The Rotary Nostalgia Thread
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Pretty picture S ... just love the way the bigger engine has to stick out a bit.
Customer of mine in Tralee owned one which he kept at the bottom of his 300feet deep limestone quarry. On lift off it would pop out like a Champagne cork. Regards to PPs. Dennis K
PS. I'm away to Albacete later this week for a PPL training task ... anyone landed at the local airport? I'm told it was once Franco's private bolt hole!
Customer of mine in Tralee owned one which he kept at the bottom of his 300feet deep limestone quarry. On lift off it would pop out like a Champagne cork. Regards to PPs. Dennis K
PS. I'm away to Albacete later this week for a PPL training task ... anyone landed at the local airport? I'm told it was once Franco's private bolt hole!
Thread Starter
Ciao Dennisimo!
Great to see you back on thread .. don't be a stranger!
The 'F' model was a dream to fly. I flew the only two (as far as I am aware) to work in Papua New Guinea, P2-AHM (when I was with Rotorwork) and N16031 (leased to Specific when I was with the 'kela' bald-headed man 
). They had heaps of power (even at altitude) and I would have wished that all the 500's in that part of the world would have been F models!
Regarding Albacete .. I've not been there. Perhaps Aser or Estepo? But .. have a great visit. I hope the weather is warmer than where you are now.
Regarding General Franco, wasn't Albacete the seat of his avowed enemies .. the International Brigades?
The Magnum ship had orange-tone stripes over a brown base but .. I know what you mean:
N58243, one of several Hughes 500 'D' models which sailed the skies over Hawaii during the making of the 1980's American TV series Magnum PI
Sadly, N58243 (the pop-out-float-equipped bird seen skimming the waves during the opening titles of the series) ditched into the sea off Hawaii killing cemera technican Robert Van Der Kar and injuring the driver Robert Sanders. The accident report concluded a cause of pilot error CFIW. When aired, the episode being filmed 'Skin Deep' was dedicated to the memory of Robert Van Der Kar.
But .. I can think of a Hughes which was similarly coloured:
Dennis Kenyon's Hughes 500C G-HSKY in his Skyline hangar at Booker c.1984
HSKY was probably the first 500 I flew. I remember 'The Clarke' wasn't so keen on the Angry Bumble Bee and so one of Dennis' other instructors gave me a go - (I think it was a chap called Bowden or something similar. I remember that he was the first non-military pilot that I had flown with).
Oh Geee .. look what I found .. a Kenyon with a Bumble Bee!
Dennisimo with Hughes 500C G-GEEE c.1990
Formerly known as G-BDOY this craft was most likely registered to Brian Stein of Ockwells Manor, Maidenhead at the time of the photo.
In the late 70's this craft was bought by Cosworth Engineering of St.James, Northampton and which, if I remember rightly, was a British engineering firm which 'beefed-up' somewhat pedestrian automobiles and gave them some 'grunt!'.
Great to see you back on thread .. don't be a stranger!
On lift off it would pop out like a Champagne cork.
). They had heaps of power (even at altitude) and I would have wished that all the 500's in that part of the world would have been F models!Regarding Albacete .. I've not been there. Perhaps Aser or Estepo? But .. have a great visit. I hope the weather is warmer than where you are now.
Regarding General Franco, wasn't Albacete the seat of his avowed enemies .. the International Brigades?
Funny how that paint job looks similar to TC's 500 in Magnum PI TV-series.
N58243, one of several Hughes 500 'D' models which sailed the skies over Hawaii during the making of the 1980's American TV series Magnum PI
Sadly, N58243 (the pop-out-float-equipped bird seen skimming the waves during the opening titles of the series) ditched into the sea off Hawaii killing cemera technican Robert Van Der Kar and injuring the driver Robert Sanders. The accident report concluded a cause of pilot error CFIW. When aired, the episode being filmed 'Skin Deep' was dedicated to the memory of Robert Van Der Kar.
But .. I can think of a Hughes which was similarly coloured:
Dennis Kenyon's Hughes 500C G-HSKY in his Skyline hangar at Booker c.1984
HSKY was probably the first 500 I flew. I remember 'The Clarke' wasn't so keen on the Angry Bumble Bee and so one of Dennis' other instructors gave me a go - (I think it was a chap called Bowden or something similar. I remember that he was the first non-military pilot that I had flown with).
Oh Geee .. look what I found .. a Kenyon with a Bumble Bee!
Dennisimo with Hughes 500C G-GEEE c.1990
Formerly known as G-BDOY this craft was most likely registered to Brian Stein of Ockwells Manor, Maidenhead at the time of the photo.
In the late 70's this craft was bought by Cosworth Engineering of St.James, Northampton and which, if I remember rightly, was a British engineering firm which 'beefed-up' somewhat pedestrian automobiles and gave them some 'grunt!'.
Thread Starter
Operation 'Rich Man'
In April 1962 an RAF Bristol Type 192 Belvedere was engaged in placing a new 1.5 tonne bronze spire atop Coventry Cathedral. The RAF dubbed the exercise Operation 'Rich Man'.
Involved in the lift were: Sqn Ldr Dowling, Flt Lt Salt and Flying Officer James Martin .. among others.
The Type 192 prepares to lift the spire. This photo taken by Patrick Casey who was 10 years old at the time
.. in colour ..
The Type 192 rests in 'Pool Meadow' within the vicinity of the Cathedral in preparation for the lift
.. and on video:
Evidently, the morning after the above lift, the Belvedere lowered a cross onto the spire although I have yet to locate the photographic record for this event.
Involved in the lift were: Sqn Ldr Dowling, Flt Lt Salt and Flying Officer James Martin .. among others.
The Type 192 prepares to lift the spire. This photo taken by Patrick Casey who was 10 years old at the time
.. in colour ..
The Type 192 rests in 'Pool Meadow' within the vicinity of the Cathedral in preparation for the lift
.. and on video:
Evidently, the morning after the above lift, the Belvedere lowered a cross onto the spire although I have yet to locate the photographic record for this event.
There was another G reg 500 in those brown/orange/yellow colours, a D model like the Magnum PI pick but without the long skids and floats G-ONTA, originally for the NTA Nigerian Television Authority - DennisK can tell us more, I suspect about this and the two 500C models G-ONPP and G-VNPP for the Nigerian People's Party....
Thread Starter
Well done Jeremy! 
Your photo shows ONTA at Sywell in July 1989 and was taken by Nostalgia thread supporter Bill Teasdale. Dennisimo must by now be in Albacete - I think he previously put out an enquiry regarding the current whereabouts of these ships.
NZ Nostalgia
Hughes 500C ZK-HJH of Whirlwide Helicopters flown by Eddie McGregor supporting construction work in Caroline Bay, Timaru, New Zealand in 1979
Your photo shows ONTA at Sywell in July 1989 and was taken by Nostalgia thread supporter Bill Teasdale. Dennisimo must by now be in Albacete - I think he previously put out an enquiry regarding the current whereabouts of these ships.NZ Nostalgia
Hughes 500C ZK-HJH of Whirlwide Helicopters flown by Eddie McGregor supporting construction work in Caroline Bay, Timaru, New Zealand in 1979
Thread Starter
Zis, One good turn deserves another!
"At Odds" No. 5
An SA342 Gazelle of the 'L'Armée de Terre' performs a turn over the French countryside in October 2006 (Photo: Natacha Laporte)
More "At Odds" images here.
"At Odds" No. 5
An SA342 Gazelle of the 'L'Armée de Terre' performs a turn over the French countryside in October 2006 (Photo: Natacha Laporte)
More "At Odds" images here.
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Coming soon at NMM Cornwall
If you find yourself at a loose end when taking in the delights of Cornwall then pop down to Falmouth where the National Maritime Museum has a new exhibition entitled Maritime Rescue.
If you have never had the chance to sit in the pilot's seat of the dear old Sea King then head to the NMM and grab the chance. An ex UK SAR Sea King has been loaned to the Museum as a 'climb-aboard' and will be in the main exhibition hall resplendent in both RAF and RN colours (yellow on the right and blue-grey/red on the left). Take your kids and have a really great day out. There are displays that also focus on the HM Coastguard and RNLI as well as the Cornwall Air Ambulance who regularly feature in beach rescues.
If you want to show your family what you do for a living and have never had the chance then head for Falmouth and make a long weekend of it.
G.
If you have never had the chance to sit in the pilot's seat of the dear old Sea King then head to the NMM and grab the chance. An ex UK SAR Sea King has been loaned to the Museum as a 'climb-aboard' and will be in the main exhibition hall resplendent in both RAF and RN colours (yellow on the right and blue-grey/red on the left). Take your kids and have a really great day out. There are displays that also focus on the HM Coastguard and RNLI as well as the Cornwall Air Ambulance who regularly feature in beach rescues.
If you want to show your family what you do for a living and have never had the chance then head for Falmouth and make a long weekend of it.
G.
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Probs is Geoffers that there are too many emmets in Cornwall to go down there in season 
However, I am going to my old school reunion in Truro in April so I might just head down to Falmouth and see how the Seaking varies from the CG SAR S61N that I used to fly
However, I am going to my old school reunion in Truro in April so I might just head down to Falmouth and see how the Seaking varies from the CG SAR S61N that I used to fly
Thread Starter
Mancunian Machinations
Ah Zis, I see you are thinking in Italian, bene! I too would gladly surrender the pole seat in order to share the back with the delightful young Natacha.
Revealed: The 1950s plan for a futuristic Manchester of helipads and underground trains
GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE: A plan from the 1950s shows brightly-coloured helicopters flying around an industrial-looking Manchester – and a helipad at Victoria station. The plans form part of a new exhibition at the Cube gallery
Modernist makeover was Mancunians way | Bioscience Technology Online
Revealed: The 1950s plan for a futuristic Manchester of helipads and underground trains
GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE: A plan from the 1950s shows brightly-coloured helicopters flying around an industrial-looking Manchester – and a helipad at Victoria station. The plans form part of a new exhibition at the Cube gallery
A remarkable collection of architects' drawings, maps and other exhibits - many of which have never before been seen by the public - will go on show at a special exhibition.
Curated by Dr Martin Dodge and Richard Brook, it is It called Infra_MANC and will take place 27 February to March 23.
The urban motorway, known as the Mancunian Way and completed in 1967, was originally part of 1945 plans for four ring roads and an array of radial 'boulevards'.
The plans would have wiped out large parts of the Victorian city and transformed it into an unrecognisable landscape of highways in the sky.
Plans for a helipad on top of Victoria train station, intended as a hub for inter-city helicopter flights, were published in 1956.
Though the Victoria station idea was quickly dropped, other helipad sites, including Castlefield, Piccadilly Gardens and next to Strangeways Prison, were considered.
A landing site behind Piccadilly station, was championed and investigated for ten years as part of Manchester's desire to be plugged into what was predicted would become a UK wide helicopter passenger network.
A railway tunnel connecting Piccadilly to Victoria stations, though eventually dropped, was given parliamentary approval in 1972 - with the new stations to be built underground, including one below Albert Square and the Town Hall, along with moving pavements connecting Oxford Road station and Piccadilly Gardens.
Six miles of secret tunnels under Manchester's China Town were built to protect the city's vital telephone system against atomic bombs during the cold war.
The bunker has since been closed off to the public but remain a mysterious relic of the period.
Richard Brook, from the Manchester School of Architecture, said: "Our exhibition reveals that Manchester could have been a very different place from the city we know today.
"Many of the proposals show the planners of the time had great foresight, vision and optimism.
"Some of these ideas were actually quite beautiful, but sadly they weren't to be and by the time of the 1973 oil crisis - when cash and energy was suddenly in short supply - they were abandoned.
"There were further complications too: the City council found it hard to please the myriad of landowners to go ahead with the ring road plans, and a newly emboldened heritage movement also put on the brakes."
Dr Martin Dodge, from The University of Manchester said: "The exhibition is about giving the public more knowledge about their city.
"Two of the projects we display in Infra_MANC were completed, two were not but both epitomise the spirit of post war recovery in Manchester, the reality of 1960s construction and the economic and political upheaval of the 1970s.
"We would like to thank Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design at Manchester Metropolitan University, Museum of Transport Greater Manchester and Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives for their support."
Curated by Dr Martin Dodge and Richard Brook, it is It called Infra_MANC and will take place 27 February to March 23.
The urban motorway, known as the Mancunian Way and completed in 1967, was originally part of 1945 plans for four ring roads and an array of radial 'boulevards'.
The plans would have wiped out large parts of the Victorian city and transformed it into an unrecognisable landscape of highways in the sky.
Plans for a helipad on top of Victoria train station, intended as a hub for inter-city helicopter flights, were published in 1956.
Though the Victoria station idea was quickly dropped, other helipad sites, including Castlefield, Piccadilly Gardens and next to Strangeways Prison, were considered.
A landing site behind Piccadilly station, was championed and investigated for ten years as part of Manchester's desire to be plugged into what was predicted would become a UK wide helicopter passenger network.
A railway tunnel connecting Piccadilly to Victoria stations, though eventually dropped, was given parliamentary approval in 1972 - with the new stations to be built underground, including one below Albert Square and the Town Hall, along with moving pavements connecting Oxford Road station and Piccadilly Gardens.
Six miles of secret tunnels under Manchester's China Town were built to protect the city's vital telephone system against atomic bombs during the cold war.
The bunker has since been closed off to the public but remain a mysterious relic of the period.
Richard Brook, from the Manchester School of Architecture, said: "Our exhibition reveals that Manchester could have been a very different place from the city we know today.
"Many of the proposals show the planners of the time had great foresight, vision and optimism.
"Some of these ideas were actually quite beautiful, but sadly they weren't to be and by the time of the 1973 oil crisis - when cash and energy was suddenly in short supply - they were abandoned.
"There were further complications too: the City council found it hard to please the myriad of landowners to go ahead with the ring road plans, and a newly emboldened heritage movement also put on the brakes."
Dr Martin Dodge, from The University of Manchester said: "The exhibition is about giving the public more knowledge about their city.
"Two of the projects we display in Infra_MANC were completed, two were not but both epitomise the spirit of post war recovery in Manchester, the reality of 1960s construction and the economic and political upheaval of the 1970s.
"We would like to thank Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design at Manchester Metropolitan University, Museum of Transport Greater Manchester and Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives for their support."
Thread Starter
Impossible to fool Savoia.
And who, one may ask, is Natacha Laporte?
Natacha is the 22 year old girl behind the lens of the Gazelle cabin shot a couple of posts above. According to the information given, she currently flies fixed-wing as an FO, has taken a course in aerobatics (including night time aerobatics) has a helicopter licence and is rated on the Ecureuil.
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EI-BJR
As far as im aware there was never a Ferranti connection with this aircraft as during 1980 Denis was operating both Bell 206 EI-AWA and Hughes 500 EI-AVN.
EI-BJR Was only operated by Irish Helicopters (unlike EI-BFK which was operated by them for Vincent O'Brien and occassionally for third party work by IHL)
EI-BJR was dry leased in during July 1980 for an extensive filming task with RTE (the national TV station). The aircraft was retained for Ad-hoc flying in Dublin while EI-BIJ was based in Galway.
EI-BJR was used extensively by the ESB (the national electricity supplier) over a 21 day period from mid September 1980 to early October but was only in limited demand over the winter months.
Shane
EI-BJR Was only operated by Irish Helicopters (unlike EI-BFK which was operated by them for Vincent O'Brien and occassionally for third party work by IHL)
EI-BJR was dry leased in during July 1980 for an extensive filming task with RTE (the national TV station). The aircraft was retained for Ad-hoc flying in Dublin while EI-BIJ was based in Galway.
EI-BJR was used extensively by the ESB (the national electricity supplier) over a 21 day period from mid September 1980 to early October but was only in limited demand over the winter months.
Shane
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A moment to reflect.....
..... XV663 arrives at the National Maritime Museum Falmouth.
The next photo shows the other (crab) side,
Well Done Milly (she fixed it for Jim and all the other kids - young and old - who just can't wait to crawl all over a real Sea King)
G.
The next photo shows the other (crab) side,
Well Done Milly (she fixed it for Jim and all the other kids - young and old - who just can't wait to crawl all over a real Sea King)
G.
Last edited by Geoffersincornwall; 29th Feb 2012 at 20:40.
Thread Starter
Shane, go raibh mile maith agat.
One has to admit though from having been predominantly white (while with BEAS) to taking on a scheme identical to that worn by Denis' 206's was curious!
San Francisco
During the early 90's I would visit San Francisco each year to see my older brother who was ensconced as a senior VP with what was probably the world's foremost CAD software design firm. During my visits I would self-fly-hire an Astar (as they call them over there) from Oakland-based operator 'AstroCopters'. The company was started by an old boy who had made his money prospecting for gold in the hills east of the city and their CP was a delightful character called Will Prater. AstroCopters were the outfit responsible for the aerial filming for the James Bond movie 'A View To A Kill' which featured an airship wafting around the pinnacles of the Golden Gate Bridge.
During that time I cultivated a keen interest in the city - a place with so much activity and so many interesting locations. I discovered that some years prior to my first visit there had been an operator offering tours right off one of the piers in the city's waterfront area. Evidently they did a rip-roaring trade until the city authority, no doubt spurred by irritable residents, withdrew permission for the operator to fly off the pier.
For many-a-year I have been trying to find the name of that early 80's operator and to obtain a shot of their operation.
You can imagine then my surprise/delight when last week Trevor Bartlett came up with this:
Bell 206B JetRanger III N39080 at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco on 19th October 1982 (Photo: Trevor Bartlett)
Finally and at last I get to see this operation which Will and others had told me about. My great thanks to Trevor - who flew aboard this bird but who is unable to recall the name of the operator.
I know that our North American readers are few but .. if anyone has any recollection of this operation which flew out of Fisherman's Wharf in the ealry 80's and if anyone has additional details on what happened with the SF city authorities, your input would be welcome.
Regarding Oakland, this of course was the airfield from which the late great Amelia Earhart launched her two attempts to circumnavigate the globe. The first attempt took place on 17th March (St.Patrick's Day) 1937 flying Westbound and the second, Eastbound, two months later in May. As PPRuNer Epiphany will no doubt recall - Amelia's last contact with terra firma was on 2nd July 1937 at Lae Aerodrome in Papua New Guinea.
L-R: Paul Mantz, Amelia Earhart, Harry Manning and Fred Noonan in front of Amelia's Lockheed Electra at Oakland Airfield on 17th March 1937
Lesser known (to some) was the fact that Amelia set a number of records in a Pitcairn autogyro including becoming the first woman to fly an autogyro as well as an altitude record (1931) of 15,000ft. At the event recorded below however, she failed to become the first to fly across the United States:
Amelia with her 'Beech-Nut' chewing gum sponsored Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro at Glendale Aerodrome on 7th July 1931. Earhart arrived believing she had completed the first trans-continental autogyro flight only to discover that John "Johnny" M. Miller had beaten her to it
.
One has to admit though from having been predominantly white (while with BEAS) to taking on a scheme identical to that worn by Denis' 206's was curious!
San Francisco
During the early 90's I would visit San Francisco each year to see my older brother who was ensconced as a senior VP with what was probably the world's foremost CAD software design firm. During my visits I would self-fly-hire an Astar (as they call them over there) from Oakland-based operator 'AstroCopters'. The company was started by an old boy who had made his money prospecting for gold in the hills east of the city and their CP was a delightful character called Will Prater. AstroCopters were the outfit responsible for the aerial filming for the James Bond movie 'A View To A Kill' which featured an airship wafting around the pinnacles of the Golden Gate Bridge.
During that time I cultivated a keen interest in the city - a place with so much activity and so many interesting locations. I discovered that some years prior to my first visit there had been an operator offering tours right off one of the piers in the city's waterfront area. Evidently they did a rip-roaring trade until the city authority, no doubt spurred by irritable residents, withdrew permission for the operator to fly off the pier.
For many-a-year I have been trying to find the name of that early 80's operator and to obtain a shot of their operation.
You can imagine then my surprise/delight when last week Trevor Bartlett came up with this:
Bell 206B JetRanger III N39080 at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco on 19th October 1982 (Photo: Trevor Bartlett)
Finally and at last I get to see this operation which Will and others had told me about. My great thanks to Trevor - who flew aboard this bird but who is unable to recall the name of the operator.
I know that our North American readers are few but .. if anyone has any recollection of this operation which flew out of Fisherman's Wharf in the ealry 80's and if anyone has additional details on what happened with the SF city authorities, your input would be welcome.
Regarding Oakland, this of course was the airfield from which the late great Amelia Earhart launched her two attempts to circumnavigate the globe. The first attempt took place on 17th March (St.Patrick's Day) 1937 flying Westbound and the second, Eastbound, two months later in May. As PPRuNer Epiphany will no doubt recall - Amelia's last contact with terra firma was on 2nd July 1937 at Lae Aerodrome in Papua New Guinea.
L-R: Paul Mantz, Amelia Earhart, Harry Manning and Fred Noonan in front of Amelia's Lockheed Electra at Oakland Airfield on 17th March 1937
Lesser known (to some) was the fact that Amelia set a number of records in a Pitcairn autogyro including becoming the first woman to fly an autogyro as well as an altitude record (1931) of 15,000ft. At the event recorded below however, she failed to become the first to fly across the United States:
Amelia with her 'Beech-Nut' chewing gum sponsored Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro at Glendale Aerodrome on 7th July 1931. Earhart arrived believing she had completed the first trans-continental autogyro flight only to discover that John "Johnny" M. Miller had beaten her to it
.