reallyoldfart

Just had a look through the Bristow photo thread - very impressive and nostalgic.

Are there any ex-AIRFAST/HELICOPTER UTILITIES chaps out there who would be interested in a similar thread and making a contribution? - also include AIRFAST INDONESIA.

It was a good company to work for in the early seventies, until management started to syphon off the money.

Nigel Osborn

I had the pleasure of flying for HUPL from 1968 to 1974, had great fun, always paid on time & even given a bonus when I left. My photos are either 35 mm slides, b & w or colour photos.
I've no idea how to forward them but I would love to see this get off the ground.

Brian Abraham

The only one in my collection, though have contacts who may be able to provide more. Bell 205, VH-UHN, Longford, Esso Bass Strait operations.

topendtorque

Nigel,
why don't you check out your local phone book for Bluetongue Helicopters at Maroochydore.

Lounging around up there is a long streak who will have a qualified opinion on everything and anything, except being a very qualified CFI that he is. He has excellent coffee and a keen sense of history.
He is also another skippy driver.

He is very handy with the computer gadget and things photographic. I am sure he could help you even though he ventured onto the scene a bit after Bryce, Buck and etc. Some say his rhetoric at the instruction level is akin to Buck's.

Another friend of mine Geoff Brown (ex Katherine) who started helicopters after that era, but was around then and is now in Perth quite (very) ill, told me just the other day that he had some old Airfast photos. The DC3 at Willeroo for one. I will try to get copies. I intend to visit with him soon.
cheers tet

spinwing

Mmmmm ....

Cripes ... we'll have people wanting to start a thread featuring HeliTrans next!

Senior Pilot

Spinwing,

like this one?

Mmmmm......

spinwing

Mmmm ....


YEAH! ....

Nigel Osborn

HeliTrans was a minute company compared to HUPL!

topendtorque

it must have been lucky to escape being owned by Airfast. maybe the only oz company that wasn't.

type HUPL or Airfast into Bing, up comes a heap of stories about some of the favourite aircraft, like the Beagle 206 for instance. Been trying to remember the name of the chief pilot F/W. Vic someone maybe?? totally revered. Used to get that thing out of the shortest strips.

other stories about the old Duke, who was a constant visitor to HUPL sites.

type helitrans into bing , and up comes some joy flight mob from the states.

i remember the demise of airfast very well. something to do with a dude named Goff, who when he came to power, inside 24 hours all mineral exploration inside OZ was shut down. 57 machines if I remember rightly, mostly 47's. Kewanee Oil (spelling?) stayed a little longer, then gave up after a week or so, and sent all of their ground machinery to their one land asset, Delamere station NT. The manager, thought it was xmas.

Now we seem to be seeing a De-ja-vu. same mob as Goff, trying to do it all over again. a mining super tax, huh? back to Canada and South Africa, amongst other places, will go the helicopters.

peter manktelow

Hey Nigel....dont knock HELITRANS. Great little company. My first job was with them after I got out of the Navy. It was probably at its zenith as Airfast was begining its downward slide. Great days in PNG except for the 206 I creamed near Mt Wilhelm.

Nigel Osborn

Manky
I said helitrans was a small company, not a bad company!! Did lose an ex navy friend in PNG though.

peter manktelow

Hey , Nigel. Who was that ? Cant remember anyone taking their last flight while I was with them but of course I was only with them about 18 months so could have been before or after ?????

Nigel Osborn

Dave Binnie was killed, the geo severely injured & the other pax minor injuries. A 47 appeared to lose power going over a ridge or else a downdraft & they flew into the hillside. Probably about 1970.

peter manktelow

that explains it....well before my time up there which was 1974-75

reallyoldfart

Good to see some interest in this thread, BUT ONLY ONE PHOTO SO FAR.

Like me, most of you probably have pics of this era that are either on slides or printed photographs. I am currently searching the "archives" and getting them into digital format.

I really would like to see this thread grow with as many photos as can be found and posted.

Cheers to those who have contributed so far.

DominiqueS

OK, I don't have a photo to post either,but I do have a fond memory from several years back of proudly wearing a t-shirt that proclaimed "I never worked for Airfast!" The fact is that an ex-airfast guy gave it to me.

Helicopter doctor

Nigel / ROF,
I was with Airfast 1970 to 72, did most of my time tugging wires and fixing busted 47s at Flight Facilities, Mascot, with occasional trips to the penal colony of Longford.

I have some shots (back in storage in Oz) of the new 205s coming out of a C130, and a few of the Longford helipad with Bell 47J2s 204s 205 and ANE.

I'll post them next month.

Jim Faulks

rsqfd

I just found this thread specific to Airfast. Would any of you have any information on the Airfast Bell jetranger that appeared in the 1976 pilot of "Chopper Squad"? I do not think it was the same JetRanger that appeared in the series (1978) that was VH-FHF, but I do not know. It did not have the 'Airfast livery in the series (as it did in the pilot).



(TV Guide ad with Airfast )
Thanks
RSQFD

rsqfd

A question about Airfast regarding their inventory in 1971. They list among other aircraft 3 Bell 205's, 3 Bell 204's and one JetRanger. Now I am a retired firefighter and really do not know anything about models but didn't JetRangers come in the 204's and 205's as well as the 206's?
Just a curious thing - thanks
RSQFD

rsqfd

With the Greatful assistance of a PM I was able to locate a photo of an Airfast 206A

This is how it appeared in the TV series Chopper Squad with the 'Wales' masked over replaced with 'Surf'. The registry is VH-UCH.

What does the '25M' (or is it 2SM) mean?

RSQFD