PPRuNe Forums - Gazelle: Flying, operating, buying

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It looks like an axe :suspect:

Does the spirit level on the rear central console fall under an STC?!?

Simon

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Zis: Great image! :ok:

Such a visual aid would be ideal as part of a digital flight manual (particularly for larger aircraft) where it could assist in delivering basic flight deck familiarity.

If the image could be made interactive so as to incorporate access to information on FMS, navigational and aircraft operating systems (ie. when you mouse over them) this would be ideal.

I imagine such things are probably standard when buying new aircraft these days.

Sav

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...s/IMG_0020.jpg

A full Bessbook Mill in the 1980's. Wonder how it looks today?

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What a great shot Epiphany. Bravo! :ok:

Quote:

Wonder how it looks today?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/__...mPA/6zrjfq.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/__...xAw/nb6rua.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/__...BB0/nciper.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/__...5w/261dbmq.jpg

Evidently the helipad (built in '86) is now gone as is the guard house.

Herewith; a couple of comments:

"It was the noise that was so indicative of the place; all the various heli engines out on the pad and the continual sound of people going up and down the stairs."

"I passed out of JLRRA in Jul 90, got posted to 4 Regt RA at the end of August and went almost straight into Ireland training. Had a rather dry and uneventful 18th birthday in Tin City and deployed early in Jan 91 for 6 months.

At a weedy 10 stone, the sight of the Mill after a day on patrol humping all kinds of ECM gear plus the batteries it all needed was a welcome one, only to have to get up those stairs to our rooms was another effort in itself!

Praise be to the chefs who kept the hotplate on for egg banjos, no matter what time you came back into camp from patrol. Also remember a couple of covert insertions to the chippy on the way back from the VPC on shift changeover, a rare but welcome treat!

My favourite memory of the place was sitting on the helipad waiting for the Wessex to pick us up to go home. Everyone else had left on the Chinooks and then I spotted my future brother in law coming up the helipad for day one of his 6 month tour. I had great glee in saying hello, followed by the inevitable 'STAG ON""

"I reckon there are still secret sun beds stashed around the place."

"Great photos, brings backs the noise of walking up and down those stairs."

"I remember the senior ranks hogging the sun beds, remember lugging LSW, antler, chest webbing and spare batteries upto the top floor and I remember a certain someone blowing up the surrounding countryside of R12 by accident!!"

"Apparently at the very centre of the Mill was an MFO box lid that held all the million and one other box lids and pieces of plywood up. It was said that if it was ever removed BBK would collapse."

"I remember the 1-k tree that we used to tell us if we had enough forward visibilty to launch - the Crabs wouldn't rely on it."

"I suppose I'd never given it a thought as to what would happen to the place, but while its great that there is no need for it, I can't help feeling a bit sad that such an iconic location is now pretty well derelict.

Spent most of my time there trying to avoid the place by refusing to come down from R11.

Remember getting a fearsome bollocking for sleeping through a fire drill. Everyone was kept hanging around in the vehicle shed waiting for me. They should have got a louder fire bell!

Also got gripped for a haircut the night before flying back for my Potential Officers Course. I'd been growing it for three months to look like a Rupert!

"There in 87-88. 2SG ('there's no abbreviations in 2SG') followed by 40Cdo and the infamous "Boys are back in town" calling-cards placed through the doors of Republican sympathisers in Newry and then Seamus Mallon MP waving one of them around the House of Commons. Stoopid booties.

Plus the sound of the helicopters and staircase known as 'metal mountain'. Also the visit of the 'Sangar Banger' to the bottom sangar on a Friday evening. I never got the right stag/day/sangar combo to 'meet' her."

"There was two entances to the Mill, one to the north, the main entance via Bessbrook and the other back entrance to the south. This entrance would be where you would transit the viaduct just before the barrier, if your or leaders' map reading was if'y, then this entrance would be avoided as there was no sign posts."

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/__.../Bessbrook.jpg

Sav

Thanks Savoia. Here's one of 'Buzzards' office circa early 80's. I'll bet the badges are no longer there.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...s/IMG_0011.jpg

And the office of my Gazelle from around the same time.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/e...s/IMG_0024.jpg

Fantastic shots of Bessbrook guys, thanks for that trip back in time.

Tam

Epiphany

Ref Your cockpit shot in post #771 above. Did you know that cab, ZA737 is on display now at the Army Aviation Museum at Middle Wallop?:)

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SeaLion: Your report received with thanks. :ok:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/__...20fuelling.jpg
A Royal Marines SA 341B AH1 being 'hot-fuelled' during the Falklands campaign. These aircraft were hastily fitted with rocket pods which accommodated missiles of the unguided variety.

Sav

Sealion - No I didn't know about the Gazelle but I already knew that I was 'history' when I took my wife to the museum a few years ago and saw the Scout which I flew in as an Airgunner. There is also a photo of me firing a TOW missile from a Lynx. Seems like only yesterday............eeek! :sad:

I'm also told that those rocket pods for the Falklands campaign in 1982 were sourced from the old museum!

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Another take of Estepo's 'girl' plus one of similar hue!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/__...Stephen%29.jpg
SA 341C HT2 at Shoreham on 20th March 2009 (Photo: Martin Stephen)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/__...0Beaver%29.jpg
SA 341B AH1 at Wolverhampton's Ha'penny Green on 24th April 2009 (Photo: Robert Beaver)

Sav

ZA737, an old friend;

1986 ACM Cse
1990 APC
1994 MW
1995 'Gaz 3'

Air-Britain : ZA737

Quote:

I'm also told that those rocket pods for the Falklands campaign in 1982 were sourced from the old museum

I though they came from Matra, there was a write up somewhere that Wallop had planning to send a Beaver to a major airport in France to pick some up for trials and the French said no way it's to slow to land so they had to get an RAF HS125 to do the job.

Gazelle N565F the subject of my BLADES air test is now sold. (a good heli will always sell and 565F was surely that!) Dennis K

N565F is a great machine, despite an almost expired MRH and belts. JT, the previous owner looked after it well :ok:

Excuse me for off topic, just wonder if any of you gents might know our member Sycamore is well? I try to contact him via PM but no answer yet.

Sorry once again for misusing the thread... :O

Gazzelle Weight and Balance Spreadsheet

Hi Guys,
Would any of you have a computerised spreadsheet that can calculate the weight and balance of a gazelle helicopter, that includes the graphs to show where the centre of gravity will be?

I have these spreadsheets for R44 and Longrangers / Jet Rangers but don't have Gazzelle and im not clever enough to design my own with the graphs.:ugh:

Thanx for any efforts in advance.

HJ

Does anyone have a set of maintenance training course notes for the Gazelle and the Astazou 111.
I have access to a set of British military notes which are not brilliant.
Sight of an Aerospatiale /Turbomeca set is what I am looking for.

Regards
eric