Bristow Photos
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: canada
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I seem to recall whirlybirds in sumburgh dishing out really crappy orange survival suits in about 77-78, but can't swear they were the first. I know alot of the guys were trying to get into Jenny's suit !!
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: West Sussex
Age: 84
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FH
The above picture reminds me of the time I was in the club cinema at Port Harcourt, in the early seventies watching one of those rubbish James Bond type spin off films that were around at the time.
If my memory serves me correctly. the hero was played by Dene Martin.
At the end of the film, our hero was floating around in the ocean in a life raft, when what should come chugging into view but FH. The last time I had seen it was looking sad outside the Redhill hangar.
The rest of the aedience was amused at my cheering, and justiculating, "theres FH"
If my memory serves me correctly. the hero was played by Dene Martin.
At the end of the film, our hero was floating around in the ocean in a life raft, when what should come chugging into view but FH. The last time I had seen it was looking sad outside the Redhill hangar.
The rest of the aedience was amused at my cheering, and justiculating, "theres FH"
Early Aberdeen
When I started at Aberdeen in 1971 as a co-pilot, there was just VR-BDU which became G-AZNE later ditched by Russ Smith and John McGregor (sadly both no longer with us) off the Glomar North Sea. The second S61 was G-AZDC, the Elivie rebuild carried out at Redhill which arrived around 25 Jan 1972. That was about the time that the first Bristow hangar was finished. Before that, most maintenance was done outside and the office/crew room/check-in was the old RAF Dyce Station Headquarters building. Aah, the days of Decca plots and Spilsbury Tindall HF aerial tuning! Bill Law, Gabby Gaard, Bob Balls and even Alastair Gordon. Mike Green was the only other co-pilot in the very early days, if I remember correctly.
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey . I just heard that the chief Eng . Lee Bannister had died from Cancer .
Had a few laughs with him in Eket , PH and Lagos too ..... decent bloke , sadly missed .
Hope his missis will be ok ?
Had a few laughs with him in Eket , PH and Lagos too ..... decent bloke , sadly missed .
Hope his missis will be ok ?
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Cornwall
Age: 77
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Stewart McKilligin
Picked up from the Press & Journal and passed to me by Peter Donaldson
Notice of Death: MCKILLIGIN Stewart Fiddes, of Helendale House, Lerwick, Shetland, peacefully, on Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Acknowledgement: MCKILLIGIN The family of the late Stewart Fiddes McKilligin would like to thank all relatives, friends and neighbours for their kind expressions of sympathy extended to them by cards, flowers and phone calls following their sad loss. Thanks to Alan Richardson for conducting the service, to Goudie's (Shetland) and Ian Esslemont (Huntly) for efficient funeral arrangements, to The Forbes Arms Hotel, Rothiemay for a lovely tea, and to all who paid their last respects at the chapel and graveside. Sadly missed.
It is sad to report the death of Stew McKilligin (RIP) from ill health at the age of 70. Stew was Chief Pilot of Qaleh Morgi in Iran when I arrived there in 1969. I know he also was CP at Unst on the S61N in the early days
Peter Donaldson, Dave Smith, Malcolm Mead and Richard Hambly were present at the funeral representing those from Bristow Past.
JohnW
Notice of Death: MCKILLIGIN Stewart Fiddes, of Helendale House, Lerwick, Shetland, peacefully, on Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Acknowledgement: MCKILLIGIN The family of the late Stewart Fiddes McKilligin would like to thank all relatives, friends and neighbours for their kind expressions of sympathy extended to them by cards, flowers and phone calls following their sad loss. Thanks to Alan Richardson for conducting the service, to Goudie's (Shetland) and Ian Esslemont (Huntly) for efficient funeral arrangements, to The Forbes Arms Hotel, Rothiemay for a lovely tea, and to all who paid their last respects at the chapel and graveside. Sadly missed.
It is sad to report the death of Stew McKilligin (RIP) from ill health at the age of 70. Stew was Chief Pilot of Qaleh Morgi in Iran when I arrived there in 1969. I know he also was CP at Unst on the S61N in the early days
Peter Donaldson, Dave Smith, Malcolm Mead and Richard Hambly were present at the funeral representing those from Bristow Past.
JohnW
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: taking up the hold
Age: 53
Posts: 812
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I flew Stuart in Unst in the mid 90's when he returned from Kerteh. A real character. He was number one on the senior captains list at the time.
I'm sad to hear of his death.
I'm sad to hear of his death.
What a character! I also knew Stewart in Unst, fine times! Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Scotland
Posts: 417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
TipCap
John Allerton finished his career with British Regional on the 146 some years ago circa 2002/3. As far as I know he stays local to Aberdeen and is a skilled metalworker in his shed.
John Allerton finished his career with British Regional on the 146 some years ago circa 2002/3. As far as I know he stays local to Aberdeen and is a skilled metalworker in his shed.
Wasn't it more like wuun oh wuun....
Remember old grumpy Jim in the radio room.....I used to dread being on radio room duty as a co pilot when old Jim was on duty...he was a good guy but didn't like co pilots much!
Remember old grumpy Jim in the radio room.....I used to dread being on radio room duty as a co pilot when old Jim was on duty...he was a good guy but didn't like co pilots much!
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Dyce, Aberdeen
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Names From The Past
I was sorry to hear about Stewart McKilligin, he was a great guy. He was based in the early days here at Aberdeen. Kedge Good, a real gent, as I recall wore a cravat most if not all of the time while he was working in the radio room which at the time was located in the corner of the original hangar here at Aberdeen. Nobody will ever forget Jack Westwell, handlebar mouser and little orange beetle. Even after he retired he still came back to see us every so often. These guys, among many others, were real characters and made Aberdeen what it was. I met Malcolm Mead last year at a charity day in Dyce and this Wednesday bumped into Fred Small at B&Q, looking good and keeping occupied by sailing and touring, still lives in Aberdeen.
.....and a miscellaneous collection, which are the last of the Bristow archive photos I was sent by my undercover operatives at Redhill. There are a few slides to post when I get a minute to scan them on my cheapo Maplins slide scanner.
Nice to see the pictures in the recent thread of G-ANFH ( now looking very sorry for itself at The Helicopter Museum awaiting some kind retired people to volunteer to restore it ..any room at Aberdeen or Redhill where more bodies might come forward and be available ??),G-AODA (also at the Museum but in fine fettle(),Wessex GAVNE (Progressing slowly..but mainly now in the rebuild stage) and the Widgeon ,mostly restored now but still looking for a couple of the cockpit glazings to be replaced...the curved ones unfortunately ).
Just as a change from dragging through the black & white achives here are a couple of shots from Briistows recent operation for RAMSI (Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands).
That used to be GTIGU once upon a time.
A very select bunch of pilots and engineers flew on this most Easterly of Bristow operations. Twenty-four hour Casvac and SAR cover for over a thousand islands. For this there was Nitesun, sponson and internal overload fuel tanks and GPS suitable for airfield approaches.
On a beach by a police station on the South side of Guadalcanal. One of our tasks was to undersling 6 barrels of diesel to Rennel Island some 125 nm south. The departure was at 20,000lbs, a climb to 7,000 over the mountain range and then down to 2,000 ft, 90 knots across the sea. Drop it, land to unload the internal cargo and then fly back without refuelling.
For those who have been to Belize; there are worse places.
That used to be GTIGU once upon a time.
A very select bunch of pilots and engineers flew on this most Easterly of Bristow operations. Twenty-four hour Casvac and SAR cover for over a thousand islands. For this there was Nitesun, sponson and internal overload fuel tanks and GPS suitable for airfield approaches.
On a beach by a police station on the South side of Guadalcanal. One of our tasks was to undersling 6 barrels of diesel to Rennel Island some 125 nm south. The departure was at 20,000lbs, a climb to 7,000 over the mountain range and then down to 2,000 ft, 90 knots across the sea. Drop it, land to unload the internal cargo and then fly back without refuelling.
For those who have been to Belize; there are worse places.