Heathrow - Gatwick Helicopter Link
One interesting by-product of this service was discovered within a few weeks of inauguration, in that a slight application of collective whilst awaiting passengers revealed stimulating views of the lovely leggy Caledonian girls looking after them........solution was to sew lead weights in the hems of their tartan skirts.
And the noise complaints...! one was a lady who said we sprayed oil over her washing line, OK the 61 had it's faults but from about 1500ft agl....!? and then the gentleman who complained about our noise who turned out to have been an artillery officer throughout WW2 and deaf ever since.
Basically, the privileged ones under the route wanted the airspace above to be as sacrosanct as their select houses and thus shouted down the opposing point of view.
Well,that how it seemed to us on the line...
And the noise complaints...! one was a lady who said we sprayed oil over her washing line, OK the 61 had it's faults but from about 1500ft agl....!? and then the gentleman who complained about our noise who turned out to have been an artillery officer throughout WW2 and deaf ever since.
Basically, the privileged ones under the route wanted the airspace above to be as sacrosanct as their select houses and thus shouted down the opposing point of view.
Well,that how it seemed to us on the line...
Helos
It was my first experience of helicopters and I did find it a bit unnerving going straight up !Only been in one other since then and that was from a rig in the gulf of Thailand although on this one (a Canadian built copter)we were given ear defenders!!!
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Maybe BIH could use their knowledge of scheduled services and one of the leftover 61's in Newquay to rekindle a similar service given the traffic levels on the M25 and the ever increasing cost of taking the Heathrow and Gatwick express trains. It's about 60 quid and at least 90 minutes that way, not sure about the bus fare but time will certainly be about the same. Then again, now difficult is it to get a heli airborne from LHR......
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I flew in this British Caledonian helicopter between LGW and LHR in January or February 1984. In the chopper with me were Canon and Ball, their wife's and kids.
It was not my first helicopter flight, had flown offshore on chinooks and s61's but that flight to LGW was my first fixed wing flight, and then my next as a young nervous lad was out to the Middle East. Great memories.
Edited to add, I never use BA now to go on holiday to any of the LGW destinations as they just fly to LHR and LCY from ABZ. The journey by road between those 2 airports with your luggage is a nightmare.
It was not my first helicopter flight, had flown offshore on chinooks and s61's but that flight to LGW was my first fixed wing flight, and then my next as a young nervous lad was out to the Middle East. Great memories.
Edited to add, I never use BA now to go on holiday to any of the LGW destinations as they just fly to LHR and LCY from ABZ. The journey by road between those 2 airports with your luggage is a nightmare.
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I heard one story about the route that my informant, a pilot from the route, swore was true.
On one flight in the early days there was only one passenger, due to fly to New York from LHR. Eager to impress any passenger, the crew invited him onto the jump-seat. He flew from LGW/LHR waxing lyrical about the experience. At LHR he thanked all the crew effusively and asked for his baggage. This, alas, was on its way to Beirut.
Just to confirm, the flight crew were provided by BAH - I nearly applied for the SVN - and Bill Ashpole was BAH, about No 3 on the seniority list when I joined in 1975. Contrary to one previous claim the S61 was capable of a Cat 1, not CatIII, ILS to 200'/500 metres if my memory serves me.
On one flight in the early days there was only one passenger, due to fly to New York from LHR. Eager to impress any passenger, the crew invited him onto the jump-seat. He flew from LGW/LHR waxing lyrical about the experience. At LHR he thanked all the crew effusively and asked for his baggage. This, alas, was on its way to Beirut.
Just to confirm, the flight crew were provided by BAH - I nearly applied for the SVN - and Bill Ashpole was BAH, about No 3 on the seniority list when I joined in 1975. Contrary to one previous claim the S61 was capable of a Cat 1, not CatIII, ILS to 200'/500 metres if my memory serves me.
Correct from inauguration until British Caledonian Helicopters provided both aircrew and engineers from 1984 until cessation in 1986...and latterly at some point Bill had joined British Caledonian Airways, still with responsibility for the operation.
There is an excellent and accurate article on the whole history of the Airlink here gatwickheathrow-airlink-2/
Politics killed it, and probably B Cal with it due to the loss of significant amounts of connecting traffic.
The transport secretary who finally killed it just happened to be related to a senior figure at RHS Wisley, a significant objector.
Politics killed it, and probably B Cal with it due to the loss of significant amounts of connecting traffic.
The transport secretary who finally killed it just happened to be related to a senior figure at RHS Wisley, a significant objector.
"The transport secretary who finally killed it just happened to be related to a senior figure at RHS Wisley, a significant objector."
Perhaps the same reason that Wisley was not chosen as London's new business aviation airfield instead of Farnborough way back in the early 1980's. Wisley with a few very expensive houses around it and Farnborough with a westerly approach right over the top of hundreds of "ordinary" people ......
Perhaps the same reason that Wisley was not chosen as London's new business aviation airfield instead of Farnborough way back in the early 1980's. Wisley with a few very expensive houses around it and Farnborough with a westerly approach right over the top of hundreds of "ordinary" people ......
