Chile
 

Chile

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../map_chile.jpg


In 1996 Bristows commenced a contract to refurbish 6 Chilean Army Pumas which ran for a couple of years.

Operation review ,"Would have stayed there for ever if I was single".

Racagua base. Our hangar was on the right. Work routine was 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off, 6 days a week, 8 to 5.
Accommodation was in the form of rented flats in town.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ile/chile1.jpg



Dismantling the first one. 1996.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ile/chile2.jpg



This ex- presidential S-76 was acquired as part of the Puma refurbish contract. It was a low-time aircraft ( approx. 700hrs) in V.I.P. configuration and possibly ended up with O.L.O.G.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ile/chile3.jpg



# 263 after tracking and balancing.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ile/chile4.jpg



#264 awaiting presidential visit
Just half guessing some names here (de)
Stu Wakefield, Grant Campbell, Steve Moakes, Jim Mills


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ile/chile5.jpg

Nigeria GPS
 

Sasless,

Then there were the database cards that didn't get updated due expense. User waypoints and static navaids only !

Now every contract in Nigeria stipulates they are completely serviceable and fully up to date. They are spot checked by client aviation reps and audited. How things have changed. :ugh:

Cheers,

NEO

At least we found Reporting Checkpoints we had never seen in all the years before getting the GPS's!

Then I suggested we put offsets into the units so we would not be tracking the same identical path coming and going and got told what a silly idea that was because it would add flight time to each leg.

Mind you I was only talking about a quarter of a mile....so we would have a half mile separation laterally. The Major was such a charm to deal with.

K19 relay! always them problem???

For the SFENA problems that was!!
#
S

SFENA
 

SFENA was easy provided you managed to convince your Drivers, Airframe of a few simple rules:

1. Don't expect it to be an autopilot.

2. If you're not happy with it, turn it off and fly the aircraft - that's what all those pedals and levers are there for.

China
 

China

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../map_china.jpg

In 1983/4 Bristow Helicopters (BHL) and China Ocean Helicopter Corporation (COHC) negotiated and entered into a joint venture agreement to work in partnership to provide offshore helicopter services to the international oil companies then newly established in the People's Republic of China.

Commencing in the latter part of 1984, these operations started using Bristow AS332L "Super Puma" and SA330J "Puma" helicopters operating on the CAA civil register and being operated and maintained in accordance with CAA requirements. These initial operations were flown by mixed BHL/COHC crews with the aircraft also maintained by Bristow and COHC engineers.

In 1986, based on the demonstrated operating record and capabilities of the Bristow AS332L helicopters, COHC purchased and took delivery of two of this aircraft type for their own fleet releasing the Bristow SA330J "Puma" so that until mid-1994 all operations were conducted using Bristow/COHC "Super Pumas". In June 1994 the Sikorsky S-76A "plus" helicopter type provided by Bristows from the U.K. joined the fleet. Until late 1994 all operations were carried out from the COHC bases at Shenzhen and Zhanjiang in support of various multi-national oil companies.

In December 1994 a new operation started at Wenzhou to support the operations offshore in the developing East China Sea and this was followed by an operation at Tanggu which commenced in 1995. These latter operations have been supported using both COHC and Bristow AS332Ls and COHC SA365N "Dauphin" helicopters and associated personnel.

The pictures below show the arrival of the first aircraft at Hong Kong, these being AS332L "Tiger" G-TIGN and AS330 "Puma" G-BERH.

Dick Jones relates:- The Tiger and the Puma were shipped from UK six weeks apart, and arrived in Hong Kong on the same day at 6am whereupon we unloaded the Tiger, assembled it and flew it to Kai Tak airport. At 9pm we offloaded the Puma at another docks, fitted the blades etc. and the next day flew that to Kai Tak airport. The second Puma was ferried up from Australia, by pilot Tony Ferris and engineer Bob Grocke. After re-registering the Oz Puma to UK registration (no mean feat) they flew off to Shenzen Heliport. The ground crews went over on the hovercraft ferry to Shekou, and settled into the Tai Zhi hotel.

Crew Shekou, China 1984. Pilots:- Graham Lee, Robin Hunt, Mike Moran and Vavangas (Avgas). Engineers:- Dick Jones, Ian Stewart, John Murray, John Cureton, Tom Barber, Ian Robinson.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../chinair1X.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/chinair2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/chinair3.jpg




Now carrying COHC markings "RH" is shown here coming to the assistance of "GN" which is stuck on the rig due to an oil cooler failure.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/chinair4.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/chinair5.jpg




Another "Puma" serving at Shekou was an Australian machine G-BFKZ which is shown here about to start the long journey back to its ozzie base, with floats removed! The third picture is "Tiger" G-TIGF with a COHC logo but location unsure.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/chinair6.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/chinair8.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ina/china3.jpg



Super Pumas in full COHC colours at Shekou (Shenzen). The first shot is taken on the apron with the second in the hangar which used to be a tank factory my sources tell me.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ina/china2.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ina/china1.jpg

China 2
 

China 2

Chinese people.......not all Chinese!

An interpreter who translated conversation between the Bristow captain and chinese first officer during the first years of operations.
(Must have been confusing. de).


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/chinair7.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ndiechina1.jpg

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...chinagroup.jpg

Cyprus
 

Cyprus

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Cyprusmap.jpg

By me, Dave Edwards.

Not 100% Bristows and even less now they have sold their share to Cobham but as I stated before, Bristow Helicopters make up was formed from other companies such as British United, BEAS, Airwork etc etc and of course they have been involved in many joint ventures, one of which was a 50% stake in FBH. The prototype Cyprus 412 was designed and modified at Bristows Redhill and a couple of old Bristows names were in the start-up team at RAF Akrotiri…… myself and Pete Brennan who was chief engineer at the time.

Many years ago I remember walking along the sea front at Porta Polenca, North East Majorca, on a family holiday, and after observing a small Search and Rescue operation across the bay I commented to Jan how great it would be to work on an SAR operation in a Mediterranean holiday destination. Well, here we are in sunny Cyprus for over 10 years now. Blue skies, crystal clear, warm, turquoise seas, thousands of bars and restaurants, ice cold beer and Premiership football inevery bar, topless tanned babes litter the water park and beaches........OK,enough I hear you say.......What about the operation?

For those of you who failed CSE Geography, Cyprus is at the eastern end of the Mediterranean - not far from most of the world's trouble spots. The first Bell 412 arrived in the first week of April 2003 amidst a great variety of coalition aircraft supporting operations in Iraq. The 412s had been through a tortuous mod programme at Bristows Redhill and FBH at RAF Shawbury which involved the fitting of a SAR avionic package, new hoist, lightweight floatation, ADELT, EXIS, 4-axis autopilot etc etc.

F B Heliservices was a joint venture company between FRA Bournemouth and Bristows and primarily bids (bidded) for military support contracts. The contract is to supply and operate four, now reduced to three,modified Bell 412EPs on a five year contract hopefully to be extended. It did get extended and renewed a couple of years back and fingers crossed could see me up to near retirement if Russia and US haven’t nuked each other fighting aproxy war in Syria taking is with them!

The 412s replaced 84 Squadron’s ageing Wessi that were based at RAF Akrotiri for many years. The primary role for the aircraft is to provide fifteen minute SAR cover for the various fighter deployments that typically use Cyprus for gunnery / bombing practice, or in the case of the Red Arrows, pre- season display practice. They are also tasked to carry out trooping and surveillance missions as required by the Army units detached to Cyprus. The aircraft are on the military register, civilian owned, overseen by the CAA, maintained by FBH civilian engineers and flown by RAF crews.



Names over the years…

Engineers: Pete Brennan (ex Bristows), DaveEdwards (ex Bristows) Geoff Dyer, Mick Donnelly, Mick Chapman, Steve Brobin, John Roberts, Ken Wiltshire, Roger Turner, Dick Lawtey, Dave Hope, Andy Watson.

Handler / Logistics: Brian “Smudge” Smith, John Gardener, Brian Graham, Geoff Hymas, "Kes", Colin Jehan, Jerry Clarke.

And many, many RAF aircrew, operations staff,squippers who have changed every 2-3 years.

One of the many squadron pics we've had taken over the years. Not popular with most of the engineers as we have to fit all the ground handling kit on and tow them into position. The RAF guys just come out and sit on the seats!!!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...BH-RAF2011.jpg




Being an ex plane spotter when I was a kid, working on outside on the line at Akrotiri is like a childhood dream come true. You have the Troodos mountains forming the backdrop, the climate for most of the year is ideal and of course you are next to the runway. Many different types of aircraft have taxied past over the years. From MOD chartered UK charter airlines to IL-76 cargo donkeys.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...owyTroodos.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...rus/412C17.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...us/412Il76.jpg


With no rain from May to October the island's vegetation becomes bone dry and summer fires are common. The total Cyprus airborne fire fighting fleet stands at 3 chartered Kamovs (KA32s I think), 2 single engine forestry fixed wing, 2 or 3 police 412s/139s and couple of our 412s.

Off to save Souni again! The smoking area in the background.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...avingSouni.jpg



Returning late evening.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...hterreturn.jpg


An early start for a recent fire that could not be controlled the previous day.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ne19th2013.jpg



The Red Arrows used to come out twice a year for pre-season work up but that's been reduced to one six week spell. Three practices a day and I reckon I have seen a couple of hundred displays now!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Arrows2011.jpg



Having seen the attention the Red Arrows crews receive from adoring females we formed our own FBH display team on a limited budget. Didn't seem to have the desired effect though.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...eam2011002.jpg


Army dogs during their first helicopter experience training.
A lot of variety in the tasking which has its good and bad points.
Trooping, VIP taxi, Fire Fighting and a SAR call out in one day means a lot of role changing!

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/Helidogs.jpg


The spacious hangar pre CAA audit. Spotless for once. Servicing grinds to a halt as nobody is a allowed to mess it up! We've all been there.

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...udithangar.jpg


......and a few shots I have taken over the years.....

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...412sunrise.jpg


http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ARtraining.jpg



http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Sunrise412.jpg

In your pictures of China the female interpreter shown was killed when GTIGF ?? flew into the hills east of Hong Kong.
The group picture was a lot later than 1989, more like 1999 when Chris Brotherton and Daphne were running it.

FED - TIGN, the one in the photo above

Pete Brennan....now that is a name that takes me back a great many years.....got trapped in a pub in Oxford one Sunday afternoon after closing hours with him and his brother.

We first met in Iran all those years ago.

T o D Yes, thinks for that. I arrived with the S 76 just after JS had splashed B7952.

Bristow pulled out of China allofasudden in 2006 leaving COHC in the lurch as far as captains were concerned. Four, later a fifth changed over to COHC on contracts varying between one and three years. By that time we all had Chinese licences so there was no problem flying Chinese registered aircraft.

During the Asian financial collapse they bought Samsung's VIP 332L1 complete with airstair doors side and rear plus VIP fitment and aircon.
They took out the interior fit and the aircon and refitted GN's seats into a fourteen seat fit which was all the runners could take. This was used offshore for shuttling and surprisingly the airstair doors proved easier to work with than plug doors. When the contract finished an Aerospatial team came out and modded it to offshore standard.

For those that remember the terminal building they now have 225s as well.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...inching003.jpg

Ahh yes Peter and Mike together what a team

Remember Iran with great memories :)

Add in Sluice Gate.....and you have a real Duke's Mix!

I can think of worse company to have a few sherbets with!:D

Yes - had many a drink with Sluicegate in Gachsaran and Mick along with other reprobates such as Pete Harris, nearly always terminal:yuk:

If alcohol kills brain cells....we would have all been village idiots!:E

Mystery 61
 

A couple of weeks ago we had to clear out the "unused" half of the Cyprus hangar to make way for mystery arrivals.
A few days later a team of Americans turned up with four old S61s in kit form!.................two short and two long, operating for the US Dept of State.
There is an obvious clue.....

http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...S61/N751AW.jpg

It's G-BDIJ but I'm still looking for the clue!