A30yoyo

Do you know anything about the MBB Bo105 at BEA Helicopters' base September 1971 in this pic?



Photos: MBB BO-105 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Savoia

Yoyo, great shots, bravo!

Regarding the Bo105C at Gatwick's Beehive I regret to say that I have no recollections of this craft but, as you rightly point out, the aircraft bears the BEA logo and which, I think makes it fair to assume, that it was most likely on trial or lease to them.

While on BA .. can anyone tell me how Jock Cameron finished-up his days? My godfather was in touch with him for some years after he retired from BA but from around the mid-80's I never heard anything more. Also, can anyone recall some of BA's Chief Pilots after Jock?

G-AVZH

Wonderful to see this craft and great that you have been able to put your finger one of the aircraft listed on page 62 identifying the few remaining 'A' reg 206's still to feature on Nostalgia!

AVZH was delivered to the Hanson Trust (Air Hanson) in December 1967 and must therefore have been their first helicopter and the predecessor to G-AZRU (which has featured previously on this thread) which was used as James Hanson's personal runabout.

In your image it is possible to see (on ZH's tail) Hanson's 'colours' an oval device with four divisions in red and white contrast and which made-up the centrepiece of the wings worn by Hanson's pilots.

AVZH was the 6th non-Bristow 206 in the UK and the 14th 206 in the UK overall.

The UK's first 10 (non-Bristow) 206's were:

G-AVSN - Ferranti Helicopters
G-AVTE - BSR
G-AVVH - David Brown Tractors
G-AVYX - SWEB
G-AVZG - Tommy Sopwith
G-AVZH - Lord Hanson
G-AWGU - BEA/BA
G-AWJL - Point to Point
G-AWJW - Ferranti Helicopters
G-AWLL - Sir Robert McAlpine

All of these were built by Agusta with the exception of G-AVTE.

A30yoyo

I photographed a group of 5 JetRangers on the Southern taxiway in 1972 (some had already gone?)...I think the massed 'airlift' is mentioned elsewhere in the 'Nostalgia' thread.G-AWUC and G-AXXO (edited...originally incorrectly read as 'XXD) unusually climbed out between the back of Field's hangar where I worked and the earth mound next to the Air India maintenance area. G-AVZH and G-AXAY were also present.Hughes 500 G-AZVM and Widgeon G-APTW are on the same neg strip but may have been another day

TRC

Aaaah - G-AWUC, flown by Ted Mallet-Warden aka Ted Bollock-Naked. Ex RN.

Later painted in an early 1970's PHI scheme in black and orange. Ted wore an orange shirt with his uniform.

He went on to join Air Hanson.

Savoia

Yoyo; more great images and further coverage of the last few 'A' reg 206's on our list!

G-AXXO is a great find as (to the best of my knowledge) we have never previously been able to source her image. Her history is brief to say the least; she was first owned by 'Constant Securities' (to whom she was registered at the time of your photo) and then sold (in '73) to Heli Air prior to being shipped back to the US in '75.

G-AWUC featured previously on page 39 of this thread wearing 'Kestrel Helicopters' markings while under the ownership of Air West in Dorset. In your 1972 photo she was owned by 'Heli Jet Executive' as confirmed by the 'HJE' titles. AWUC began life in '68 as David Brown's third 206.


Bell 206B G-AWUC at Inverness in the Summer of 1974 (Photo: Peter Nicholson)

Regarding your 'multi-Ranger' shot yes, this event featured previously on page 6 of the Mann Thread:



On must assume that G-AXAY was leased by Mann's at the time of this shot because the file shows she was registered to 'Camlet Helicopters'.


A fleet of JetRangers (far to near: G-AWUC, G-AVZH, G-AWOL, G-AXXO and G-AXAY) at London Heathrow c. July 1972 (Photo: Mick West)

Intriguingly, the photo above reveals an 'all Bell' line-up (with the exception of G-AVZH) and which, for the early 70's, was quite a feat!

Regarding G-AWOL, she shares common ground with much of the above having also been registered to Camlet at the time of this photo and being the second edition to the David Brown fleet (David Brown Tractors bought the following aircraft from new: G-AVVH, G-AWOL and G-AWUC).


G-AWOL (as posted by TRC on the Mann Thread) wearing Mann's earlier paint scheme

More Wasps ..


Saunders Roe/Westland test pilot Roy Moxam in a Wasp testbed cab (date unknown)


A Royal Navy Westland Wasp with what appear to be Mk 44 torpedeos being fitted (evidently a 5 man job!)

A30yoyo

Savoia....A slightly different view of 'XAY, 'XXO , 'WOL, 'VZH and 'WUC at LHR in 1972 and a shot of G-AXGO on a different day? in 1972. Funny I was thinking about JetRangers this afternoon on the beach with the dog in Penzance and one flew over ...it orbited the town before possibly visiting the Heliport...got an extremely cropped image....looks like light blue and ivory....Mrsyoyo had the car and it was freezing so I didn't bother going down to the heliport...let me know which 1970s JetRangers haven't appeared in your thread, I'll look out for them

A30yoyo

Rooting through 1972 negatives I found this rareish shot of Bell 212 N2961W at LHR ...it became G-BALZ (which has its own thread?) and is still flying in Canada, I believe...also a set from Portsmouth in May 1969, an Italian Navy Bell on the 'Alpino'? and 2 Canadian Sea Kings or whatever they called them in Canada ,all on destroyers or frigates , I think

Savoia

Yoyo, more great shots, bravo!

Now that you have displayed AVZH and AXXO we only have seven non-Bristow 'A' reg 206's which have yet to feature (with photo) on Nostalgia. These are: G-AVVH, G-AWOY, G-AWRI, G-AWRV, G-AYDK, G-AYHN and G-AYIY.

"At Odds With The World 4"


Austrian AS350B3 OE-XHL flown by 'Christoph' enters the turn over the Alps


Christoph's office

More At Odds With The World images: AOWTW1 AOWTW2 AOWTW3

Corax

We call them CH124 Sea Kings alright. They appear to be on our old frigates and the helicopters are still flying. Still waiting for Sikorsky to deliver those very overdue CH148 (S92) Cyclone Maritime helicopters.

A30yoyo

Thanks...it was the CH124 bit I was unsure of....didn't they use that 'bear-trap' system to get such a big helicopter onto a small deck space?Air-Britain : 4026 portsmouth
suggests 4026 was on HMCS St Laurent (and with the new 'unified' markings while 4012 has the old Navy scheme)

Savoia

Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aero-and-marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight. The name Saunders-Roe was adopted in 1929 after Alliot Verdon Roe (he behind the development of the Lancaster bomber, the Vulcan and the Blue Steel missile) and John Lord took a controlling interest in the boat-builders S.E. Saunders. Prior to this (except for the Sopwith/Saunders Bat Boat) the products were Saunders, the A4 Medina for example dating from 1926. Sam Saunders, the founder, developed the Consuta material used in marine and aviation craft.

In 1951 Saunders-Roe took over the interests of the Cierva Autogyro Company a helicopter design of which was developed into the Skeeter helicopter. In September 1952 the company comprised:

- Saunders-Roe Ltd. with a Head Office in Osborne, East Cowes, Isle of Wight (I.O.W.) with works at Columbine I.O.W. and Southampton Airport

- Saunders-Roe (Anglesey) Ltd, Friars Works, Beaumaris, North Wales

- Saro Laminated Wood Products Ltd., Folly Works, Whippingham, I.O.W.

- Princess Air Transport Co. Ltd of Osborne I.O.W. with an office in London at 45 Parliament St. SW1

In 1959 it demonstrated the first practical hovercraft built under contract to the National Research Development Corporation to Christopher Cockerell's design, the SR.N1.

In the same year Saro's helicopter and hovercraft interests were taken over by Westland Aircraft which continued the Skeeter family with the Scout and Wasp the latter starting life as the P531.

Design of the P531 began in November 1957 as a private venture improvement of the company's earlier Skeeter. The first prototypes were powered by a derated 325 shp Blackburn Turbomeca Turmo 600, a free turbine engine allowing clutchless transmission. The P531 first flew on the 20 July 1958. Three more developed P531-0s followed and these were delivered to the Royal Navy/Fleet Air Arm for trials and familiarisation. Following evaluation by the Navy a batch of 30 developed aircraft were eventually ordered as the Westland Wasp.

Two militiarised P531-2s were completed in 1959, powered by the Blackburn Nimbus and the de Havilland Gnome H1000 free-turbine engines, both derated to 635 hp now that the transmission tests had proved such powers acceptable. Like the Turmo installation, these engines were mounted, uncowled behind the cabin for easy servicing. There were aerodynamic shape revisions and a floor extension to allow six, rather than five seats. The vision was improved with perspex panels in the doors, tankage was increased and all-metal rotors introduced. These modifications increased gross weight by 1,200 lb (544 kg).

Saro had an order for eight pre-production aircraft from the Army Air Corps for evaluation and trials; these would have been known as the Saro Sprite, but the company was taken over by Westland and the aircraft became the first Scout A.H.1s.

Another P531-2 was built for evaluation by the Indian government but following a lack of interest was re-worked as Scout standard for the Army Air Corps.


The Saunders-Roe Saro P531 Mk1 G-APNV at the 1958 SBAC Show at Farnborough on 13 September 1958


G-APNV at Farnborough on 7th September 1958


The glorious Saunders-Roe 'Saro Princess' at the Saro Works, East Cowes in September 1954

.

Shane101

Savoia

That was a great find Shane. Which publication is that please?


Helicopter garden party hosted by Charles Hughesdon at his residence, Dunsborough Park, near Ripley in Surrey on 2nd June 1963

A number of aircraft in your article Shane which have featured on Nostalgia including G-ARIA, G-ASXF and G-AVYX.

Nice also to see Ferranti's 206 (G-AWJW) mentioned as well as a photo the recently featured G-AXGO. At the time of the photo AXGO was registered to Stewart Smith & Co. from whom Charles presumably borrowed the aircraft and from whom he would eventually buy the aircraft.

In addition to Charles' efforts I remember Bob Pooley used to host rotary garden parties (at least two of which I attended with my godfather). Do such events still occur in the UK?

Shane101

Hi Savoia,

That cutting is from Air Pictorial August 1970

I don’t know if anything like this event still occurs other than at Weston Super Mare where I think Elfan ap Rees of the HelicopterMuseum still organises a fly in sometime in the summer.

Shane

Savoia

Shane, thanks for that!

More Yoyo copters!



A brand new Hughes 500C G-AZVM sits on the ramp at London's Heathrow in the Summer of 1972 (Photo: Mick West)

At the time of this photo AZVM was registered to Finance and General Investment of Guildford in Surrey prior to moving on to join the Air Gregorious fleet in August 1974.

In the background is the tailfin of the Beecham Group's (they of Beecham's Powders) HS125 3B G-AVVB. Beecham's would later go on to form a jet charter company, Beecham-Imperial Aviation, from their corporate flight department.

You can read more about AZVM in post 864 where she was deployed during the filming of the 'Copter Kids' and in post 885 where you can see her (in colour) at Cranfield (c. 1970's) as well as outside the Heythrop Park Hotel in more recent times.

DennisK

Just a 'titbit' to add to the aerial shot of Dunsborough Park at Ripley. I especially recall the events, since at the time I frequerntly opened the batting for the Ripley Village cricket team. The pitch and clubhouse, which are still very much there, sat in the open space just over the wall to the south east. The steady stream of choppers arriving didn't help ones batting concentration for sure. At the time I was a fixed wing flyer and didn't convert to rotary til 1972.

PS. Anyone here remember of flew in to Tony Everards social fly-ins in the early 70s. Dennis K.

A30yoyo

Savoia....Hughes 500 G-AZVM and the HS125 are on the apron outside the Field's hangar from where Field operated several HS125s for various big British companies...(it was built originally for BOAC's Comet I operations).
I think the aircraft (e.g. Expeditor G-ALJJ) and helicopters (e.g. G-AWGO) operated by Stewart Smith were primarily for the use of Charles Hughesdon.

G-ALJJ by David Whitworth, on Flickr

Brian Doherty worked for BOAC back in 1957 and got tickets to the Dunsborough Park Rotary party
Air-Britain : doherty ripley

A30yoyo

Couple of iffy shots of the Mil V-12 at Schiphol, Amsterdam on its way back from the Paris Salon 1971 but at least they show the scale of the beast.Also the USAF Kaman HH-43 Husky crash helicopter at RAF Upper Heyford Open Day, 1970

LOZZ

My first flight in a helicopter was at one of these parties when aged 3-4 (1970 or 71). Think it was in a Wessex of the Queen's flight which visited.

This clip dates back to '58: HELICOPTER PARTY - British Pathé

Shame it took me 40 years to decide to start learning how to fly one

Better late than never.

Lawrence.

Savoia

Lozz, welcome aboard!

What a great story; to have had your first flight at one of Charles Hughesdon's parties and to fly in a Wessex from the Queen's Flight. Great stuff!

Your clip has debuted previously on Nostalgia but .. great to see it again. Numerous characters there including Peter Wilson (flying the Sycamore and kindly identified by PPRuNer TRC) who spent quite some time at our family home in the UK during my younger days.

Of Ripley, Hughesdon, Kenyon and Cricket!