Savoia

Helipix: Many thanks for posting BOLA. You must have one of the few remaining images of her!

Prior to BOLA Laura Ashley operated an AgustaBell 206B G-BMKM (which Mann's sold them in 85/6). Word in the hangar is they may have had another craft before this!


Laura Ashley's AgustaBell 206B seen at Brussels Zaventem c. 1987

Sav

helihub

The following Bell helicopters were believed to have been delivered via Fairoaks (I'll put together an AB206 listing soon too). Hope this jogs a few memories and photos...

B206B3
4374 G-CTPW Control Techniques
4401 G-DBMW Lind, Norwich
4409 G-DENN Abbeyflight Ltd
4475 G-NEWZ Peter Press Ltd
4494 G-MOTA John Sandle Motors
4511 G-OBAM Shawford Park Helicopters
4513 EI-MER Mercury Engineering
4523 EI-PRI Accorp / Rocca Tiles
4551 G-RJTT Air Deluxe

B206L4
52257 G-JGBI Dorbcrest Homes, Wigan

B407
53137 N7238A Chris de Berg (later became C-FCDB,G-DCDB with same owner)
53186 N52245 J J B Sports,
53282 N44504 Ryan, Dublin
53375 N407RB Roland Bardsley Homes

B430
49028 EI-WAV Westair Aviation (owner was McManus, right?)

helihub

The Ashley 109A2 in another guise



and in another scheme



The Ashley 47G5 G-BPAI at Compton Abbas (Ashley had a place out that way as well as Wales and the boat)



In fact I remember seeing a 300C parked up at the place in Dorset. It was N9599F which operated in UK on the N reg for some time and was later G-BXMY (was this linked to Ashley?) It's always been in the grey scheme shown here

helihub

Here are photos of most of those 206s

helihub

and most of the rest for good measure....



Some 407s

JJB's N52245 later became G-GAJW



N407RB became G-IORB with same owner





and the 430

milan55

Hi,
Great pilot Mr. David Perrin who fly in Rothmans Aerobatic group.I had a opportunity to meet him and Mr. Antony Biancchi, "Tony" as well as some mechanics from Personal Plane services during shooting of film :"High Road to China" on location in that time Yugoslavia mostly on airfild Grobnik near Rijeka.I work with them for a half year as a contact person between film flying crew and airclub "Krila Kvarnera" where I was doing my ICAO 2 years apprenticeship for aircraft mechanic licence.
One Sunday as I remember helicopter G-FILM took off with three persons on board for a short flight, to bring the second pilot for ferry flight of a third Stamp biplane, from 20 min flight time distanced Boljunsko Polje to Grobnik airfield.On a flight there happened a tragical and fatal accident where all thee persons died.Couse of accident was low level flight and helikopter cought a tipical cable used for a local residents to pull, transport goods on a hilly terrain:
Crew of a helicopter was:
1982 David Perrin (Stunt-Pilot), Jaron Anderson (Mechaniker), Nigel Thornton (Hubschrauberpilot):. Film "High Road to China"

This helicopter (registered G-FILM) was used for training and film work until it crashed in Yugoslavia in 1982 killing the pilot! ...
Some links to my photografs taken in that time:

Film High Road to China pictures from college photos on webshots

helipixman

A photo of each of the Streeters Jetrangers mentioned in post 43 by TRC



G-BARO Bell 206B Jetranger II c/n 971... this is the one sold in the USA.



G-BFND Agusta Bell 206B Jetranger II c/n 8553.... this is current in the UK as G-BYSE.

Photos from the Helipixman collection

Savoia

.
Helipix: Great photos! Can anyone provide any more details on the Streeters operation?


Agusta 109A MkII seen at Shoreham on 12th March 2011. (Photo: Martin Stephen)

Originally delivered by Mann's as G-EJCB at the end of 1984 to the late John 'Chalky' White - he of the mechanical diggers!

Looking at the above, just wondered whether there are any other 'bits' of the MkII one can throw away in order to save weight!

Sav

vfr440

S
I sincerely hope that the aircraft was on maintenance ................ I don't see the TCH permitting such a modification!!

But there's a story about the lower fin (of course there is!). The A109 was designed by Ing Lovera and the late Ing Bellavita. The latter was the aerodynamicist; I met him on occasion at Cascina Costa, and I was very impressed - a gentleman, and extremely well-read in his discipline. I think it was he who insisted upon the lower fin being added to the orginal basic design which actually was more like the A109 E and derivatives. You can tell it was an add-on if you look at the structural aspect. The upper fin has both a forward and trailing edge spar and a transition frame to the tailboom. The lower fin, as an assembly, is just bolted on with a formed L-shaped fabrication and either 8 or 12 AN3 bolts into anchor nuts. (I forget just how many, but it is completely at odds with the careful integrated design of the rest of the airframe).

Bellavita went to the big bar in the sky some years ago; I see the hand of Lovera in the later A109 marques though..............

You are (physically) closer so could confirm the above, but I think it was that way. ~VFR

Savoia

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VFR: I shall certainly make some enquiries among friends at AW! I do know however that there was a 'fin removing mod' which applied to a military variant of the 'C' model, specifically the 109BA.

Alan Mann was said to have a business partner, the Greek shipping magnate Niki Papadakis, and it is also said that it was because of Papadakis that Mann's colours were yellow and black (those of Papadakis' shipping line) as opposed to the colours of Alan Mann racing which were red and gold.

Can anyone verify this and does anyone remember Niki Papadakis?

Sav

TRC

I remember Niki. Nice bloke, didn't see him often. Two particular things stick in my memory -bowling him out twice in consecutive balls when he came to watch a Fairoaks C.C. game (not surprising really), and shaking his hand (mine full of Crazy Foam or something similar) when he came to see us during an AMH Eng Christmas lunch - we had them in the crewroom, cooked and brought in by one of the eng's wives and very enjoyable they were too.

Not sure about the colours, his House colours seem to have been yellow and white with blue stripes, and a black 'P'.

Took this when we did some USL's onto one of his ships, the Point Clear, in mid-channel.

LAS1997

I was watching an old episode of the TV cop series from the 1970's 'The Sweeney' the other day. Quite a lot of Fairoaks features, the West Entrance in particular and a scene when an AMH Bell 47 fly's over; I can not see the registration; but she is in the famous white yellow and black colours; can anyone help identify it? The year would have been either 1974, 75 or 76.

TRC

That would be G-BBRI. (Picture here)


G-BCVZ (re. post 43)

This photo turned up while I was looking for the Papadakis flag pic.

After it was sold by Greenhams it suffered a compressor seize while parked. This is it being recovered by road from near Arundel in Sussex.

NutLoose

I have several of their old stickers unused in my desk somewhere, the balck with a gold Jet Ranger on and Alan mann Helicopters around the op.

TRC

That's a point - when I joined AMH in 1974, their colours were in the process of being changed from Brown & Gold (which was HORRIBLE) to the familiar yellow/white/black.
The stationery was beige with brown lettering and a gold am, even the typewriter ink was brown.......

The 206 scheme was all-over chocolate brown up to the engine/xmsn fairings which were gold. (I think... it was 37 years ago ).

Edit: Found this b/w picture, shows that the brown 'tide-mark' was lower than I remember it.
It was a ghastly scheme ...

Savoia

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TRC: Great stuff!

Little or nothing in the public domain about Papadakis! Brilliant that you should have a shot of the company flag.

You make reference (above) to G-AVSN (A Ferranti ship) in post #43, did you mean G-BCVZ?

Sav

TRC

Yes I did, complete brain-fade.
Corrected now, thanks.

Tarman

G-BCVZ is still flying in Ireland as EI-BIJ

Tarman

Savoia

Excuse my ignorance but what kind of seizure was this (bearings?) and what are the causes?

Sav

TRC

Also known as N1 turbine lock-up - carbonising of the bearings in the hot end, etc.
Can't recall the reason in this case.