Sure you didn't 'HAM' it up?

Al

I said I was in it, not flying it. Doing the crew change flight. Was asked after the dust had settled to take the 2 pilots for a medical check in our Jet Ranger.
How things have changed these days

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/v...05Zagross1.jpg

EP-HAM
 

I imagine that Frank B was more than a little upset when he heard about this.

Ah!! Frank B, where is he now?

S

Stacey

Frank was last seen working in Australia

Offshore work for BHL..Ghana & Nigeria West Africa
 

Bell 212 5N-AYX Takoradi date is 9 May 2003. Capt's Jamie & Mike
Bell 412EP 5N-BIP Calabar date is 20 March 2011

Nice Photos
 

Hey Mike !

Nice pics. The second one caused a lump in my throat from nostalgia........:{

Cheers,

NEO

Best Operation in Nigeria
 

Yes, we were the "lucky" ones to have been there.
Hope all is well.
MS

Image removed

Another Bristow machine in faraway places.

Super Puma on a beach in the Solomon Islands.

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

Offshore Nigeria
 

Far away from everything.
Bell212 5N-BHO on Sedco 709... Date 17 June 1998
Capt's Martin & Mike
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EP-HAM's last resting place
 

When at Bushehr as Eng I/C, I regularly saw, while flying in B204B EP-HBG, the remnants of EP-HAM partially submerged in the sand on the beach. 'BG' met its demise when its M/R blades struck rock on an escarpment during the BICC power line construction project in mountainous terrain. It joined a 'graveyard' of other helicopters of various types, both civil and military.

Calabar & Sedco pics
 

Thanks for the pics Good Vibs.

The helipad at Calabar was the view from my room back in the eighties. I was there with Art Swain and Ken Fletcher. Those were good days - apart from the CP at the time of course. I remember sitting in the bar at the Calabar accommodation block on a fine hot day, Art Swain asking to borrow some spanners to fix his BMW, Ken Fletcher remarking,' we will need the spanners for our engine change' and me saying, lets have another beer and think of a plan... good people and fond memories.

Ah, the Sedco 709. That brings more recent memories back. Trying to chase the thing all over the Gulf of Benin/Guinea (during the last drilling campaign 2005/6). Getting a fuel stop arrangement at Brass for the S76C+ to fill up to the gunnels was the clincher, fuel being rare as hens teeth in the region, and the politics surrounding landing permission! The nearest alternate land mass was Malabo for certain drilling blocks. The Pumas from Snake Island could make the trip, via PH at times, as they had the range but sometimes with only 6 pax on board. That played havoc with the seat/mile KPIs.

I must post some pics from Snake Island when I find them, a lot of good times were had there, as long as Niger Dock kept their distance!

Thanks again for the pics, lots of good memories.

Ah the legendary BHK. One of my final tasks at Bristow was to contract out a G-Check on that one. Awarded it under a fixed price to EC Malaysia who had ambitions to set up a 332 heavy maintenance facility. To say they had a steep learning curve and lost their shirt on it would be an understatement ! They ended up having to manufacture a production standard jig and ship out a load of experts from Marignane to remanufacture the entire lower fuselage. It was still in work when I left. It would have been scrapped had we known what we were in for when we started but it ended up being one of the best standard and most capable L's by the time they'd finished it. Strangely enough their ambition never went any further:E

With the big sponsons on it was faster than the rest of the fleet. We had to be able to go anywhere in the Solomons and back again without refuelling so we had available for medevacs a 300? litre tank in the cabin plus two big sponsons. The heaviest I have ever flown one was for the resupply at Rennel Island some 120 miles away. We would lift five drums of diesel underslung plus loads of rations (Pukka Pies and XXXX) inside the cabin plus fuel for the round trip. When we departed Henderson Field we weighed 20,000lbs with no wind and 30 degrees C.

We had to cross a 4,500 ridge almost immediately and the aircraft would stop climbing at 70 knots at 4,000 ft. I was then a case of threading between the Cu s and mountains to reach the sea the other side. Then down to 2,000 ft, 90 knots is all it could manage; feet up and fags out.

I can understand why the lower fuselage was knackered. We must have stretched it during those trips.

Nigeria Offshore
 

http://<a href=http://s1305.photobuc...psq30loceo.jpg[/URL]
Bell412SP 5N-BGS on FPSO Sendje Berge
Capt Mike & SFO Uju...May 2011

In Between Flights activity..Naf Base
 

Excellent Turn-Around Crew at Naf Base, Nigeria
Bell412EP 5N-BIP...19 March 2011

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Takoradi
 

Nice picture, I still keep a copy of it in my logbook. GOOD FUN

NAF Base
 

Mike,

Great picture. IIRC, in addition to great turnaround crews NAF Base also had the best Base Managers........ ;)

In fact the only Bristow Nigeria Base Managers at that time :ok:

They were good times. Excellent barbies at ERA and a generally contented workforce.

NEO

Many Memories at BHL...Thanks
 

First, you are so correct.
Any good operation is like a large family.
Everyone pulls in the same direction when you have the proper leaders.

Here is a view that many grew used too.

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