Savoia

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Sax: Gilles Villeneuve features briefly on page 17 when he arrived at the German Grand Prix in 1979 courtesy of G-BCYP which, at the time, was registered to Mann's but which, according to VFR, was used/leased by a chap called Walter the Wolfe! The 206 is of course a 5 seat ship although perhaps Villeneuve went on to charter the 'L' model.

Concorde

On page 32 appear two images of S61's with the Concorde subsequent to my disclosure that I had been searching for an image of a 206 with Concorde somewhere in the frame (and which image I am not even sure exists). The same week as the post on page 32 appeared I received an email from one my aviation photographer friends containing the image below:


Delta Airlines DC8 N8148A departing Heathrow in December 1970 (Photo: M. West)

Now clearly the aircraft is not the Concorde but the photographer did point out that there was a 206 in the shot and perhaps this is as near to the image I was looking for as I will find! My photo-viewing software does not include a programme which allows me to zoom while maintaining pixel integrity so I really can't make out what is written on the 206 but there does seem to be something in the vacinity of where the registration often appears on the tailboom and which leads me to believe that the craft in question just might be G-AVII (the UK's first 206) below:


The UK's first JetRanger G-AVII at Biggin Hill on 11th May 1968 (Photo: John Hamlin)

From what I know AVII (at the time of this photo) had her registration painted on the fuselage around the area of the baggage bay leaving the for'ard section of the tailboom available to display Bristow's then customer - Plessey.

Russian Nostalgia

I have no idea as to whether there are any Russian-speaking followers of The Nostalgia Thread but, if there are, then they may find this of interest:


Part 1 of 6

Shane101

Wow, Nice work, well found!

I wonder who flew it for that brief period, and if they got their old job back shortly afterwards.

Big Bucks Bernie

Sounds about right (see here)

Savoia

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Shane: Some more info and images on DCH!

Quote:

Dublin City Helicopters
Sikorsky S-61 Helicopter
Registration EI-BPK

Dublin City Helicopters hoped to carry between 30,000 and 35,000
passengers during their first 12 months of operations. The breakeven
load factor would be about 55%, but this was rarely achieved, with an
average of about 40% per flight.

The "block time" (brakes off Dublin to brakes on Holyhead) was about
30 minutes. Departures from Dublin Airport (Pier 1) were at 0700,
1115, 1450, 1630 and 2145, with Holyhead departures at 0745, 1230,
1535, 1930, and 2230hrs. At Holyhead a coach service linked the
helipad with the rail station. The service was marketed jointly with
British Rail as "Helirail"

Fares:
Holyhead-Dublin London-Dublin
Single UK£35 UK£59
Low season day return UK£45
High season day return UK£56
Monthly return low season UK£53 UK£83
Monthly return high season UK£60 UK£94

During the same period direct air fares London-Dublin were:
Single UK£68
Excursion return low season UK£116
Excursion return high season UK£135
APEX (Basic) UK£94
APEX (Peak) UK£103

The helicopter was delivered Gatwick-Holyhead-Dublin 27.03.85 in full
Dublin City Helicopters colours. Entered service on 03.04.85 with a
basic 5 round trips to Holyhead per day except Sunday. D.C.H. built
their own heliport at Holyhead, it was equipped with approach lights
and PAPI's (Precision Approach Path Indicators) in two directions.


This service did not generate the passenger numbers required and from
mid-May their services were cut to three round trips a day, dropping
the early morning and late evening services.
Operated several shuttle flights between Dublin and the Bruce
Springsteen concert at Slane on 01/06/85.

The 5-per day schedule between Dublin and Holyhead was reinstated at
the beginning of June, but on 6-7 June all operations were cancelled
when the helicopter "went tech." and had to be ferried to
London-Gatwick to fix a gear-box problem. Dublin City Helicopters
suspended operations at the close of business on 17.06.85. EI-BPK was
re-possessed by British Airways Helicopters the following morning, and
departed Dublin at 0810 hrs local for Aberdeen/Dyce.

The Dublin-Holyhead service had been in operation for only 11 weeks.
The company operated about 285 round trips during the 11 weeks, and
apart from the two day downtime for unscheduled maintenance,
operational reliability was good, with very few technical delays and
only a handful of weather disruptions, when RAF Valley
was used as an alternative terminal.

To answer your question, if the above is correct and the craft was leased from BAH and if the lease was on an AMCI basis, then the crews presumably went on to perform other BAH-related work.

Shame really as a 30 minute sector is perfect for blitterblat flying: Execute take-off and clear-up the outbound radio-work, climb to cruise height and set her up for the leg, whack on the AP and let P2 do his thing (he's all keen and eagre anyway). Pour a shot of caffè espresso from the Thermos bottle, read a quarter page of a decent daily, pick up a tune on the ADF while checking-out any interesting shipping .. then prepare for descent and landing!


Dublin City Helicopters S61N EI-BPK departs Dublin on 30th March 1985 for the 30 minute flight to Holyhead (Photo: Fergal Goodman)


BPK at Dubs on 22nd April 1985 (Photo: Jacob Struben)


BPK again at Dubs this time on 7th May 1985

Apparently DCH intended to move the Irish end of the op to a downtown facility in Dublin and which would have made more sense and presumably attracted greater appeal but, as we've read, the enterprise didn't last long enough.

Shane101

Thanks Sav, very comprehensive. Its a real pity the service didnt last actually. If they went from Dublin city centre it could have been an amazing development too. At least until Ryanair got going.

Gaseous

A few pages back Dennis mentioned David Voy autorotating into South London. He was in this. G-BDKD is currently nearing the end of a total rebuild and should fly again later this year.

Savoia

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Gaseous, thanks for this shot of the 'Bad Kid' at Batt!

Not sure where Dennisimo has gone in recent weeks, when I last communicated with him he had just returned from picking-up his award from the Royal Aero Club. Hopefully he will drop-in soon.

Please post an image of the Bad Kid once she's all 'done up' and all the best in your endeavours to complete the rebuild.


Enstrom F-28A G-BDKD at Epsom Downs c. 1977 (Photo: Daphnie Parker)

The intriguing (read frustrating) thing about this photo is that the aircraft I have been madly searching for .. G-BAKX (mentioned in post #729 on the previous page) is sitting right behind the 'Bad Kid'. Even more frustratingly is the fact that at the time of this photo 'KX' was owned by Mohammed Al Fayed and which is precisely the period from which I am seeking an image! Murphy busy at work me thinks.

Re: the image above, BDKD was of course owned at the time by the late great John Crewdson of Helicopter Hire Southend who were on contract (if I am not mistaken) to the Met.

Shane101

Savoia

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Shane - Grazie Mille!

Another entry in relation to G-SPEY. I have finally been able to track down evidence of how she would have looked when Newforest was considering buy her (below):


Craggan Chaise owned AgustaBell 206B JetRanger III G-SPEY at the 'Oaks' c. 1981-82 (Photo courtesy of Wingnut)


Jimmy Page, founder of the rock group 'Led Zeppelin' being dropped off at Knebworth in August 1979 by an AS350

Its difficult to say which craft was used for this charter. The colours appear remarkably similar to Tommy Sopwith's but the scheme on the tail seems to be a slightly different. By August 1979 there were already 8 Ecureuils in the UK belonging respectively to: Endeavour Aviation, McAlpine (x2), Glenagles (x2), Shawline, Lord Glendyne and D. Russell Ltd.

Ahh de Havilland

Savoia

I'm perplexed by this one... Had a quick look at all the likely candidates and found:

Gleneagles: G-BFZE + G-BGCV standard AS cs with orangey-red 'mask' and brown stripes
McAlpine: G-BGHG, BFNC, G-BGIL, G-BGIM (Glendyne), G-BMAV (Masselaz) all were in a standard AS cs - beige with dark blue + white stripes under door and dark blue stripe over window
Shawline: G-BGCW in same cs as McAlpine (as least when became G-FERG soon after)
Cabair/Russell: G-BGIF in standard AS cs with mid blue mask (darker than photo) and with same colour stripes.
Endeavour: G-GINA similar colours but different stripe pattern.

In particular they all have white engine cowlings except G-GINA.

None of these fit the 'Zeppelin' heli which seems to have pale blue mask, dark blue stripe on upper fuselage engine cowling, white stripe under cockpit & doors edged in blue.

Funny how most of these early imports all had the same cs. Lack of imagination?

Speaking of Shawline does anyone know anything about them?

Savoia

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De Havilland; thank you for your research efforts. The Zeppelin ship does seem to be something of a conundrum!


Ferguson Aviation's AS350B G-FERG landing at Blackbushe on 4th September 1980 during shuttle operations to Farnborough (Photo: Bill Teasdale)

G-FERG was formerly G-BGCW registered to Shawline in December 1978 then to Ferguson Aviation of Leavesdon Herts (would that be an airfield for MD 600 to park his mount while visiting Watford?) in October 1979 (when she became G-FERG) and then to the Colt Car Company of Cirencester (discussed on the previous page) where she became G-EORR.


McAlpine's G-BGIL imported in February 1979 and seen here at Cranfield on 8th Sep 1979. The craft was destroyed in 1982 (Photo: Ray Barber)


The Lord Glendyne's Ecureuil (delivered to him in February 1979) and seen here at Cranfield on 5th September 1981 (Photo: Alan Mosiezny)

De Havilland, as you say, the bulk of the UK's early Ecureuils were delivered in Aerospat's pastel-fawn with brown accents (above), the exceptions seem to have been Sopwith and D. Russell (below) who employed blue tones.


D. Russell's AS350B (delivered in May '79) at Elstree on 28th June 1979 (Photo: Alan Mosiezny)

In the absence of any further information I'm going to take a stab at it and say that the Zeppelin ship was probably Sopwith's but wearing a scheme prior to the two versions so kindly posted by Helipixman!

Shawline: If I recall rightly these guys were based somewhere near Brands Hatch (close to where Barry Sheene used to live .. I think). If they are the ones .. then I seem to recall that they were a fairly small outfit, beyond that I know very little about them. Dennisimo would surely know more.

In addition to more info on Shawline it would also be interesting to discover any history relating to D. Russell's aircraft as well as that of the Lord Glendyne.

Ahh de Havilland

My knowledge of Shawline is pretty limited too. A base at Brands Hatch, and they closed down very soon after delivery of Squirrel G-BGCW.

According to their advert of April 79 selling up the fleet they had: 2 B206, Hiller 12, the Squirrel (only 24hrsTT) and a couple of ex RAF Whirlwinds. I think one of the B206s was G-BAUM. They also had a Bell 47 (G-BFPP) at some stage.

Ahh de Havilland

Robert Nivison, Bt, 3rd Baron Glendyne, senior partner in R Nivison & Co - stockbrokers.

G-BGIM may have replaced a Jetranger but I am not sure. It kept the standard AS cs for a long time but later was resprayed in a gold colour scheme.

From new G-BGIM was operated by McAlpine Helicopters, but it may have moved on to Lynton Aviation before it was sold to Tom Walkinshaw as G-OKAT in 1988.

Interesting registration G-OKAT could it be a reference to Jaguar for whom TWR ran their Le Mans team, and a pun on the cat food brand? Or perhaps a ref to a lady by the name of Kate? Who knows?

Ahh de Havilland

One company that always intrigued me was Masselaz Helicopters. They were early purchasers of both the AS350 & AS355, specifically G-BMAV and G-OMAV.

From new they were both operated by McAlpine Helicopters, but OMAV later moved to Lynton Aviation. BMAV had the basic AS cs but with a rampant lion on the door. OMAV had the AS355 prototype cs again with the rampant lion on the door.

Masselaz was a Jersey company but who was the actual owner?

Ahh de Havilland

Savoia

I can't add much certainty on D Russell the owner of G-BGIF. However I think that it may have been owned by the owner of Cabair and operated by them. His name may be David Russell.

I can't confirm any of this but I am sure someone else can.

treadigraph

Very dim recollection of a pair of Whirlwinds noted in a yard near Brands Hatch according to the spotter's rust bible "Wrecks and Relics" back then - might have actually be at been Fawkham Green?

To cast back briefly to TV and filmwork, I've recently watched the excellent "Hopscotch" (Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson) which stars Helicopter Hire's G-BGYF, presumably flown by John Crewdson, plus a cavorting camoflagued and canopied Stampe which I recall used to live at Biggin... The aerial action takes place off that barge heliport near London Bridge, over Beachy Head, and at an airfield "near Beachy Head" which I don't recognise at all. Anyone recall it and where the airfield was?

TRC

Haven't seen the film, but IMDB credit two helicopter pilots -John Crewdson and Philip Voss. No help with the airfield near Beachy Head though.

Savoia

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Helicopter Hire's G-BGYF (which featured earlier in the thread) as she appears in the 1980 movie 'Hopscotch' as recently viewed by Treadigraph


The 'plank' described by Treadigraph from the same film

Was looking at the image of SPEY (above) and the unorthodox tie down used for her 'mainsail' - then I spotted the tip-targets and realised that TRC/VFR must have been tracking her!

Ahh de Havilland

Savoia

Like you I thought that the colours of the heli might indicate that it was Endeavour's G-GINA but dismissed the idea because I thought the first colour scheme featured in this thread was the first one the a/c wore. After your post I had another look and voila!

Thanks to Alain Michot we have evidence of G-GINA in the Led Zep cs at LBG 23-6-95 during the Paris Airshow



In case my attempt at inserting the image fails the link is 023.06.1995 Le Bourget Aerospatiale AS.350B Squirel (G-GINA - cn.1016)!

Any guidance on posting photos to the thread much appreciated.

ADH

Ahh de Havilland

Tonight I was browsing another Savoia initiated thread, this time the Ferranti one, and found a link to a BCAL site that mentioned the following:

Bo105 "G-BFYA was owned by Genavco (al Fayed of Harrods fame) and again operated by Ferranti until bought by them"

Can anyone confirm this?