The Rotary Nostalgia Thread
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Sav,
Yes, I was one of the 6 pilots brought in as BCalH bought the old Ferranti operation - Frayne Coulshaw, Dick Vaux, Charles Pemberton are other names which come to mind.
Do you mean Ron Salt who was the acting General Manager or John Hedges who was eventually brought in as MD? One of the delights of being at Shoreham (other than its location) was listening to Warbie Warburton's reminiscences: he was a wonderful person.
Yes, I was one of the 6 pilots brought in as BCalH bought the old Ferranti operation - Frayne Coulshaw, Dick Vaux, Charles Pemberton are other names which come to mind.
Can't recall the name of the manager back then but do know that he possessed a Neo-like aversion to 'Smith' and which, given that he had already gone, seemed a little unnecessary
Thread Starter
Do you mean Ron Salt who was the acting General Manager or John Hedges who was eventually brought in as MD?
No matter. The record, for the sake of posterity, will be set straight on the Ferranti site.
Moving on .. I regret never having had the opportunity to fly the 206 with Ferranti's SAS fitted. Did you get the chance to try this and, if so, could you perhaps describe the difference in handling against non-SAS-fitted 206's. My godfather always flew the 206 with little or no friction .. so I ended-up doing the same and which made them fairly sensitive. I was told the SAS delivered a more 'positive' feel?
One of the delights of being at Shoreham (other than its location) was listening to Warbie Warburton's reminiscences: he was a wonderful person.
Warby was such a vital element of what was Ferranti Helicopters that I can scarcely consider the company without bringing him to mind.
He was at the heart of the management trinity which included Bob Smith and Sebastian de Ferranti. Indeed, when Bob was off flying Warby was the one Sebastian would most often seek out.
Warby not only personified the dignity and character of personnel that Sebastian and Bob cultivated at Ferranti but was, in his own right (and as his obituary so aptly demonstrates), one of Britain's most accomplished pioneers in both fixed and rotary wing aviation.
His contribution as an essential member of the Ferranti team could never be over estimated. He was, on all counts, an impeccable gentleman aviator and manager par excellence.
Major Herbert 'Warby' Warburton at Ferranti's Beehive Operations Office, London Gatwick Airport with Ferranti Bell 206 G-AZZB
in the Background
Major Herbert Warburton MBE DFC CdeG (1916-1998)
Former Operations Manager, Ferranti Helicopters
He was at the heart of the management trinity which included Bob Smith and Sebastian de Ferranti. Indeed, when Bob was off flying Warby was the one Sebastian would most often seek out.
Warby not only personified the dignity and character of personnel that Sebastian and Bob cultivated at Ferranti but was, in his own right (and as his obituary so aptly demonstrates), one of Britain's most accomplished pioneers in both fixed and rotary wing aviation.
His contribution as an essential member of the Ferranti team could never be over estimated. He was, on all counts, an impeccable gentleman aviator and manager par excellence.
Major Herbert 'Warby' Warburton at Ferranti's Beehive Operations Office, London Gatwick Airport with Ferranti Bell 206 G-AZZB
in the Background
Major Herbert Warburton MBE DFC CdeG (1916-1998)
Former Operations Manager, Ferranti Helicopters
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500's
Both Denis De Ferrantis 500s seem to have been HMs with matching data plate number , unlike Trans World Helicopters HE from the same time which had an E c/n
EI-ATY Hughes 369HM 49-0036M EI-ATY,G-BDKL,G-VNPP,G-HSKY · w/o
EI-AVN Hughes 369HM 52-0214M N9037F,EI-AVN,G-RAMM,G-KBOT,
G-HAUS,G-PETO
EI-AUA Hughes 369HE 59-0102E N9012F,EI-AUA,G-AYNK,D-HCAB,HB-XGA,(D-HXGA),HB-XGA, D-HHFD
EI-ATY Hughes 369HM 49-0036M EI-ATY,G-BDKL,G-VNPP,G-HSKY · w/o
EI-AVN Hughes 369HM 52-0214M N9037F,EI-AVN,G-RAMM,G-KBOT,
G-HAUS,G-PETO
EI-AUA Hughes 369HE 59-0102E N9012F,EI-AUA,G-AYNK,D-HCAB,HB-XGA,(D-HXGA),HB-XGA, D-HHFD
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H500
Hi Sav,
I don’t have any information on EI-AUA but it seems Dennis Ferrantis EI-ATY was Trans World Helicopters first Hughes 500.
From Flight International 28 April 1966
“Trans World Helicopters are also interested in selling the machine (H300) to private customers and are looking forward also to the delivery later this year of the first Hughes 500, the civil version of the -OH-6A, although the first demonstrator expected in the autumn will be the military version.”
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1966/1966%20-%201246.html
Flight International of 24 July 1969 records this first machine was EI-ATY which had just arrived in the country.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1969/1969%20-%202485.html?search=trans world helicopters
I don’t have any information on EI-AUA but it seems Dennis Ferrantis EI-ATY was Trans World Helicopters first Hughes 500.
From Flight International 28 April 1966
“Trans World Helicopters are also interested in selling the machine (H300) to private customers and are looking forward also to the delivery later this year of the first Hughes 500, the civil version of the -OH-6A, although the first demonstrator expected in the autumn will be the military version.”
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1966/1966%20-%201246.html
Flight International of 24 July 1969 records this first machine was EI-ATY which had just arrived in the country.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1969/1969%20-%202485.html?search=trans world helicopters
Thread Starter
Shane many thanks. Would be great if we could source an image of AUA!
In the meantime ..
Airfast Bell 206B VH-UHC serving the Wales Rescue contract in 1974
Would anyone know the location of this little beach in Sydney?
In the meantime ..
Airfast Bell 206B VH-UHC serving the Wales Rescue contract in 1974
Would anyone know the location of this little beach in Sydney?
Almost like Manly Beach. But I'm sure that Nigel will know, he'd have either been flying it at the time or know who was 
About the same area as Chopper Squad
About the same area as Chopper Squad
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July 5th 1983 - North Devon
For a brief period in 1983 G-BHXU became the star in a movie in was based it the Caribbean and featured Billy Connolly and Michael Cain. It was called 'WATER' . If you have never heard of it then don't be surprised - it was a bit of a flop. Turning North Devon (Hartland Point) into a tropical paradise complete with palm trees was quite an amazing accomplishment.
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Penzance Heliport
More helicopters at PZ but this time an interloper. This photo to commemorate the first 25 years of the first HEMS operation in UK which began operations on 1st April 1987.
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Zishelix
I think we would have been arrested if we had shown too much interest although we spent the whole 6 week adventure in the same hangar as a wide assortment of Police helicopters. That was to prove a great asset when, on the return flight to UK we made a forced landing in Banja Luka due to Rain Ice. That, as they say, is another story.
G.
G.
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"I think we would have been arrested if we had shown too much interest..." Well, I don't think you were in such danger those days in Sarajevo 
However, pity to hear you didn't make any pic of those two civil YU Gazelles on the Butmir airport.
However, pity to hear you didn't make any pic of those two civil YU Gazelles on the Butmir airport.
Thread Starter
Chopper Squad, great stuff! Could never understand though, just when Surf Rescue operations Down Under were recruiting commercial sponsors, why Grundy Television or the 0-10 Network didn't garner the support of the existing sponsors who, one would have thought, would have relished having their 'brand' splashed all over the series!
The record states that the series was filmed (or at least the helicopter base scenes) at, firstly, Dee Why Beach Surf Life Saving Club and later on at Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club.
Had always wanted to fly a fixed-float-equipped 206 most especially because, unlike some of the 206's contemporaries, the JetRanger would actually land on its floats as opposed to a skid under the float and which must have made landings an interesting if somewhat 'bouncy' experience!
More Chopper Squad and classic Aussie life-saving 206's on page 41.
Yoyo: Great shots (as always). G-ASNL aka 'Arsenal' has debuted previously on the thread, specifically pages 20 and 26 the latter depicting the time she went swimming.
Geoff: Most interesting to see BHXU in this scheme and wonderful to see LRII in the snow in Sarajevo!
Zis: Sorry you didn't get more coverage of the 'Yugo' Gazelle but here's something to be going on with:
Montenegrian soldiers practice 'rapid insertion' courtesy of a Gazelle from the Montenegrian Air Force
More Gazelle footage
Could never understand though, just when Surf Rescue operations Down Under were recruiting commercial sponsors, why Grundy Television or the 0-10 Network didn't garner the support of the existing sponsors who, one would have thought, would have relished having their 'brand' splashed all over the series!The record states that the series was filmed (or at least the helicopter base scenes) at, firstly, Dee Why Beach Surf Life Saving Club and later on at Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club.
Had always wanted to fly a fixed-float-equipped 206 most especially because, unlike some of the 206's contemporaries, the JetRanger would actually land on its floats as opposed to a skid under the float and which must have made landings an interesting if somewhat 'bouncy' experience!
More Chopper Squad and classic Aussie life-saving 206's on page 41.
Yoyo: Great shots (as always). G-ASNL aka 'Arsenal' has debuted previously on the thread, specifically pages 20 and 26 the latter depicting the time she went swimming.
Geoff: Most interesting to see BHXU in this scheme and wonderful to see LRII in the snow in Sarajevo!
Zis: Sorry you didn't get more coverage of the 'Yugo' Gazelle but here's something to be going on with:
Montenegrian soldiers practice 'rapid insertion' courtesy of a Gazelle from the Montenegrian Air Force
More Gazelle footage
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Blast from the past
Here you see Geoff Evans and Richard (Dicky) Vaux at the birth of British Caledonian Helicopters. The display of tools is to highlight the entire tool collection for our one Sikorsky S61 that had been leased from KLM and put on the British Register by Marshals of Cambridge. Not sure what an AOC required in those days but Geoff was our one licensed engineer and Dicky our Base Manager. Together with Mike Webber, Dave Sale and Frayne Coulshaw we opened our portakabin offices at Aberdeen and began the business from scratch.
Geoff I believe went down under but have lost touch with him. Dicky unfortunately died of cancer back in about 1983. Lovely guys, both of them and fun to work with. Those were the days......... wish I could remember the name of our Aberdonian lass who became 'Girl Friday' and kept us all in order.
G.
Geoff I believe went down under but have lost touch with him. Dicky unfortunately died of cancer back in about 1983. Lovely guys, both of them and fun to work with. Those were the days......... wish I could remember the name of our Aberdonian lass who became 'Girl Friday' and kept us all in order.
G.
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G-ASNL salvaged from the North Sea seabed
It seems G-ASNL was recovered from the seabed and flew again for Carson Helicopters of Oregon as a 'Shortsky' N4503E on firefighting
Photos: Sikorsky S-61N MkII Shortsky Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
and click on images below for flickr page versions
"Farmington Fire" by Scott Stringham "Rustling Leaf Design", on Flickr
"Farmington Fire" by Scott Stringham "Rustling Leaf Design", on Flickr
Photos: Sikorsky S-61N MkII Shortsky Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
and click on images below for flickr page versions
"Farmington Fire" by Scott Stringham "Rustling Leaf Design", on Flickr
"Farmington Fire" by Scott Stringham "Rustling Leaf Design", on Flickr
Last edited by A30yoyo; 23rd Mar 2012 at 00:01.
