Bristow Sumburgh - End Of An Era
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Bristow secures long term contract with BP
Good news for Sumburgh!!
Bristows activity in Shetland is booming. S92 bases for oil and gas at Scatsta and Sumburgh and a S92 SAR base at Sumburgh.
Good news for Sumburgh!!
Bristows activity in Shetland is booming. S92 bases for oil and gas at Scatsta and Sumburgh and a S92 SAR base at Sumburgh.
Thread Starter
Oscar Charlie is Back !!!
Welcome back ?Oscar Charlie? | Shetland News
On Friday Bristow Helicopters announced they would be holding a naming ceremony at the coastguard’s Sumburgh base on 25 April.
The name Oscar Charlie became synonymous with the coastguard chopper every time it was seen in the skies around the isles since it first came into service almost 30 years ago.
The name came with the call sign GBD-OC on the original Sikorsky S-61N that started operating out of Sumburgh in 1985, having already served the North Sea oil industry for some years.
When Canadian firm CHC took over the coastguard contract in 2007 it brought in new Sikorsky S92 aircraft with new call signs, but continued using the name Oscar Charlie informally.
However since Bristow won the contract back last year the name has fallen into disuse, the coastguard service using the operating name Rescue 102 when reporting incidents.
On Friday Bristow said they intended to “honour the legacy of Shetland’s much-loved search and rescue helicopter Oscar Charlie by naming their new state-of-the-art Sikorsky S-92 SAR aircraft after it”.
The coastguard’s two Shetland helicopters will retain their existing call signs MCGC and MCGB, but the main chopper will now carry the name Oscar Charlie in the same way a boat has its own name as well as its registration number.
The naming ceremony will include local MP Alistair Carmichael, who worked hard to retain the Lerwick coastguard station when the UK government threatened it with closure in 2010.
He will be joined by Maritime & Coastguard Agency chief executive Sir Alan Massey and Bristow’s director of UK search and rescue Samantha Willenbacher.
The first pilot to fly Oscar Charlie for Shetland coastguard was Gordon Mitchell, who welcomed the decision to bring back her old name.
“I think it’s great because everyone knew Oscar Charlie and having another aircraft flying around for the coastguard just doesn’t seem right somehow,” he said.
The original Oscar Charlie started flying in 1976 for the British National Oil Company (BNOC) on the North Sea’s Thistle field, before coming to Shetland in 1985 after being modified for coastguard work.
Mitchell flew it on many missions, including the 1986 Chinook crash off Sumburgh, the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 and the Braer oil spill in 1993, along with innumerable incidents off the Shetland coast for which its crew gained national recognition.
The name Oscar Charlie became synonymous with the coastguard chopper every time it was seen in the skies around the isles since it first came into service almost 30 years ago.
The name came with the call sign GBD-OC on the original Sikorsky S-61N that started operating out of Sumburgh in 1985, having already served the North Sea oil industry for some years.
When Canadian firm CHC took over the coastguard contract in 2007 it brought in new Sikorsky S92 aircraft with new call signs, but continued using the name Oscar Charlie informally.
However since Bristow won the contract back last year the name has fallen into disuse, the coastguard service using the operating name Rescue 102 when reporting incidents.
On Friday Bristow said they intended to “honour the legacy of Shetland’s much-loved search and rescue helicopter Oscar Charlie by naming their new state-of-the-art Sikorsky S-92 SAR aircraft after it”.
The coastguard’s two Shetland helicopters will retain their existing call signs MCGC and MCGB, but the main chopper will now carry the name Oscar Charlie in the same way a boat has its own name as well as its registration number.
The naming ceremony will include local MP Alistair Carmichael, who worked hard to retain the Lerwick coastguard station when the UK government threatened it with closure in 2010.
He will be joined by Maritime & Coastguard Agency chief executive Sir Alan Massey and Bristow’s director of UK search and rescue Samantha Willenbacher.
The first pilot to fly Oscar Charlie for Shetland coastguard was Gordon Mitchell, who welcomed the decision to bring back her old name.
“I think it’s great because everyone knew Oscar Charlie and having another aircraft flying around for the coastguard just doesn’t seem right somehow,” he said.
The original Oscar Charlie started flying in 1976 for the British National Oil Company (BNOC) on the North Sea’s Thistle field, before coming to Shetland in 1985 after being modified for coastguard work.
Mitchell flew it on many missions, including the 1986 Chinook crash off Sumburgh, the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 and the Braer oil spill in 1993, along with innumerable incidents off the Shetland coast for which its crew gained national recognition.
Last edited by S61-S92; 27th Oct 2019 at 12:51.
Hmmm....not that much "honouring the legacy " when the American owners consider the cash from a sale more important than preserving this historic S-61N.
How's about the new CEO demonstrating a change of faith and donating her to The Helicopter Museum...after all he could write it off against tax!
How's about the new CEO demonstrating a change of faith and donating her to The Helicopter Museum...after all he could write it off against tax!
Thread Starter
David Miller
Some Sad News from the Bristow Web
David Miller Passes Away
01 December 2015
David Miller passed away in the early hours of Friday 27th November 2015, after a short illness. He leaves behind his wife Pat and his two daughters Kirsty and Nina.
David joined Bristow Helicopters Ltd in 1977 after a commission in the Royal Artillery/Army Air Corps. He was first posted to Dubai but quickly progressed to the S61 fleet in Aberdeen. After several postings on the S61, he transitioned to the world of SAR in Sumburgh in 1983.
David rose through the ranks and held the role of Chief Pilot at Sumburgh SAR from 1988 to 1991, during which time he was instrumental in many notable rescues.
Eventually returning to Aberdeen, he continued to progress to management and became Head of Flight Operations – Europe and most recently worked as Head of Flight Operations – International.
David retired from Bristow in 2009 and moved to his beloved Oban on the west coast of Scotland.
David will be greatly missed and we extend our deepest condolences to David's family at this sad time.
David Miller Passes Away
01 December 2015
David Miller passed away in the early hours of Friday 27th November 2015, after a short illness. He leaves behind his wife Pat and his two daughters Kirsty and Nina.
David joined Bristow Helicopters Ltd in 1977 after a commission in the Royal Artillery/Army Air Corps. He was first posted to Dubai but quickly progressed to the S61 fleet in Aberdeen. After several postings on the S61, he transitioned to the world of SAR in Sumburgh in 1983.
David rose through the ranks and held the role of Chief Pilot at Sumburgh SAR from 1988 to 1991, during which time he was instrumental in many notable rescues.
Eventually returning to Aberdeen, he continued to progress to management and became Head of Flight Operations – Europe and most recently worked as Head of Flight Operations – International.
David retired from Bristow in 2009 and moved to his beloved Oban on the west coast of Scotland.
David will be greatly missed and we extend our deepest condolences to David's family at this sad time.
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Very sad to hear of Dave's passing. I flew with him many times during my time at BHL. He was always a very fair and pragmatic Chief Pilot while maintaining a can do approach to flying.
When asked who I wanted to fly with on my very last day with BHL in 1996 "Dave Miller" was my immediate response!
Fond memories of good times.
When asked who I wanted to fly with on my very last day with BHL in 1996 "Dave Miller" was my immediate response!
Fond memories of good times.
Very sad to hear the news about Dave. I never flew with him but I shall be always grateful for the help and support he gave me when I was suddenly taken quite ill whilst on detachment to Sumburgh in the late 80's whilst he was the Chief Pilot there. I have never forgotten his sympathetic handling of the situation and his efforts to get me quickly back to Aberdeen. A true gentleman and a great manager. My deepest condolences to his family.
Gerald Flaws Unsung Hero
"So says Phil Johns, the retired helicopter engineer and winchman who has dedicated most of his working life to search and rescue operations."
Praise for winch operator 40 years after Beryl Alpha heroics | The Shetland Times Ltd
Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the Beryl Alpha incident which saw storm force winds cause near-catastrophe to an offshore installation. Phil Johns, who was involved in the helicopter rescue of four stranded men, remembers the exercise well. But he insists winch operator, local man Gerald Flaws, never received the recognition he deserved for keeping them all alive on that frightful night. Ryan Taylor takes up the story.
“I must admit on 5th December I always remember it, and I raise a glass of whisky to Gerald, and the crew.”
So says Phil Johns, the retired helicopter engineer and winchman who has dedicated most of his working life to search and rescue operations.
Now living in Gloucestershire, the 71-year-old recalls that night in 1975 as if it happened yesterday.
Four men were stranded on a Mobil-operated oil loading tower, or buoy, which had come adrift after being hit by a 21 metre-wave in pitch dark conditions. The incident happened 100 miles east of Sumburgh.
The whole structure was at risk of toppling over into the boiling sea, raging in a wintry Force 10, which would undoubtedly have sent its occupants to an early, watery grave.
However, Phil was winched down to the bobbing structure, measuring 400 feet in length and 25 feet across, on 12 occasions as the helicopter crew persevered in their attempts to rescue the men.
Captain of the S-61 Bristow aircraft, Terry Wolf Milner would later receive the Gallantry Medal for his part in the operation, which was highlighted in The Shetland Times in July 1976. Also in the aircraft was first-aid attendant, Peter Moar.
Phil received the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Services in The Air.
But while Phil is glad the captain was given recognition – “he was a very cool customer, that captain” – it has always irked him that winch-operator, Gerald Flaws, never gained similar recognition. He is convinced he owes his life to his one-time colleague.
Phil 2 (1)
“Gerald is the winchman, who winches me down at the door. But he’s also the doorman, he’s looking at everything around him, and he’s talking to the captain of the aircraft, who can’t see anything.
“The captain is looking out the front in pitch blackness, and it’s Gerald that’s giving, if you like, the steering commands. Everyone is totally in Gerald’s hands.”
And everyone was saved, despite the captain resorting to some “unusual flying techniques”.
The position was made all the more precarious because of the drifting structure, which Phil insists was at risk of toppling over.
“Flying out we heard on the intercom about the problem. It was a single-point mooring that broke.
“Because the single point mooring was new, there was what was called commissioning technicians on board.
So obviously, they were stranded. There was a very real risk of this thing tipping over. If you can imagine a bottle tipping over in water. It was bobbing all over the place – very erratic. You couldn’t predict where it was going to end up.
“The buoy had a crane at the back. It was very close to our tail rotor. Gerald had to protect the helicopter. That’s why I say I owe him my life.”
The wild conditions made the operation even more difficult.
“Gerald opened the door and there was a lot of sea-spray coming in because the wind was so great. We could see the white caps of the sea. The sea was literally boiling, or tumbling over. It was a really rough night.”
Gerald’s memory is so vivid he even recalls unusual events – like the rubbish that had been left lying around on the platform, including a number of acetylene bottles “which had me worried”.
Then, of course, there’s the man who brought his luggage.
“We made 12 attempts to get these guys off,” said Gerald. “We just couldn’t position the helicopter, because of the wind and the erratic nature of the rig underneath.
“It was rather interesting because one of the guys had a case with him – like a suitcase. It was in the dark, there were no lights, I didn’t have a torch. I thought, ‘this is not a normal day’. I actually kicked it out of his hand. I got a rescue strap over him [a strap that goes round the person’s back and under his arms], and as I did that he’d reached to his side and got hold of his suitcase.”
Since then, Phil has travelled the world, leading something of “a Nomad existence” in a career that has taken him to Burma, Nigeria, Borneo and Australia. He has since been a technical director of a company looking after police helicopters and air ambulances. As he says, “time flies when you’re having fun”.
As for Gerald, he has spent more than 40 years as an engineer at Sumburgh. Seemingly quiet and reserved, he said he did not know what to say about the call for his achievements on that night to be recognised.
“It just seemed to be normal. You were asked to do it, and you went.”
But Phil insisted: “Gerald still lives in Shetland and I owe him my life to him with his skill and ability to act in a cool and professional manner. I still regret that Gerald Flaws was not recognised as he was key to all our safety on that awful night.”
Speaking in 1976, Captain Wolfe-Milner, a Canadian who was then 33, said Gerald had done a great job.
“The winch operator’s job is not spectacular, but he really has to run the show. The whole operation is dependent on his judgment and skill.”
Praise for winch operator 40 years after Beryl Alpha heroics | The Shetland Times Ltd
Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the Beryl Alpha incident which saw storm force winds cause near-catastrophe to an offshore installation. Phil Johns, who was involved in the helicopter rescue of four stranded men, remembers the exercise well. But he insists winch operator, local man Gerald Flaws, never received the recognition he deserved for keeping them all alive on that frightful night. Ryan Taylor takes up the story.
“I must admit on 5th December I always remember it, and I raise a glass of whisky to Gerald, and the crew.”
So says Phil Johns, the retired helicopter engineer and winchman who has dedicated most of his working life to search and rescue operations.
Now living in Gloucestershire, the 71-year-old recalls that night in 1975 as if it happened yesterday.
Four men were stranded on a Mobil-operated oil loading tower, or buoy, which had come adrift after being hit by a 21 metre-wave in pitch dark conditions. The incident happened 100 miles east of Sumburgh.
The whole structure was at risk of toppling over into the boiling sea, raging in a wintry Force 10, which would undoubtedly have sent its occupants to an early, watery grave.
However, Phil was winched down to the bobbing structure, measuring 400 feet in length and 25 feet across, on 12 occasions as the helicopter crew persevered in their attempts to rescue the men.
Captain of the S-61 Bristow aircraft, Terry Wolf Milner would later receive the Gallantry Medal for his part in the operation, which was highlighted in The Shetland Times in July 1976. Also in the aircraft was first-aid attendant, Peter Moar.
Phil received the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Services in The Air.
But while Phil is glad the captain was given recognition – “he was a very cool customer, that captain” – it has always irked him that winch-operator, Gerald Flaws, never gained similar recognition. He is convinced he owes his life to his one-time colleague.
Phil 2 (1)
“Gerald is the winchman, who winches me down at the door. But he’s also the doorman, he’s looking at everything around him, and he’s talking to the captain of the aircraft, who can’t see anything.
“The captain is looking out the front in pitch blackness, and it’s Gerald that’s giving, if you like, the steering commands. Everyone is totally in Gerald’s hands.”
And everyone was saved, despite the captain resorting to some “unusual flying techniques”.
The position was made all the more precarious because of the drifting structure, which Phil insists was at risk of toppling over.
“Flying out we heard on the intercom about the problem. It was a single-point mooring that broke.
“Because the single point mooring was new, there was what was called commissioning technicians on board.
So obviously, they were stranded. There was a very real risk of this thing tipping over. If you can imagine a bottle tipping over in water. It was bobbing all over the place – very erratic. You couldn’t predict where it was going to end up.
“The buoy had a crane at the back. It was very close to our tail rotor. Gerald had to protect the helicopter. That’s why I say I owe him my life.”
The wild conditions made the operation even more difficult.
“Gerald opened the door and there was a lot of sea-spray coming in because the wind was so great. We could see the white caps of the sea. The sea was literally boiling, or tumbling over. It was a really rough night.”
Gerald’s memory is so vivid he even recalls unusual events – like the rubbish that had been left lying around on the platform, including a number of acetylene bottles “which had me worried”.
Then, of course, there’s the man who brought his luggage.
“We made 12 attempts to get these guys off,” said Gerald. “We just couldn’t position the helicopter, because of the wind and the erratic nature of the rig underneath.
“It was rather interesting because one of the guys had a case with him – like a suitcase. It was in the dark, there were no lights, I didn’t have a torch. I thought, ‘this is not a normal day’. I actually kicked it out of his hand. I got a rescue strap over him [a strap that goes round the person’s back and under his arms], and as I did that he’d reached to his side and got hold of his suitcase.”
Since then, Phil has travelled the world, leading something of “a Nomad existence” in a career that has taken him to Burma, Nigeria, Borneo and Australia. He has since been a technical director of a company looking after police helicopters and air ambulances. As he says, “time flies when you’re having fun”.
As for Gerald, he has spent more than 40 years as an engineer at Sumburgh. Seemingly quiet and reserved, he said he did not know what to say about the call for his achievements on that night to be recognised.
“It just seemed to be normal. You were asked to do it, and you went.”
But Phil insisted: “Gerald still lives in Shetland and I owe him my life to him with his skill and ability to act in a cool and professional manner. I still regret that Gerald Flaws was not recognised as he was key to all our safety on that awful night.”
Speaking in 1976, Captain Wolfe-Milner, a Canadian who was then 33, said Gerald had done a great job.
“The winch operator’s job is not spectacular, but he really has to run the show. The whole operation is dependent on his judgment and skill.”
Very sad to hear about Dave Miller passing away. Whenever we came down from Unst to Sumburgh to do maintenance, Dave always made sure we were well looked after, even making sure the beer was O.K. in the hotel!
Pleasure to know and later work with him on SAR at Portland. My condolences and best wishes to his family.
3D
Pleasure to know and later work with him on SAR at Portland. My condolences and best wishes to his family.3D
Thread Starter
Beryl SPM Rescue - 05 December 1975
Award For Rescue Helicopter Pilot.
5th December 1975.
From The Shetland Times.
The Queen's Award for Gallantry is to be made to Capt.Terence Wolfe-Milner, Bristow Helicopters' chief pilot at Sumburgh. He was in command of the operation which, in a Force 11 northwesterly gale on 5th December last, snatched to safety four men marooned on a drifting oil installation in the North Sea. Mr Philip Keith Johns, who was the winchman of the rescue team, receives the Queen's Commendation.
The four technicians to be rescued had been working on Mobil's Beryl "A" tanker mooring and loading buoy, when it broke away from its location about 100 miles east of Sumburgh and was drifting and tossing in mountainous seas. The movement of the structure made a landing impossible and the position of its loading arm, downwind of the flightdeck, ruled out the normal approach for a helicopter.
"After the first two or three attempts to get into a hover position, I had serious doubts about being able to get the men off," Captain Wolfe-Milner said. "However, we eventually found the best way of getting in and hovering long enough for Phil Johns to be winched down on to the heaving deck and bring up one man at a time in a double harness. We came in about a dozen times altogether, and in quarter of an hour were landing the men on the mother platform." The other members of the crew who took part in the rescue were 1st Officer Charles Beilby, Mr Gerald Flaws, winch operator, and Mr Pete Moar, first-aid attendant.
The following is Captain Wolfe-Milner's debrief report on the above rescue.
Casevac - Beryl SPM, 5th December 1975.
Details of Incident:
1655
I received a request from Mobil Aberdeen to carry out the Beryl A-704-Dyvi A inter-rig shuttle as the wind was above operating limits for the 704-based S58T at 45 to 60 knots. Although Mobil had that day cancelled the 0700 and 1900 shuttle from Sumburgh with G-BDII, and we had reduced the crewing accordingly, F/O Charles Beilby undertook to do the flight with me, although he was rostered to go back to Aberdeen. We had both done an earlier flight for another client.
1800
Departed Sumburgh for the Beryl A.
1813
Sedco 704 was advising us of the crew numbers for the shuttle when he broke his transmission and told us that the Beryl SPM had broken free and that we were requested to return to Sumburgh to get a winching crew to evacuate the SPM. I asked the 704 to confirm the night winching requirement by Telex. This was never done. We turned back to Sumburgh, and Ops were advised and told to call out Phil Johns, Gerald Flaws and to get emergency gear ready.
1833
Landed Sumburgh, refuelled, and took on winching gear, the liferaft out of S61N G-BBHM, blankets, pillows, both winchmen and Peter Moar as winchman assistant.
1849
Departed Sumburgh again for the Beryl Field.
1923
Arrived Beryl Field. The Beryl A advised us that the SPM had flashing ident lights, and that they were in communication with them. The SPM was located easily, and an approach made to hover alongside to assess the deck movement and location of obstructions. The loading arm was directly downwind and as it rises above flight deck level an out-of-wind hover to the right was necessary to ensure adequate tail and rotor clearance. Movement of the SPM was considerable though not rapid. As it moves about a balljoint on the sea bed the motion is unusual in that as the SPM rolls it also travels in a horizontal direction for quite a distance. The first few attempts by Gerald Flaws to winch Phil Johns down to the deck were unsuccessful due to difficulty in maintaining the hover in position for long enough to get him onto the deck. Hover height was then increased from approximately 10 feet to 20-30 feet, to increase the marginal tail and rotor clearance, but at this height the deck wasn't visible. The attempt was abandoned and an alternate method of getting the men off was looked for unsuccessfully.
Hover height was then reduced again and yaw to the right increased to fifty to sixty degrees out of wind - this gave a better view of the deck, increased tail clearance, but made the attitude of the aircraft a bit unusual. Johns was then winched down and started double-lifting the men up. Several more aborts were made but everyone got up - including one bright soul who insisted on carrying up his suitcase in spite of being kicked away by Johns!
The aircraft assumed unusual attitudes on many occasions, which induced quite severe swinging oscillations of Johns on the winch. He said later he saw the port side of the aircraft on several occasions. Throughout the exercise the Master Warning light was flashing.
The wind on the deck was indicating from 55 to 65 knots, and torque only momentarily exceeded 60% in spite of the yaw, so safe single-engine performance was assured at all times.
Illumination of the deck was satisfactory with the landing lights. One of the SPM deck floodlights was pointing up and was blinding in one hover position, but over the deck it didn't cause a problem. The loading arm was peripherally visible from the cockpit but depth perception was poor. Gerald Flaws kept me well informed of the clearance from the tail.
1945
Winching complete.
1950
Landed Beryl platform. The four men plus Johns and Flaws disembarked, Johns to see the medic to treat badly banged shins which he hit on the cargo door lip on one winching lift. Moar stayed onboard and we carried on with the inter-rig shuttle.
2030
Departed Beryl for Sumburgh after refuelling.
2200
Landed Sumburgh and were greeted by well-trained Ops Staff with welcome cans of beer.
Comments:
1. The performance of Johns, Flaws and Beilby was excellent. The conditions were less than ideal, but there was no hesitation in getting on with a difficult and at times very dangerous task. Response by Bristow staff at Sumburgh was very quick, with crews readied and gear ready for loading with only twenty minutes notice.
2. The training given to the men on the SPM the previous weekend paid off. Johns had instructed them to kneel when on the deck to receive the double-lift harness strop, and this made the actual time on deck only seconds.
3. Only two of the men had lifejackets on, which is bordering on stupidity. There were two that didn't have hard-hats on and one who did lost it on the way up due to an insecure chin-strap. The training we gave them made it quite clear that both articles must be worn when winching.
4. The deck of the SPM had become increasingly cluttered with equipment and a Telex had been sent off on the morning of 5th. asking Mobil to get it cleared. The area from which the winching was done was relatively clear, and fortunately the cable didn't snag at all.
5. One final compliment must be paid to Sikorsky. Control movements were extreme, approaching the stops at times and hydraulic pressures were dropping to zero at times. No binding of the controls was noted and the AFCS didn't drop off line. The winch operated successfully and though the motor stopped a couple of times momentarily, the circuit breaker didn't 'pop' even though there was a lot of 'inching'.
End.
Extract from Skyweaver
5th December 1975.
From The Shetland Times.
The Queen's Award for Gallantry is to be made to Capt.Terence Wolfe-Milner, Bristow Helicopters' chief pilot at Sumburgh. He was in command of the operation which, in a Force 11 northwesterly gale on 5th December last, snatched to safety four men marooned on a drifting oil installation in the North Sea. Mr Philip Keith Johns, who was the winchman of the rescue team, receives the Queen's Commendation.
The four technicians to be rescued had been working on Mobil's Beryl "A" tanker mooring and loading buoy, when it broke away from its location about 100 miles east of Sumburgh and was drifting and tossing in mountainous seas. The movement of the structure made a landing impossible and the position of its loading arm, downwind of the flightdeck, ruled out the normal approach for a helicopter.
"After the first two or three attempts to get into a hover position, I had serious doubts about being able to get the men off," Captain Wolfe-Milner said. "However, we eventually found the best way of getting in and hovering long enough for Phil Johns to be winched down on to the heaving deck and bring up one man at a time in a double harness. We came in about a dozen times altogether, and in quarter of an hour were landing the men on the mother platform." The other members of the crew who took part in the rescue were 1st Officer Charles Beilby, Mr Gerald Flaws, winch operator, and Mr Pete Moar, first-aid attendant.
The following is Captain Wolfe-Milner's debrief report on the above rescue.
Casevac - Beryl SPM, 5th December 1975.
Details of Incident:
1655
I received a request from Mobil Aberdeen to carry out the Beryl A-704-Dyvi A inter-rig shuttle as the wind was above operating limits for the 704-based S58T at 45 to 60 knots. Although Mobil had that day cancelled the 0700 and 1900 shuttle from Sumburgh with G-BDII, and we had reduced the crewing accordingly, F/O Charles Beilby undertook to do the flight with me, although he was rostered to go back to Aberdeen. We had both done an earlier flight for another client.
1800
Departed Sumburgh for the Beryl A.
1813
Sedco 704 was advising us of the crew numbers for the shuttle when he broke his transmission and told us that the Beryl SPM had broken free and that we were requested to return to Sumburgh to get a winching crew to evacuate the SPM. I asked the 704 to confirm the night winching requirement by Telex. This was never done. We turned back to Sumburgh, and Ops were advised and told to call out Phil Johns, Gerald Flaws and to get emergency gear ready.
1833
Landed Sumburgh, refuelled, and took on winching gear, the liferaft out of S61N G-BBHM, blankets, pillows, both winchmen and Peter Moar as winchman assistant.
1849
Departed Sumburgh again for the Beryl Field.
1923
Arrived Beryl Field. The Beryl A advised us that the SPM had flashing ident lights, and that they were in communication with them. The SPM was located easily, and an approach made to hover alongside to assess the deck movement and location of obstructions. The loading arm was directly downwind and as it rises above flight deck level an out-of-wind hover to the right was necessary to ensure adequate tail and rotor clearance. Movement of the SPM was considerable though not rapid. As it moves about a balljoint on the sea bed the motion is unusual in that as the SPM rolls it also travels in a horizontal direction for quite a distance. The first few attempts by Gerald Flaws to winch Phil Johns down to the deck were unsuccessful due to difficulty in maintaining the hover in position for long enough to get him onto the deck. Hover height was then increased from approximately 10 feet to 20-30 feet, to increase the marginal tail and rotor clearance, but at this height the deck wasn't visible. The attempt was abandoned and an alternate method of getting the men off was looked for unsuccessfully.Hover height was then reduced again and yaw to the right increased to fifty to sixty degrees out of wind - this gave a better view of the deck, increased tail clearance, but made the attitude of the aircraft a bit unusual. Johns was then winched down and started double-lifting the men up. Several more aborts were made but everyone got up - including one bright soul who insisted on carrying up his suitcase in spite of being kicked away by Johns!
The aircraft assumed unusual attitudes on many occasions, which induced quite severe swinging oscillations of Johns on the winch. He said later he saw the port side of the aircraft on several occasions. Throughout the exercise the Master Warning light was flashing.
The wind on the deck was indicating from 55 to 65 knots, and torque only momentarily exceeded 60% in spite of the yaw, so safe single-engine performance was assured at all times.
Illumination of the deck was satisfactory with the landing lights. One of the SPM deck floodlights was pointing up and was blinding in one hover position, but over the deck it didn't cause a problem. The loading arm was peripherally visible from the cockpit but depth perception was poor. Gerald Flaws kept me well informed of the clearance from the tail.
1945
Winching complete.
1950
Landed Beryl platform. The four men plus Johns and Flaws disembarked, Johns to see the medic to treat badly banged shins which he hit on the cargo door lip on one winching lift. Moar stayed onboard and we carried on with the inter-rig shuttle.
2030
Departed Beryl for Sumburgh after refuelling.
2200
Landed Sumburgh and were greeted by well-trained Ops Staff with welcome cans of beer.
Comments:
1. The performance of Johns, Flaws and Beilby was excellent. The conditions were less than ideal, but there was no hesitation in getting on with a difficult and at times very dangerous task. Response by Bristow staff at Sumburgh was very quick, with crews readied and gear ready for loading with only twenty minutes notice.
2. The training given to the men on the SPM the previous weekend paid off. Johns had instructed them to kneel when on the deck to receive the double-lift harness strop, and this made the actual time on deck only seconds.
3. Only two of the men had lifejackets on, which is bordering on stupidity. There were two that didn't have hard-hats on and one who did lost it on the way up due to an insecure chin-strap. The training we gave them made it quite clear that both articles must be worn when winching.
4. The deck of the SPM had become increasingly cluttered with equipment and a Telex had been sent off on the morning of 5th. asking Mobil to get it cleared. The area from which the winching was done was relatively clear, and fortunately the cable didn't snag at all.
5. One final compliment must be paid to Sikorsky. Control movements were extreme, approaching the stops at times and hydraulic pressures were dropping to zero at times. No binding of the controls was noted and the AFCS didn't drop off line. The winch operated successfully and though the motor stopped a couple of times momentarily, the circuit breaker didn't 'pop' even though there was a lot of 'inching'.
End.
Extract from Skyweaver
Join Date: Jun 1999
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Sad to hear the news about David. I knew him very well and even did some of his line training. We often put the world to rights over an ale or three.
I agree with the others. You always knew where you were with Dave not like other HoFO I worked with
RIP Dave and condolences to his family
TC
I agree with the others. You always knew where you were with Dave not like other HoFO I worked with
RIP Dave and condolences to his family
TC
I was saddened to hear about Dave, I always found him to be a very pleasant and entertaining individual when I worked with him in Aberdeen, and later when I got to know him much better when I was in Sumburgh picking up a bunch of S61's we had just bought. My thoughts are with all the family.
Also, it is nice to see recognition for my cousin, Gerald Flaws during the Beryl rescue. There were two Shetlanders (and neighbours from Hestingott) on that flight - Peter Moar was also there on that flight.
There were some pretty amazing missions undertaken by the crews in Shetland in the early days, (both BAH and Bristow} before the inception of the dedicated SAR capability there. When you consider that they were locally trained and the limited resources for maintaining currency, some of those early missions were quite amazing in the success of their outcomes.
Peter Hutchinson, Henry Burgess and myself were at the point of Garthsness one day watching another Bristow rescue when they successfully pulled the crew from a burning tug (with a barge undertow), I remeber that Alan Taylor was on the hook for that one, but can't remember the rest of the crew.
Great days, with great people. Very fond memories.
Also, it is nice to see recognition for my cousin, Gerald Flaws during the Beryl rescue. There were two Shetlanders (and neighbours from Hestingott) on that flight - Peter Moar was also there on that flight.
There were some pretty amazing missions undertaken by the crews in Shetland in the early days, (both BAH and Bristow} before the inception of the dedicated SAR capability there. When you consider that they were locally trained and the limited resources for maintaining currency, some of those early missions were quite amazing in the success of their outcomes.
Peter Hutchinson, Henry Burgess and myself were at the point of Garthsness one day watching another Bristow rescue when they successfully pulled the crew from a burning tug (with a barge undertow), I remeber that Alan Taylor was on the hook for that one, but can't remember the rest of the crew.
Great days, with great people. Very fond memories.
I'm not sure whether or not this is the appropriate thread but here goes.
Down here on the South Coast of England - well, Worthing to be precise - I sometimes encounter an old gentleman taking the air with whom I spend a pleasant hour chatting about his remarkable career in aviation. His name is Bill R. He's now well into his 90s and has limited vision and mobility but still exhibits a very acute mind. His RAF career commenced in early 1939 (he was trained at the Trenchard./Rothschild school I understand) and for at least part of the war he flew Hurricanes. Subsequently he was involved in the helicopter world in all sorts of capacities including the Scilly Isles ferry operation after which he moved to Aberdeen to work in the burgeoning North Sea oil industry. I believe he was an engineering operations manager however after many hours of conversation the sheer breadth of his experience has overloaded me somewhat - I'm no spring chicken myself.
What prompted this reply was that he recently told me about the Chinook 1986 crash which occurred under his watch. He's no fan of Chinooks and although he seems to have been responsible for a wide range of helicopters his main experience in this role was with S96s. Interestingly at one point last year he mentioned briefly in passing that he'd actually once met Igor Sikorsky.
I've been trying to get him to record his life story but he's at an age where he doesn't care one way or another about posterity. He's a remarkable man and one of the few remaining examples of a vanishingly small breed. It's a privilege to know him a little.
Anyway I thought that someone reading or contributing to this thread may possibly know or know of Bill. His vision and mobility are so poor that it's difficult for me to show him the photos on this thread which may be of interest - although I don't think he ever worked for Bristow.
Down here on the South Coast of England - well, Worthing to be precise - I sometimes encounter an old gentleman taking the air with whom I spend a pleasant hour chatting about his remarkable career in aviation. His name is Bill R. He's now well into his 90s and has limited vision and mobility but still exhibits a very acute mind. His RAF career commenced in early 1939 (he was trained at the Trenchard./Rothschild school I understand) and for at least part of the war he flew Hurricanes. Subsequently he was involved in the helicopter world in all sorts of capacities including the Scilly Isles ferry operation after which he moved to Aberdeen to work in the burgeoning North Sea oil industry. I believe he was an engineering operations manager however after many hours of conversation the sheer breadth of his experience has overloaded me somewhat - I'm no spring chicken myself.
What prompted this reply was that he recently told me about the Chinook 1986 crash which occurred under his watch. He's no fan of Chinooks and although he seems to have been responsible for a wide range of helicopters his main experience in this role was with S96s. Interestingly at one point last year he mentioned briefly in passing that he'd actually once met Igor Sikorsky.
I've been trying to get him to record his life story but he's at an age where he doesn't care one way or another about posterity. He's a remarkable man and one of the few remaining examples of a vanishingly small breed. It's a privilege to know him a little.
Anyway I thought that someone reading or contributing to this thread may possibly know or know of Bill. His vision and mobility are so poor that it's difficult for me to show him the photos on this thread which may be of interest - although I don't think he ever worked for Bristow.
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Skridlov
I don’t know whether you or the gentleman concerned have a Facebook account but there are plenty of British Airways Helicopters former employees on this Facebook group who may be able to help you:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/446413662191722/
I don’t know whether you or the gentleman concerned have a Facebook account but there are plenty of British Airways Helicopters former employees on this Facebook group who may be able to help you:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/446413662191722/
No Facebook
Thanks for the suggestion. Personally I abhor Facebook and "social media" in general and Bill's vision is too limited for screens of any sort. But maybe someone will encounter this thread in due course.
Roy
Roy
Thread Starter
skridlov
If you haven't already done so, check out William Ashpole's site which has loads of stories and pictures from his British Airways Helicopters days in Gatwick, Aberdeen and Sumburgh.
https://www.ashpole.org.uk/
If you haven't already done so, check out William Ashpole's site which has loads of stories and pictures from his British Airways Helicopters days in Gatwick, Aberdeen and Sumburgh.
https://www.ashpole.org.uk/
