Bristow Photos
Remember post 1305?
The ex Gulf Helicopter 212 has now been cloned with 30ish Bristow mods by FBH.
I was kneeling in the cockpit today going through prelimary functional checks and it was only later on, driving back to the hotel, that I realised that most of those checks were done with the use of ears!!
I am lucky to have never really worked on a software controlled aircraft. In a quiet hangar, I can hear a fuel valve/boost pump, idle stop solenoid, HISL anti collision light, force trim solenoids, AP/FD relays, nav switching relays etc etc.
Fault finding by ears - a disappearing art!
It is quite satisfying giving a new lease of life to a 30 year old 212. Proabably got another 20 years in her now.
The ex Gulf Helicopter 212 has now been cloned with 30ish Bristow mods by FBH.
I was kneeling in the cockpit today going through prelimary functional checks and it was only later on, driving back to the hotel, that I realised that most of those checks were done with the use of ears!!
I am lucky to have never really worked on a software controlled aircraft. In a quiet hangar, I can hear a fuel valve/boost pump, idle stop solenoid, HISL anti collision light, force trim solenoids, AP/FD relays, nav switching relays etc etc.
Fault finding by ears - a disappearing art!
It is quite satisfying giving a new lease of life to a 30 year old 212. Proabably got another 20 years in her now.
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I am lucky to have never really worked on a software controlled aircraft.
Hmm. In the aircraft I fly these days if it doesn't work cycle the circuit breaker. If that doesn't work do a byte test then start changing boxes.
I hope you used Kapton, to give it that authentic feel 
TOD
It's an art! Not many avionic engineers are capable of it and when you find a good contract wireman - you hold onto him!! The trouble is nowadays we aren't teaching the younger engineers in the industry how to approach a complicated mod programme like this. The last trainees/apprentices I had working with me was about 20 years ago and we are going to lose so many experienced guys in the next 10 years without their experience and hard learnt skills being passed on. It winds me up
.......and C*apton.... Oh, the memories of inspecting installed S76 main gearbox looms wired with the stuff
Got a few Puma pics, I'll throw on later.......after Man Utd give Liverpool a good thrashing
It's an art! Not many avionic engineers are capable of it and when you find a good contract wireman - you hold onto him!! The trouble is nowadays we aren't teaching the younger engineers in the industry how to approach a complicated mod programme like this. The last trainees/apprentices I had working with me was about 20 years ago and we are going to lose so many experienced guys in the next 10 years without their experience and hard learnt skills being passed on. It winds me up
.......and C*apton.... Oh, the memories of inspecting installed S76 main gearbox looms wired with the stuff
Got a few Puma pics, I'll throw on later.......after Man Utd give Liverpool a good thrashing
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Bristow Aberdeen
Having only managed to post a thumbnail of this pic the last time I decided to post it again now that I have worked out how to put a full size pic in the post.
Taken outside the original hangar in 1973 with G-AZRF and possibly G-AZDC or G-AZNE in the background.
G-AZNE late afternoon takeoff winter 1973.
This is when the new office block/passenger terminal was being built and was then opened by the Duke of Edinburgh.
Taken outside the original hangar in 1973 with G-AZRF and possibly G-AZDC or G-AZNE in the background.
G-AZNE late afternoon takeoff winter 1973.
This is when the new office block/passenger terminal was being built and was then opened by the Duke of Edinburgh.
Good question - where did all those Pumas end up?
OK, having smuggled a load of slides and pics out of Redhill I had two options for the slides...
1. Stick with my very expensive, quite old, a pain of a thing to use with difficult software ...slide scanner..
OR
2. Buy a new tech plug and play, no hassle, £50 scanner from Maplins in Shrewsbury.
No contest - I have a new scanner
Does the job OK considering we are working with "abused" source material!!
So, from now on I am going for quality, not quantity..and here is the first.
Written on slide......"Bell 205A-1 PK-HBU, 24th May 1983, Eddy Purwono lifting Gearhart unit, Rig 56, Metas location, Sumatra. Photo by CPT. L.E.Koppe"
OK, having smuggled a load of slides and pics out of Redhill I had two options for the slides...
1. Stick with my very expensive, quite old, a pain of a thing to use with difficult software ...slide scanner..
OR
2. Buy a new tech plug and play, no hassle, £50 scanner from Maplins in Shrewsbury.
No contest - I have a new scanner
Does the job OK considering we are working with "abused" source material!!
So, from now on I am going for quality, not quantity..and here is the first.
Written on slide......"Bell 205A-1 PK-HBU, 24th May 1983, Eddy Purwono lifting Gearhart unit, Rig 56, Metas location, Sumatra. Photo by CPT. L.E.Koppe"
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Where did all those Bristow Pumas end up; are they still flying?
1472 G-BERG,VH-WOB,P2-PHZ,N10241
1475 G-BERH,VH-WOE,G-BERH,VH-WOE,N405R,PP-MGB,N405R
1478 G-BFEU,VH-WOD,N505R,HC-CDO,N505R
1481 G-BFJX,9M-SSC written off
1484 G-BFJY,9M-SSG written off
1508 G-BFKZ,VH-WOF,G-BFKZ,VR-BIG,VH-WOF written off
1514 G-BFNF,9M-SSD,N330JF
1490 G-BFPN,9M-SSF
1526 G-BFSV,VH-BHO[2],G-BFSV,9M-SSI,VH-WOA written off
1557 G-BFTV,9M-SSE cancelled
1517 F-GCJI,G-BJWS destroyed
1586 C-GMNP,N5593A,G-BKAI,9M-SSJ,G-BKAI,9M-SSJ
One via Les Smith...
G-BFNF, one time 9M-SSD, in it’s current guise of N330JF working for the US Navy on contract VERTREP (nice navy term there !) I think that company had four or five of our old 330s, another is visible at the back of the other boat (not a nice navy term !) should be ‘at the stern of the other vessel’ !!
G-BFNF, one time 9M-SSD, in it’s current guise of N330JF working for the US Navy on contract VERTREP (nice navy term there !) I think that company had four or five of our old 330s, another is visible at the back of the other boat (not a nice navy term !) should be ‘at the stern of the other vessel’ !!
Bob Holly is headed for the Vertrep contract held by Evergreen....seems he just cannot retire! He says 50 hours of Puma time and a packed kitbag qualifies one for the job.
One from the Redhill archives..........no info.
Not careers for the faint hearted - the crew (one or two?) in the single engined 204? and the the other with the spanners, on top of the pylon!!
Sure beats working in an office.
Not careers for the faint hearted - the crew (one or two?) in the single engined 204? and the the other with the spanners, on top of the pylon!!
Sure beats working in an office.
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Bristows in the USA
My first trip abroad for BHL was to Pleasantville near Atlantic City.
The 212 had suffered an overtorque and since the complete transmission was to be changed
Bill Petrie told me to go out and help get the thing tracked and balanced using the Chadwick.
Brian Williams was the Chief Eng.
We built up the twinpack in his garage as you can see there was little of the hangar at that time.
This was at the end of November and it was freezing.
The 212 had suffered an overtorque and since the complete transmission was to be changed
Bill Petrie told me to go out and help get the thing tracked and balanced using the Chadwick.
Brian Williams was the Chief Eng.
We built up the twinpack in his garage as you can see there was little of the hangar at that time.
This was at the end of November and it was freezing.
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More from the USA
A trip to the Southern States after BHL took over Offshore Helicopters Inc.
Was then known as BOHI. The base at Sabine Pass had a variety of helicopters. Dick Davidson (RIP) was Engineering Manager.
A Hughes 500.
A Eurocopter AStar at Sabine Pass
Two AStars and a Gazelle at Sabine Pass
Jefferson County, John Ferrall was the Chief Engineer
A whole load of differant machines here, S76, B212, AStars, Hughes.
Abbeyville had a lot of the small stuff, Sandy Ogilvie was the Chief Engineer.
This was Houma in Louisiana where there were a few 212's and Brian Williams was the Chief Engineer after being at Atlantic City.
Was then known as BOHI. The base at Sabine Pass had a variety of helicopters. Dick Davidson (RIP) was Engineering Manager.
A Hughes 500.
A Eurocopter AStar at Sabine Pass
Two AStars and a Gazelle at Sabine Pass
Jefferson County, John Ferrall was the Chief Engineer
A whole load of differant machines here, S76, B212, AStars, Hughes.
Abbeyville had a lot of the small stuff, Sandy Ogilvie was the Chief Engineer.
This was Houma in Louisiana where there were a few 212's and Brian Williams was the Chief Engineer after being at Atlantic City.
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How sad!
Bell 212 Ex VR-BFE, 9Y-TEY, long term Trinidad based aircraft.
HK-4518X on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
HK-4518X on Flickr - Photo Sharing!