The Rotary Nostalgia Thread
Thread Starter
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500/Bolkow: Many thanks for identifying the wording atop BLY's cabin. My Irish isn't what it used to be along with my Welsh and any other Gaelic languages out there!
As 500 mentioned, BLY wears a handsome livery, perhaps the only modification I would have made would be to introduce the white belly with the assistance of a couple of pin-stripes in either matching orange or blue depending on which looked best.
BBB: Well done on this discovery. Most interesting.
A motley crew if ever I've seen one! Lol!
Brgds
Sav
500/Bolkow: Many thanks for identifying the wording atop BLY's cabin. My Irish isn't what it used to be along with my Welsh and any other Gaelic languages out there!
As 500 mentioned, BLY wears a handsome livery, perhaps the only modification I would have made would be to introduce the white belly with the assistance of a couple of pin-stripes in either matching orange or blue depending on which looked best.
BBB: Well done on this discovery. Most interesting.
A motley crew if ever I've seen one! Lol!Brgds
Sav
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Tommy Sopwith (1933- )
A really interesting guy… Son of aviation pioneer Sir Thomas Sopwith (the creator of Hawker Siddeley), Tommy was the classic 1960s eligible bachelor: guards officer, offshore power boat and saloon car champion. He founded a Brighton based car distributorship named after his father’s America’s Cup J-Class yacht “Endeavour”. This was also the name used for his helicopter owning company: Endeavour Aviation.
In the 1980’s he was a partner in European Helicopters of Denham that was co-founded with ex McAlpine Heli’s MD Robin Keith, and Lynton Group.
The company was formed to carry out corporate helicoper rebuilding, maintenance, sales and consultancy but there was some controversy when it sought to win the Aerospatiale helicopter distributorship away from McAlpine Helicopters Ltd. McAlpine sued and won damages and an injunction preventing European Helicopters from approaching Aerospatiale. In August 1990 Lynton Group acquired remaining 60% of EHL's equity from the other partners. European was later absorbed into Premiair along with McAlpine’s businesses not associated with the Eurocopter sales business.
His first wife was killed in the crash of Bell 47G G-BBVP on 20.3.75 . His second marriage was to former Olympic skier Gina Hawthorn.
Tommy’s aircraft were as follows:
G-AMFU Dove 10.65-2.67
G-ATLO Brantley 12.65 regn but not deld then regn reallocated
G-ATSJ Brantley 5.66-5.68
G-ASHW Dove 6.66-5.68
G-AVZG B206 12.67-5.73
G-BASE B206 3.73-12.78
G-GINA AS350B 3.78-5.91
G-IINA AS350B 12.90-2.95
The latter 2 a/c had personalized regn’s derived from his 2nd wife’s name . Most of the aircraft carried the same dark blue livery that had been worn by the yacht Endeavour and then his racing cars. The helicopters operated from his home Axford House, Hants.
In the 1980’s he was a partner in European Helicopters of Denham that was co-founded with ex McAlpine Heli’s MD Robin Keith, and Lynton Group.
The company was formed to carry out corporate helicoper rebuilding, maintenance, sales and consultancy but there was some controversy when it sought to win the Aerospatiale helicopter distributorship away from McAlpine Helicopters Ltd. McAlpine sued and won damages and an injunction preventing European Helicopters from approaching Aerospatiale. In August 1990 Lynton Group acquired remaining 60% of EHL's equity from the other partners. European was later absorbed into Premiair along with McAlpine’s businesses not associated with the Eurocopter sales business.
His first wife was killed in the crash of Bell 47G G-BBVP on 20.3.75 . His second marriage was to former Olympic skier Gina Hawthorn.
Tommy’s aircraft were as follows:
G-AMFU Dove 10.65-2.67
G-ATLO Brantley 12.65 regn but not deld then regn reallocated
G-ATSJ Brantley 5.66-5.68
G-ASHW Dove 6.66-5.68
G-AVZG B206 12.67-5.73
G-BASE B206 3.73-12.78
G-GINA AS350B 3.78-5.91
G-IINA AS350B 12.90-2.95
The latter 2 a/c had personalized regn’s derived from his 2nd wife’s name . Most of the aircraft carried the same dark blue livery that had been worn by the yacht Endeavour and then his racing cars. The helicopters operated from his home Axford House, Hants.
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G-BAWI
Yes Stacey, The youngster with Cy would almost certainly be his son Greg Rose. Greg was a very special ceramic artist with a reputation and his delicate work sold well around the world. In the early 1970s, Greg Rose was learning to fly at Kidlington, Oxford. Sadly while in the hover, a M/R blade detached from the Brantley B2 airframe killing his instructor Graham Meyrick. Greg was unhurt.
Greg Rose was surely multi talented and I remember him showing me a mid 1950s Ford Thunderbird he had built himself from scratch.
I've rattled brains trying to recall the CAA reg of Cy Rose's Enstrom 28-2 model. The relevent log book and picture is in store, but it would have had to have been G-C something I guess.
Regards. Dennis K.
Greg Rose was surely multi talented and I remember him showing me a mid 1950s Ford Thunderbird he had built himself from scratch.
I've rattled brains trying to recall the CAA reg of Cy Rose's Enstrom 28-2 model. The relevent log book and picture is in store, but it would have had to have been G-C something I guess.
Regards. Dennis K.
Thread Starter
Tommy Sopwith & G-BASE
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I.I. My sincere thanks for this piece of information relating to G-BASE. I had always believed BASE to have begun life as a Hanson Home Counties hack engaged in the endless pursuit of ad hoc charters; certainly this was her role in the early 80's when I used to see her almost everywhere I went. From Hanson she became a 'Beamish' bird (ie: Carl Beaman & Co.) and in the end seems to have been exported to Malaysia.
But, prior to Hanson she had a life about which (until yesterday) I was never aware! BASE was bought (one assumes new from CSE being a Bell) and registered to Endeavour Aviation (Brighton) from March 1973 to November 1978. While Ferranti certainly used Tommy's earlier 206 G-AVZG, I am now fairly certain they would also have used BASE given her dates under Endeavour's patronage.
Tommy Sopwith's second Bell 206 G-BASE seen at Cranfield on 2nd September 1977 (Photo: Peter Nicholson)
De Havilland: Thank you for this wonderful piece of background information. When I.I. brought up BASE yesterday, and upon checking her original ownership details, I noticed her allocation to Endeavour but wasn't sure if this was a Sopwith company.
I was however aware that Sopwith Sr. raced the sailboat Endeavour in the America's Cup and the reason I knew that is because the chap who sold my father his first boat, George Nicholson, had mentioned that his father, Charles Nicholson, had designed the America's Cup contender for the Thomas Sopwith!
Sir Thomas Sopwith smokes his trademark pipe at the helm of the Endeavour during a leg of the 1934 America's Cup
It would be wonderful to hear more recollections of Sopwith Jr. and Endeavour Aviation and to discover images of the remainder of his fleet, especially his rotorcraft: G-AVZG, G-GINA and G-IINA.
Sav
ps: I.I. and De Havilland please accept the Savoia Medal of Appreciation to for your brilliant nostalgic contribution!
To Industry Insider & Ahh de Havilland for
their superlative nostalgic reminiscences
I.I. My sincere thanks for this piece of information relating to G-BASE. I had always believed BASE to have begun life as a Hanson Home Counties hack engaged in the endless pursuit of ad hoc charters; certainly this was her role in the early 80's when I used to see her almost everywhere I went. From Hanson she became a 'Beamish' bird (ie: Carl Beaman & Co.) and in the end seems to have been exported to Malaysia.
But, prior to Hanson she had a life about which (until yesterday) I was never aware! BASE was bought (one assumes new from CSE being a Bell) and registered to Endeavour Aviation (Brighton) from March 1973 to November 1978. While Ferranti certainly used Tommy's earlier 206 G-AVZG, I am now fairly certain they would also have used BASE given her dates under Endeavour's patronage.
Tommy Sopwith's second Bell 206 G-BASE seen at Cranfield on 2nd September 1977 (Photo: Peter Nicholson)
De Havilland: Thank you for this wonderful piece of background information. When I.I. brought up BASE yesterday, and upon checking her original ownership details, I noticed her allocation to Endeavour but wasn't sure if this was a Sopwith company.
I was however aware that Sopwith Sr. raced the sailboat Endeavour in the America's Cup and the reason I knew that is because the chap who sold my father his first boat, George Nicholson, had mentioned that his father, Charles Nicholson, had designed the America's Cup contender for the Thomas Sopwith!
Sir Thomas Sopwith smokes his trademark pipe at the helm of the Endeavour during a leg of the 1934 America's Cup
It would be wonderful to hear more recollections of Sopwith Jr. and Endeavour Aviation and to discover images of the remainder of his fleet, especially his rotorcraft: G-AVZG, G-GINA and G-IINA.
Sav
ps: I.I. and De Havilland please accept the Savoia Medal of Appreciation to for your brilliant nostalgic contribution!
To Industry Insider & Ahh de Havilland for
their superlative nostalgic reminiscences
G-BASE was maintained at Bristow FTS at Redhill during my time there until '78, it was normally parked at Brighton racecourse. His driver used to take the car ahead to wherever Tommy took the machine and had a portable windsock to assist in the landing.
Sav
Thanks so much for posting the picture of G-BASE, it brings back great memories of when I were a young lad!
Ahh De H
I remember now, Endeavour Motors in Brighton. Didn't Tommy lose part of a finger by sticking it up into the rotor disc when gesticulating?
Thanks so much for posting the picture of G-BASE, it brings back great memories of when I were a young lad!
Ahh De H
I remember now, Endeavour Motors in Brighton. Didn't Tommy lose part of a finger by sticking it up into the rotor disc when gesticulating?
Thread Starter
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Oldlae: Thanks for that bit of information. Sounds like Tommy Jr. was a bit of a character.
If you worked at Redders during that time do you have any recollections of an aircraft we refer to as the 'Dancer' (G-AYTF) which was owned by Hickstead Jumping Ground developer Douglas Bunn from 1971 to 1979. Evidently the Dancer was also maintained by Bristows.
The Dancer in 'Alan's shoppe' at Redders c. 1978
I.I. Good God! I recall my godfather telling me about a chap who had his finger chopped off while doing something or other. Was that really Tommy Sopwith!
Sav
Oldlae: Thanks for that bit of information. Sounds like Tommy Jr. was a bit of a character.
If you worked at Redders during that time do you have any recollections of an aircraft we refer to as the 'Dancer' (G-AYTF) which was owned by Hickstead Jumping Ground developer Douglas Bunn from 1971 to 1979. Evidently the Dancer was also maintained by Bristows.
The Dancer in 'Alan's shoppe' at Redders c. 1978
I.I. Good God! I recall my godfather telling me about a chap who had his finger chopped off while doing something or other. Was that really Tommy Sopwith!
Sav
Sav,
I genuinely think it was Tommy, I will do some more checking just in case my memory is playing tricks on me.
Douglas Bunn was personal friends with Alan Bristow, Alan used to have a corporate Bristow "box" at Hickstead and used to enter the carriage driving events when they were held.
Alan often used to be flown to Hickstead in a 206 from the FTS. Pilots used to try to avoid flying with him as he always wanted to take the controls (not a problem in itself, he was a good stick) but the trip to Hickstead encompassed a transit through the Gatwick Control Zone and Alan didn't like to have to hold for clearance, putting immense pressure on the pilot "in command" and his future career.
I genuinely think it was Tommy, I will do some more checking just in case my memory is playing tricks on me.
Douglas Bunn was personal friends with Alan Bristow, Alan used to have a corporate Bristow "box" at Hickstead and used to enter the carriage driving events when they were held.
Alan often used to be flown to Hickstead in a 206 from the FTS. Pilots used to try to avoid flying with him as he always wanted to take the controls (not a problem in itself, he was a good stick) but the trip to Hickstead encompassed a transit through the Gatwick Control Zone and Alan didn't like to have to hold for clearance, putting immense pressure on the pilot "in command" and his future career.
Thread Starter
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Lol! Great stuff I.I. Alan was of course well known for his habit of 'having a go' and I suppose that most of us would do exactly the same if we were in his shoes.
Crossing Gatwick could, as you say, often involve delays and it was for this reason that my godfather regularly arranged for Gatwick's controllers to visit the beehive (usually on Saturdays) with their families in order to take them for a spin. Over the years the LGW controllers developed an informal 'priority arrangement' for Ferranti's fleet based on their familiarity with the airfield's operations given that it was their home base. In practice this meant that Ferranti aircraft would be allowed slightly more leniency (pilot's discretion in passing behind a landing craft) when it came to crossing the runway.
Gatwick controllers didn't need to memorise Ferranti's registrations because, along with white gloves and highly polished shoes, Col. Bob insisted that whenever a Ferranti aircraft initiated comms with a new frequency their message was to be prefixed with the words "This is Ferranti Helicopter G- ...." and woe betide anyone who failed to observe this procedure!
Earlier in the thread I related an incident between the Colonel and Douglas Bunn and which I suppose was shortly after Bunn had bought the Dancer.
The Sopwith Files: Tommy Junior
For the benefit of some of the younger Rotorheads we are of course talking about the son of British aviation pioneer Sir Thomas Sopwith (the son of yet another Thomas Sopwith and there are yet futher 'Tom Sopwiths' related to the family and who are still about today) the man behind the production of Britain's foremost fighter aircraft, the Camel and the Hurricane, during two world wars.
Like his father, Tommy Jr. was interested in yachting but later progressed to powerboats (sensible chap). He was also a keen racing driver along with other private flyers including Alan Mann, Ken Gregory and of course our friend Colin Chapman who bought Douglas Bunn's 206 mentioned above.
I don't know whether it was because of the strong association between helicopter flyers and racing drivers that at one point when you became a member of the Helicopter Club you were also given complimentary access to the Steering Wheel Club - or was it that the latter accommodated the former under some arrangement due to the club's lack of premises? I just don't remember.
As with several distinguished gentleman flyers in the 70's, Sopwith's preferred vehicle of choice for scouting about the country was a Bell 206 Jet Ranger. Thinking about it, I suppose that Peter Cadbury and 'Air Pegasus' would have been one of the closest contemparies to Tommy.
Tommy Sopwith races his powerboat the Avenger in 1970. Though he raced with the number '400' the wording on the back of the boat (partially obscured by sea spray) reads "Double-O-Seven"
Sopwith Jr. (right) stands with Sir Max Aitken founder of the Cowes-Torquay boat race.
A more recent image of Tommy Sopwith although I don't have details of the year in which this was taken.
Sav
Lol! Great stuff I.I. Alan was of course well known for his habit of 'having a go' and I suppose that most of us would do exactly the same if we were in his shoes.
Crossing Gatwick could, as you say, often involve delays and it was for this reason that my godfather regularly arranged for Gatwick's controllers to visit the beehive (usually on Saturdays) with their families in order to take them for a spin. Over the years the LGW controllers developed an informal 'priority arrangement' for Ferranti's fleet based on their familiarity with the airfield's operations given that it was their home base. In practice this meant that Ferranti aircraft would be allowed slightly more leniency (pilot's discretion in passing behind a landing craft) when it came to crossing the runway.
Gatwick controllers didn't need to memorise Ferranti's registrations because, along with white gloves and highly polished shoes, Col. Bob insisted that whenever a Ferranti aircraft initiated comms with a new frequency their message was to be prefixed with the words "This is Ferranti Helicopter G- ...." and woe betide anyone who failed to observe this procedure!
Earlier in the thread I related an incident between the Colonel and Douglas Bunn and which I suppose was shortly after Bunn had bought the Dancer.
The Sopwith Files: Tommy Junior
For the benefit of some of the younger Rotorheads we are of course talking about the son of British aviation pioneer Sir Thomas Sopwith (the son of yet another Thomas Sopwith and there are yet futher 'Tom Sopwiths' related to the family and who are still about today) the man behind the production of Britain's foremost fighter aircraft, the Camel and the Hurricane, during two world wars.
Like his father, Tommy Jr. was interested in yachting but later progressed to powerboats
(sensible chap). He was also a keen racing driver along with other private flyers including Alan Mann, Ken Gregory and of course our friend Colin Chapman who bought Douglas Bunn's 206 mentioned above.I don't know whether it was because of the strong association between helicopter flyers and racing drivers that at one point when you became a member of the Helicopter Club you were also given complimentary access to the Steering Wheel Club - or was it that the latter accommodated the former under some arrangement due to the club's lack of premises? I just don't remember.
As with several distinguished gentleman flyers in the 70's, Sopwith's preferred vehicle of choice for scouting about the country was a Bell 206 Jet Ranger. Thinking about it, I suppose that Peter Cadbury and 'Air Pegasus' would have been one of the closest contemparies to Tommy.
Tommy Sopwith races his powerboat the Avenger in 1970. Though he raced with the number '400' the wording on the back of the boat (partially obscured by sea spray) reads "Double-O-Seven"
Sopwith Jr. (right) stands with Sir Max Aitken founder of the Cowes-Torquay boat race.
A more recent image of Tommy Sopwith although I don't have details of the year in which this was taken.
Sav
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Savoia Medal of Appreciation
Many thanks Savoia - more appreciated than an OBE
Hadn't heard the story about Tommy Sopwith's finger.
I think he was one of the memorable figures of the 60-70s helicopter scene along with Alan Bristow, The Cad, Alan Mann, Sox, Charles Hughesdon, Tony Everard and of course your Godfather (non exhaustive list before I get abuse).
Hadn't heard the story about Tommy Sopwith's finger.
I think he was one of the memorable figures of the 60-70s helicopter scene along with Alan Bristow, The Cad, Alan Mann, Sox, Charles Hughesdon, Tony Everard and of course your Godfather (non exhaustive list before I get abuse).
Yes, G-AYTF was maintained by BHL FTS, went to Hickstead a couple of times where the machine was housed in an old barn with rails going out to a platform on wheels for landing on. Douglas once had an engine failure and landed in a sewage farm near Worcester Green near Epsom, you can imagine the language when he told what he had landed in. The engine compressor had failed through corrosion, I am sure that that incident initiated the 600 hr physical inspection of the compressor mandated by the CAA and more frequent compressor washing.
Thread Starter
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Great stuff Oldlae! So .. the Dancer had an engine-out before the one with the Colonel and I! Well, she seems to have come through them all fairly well.
Sebastian de Ferranti also had a motorised helipad which retracted into his hangar; although I don't recall which house.
Sav
Great stuff Oldlae! So .. the Dancer had an engine-out before the one with the Colonel and I! Well, she seems to have come through them all fairly well.
Sebastian de Ferranti also had a motorised helipad which retracted into his hangar; although I don't recall which house.
Sav
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It would be wonderful to hear more recollections of Sopwith Jr. and Endeavour Aviation and to discover images of the remainder of his fleet, especially his rotorcraft: G-AVZG, G-GINA and G-IINA.
I certainly remember seeing G-GINA / G-IINA and Shoreham Airport on a fairly regular basis in the late 1980's (when I were a lad). Can't say much more than that other than I thought that it was something to do with Recardo's engineering as it always seemed parked close to their building. I am prepared to accept that this information is very wrong now!
Thread Starter
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The Kenyon Files: The Maestro and His Hughes'
Beside his beloved Enstrom's Dennisimo has been involved with a number of Hughes' also (along with a plethora of other types one should add).
With this first craft I'm just taking a stab at it because I actually don't know whether Dennisimo was involved but .. a couple of pages back we uncovered the little Enstrom F28 G-BAAU which Dennis sold to Colin Chapman.
Now BAAU's first owner was John E. Clark & Co. of Gecco House, Bournemouth who owned her from August 1972 to Januray 1974. What I have discovered is that the same lot bought a Hughes 500 (369) in November 1973 (just prior to selling BAAU).
The craft they bought was previously owned by Autair but, given that Clark/e's (spelled without an 'e' in the first registration document for BAAU and with an 'e' in the second - for the 500) were one of Dennis' clients I'm assuming he may have had something to do with the sale.
Either way Clark/e's traded-up to a 500 which they operated from November '73 until the end of 1975 when the record states the craft was destroyed. Clark/e's 500 was registered as G-BAYN but, I am unable to trace any information relating to the accident report and I wonder .. is there an exhaustive list of UK aircraft accidents? My experience (of which BAYN is but one example) is that there are inconsistencies.
Hughes 500C G-BAYN at Lee-on-Solent on 8th July 1975 (Photo: Brian Johnstone)
We've previously discussed Barry Sheene's Hughes 500C G-STEF and which we know Dennisimo sold him. However, prior to being named after Barry's wife, G-STEF existed as G-BKTK which was bought by Southern Air in June of 1983. She is then registered to 'Suflinks Holdings' (what a name) in the Channel Islands prior to being re-registered as STEF.
While in her original colours she sports an intriguing piece of artwork on her tail which appears to be some sort of creature standing atop what looks like a horizontally placed barber's pole!
I can only hope that the Maestro can fill in the gaps!
Hughes 500C G-BKTK at Shoreham c. 1983 (Photo: Andy Parsons)
MB: Welcome aboard!
What I can tell you is that courtesy of the Nostalgia Thread's leading discoverer of difficult-to-come-by helicopter images, we shall soon be graced with images of most of Sopwith's rotorcraft.
You mention seeing some of the Sopwith fleet at Shoreham in the 80's and the image above is also from Shoreham. Dennisimo was of course based there for an appreciable time along with my godfather for a short season.
Shoreham, so they say, is the UK's oldest licenced airfield and has appeared in numerous television and film productions due mainly to its classical terminal. They say that scenes from the Da Vinci Code were also shot there but I am trying to think which ones those may be. My understanding was that Hanks & co. used a 125 which taxiied into a hangar - was that Shoreham?
Enough for now.
Sav
The Kenyon Files: The Maestro and His Hughes'
Beside his beloved Enstrom's Dennisimo has been involved with a number of Hughes' also (along with a plethora of other types one should add).
With this first craft I'm just taking a stab at it because I actually don't know whether Dennisimo was involved but .. a couple of pages back we uncovered the little Enstrom F28 G-BAAU which Dennis sold to Colin Chapman.
Now BAAU's first owner was John E. Clark & Co. of Gecco House, Bournemouth who owned her from August 1972 to Januray 1974. What I have discovered is that the same lot bought a Hughes 500 (369) in November 1973 (just prior to selling BAAU).
The craft they bought was previously owned by Autair but, given that Clark/e's (spelled without an 'e' in the first registration document for BAAU and with an 'e' in the second - for the 500) were one of Dennis' clients I'm assuming he may have had something to do with the sale.
Either way Clark/e's traded-up to a 500 which they operated from November '73 until the end of 1975 when the record states the craft was destroyed. Clark/e's 500 was registered as G-BAYN but, I am unable to trace any information relating to the accident report and I wonder .. is there an exhaustive list of UK aircraft accidents? My experience (of which BAYN is but one example) is that there are inconsistencies.
Hughes 500C G-BAYN at Lee-on-Solent on 8th July 1975 (Photo: Brian Johnstone)
We've previously discussed Barry Sheene's Hughes 500C G-STEF and which we know Dennisimo sold him. However, prior to being named after Barry's wife, G-STEF existed as G-BKTK which was bought by Southern Air in June of 1983. She is then registered to 'Suflinks Holdings' (what a name) in the Channel Islands prior to being re-registered as STEF.
While in her original colours she sports an intriguing piece of artwork on her tail which appears to be some sort of creature standing atop what looks like a horizontally placed barber's pole!
I can only hope that the Maestro can fill in the gaps!
Hughes 500C G-BKTK at Shoreham c. 1983 (Photo: Andy Parsons)
MB: Welcome aboard!
What I can tell you is that courtesy of the Nostalgia Thread's leading discoverer of difficult-to-come-by helicopter images, we shall soon be graced with images of most of Sopwith's rotorcraft.
You mention seeing some of the Sopwith fleet at Shoreham in the 80's and the image above is also from Shoreham. Dennisimo was of course based there for an appreciable time along with my godfather for a short season.
Shoreham, so they say, is the UK's oldest licenced airfield and has appeared in numerous television and film productions due mainly to its classical terminal. They say that scenes from the Da Vinci Code were also shot there but I am trying to think which ones those may be. My understanding was that Hanks & co. used a 125 which taxiied into a hangar - was that Shoreham?
Enough for now.
Sav
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G-BKTK owner
Savoia
I thought the logo looked like part of a coat of arms and wondered if it was that of the notorious Marquess of Bristol. A quick look at the Bristol coat of arms proves the point; the image on G-BKTK is the crest (i.e. the top of the arms). Bristol, Marquess of (UK, 1826)
John Hervey, 7th Marquess, (1954-1999) (Earl Jermyn until he inherited the title in 1985) was the epitome of the "mad bad and dangerous to know" aristocrat who went through the family fortune in a tidal wave of over indulgence, in particular drugs.
Apparently at the controls of his helicopter 'He was an inspired pilot. He couldn't do radar, though. He would steer by an AA map on his knees, while snorting coke off the map. And he would order that all the lights at Ickworth be turned on when he was getting back.'
'Once, after a major bender, he went out to his helicopter, he didn't bother to check anything, he got into it and just went straight up. He didn't notice that there were clouds, he went straight up and came out at the top. There he was, sitting in a helicopter with a blanket of white puffy clouds beneath him. He said he looked around, put it on auto-pilot. He had a cocktail shaker in the cockpit, so he shook himself a Bloody Mary, had a couple of lines of coke and called the control tower in Cambridge. And somehow he came down, going sideways at 150mph and, without crashing, he landed.'
One night he went for a flight in his Hughes at his country estate, Ickworth House. This was after a dinner that included 2 or 3 bottles of claret and a pint of port. After a groggy, hesitant ascent, it then veered forward and up, hovering no more than 80ft above ground. He turned on the searchlight illuminating the part of the house occupied by an employee of the National Trust, to whom he had been obliged to sell the house and estate. Moments later, a squawking, demented cacophony erupted as Bristol screamed: 'I hate you, you b*****d. You b*****d. I hate you, you f*****g b*****d - wake up, you b*****d.'
In 1988 the Jersey police found 13g of coke in his helicopter at St Helier. He did seven months in the island gaol. This wasn't G-BKTK, more likely his later Hughes 500 G-BMJV
Not the best role model but certainly a character.
I wonder if Dennis K has any other stories about the Marquess.
I thought the logo looked like part of a coat of arms and wondered if it was that of the notorious Marquess of Bristol. A quick look at the Bristol coat of arms proves the point; the image on G-BKTK is the crest (i.e. the top of the arms). Bristol, Marquess of (UK, 1826)
John Hervey, 7th Marquess, (1954-1999) (Earl Jermyn until he inherited the title in 1985) was the epitome of the "mad bad and dangerous to know" aristocrat who went through the family fortune in a tidal wave of over indulgence, in particular drugs.
Apparently at the controls of his helicopter 'He was an inspired pilot. He couldn't do radar, though. He would steer by an AA map on his knees, while snorting coke off the map. And he would order that all the lights at Ickworth be turned on when he was getting back.'
'Once, after a major bender, he went out to his helicopter, he didn't bother to check anything, he got into it and just went straight up. He didn't notice that there were clouds, he went straight up and came out at the top. There he was, sitting in a helicopter with a blanket of white puffy clouds beneath him. He said he looked around, put it on auto-pilot. He had a cocktail shaker in the cockpit, so he shook himself a Bloody Mary, had a couple of lines of coke and called the control tower in Cambridge. And somehow he came down, going sideways at 150mph and, without crashing, he landed.'
One night he went for a flight in his Hughes at his country estate, Ickworth House. This was after a dinner that included 2 or 3 bottles of claret and a pint of port. After a groggy, hesitant ascent, it then veered forward and up, hovering no more than 80ft above ground. He turned on the searchlight illuminating the part of the house occupied by an employee of the National Trust, to whom he had been obliged to sell the house and estate. Moments later, a squawking, demented cacophony erupted as Bristol screamed: 'I hate you, you b*****d. You b*****d. I hate you, you f*****g b*****d - wake up, you b*****d.'
In 1988 the Jersey police found 13g of coke in his helicopter at St Helier. He did seven months in the island gaol. This wasn't G-BKTK, more likely his later Hughes 500 G-BMJV
Not the best role model but certainly a character.
I wonder if Dennis K has any other stories about the Marquess.
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Gosport, UK
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One of 'Mr Sopwiths' better creations, this is a Sopwith Baby replica produced by the year of apprentices that I had the honour of learning with, I'm in the picture I'll let you guess which one, we all met the ledgenry Tommy Sopwith at the presentation, you can imagine the effect on a 17 year old avaition trainee!!!!
Stace
Thread Starter
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I must say that this page has given me considerable satisfaction as the deliberations on Tommy Sopwith have continued with a reminder of his 'finger chopping' incident as well as the further general comments.
Oldlae's memories involving Douglas Bunn (Hickstead Jumping Ground owner) and the additional history behind the 'Dancer', an aircraft of special significance to me, have also been immensely enjoyable.
De Havilland's recollections of the Marquess of Bristol are, in a word, classic; and while reading them I imagined myself to be transported back to the days of my youth when at the Colonel's home on Crockham Hill (less than a mile from Winston's beloved Chartwell House) he would regale my father (with the aid of copious quantities of some fine liquor and a plentiful supply of Habanos) with all manner of stories involving various characters from the UK's aviation fraternity.
Regarding Stacey, he did of course give us a prelude to the form of his countenance in post #574 on page 29 but .. in this latest offering he is somewhat younger! I would hazard a guess and say that he's either directly below the roundel or one of the two dark-haired chaps near the centre of the group.
Great stuff all round! Keep nostalging!
Sav
I must say that this page has given me considerable satisfaction as the deliberations on Tommy Sopwith have continued with a reminder of his 'finger chopping' incident as well as the further general comments.
Oldlae's memories involving Douglas Bunn (Hickstead Jumping Ground owner) and the additional history behind the 'Dancer', an aircraft of special significance to me, have also been immensely enjoyable.
De Havilland's recollections of the Marquess of Bristol are, in a word, classic; and while reading them I imagined myself to be transported back to the days of my youth when at the Colonel's home on Crockham Hill (less than a mile from Winston's beloved Chartwell House) he would regale my father (with the aid of copious quantities of some fine liquor and a plentiful supply of Habanos) with all manner of stories involving various characters from the UK's aviation fraternity.
Regarding Stacey, he did of course give us a prelude to the form of his countenance in post #574 on page 29 but .. in this latest offering he is somewhat younger! I would hazard a guess and say that he's either directly below the roundel or one of the two dark-haired chaps near the centre of the group.
Great stuff all round! Keep nostalging!
Sav