life was that nobody could read my handwriting so I couldn’t be nailed for anything. His role expanded to planning the flight log, filling in the MSLS and doing the compressor wash. In the end all I had to do was pitch up twenty minutes before T/O, climb into the aircraft, do the trip, step out, sign a couple of forms and go back to the hotel.
All good things come to an end and so did this contract. I was detailed to take SZ back to Redhill. The route took me just south of Odiham. my last RAF base, so I thought it might be a good idea to nip into the old squadron and show them my shiny S76. A chat with the powers at Redhill where I explained that as the company was on the lookout for pilots my showing up might be enough for a few to return the Queen’s shilling. This was agreed as long as there were no landing charges. I confirmed this fact with Odiham and it was laid on.
I took off from Haverfordwest and in the back I had one of our pilots and a Redhill engineer plus two bits of Welsh totty off for a dirty weekend in the Smoke. The general track was East and I cleared with Cardiff and then up came Bristol. I flicked through the Aerad and the first one I saw was Bristol, Filton. This I was happy with because the last time I had been in this area was when I delivered a Valiant to Filton in 1965. I called up Filton, gave them an overhead and everybody was happy. Apart from this Shorts Sherpa that went by at right angles about 300 ft below me. That’s when Filton asked me to contact some airfield called Bristol Lulsgate.
There was bit of a discussion and it was apparent that I had erred slightly. Maybe more because it was quite common for amateur pilots to inadvertently brush a Control Zone but I, being a professional, had gone through the whole thing, longways. I then continued to Odiham.
Lots of interest in the aircraft at Odiham. Strange things like VORs ILSs, weather radar and NO oil leaks. The girls had coffee in the crewroom looking slightly shaken. They hadn’t expected to arrive at Odiham via a 60degree/2G/100ft break over the squadron offices. The proceedings were then slightly soured by the adjutant asking me to telephone the supervisor at Lulsgate.
I apologised profusely to him and I thought that was that. I continued to Redhill and then followed a miserable train journey back to Wales to pick up my car.
Two weeks later a call from Flight Safety at Redhill. Bristol had filed an MOR and the CAA wanted an explanation. I wrote the most grovelling apology, pointing out that Lulsgate was over the page from Filton.
They Let Me Off!!!!!! Either it was a brilliant story or they couldn’t make head or tail out of what I was writing about. It kept my sheet clean so that in the end when I retired I could claim forty-eight years of undetected crime.
In April 1986 a short drilling contract came up in Haverfordwest, South Wales. One 76, GBISZ, was purloined off Redhill as the sole aircraft. The Aberdeen A team was sent down to pick up the aircraft and run the operation. In charge was Action Man plus two pilots, ably supported by Redhill hangar’s best..
We operated from offices rented from a one ship plank operator which also included hangar space. The flying depended on the same criteria as Sumburgh in the eighties. You waited until the fixed wing from Aberdeen arrived and then you took them on to the rig. When Haverfordwest was socked in then it would go to Brawdy, just up the road, so no problem for us to shuttle them from there. The rig was only thirty minutes away so you could always go to Cardiff.
Action Man was incredibly fastidious as I found out after my first flight. Whilst I was waiting for the engine wash he presented me with a copy, written in copperplate, of my MSLS to sign. This was because one of the major advantages of my life was that nobody could read my handwriting so I couldn’t be nailed for anything. His role expanded to planning the flight log, filling in the MSLS and doing the compressor wash. In the end all I had to do was pitch up twenty minutes before T/O, climb into the aircraft, do the trip, step out, sign a couple of forms and go back to the hotel.
All good things come to an end and so did this contract. I was detailed to take SZ back to Redhill. The route took me just south of Odiham. my last RAF base, so I thought it might be a good idea to nip into the old squadron and show them my shiny S76. A chat with the powers at Redhill where I explained that as the company was on the lookout for pilots my showing up might be enough for a few to return the Queen’s shilling. This was agreed as long as there were no landing charges. I confirmed this fact with Odiham and it was laid on.
I took off from Haverfordwest and in the back I had one of our pilots and a Redhill engineer plus two bits of Welsh totty off for a dirty weekend in the Smoke. The general track was East and I cleared with Cardiff and then up came Bristol. I flicked through the Aerad and the first one I saw was Bristol, Filton. This I was happy with because the last time I had been in this area was when I delivered a Valiant to Filton in 1965. I called up Filton, gave them an overhead and everybody was happy. Apart from this Shorts Sherpa that went by at right angles about 300 ft below me. That’s when Filton asked me to contact some airfield called Bristol Lulsgate.
There was bit of a discussion and it was apparent that I had erred slightly. Maybe more because it was quite common for amateur pilots to inadvertently brush a Control Zone but I, being a professional, had gone through the whole thing, longways. I then continued to Odiham.
Lots of interest in the aircraft at Odiham. Strange things like VORs ILSs, weather radar and NO oil leaks. The girls had coffee in the crewroom looking slightly shaken. They hadn’t expected to arrive at Odiham via a 60degree/2G/100ft break over the squadron offices. The proceedings were then slightly soured by the adjutant asking me to telephone the supervisor at Lulsgate.
I apologised profusely to him and I thought that was that. I continued to Redhill and then followed a miserable train journey back to Wales to pick up my car.
Two weeks later a call from Flight Safety at Redhill. Bristol had filed an MOR and the CAA wanted an explanation. I wrote the most grovelling apology, pointing out that Lulsgate was over the page from Filton.
They Let Me Off!!!!!! Either it was a brilliant story or they couldn’t make head or tail out of what I was writing about. It kept my sheet clean so that in the end when I retired I could claim forty-eight years of undetected crime.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 5th Apr 2014 at 12:27.
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Action Man could be one of the most annoying and pedantic people sometimes.
But he was THE best Line Training Captain money could buy. What he taught me on the S-76 contributed to hundreds of offshore single pilot landings at night offshore conducted without fear (for me), never being short of fuel, always being ahead of the aircraft and could probably have saved quite a few of the lives we have seen lost recently.
He could take the lowest time HP Student and turn them into a first rate FO within a few weeks. I will always have the utmost respect for him as an aviator.
But he was THE best Line Training Captain money could buy. What he taught me on the S-76 contributed to hundreds of offshore single pilot landings at night offshore conducted without fear (for me), never being short of fuel, always being ahead of the aircraft and could probably have saved quite a few of the lives we have seen lost recently.
He could take the lowest time HP Student and turn them into a first rate FO within a few weeks. I will always have the utmost respect for him as an aviator.
terminus mos
I will heartily concur with that. One favour he did for me at the end of that detachment was to arrange that all the paperwork would be carried by me to Aberdeen instead of sending it to Redhill in the aircraft. Thia ment that my drive back to Aberdeen was a DUTY trip so I got paid duty mileage for the whole journey.
In those days you could only claIm the rail fare if driving yourself to another operation . Nowadays you would probably be better off to claim the rail fare.
I will heartily concur with that. One favour he did for me at the end of that detachment was to arrange that all the paperwork would be carried by me to Aberdeen instead of sending it to Redhill in the aircraft. Thia ment that my drive back to Aberdeen was a DUTY trip so I got paid duty mileage for the whole journey.
In those days you could only claIm the rail fare if driving yourself to another operation . Nowadays you would probably be better off to claim the rail fare.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 5th Apr 2014 at 12:23.
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Little Known Operation
If memory serves me there was an earlier operation at H-West.
There was an S58T based there in the late 70's. Don Hutchins (Chiefy, ex RAF) was the engineer. Travel to H-West was by Peters Aviation Heron I think as was the route to Sumburgh in the early days of that op.
Correct me if I am wrong please.
Ken
There was an S58T based there in the late 70's. Don Hutchins (Chiefy, ex RAF) was the engineer. Travel to H-West was by Peters Aviation Heron I think as was the route to Sumburgh in the early days of that op.
Correct me if I am wrong please.
Ken
