The Rotary Nostalgia Thread
Commenting on your last two posts Savioa
One of the Aussie pilots must be Don Farquarson who later joined Bristol's as a test pilot on Sycamores through to Sea Kings..no longer with us I'm afraid but noted for his eccentricities.
The Super Frelon pictured was leased to Olympic Airways (nee Onassis ) for a couple of summer seasons in the late sixties but didnt make any money .It was then used for training Chinese and Iraqi pilots before being put out to grass in the 1980s.It now resides in The Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare,brought to the UK from Marignane by road,courtesy of Bristow in the days when they had their own transport fleet and were a lot more generous than today.At the time it was the biggest helo ever moved by road in Europe and quite a challenge logistically especially as les Frenchies wouldn't allow use of the motorway and it had to come on A roads to Cherbourg ,which required permission from every local authority Mayor en route.Tony ? Bristow's transport manager tore his hair out trying to secure permissions I recall.......
....and the AB47J was purchased by BEA and by SWEB at Bristol ,so the sales tour must have worked.........ah nostalgia !
One of the Aussie pilots must be Don Farquarson who later joined Bristol's as a test pilot on Sycamores through to Sea Kings..no longer with us I'm afraid but noted for his eccentricities.
The Super Frelon pictured was leased to Olympic Airways (nee Onassis ) for a couple of summer seasons in the late sixties but didnt make any money .It was then used for training Chinese and Iraqi pilots before being put out to grass in the 1980s.It now resides in The Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare,brought to the UK from Marignane by road,courtesy of Bristow in the days when they had their own transport fleet and were a lot more generous than today.At the time it was the biggest helo ever moved by road in Europe and quite a challenge logistically especially as les Frenchies wouldn't allow use of the motorway and it had to come on A roads to Cherbourg ,which required permission from every local authority Mayor en route.Tony ? Bristow's transport manager tore his hair out trying to secure permissions I recall.......
....and the AB47J was purchased by BEA and by SWEB at Bristol ,so the sales tour must have worked.........ah nostalgia !
Thread Starter
Heli1 thanks for your comments. 
The Super Frelon F-ZWWE used in the speed trial
The speed trial was conducted by renown Sud Aviation test pilot Jean Boulet who has featured previously on this thread
Jean Boulet at the helm of the Super Frelon on 23rd July 1963 when the world speed record was achieved
The Frelon's sponsons were removed and its undercarriage replaced by stumps for the record-breaking flight.
The Super Frelon F-ZWWE used in the speed trial
The speed trial was conducted by renown Sud Aviation test pilot Jean Boulet who has featured previously on this thread
Jean Boulet at the helm of the Super Frelon on 23rd July 1963 when the world speed record was achieved
The Frelon's sponsons were removed and its undercarriage replaced by stumps for the record-breaking flight.
Thread Starter
Another Aussie Ranger ...
Bell 206B VH-EPQ at Sydney's Kingsford Smith airport on 29th December 2001 (Photo: Craig Murray)
More Aussie Rangers on page 41
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Aussie Rangers
Running the risk of being pedantic here - this is a professional forum for professional people after all - but they are Jet Rangers.
This is a Bell Ranger...
This is a Bell Ranger...
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I'm still chasing around for pics of 'The dancer', particularly in here Essex Lotus days. The chap who sent me this pic says she also appeared in a Martini livery at one point, I'm guessing with a green base colour to match the Lotus F1 cars of the time (1979).
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Epiphany, too funny!
TRC: I think that'll be a round on you for the pedantics - lol!
FBB: Its been a while, welcome back! Dear God it brings a tear to the eye to see the Dancer wearing her Essex scheme .. and which is how she looked when I first flew her. She was probably the first JetRanger in the UK to sport reflective 'chrome' tape and which, at the time, looked somewhat snazzy!
I have several photos of her (in both Essex and JPS colours) but, these images are back in Blighty and which I shall recover when I next visit.
Great work, well done!
As mentioned some time back, Essex Oil owner and Team Lotus sponsor David Thieme had a LongRanger on the French register using the same colours but with a different scheme. It would have been one of the first LongRangers in France (1979) and, if I remember rightly, the reflective tape was applied lengthwise along the fuselage in thin stripes. She sported an all white leather interior with white sheepskin rugs and was a sight (for a young lad) to behold!
A Swissman in Italy!
An AS332 C1 HB-ZKN Super Puma belonging to Eagle Helicopters on the Italian side of the Alps on 1st January 2007 (Photo: Marina Cozma)
A Swiss Super P (oops, TRC's about ... I mean Super Puma) ventures over to the Italian side of the Alps on New Year's Day 2007 to carry out lift work. In the full size version of this image it is not possible to see anyone occupying the co-drivers seat! Not required?
TRC: I think that'll be a round on you for the pedantics - lol!
FBB: Its been a while, welcome back! Dear God it brings a tear to the eye to see the Dancer wearing her Essex scheme .. and which is how she looked when I first flew her. She was probably the first JetRanger in the UK to sport reflective 'chrome' tape and which, at the time, looked somewhat snazzy!
I have several photos of her (in both Essex and JPS colours) but, these images are back in Blighty and which I shall recover when I next visit.
Great work, well done!
As mentioned some time back, Essex Oil owner and Team Lotus sponsor David Thieme had a LongRanger on the French register using the same colours but with a different scheme. It would have been one of the first LongRangers in France (1979) and, if I remember rightly, the reflective tape was applied lengthwise along the fuselage in thin stripes. She sported an all white leather interior with white sheepskin rugs and was a sight (for a young lad) to behold!
A Swissman in Italy!
An AS332 C1 HB-ZKN Super Puma belonging to Eagle Helicopters on the Italian side of the Alps on 1st January 2007 (Photo: Marina Cozma)
A Swiss Super P (oops, TRC's about ... I mean Super Puma) ventures over to the Italian side of the Alps on New Year's Day 2007 to carry out lift work. In the full size version of this image it is not possible to see anyone occupying the co-drivers seat! Not required?
Thread Starter
More Air Gregory
An Air Gregory trio 'somewhere' over Blighty in 1975 during the making of the film 'The Copter Kids'
Had initially thought that this was G-AVEE and G-AXPL (both of which appear on page 14) but, the ownership dates do not correspond with the year of the image so, am still on the hunt for the identities of these craft.
Re: the 47, I'm not sure if Gregorious (Air Gregory) had a 47 .. but will endeavour to find-out.
Thread Starter
Ah TRC .. you're not gonna let this go are you! Never mind, but I'll give you some stick over it when we meet-up for our shindig!
You are basically homing in on one of my character traits, my use of nicknames - generally intended to communicate a personalisation of an individual, organisation or object. From age 8 when my parents divorced, my godfather (whom you so kindly drove to the Waldorf) and whom you rescued (along with me) from a field in Norfolk when Colin Chapman's 206 packed-up, played a significant role in my up-bringing. He was the one who taught me to fly and it was through him that I gained exposure to the aviation world in which I was to carve out my first career. One of Col Bob's traits was his extensive use of nicknames (which I have mentioned numerous times both here and on the Ferranti thread) and I guess it was inevitable that some of this was going to rub off!
For example, I never once heard him refer to Alan Mann as Alan Mann, it was always Manfred Mann! John Froud one of the Ferranti mechanics was always 'Wee Johnny Froud' etc. On a post (I think on this thread) where I conveyed his secondment to CSE when the Bell 222 test pilot was grounded by Heathrow and he ended-up flying the demonstrator N2221W, the ATCO's at LHR were in hoots of laughter the entire Ascot week because of the Colonels RT announcements "This is helicopter N222 ... pause ... One Whisky" with an inflection on the 1W which was intended to reflect the ordering of the drink! Yes childish, perhaps immature even .. many things no doubt but, qualified in psychology (as many management consultants are these day) I am also aware that light-hearted antics have their place in professionalism. Stress levels, confidence and a generally more open and accessible 'culture' are all merits of encouraging a moderate degree of humour, spontaneity, personalisation .. whatever.
Now, aside from this, people have their distinctive personalities. Some will wish to conduct their discourse (both private and professional) in a strictly orderly manner revealing no personal character traits of any significance. Others may be freer in their conversations or wish to convey something of the 'spirit' of their message and this is where the personalisation of one's communications begins to evolve.
My godfather was known for calling everything and everyone by special names. Ask the likes of Martyn Fiddler or the ex-Ferranti Bo105 training captain PPRuNer Speechless Two about the Ferranti days and what were known as 'Colonelisms'! My little expressions are as nothing compared to the antics of the Colonel and you should be thankful that I never engaged in the 'Star Trekisation' of equipment and instruments which occurred among several Bristow crews! Again, hilarious!
Perhaps its something which comes with age, that one frets less and less about taking everything so seriously .. or perhaps I am wrong and we should be explicitly serious, continually!
Anyway, that's me. If my use of non-standard names causes confusion, is offensive etc. then I will do my best to diminish this habit but, I would appreciate a little more feedback (perhaps from others) to confirm that my bast*rdisation of certain words really is a pain in the **!
You are basically homing in on one of my character traits, my use of nicknames - generally intended to communicate a personalisation of an individual, organisation or object. From age 8 when my parents divorced, my godfather (whom you so kindly drove to the Waldorf) and whom you rescued (along with me) from a field in Norfolk when Colin Chapman's 206 packed-up, played a significant role in my up-bringing. He was the one who taught me to fly and it was through him that I gained exposure to the aviation world in which I was to carve out my first career. One of Col Bob's traits was his extensive use of nicknames (which I have mentioned numerous times both here and on the Ferranti thread) and I guess it was inevitable that some of this was going to rub off!
For example, I never once heard him refer to Alan Mann as Alan Mann, it was always Manfred Mann! John Froud one of the Ferranti mechanics was always 'Wee Johnny Froud' etc. On a post (I think on this thread) where I conveyed his secondment to CSE when the Bell 222 test pilot was grounded by Heathrow and he ended-up flying the demonstrator N2221W, the ATCO's at LHR were in hoots of laughter the entire Ascot week because of the Colonels RT announcements "This is helicopter N222 ... pause ... One Whisky" with an inflection on the 1W which was intended to reflect the ordering of the drink! Yes childish, perhaps immature even .. many things no doubt but, qualified in psychology (as many management consultants are these day) I am also aware that light-hearted antics have their place in professionalism. Stress levels, confidence and a generally more open and accessible 'culture' are all merits of encouraging a moderate degree of humour, spontaneity, personalisation .. whatever.
Now, aside from this, people have their distinctive personalities. Some will wish to conduct their discourse (both private and professional) in a strictly orderly manner revealing no personal character traits of any significance. Others may be freer in their conversations or wish to convey something of the 'spirit' of their message and this is where the personalisation of one's communications begins to evolve.
My godfather was known for calling everything and everyone by special names. Ask the likes of Martyn Fiddler or the ex-Ferranti Bo105 training captain PPRuNer Speechless Two about the Ferranti days and what were known as 'Colonelisms'! My little expressions are as nothing compared to the antics of the Colonel and you should be thankful that I never engaged in the 'Star Trekisation' of equipment and instruments which occurred among several Bristow crews! Again, hilarious!
Perhaps its something which comes with age, that one frets less and less about taking everything so seriously .. or perhaps I am wrong and we should be explicitly serious, continually!
Anyway, that's me. If my use of non-standard names causes confusion, is offensive etc. then I will do my best to diminish this habit but, I would appreciate a little more feedback (perhaps from others) to confirm that my bast*rdisation of certain words really is a pain in the **!
Thread Starter
80's Nostalgia
The late John 'Chalky' White blasts off from his home base of Castle Donington in JCB's Agusta-built (and Ferranti stabilised) JetRanger II in February 1980. Vickers Viscount 735 in the foreground parked in front of the JCB hangar (Photo: David Eyre)
An S76A G-OAUS, registered to Aston Upthorpe Stud, arrives at Farnborough on 8th September 1982 (Photo: Don Hewins)
Last edited by Savoia; 9th Sep 2011 at 23:56. Reason: Ownership details amended relating to G-OAUS
In the full size version of this image it is not possible to see anyone occupying the co-drivers seat! Not required?
Even the 225 is "1"
Thread Starter
RVDT thanks. Just unusual to see the Super P being flown single pilot!
The Bell 47 mentioned by Nigel (VH-AHF) at Bankstown airport in February 1966 - wearing 'Rotor-Work' titles (Photo: Greg Banfield)
VH-AHF crased near Circular Quay on 10th December 1966, evidently due to the failure of a t/r retention bolt
Nigel Osborn wrote: Jim started Ferguson Helicopters as an offshoot of Rotorwork to mainly handle the Sydney jobs. Jim won a large gravity survey contract in 1966 which set them up financially, even though there was a tragic accident in Sydney in a 47 while filming near the Opera House when the entire tail gearbox dropped into the harbour & all 3 on board were killed.
The Bell 47 mentioned by Nigel (VH-AHF) at Bankstown airport in February 1966 - wearing 'Rotor-Work' titles (Photo: Greg Banfield)
VH-AHF crased near Circular Quay on 10th December 1966, evidently due to the failure of a t/r retention bolt
In the full size version of this image it is not possible to see anyone occupying the co-drivers seat! Not required?
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G-OAUS
G-OAUS was one of two S76, the other being S76B G-BOYF, owned by the Maktoums of Dubai and operated originally by Air Hanson out of Blackbushe.Kerry Packers was another machine