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Reference Post #2065, 14th picture showing "...Duri based 206 after non-fatal tail rotor failure". if I remember correctly, this accident was caused by incorrectly installed tail rotor driveshaft bearing hangars. They were fitted using the diagram in the IPB for guidance, unfortunately unknown to the mechanics the diagram was wrong and showed the spring-loaded clamps on the opposite (wrong) side. As luck would have it, on this particular helicopter, one of the bearings failed and eventually seized. In this situation, the spring-loaded clamp should have opened-up (under the rotational influence of the seized bearing) and allowed the entire bearing to rotate in the hangar giving the helicopter time to get on the ground. But instead, the rotation of the tail rotor driveshaft caused the clamp to grip the seized bearing tighter until the driveshaft failed.
As can be seen from the photograph, the helicopter made a reasonable landing under the circumstances (i.e. jungle-like terrain) but unfortunately a tree stump penetrated the pilots side of the cockpit (see photograph) and caused major injuries the pilot. He was a tall, lanky Austrian who eventually ended up, if I remember correctly, with a steel pin in his hip (?) before eventually resuming flying duties. By the way, he was also a keen amateur photographer and cook, I still have one of his photographs on my wall. The last time I saw him he was flying 212's in Iran. The incorrect IPB diagram was quickly identified and corrected, following this Bell sent a letter to all operators telling mechanics not to use the diagrams in the IPB for assembly guidance - the letter emphasized that the IPB was for part identification only and that the maintenance manual must be used for assembly work. Sadly, even today, I see many mechanics going to the IPB to determine which-parts-go-where. |
Indonesian leftovers
Having cracked most of a Bell 412 C-check, and suffered a short notice CAA annual audit.......plus a PT6 engine change...got to be one of the most time consuming engine changes of any aircraft.....all those b****y firewalls!!! Bring back the 205.........
Indonesian leftovers A few pictures from a variety of Indonesian locations............... http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...sc/205skip.jpg Moving a seismic team. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...05clearing.jpg Serolungan, pilot Hugh Smith. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...isc/205hut.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...onesia_big.jpg Sometimes it's the only option......... http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...12andigger.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...20misc/jv3.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ndiepkhbo1.jpg ....and a couple from Badak, the base being two pics sellotaped together! No doubt there would be an "Ap" to do it nowadays..... http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../badakbase.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...c/badak206.jpg Might have posted these way back but as they are good pics it'll put them in context. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...HBUSumatra.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/CPIDuri3.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/CPIDuri4.jpg The previous two pics have obvious downwash........this one doesn't...looks weird?? http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/CPIDuri1.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...sc/205jung.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...durisunset.jpg end |
Indonesian People
Indonesian People 1 of 2
As usual the original pics were rather small so I've blown them up a little which makes them a little blurry....... http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...durigroup3.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../barduriin.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...barduriout.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...rigroup_cn.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...durigroup2.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...durigroup1.jpg This was the bird involved in the bird strike a few posts ago....ended up on co-pilot's seat http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...irdstrike2.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../ppduri205.jpg |
Indonesia, Jim Hubbell
Indonesia, Jim Hubbell
Before I finish off Indonesia with people 2, a short article. Thanks to Jim Hubbell for the following information on Bristow operations in Indonesia, sent in for the original web site I'm not in the helicopter business, but worked for many years in Indonesia using Bristow-Masayu helicopters. I knew a lot of Bristow people who were there between 1969 and 1985. I have a number of photographs taken in various places, such as Lhoksukon, Sumatra (1969--Mobil Oil job), Jambi, Sumatra (1981), and Borneo near Samarinda on a Huffco job. My company was GSI, Geophysical Service Int./ aka earlier as ISSA, Indonesia Surveys, S.A.. We operated a number of crews for Caltex over the years, and had base camps in Duri, Dumai, Rumbai, Muaratembisi (Jambi), where Bristow provided support for moving our field crews and supply transport. The black and white photos below are of PK-HBF, shot about 1970 or early 71. If I recall, (Fred) Dermawan began working for Bristow in the Lhoksukan seismic operation for Mobil Oil. The seismic company was ISSA, Indonesia Surveys S.A., and we were based a Lhoksukon, Sumatra, in Aceh near the coast on the northeast end of Sumatra. He eventually became one of the wheels running the Indonesian operation in Jakarta. These pictures of him were the first time he actually flew on the job--from what I remember and what he told me. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ll/jimhub1.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ll/jimhub2.jpg The Chief Pilot was Bill Pollard. Another pilot on the job was *******, an American who left after pranging PK-HBC (or something similar), a new 206. He hung the cargo net on the skid at the rear (before there was a cable to prevent it), and the "helicopter co-ordinator" signalled him to lift off.. Instead of lifting, he went over and the main rotor hit the ground. It came apart like a cheap watch. HUFFCO operation. Bristow was at Badak. This one was taken at the GSI field base camp at Lambonang, SW of Samarinda. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ll/jimhub3.jpg It is a small village on a tidal creek, and we rented a house there. Bristow used our pad as a fuel staging area for a rig they were moving during the time I took the picture. Normally the 206 was the only helicopter that landed there. We used it occasionally for scouting and supplying the field when we were working away from timber roads or waterways. |
5th picture down of Duri 1974, guy on the right biting his finger is Stan Chapman. Stan was in the original engineering team that set the operation up in 1968, Chas House, Dave Hingly, Dennis Gillman, John Cromwell and the late Harry Luffman were others in the team, Bob Potts was the Chief Engineer. Some of that team were on board the BOAC 707 heading for Singapore that had an engine fire on take off at LHR, came back and evacuated.
The late Barry Newman was the Manager, John Odlin the CP, other pilots were Jack Trigg, Tony English, John Waddington, Gabby Gaard and the late Dave Barnes. Jack Brannon was the crew coordinator. |
Is Stan Chapman and his brother Eric still alive? Does anyone know?
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Indonesian people
Indonesian People 2
To finish off Indonesia.................. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...uripeople4.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...uripeople3.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...uripeople2.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...uripeople5.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...uripeople1.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...localshift.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../duristaff.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../duritiger.jpg Iran next.......................... |
PK-HBU
Still lives on as N205HQ Last flew it as VH-NST in 1989 and it had ~19,500 hours on it then! Great machines. :D |
Iran
Iran 1
"......the decision to pull out of Iran was not taken lightly, severing a link which was forged in 1956......." Bristows were in Iran for 23 years ( 1956-1979) with bases/staging posts all over the country so I'll skip a map for this one. Teheran, Khorramshahr, Bahregan Oil Centre, Kharg Island, Shiraz, Bushehr, BICC, BOC, BAFQ, Kerman, Resaleigh, Galehmurghi, Lavan Island, Boshire, Baragan, Geotronics, Kerman, Yazd, Tabas, Rashed, Razir, Gach Saran and Khosrovabad are all places which have appeared in various people's e-mails, Bristow archives and the "request for information" sheets I sent out many years ago. Some of the spellings are no doubt rather dubious and trying to trace them in my favourite 1961 atlas also came up with a lot of blanks so I won't try to put them all on a map at this stage! I bet this web page below doesn't "go viral" but a useful reference with the multiple registrations some of the old machines use to carry. With Iran coming to an end the year I joined Bristows I was to spend the next 24 years working on a variety of ex-Iran 212s. I would assume all the G-reg machines were Bristows but some, such as EP-HBF, never made UK registration. ROTORSPOT - Complete Civil Rotorcraft Register of Iran About forty pics for Iran from a number of people who I mostly can't remember! So we start with Vintage Iran. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...lysgordon3.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...lysgordon8.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...lysgordon5.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...lysgordon7.jpg A couple of Whirlwinds on contract to IPAC (Iran Pan American Oil Company) which operated at a place called Khosrovabad, about 20 miles south of Abadan, which was an old abandoned oil camp from Mossadeq's time. As you can see, the rotors are perfectly synchronised which was achieved by judicial use of the rotor brake..........or so the story goes. Ian Clark and Ken Bradley being the pilots. Circa 1960 http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Iran/iran1.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...giranhorse.jpg Whirlwind, EP-HAK at the summit of Mt. Neizar, 1970. The aicraft was detached from Khorramshahr to help with the installation of microwave stations. Crewing:- Eng. Colin Miller, Plt. D.Smith. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...an/cmiran1.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...an/cmiran2.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/cmdsiran.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...lysgordon4.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Iran/jv12.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Iran/Shah.jpg |
AODA is in the Helicopter Museum,sadly post Gnome conversion but the museum also has a set of those enormous floats but no idea how to fit them,assuming they would still inflate after all this time!
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Iran
Iran 2
Types known to have operated in Iran include WS 55s, Bells 47, 204, 205, 206, 212, Allouette 3 and HS125. This is Bell 205, EP-HBK awaiting its next task. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Iran/iran2.jpg Bristows had a long contract with the German geo-seismic company, Prakla. They were endeavouring to map out the Iranian countryside in terms of possible mineral deposits and to this end Bristows were tasked with moving the associated equipment from base to base. The pink caravan was a mobile workshop from which an aircraft could be maintained. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Iran/iran3.jpg A typical base camp with a Bell 212 and the mobile workshop visible. The bases were operational for, typically, 3 months and surveying would be carried out in the mountains in Summer and on the plains in the Winter. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Iran/iran4.jpg Conditions could be fairly basic as can be seen and stories of people waking up with frost on the sleeping bag have been heard. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Iran/iran5.jpg Prakla mobile homes, 1978. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...obilehomes.jpg Prakla toilet, 1978. Susequently destroyed by wayward US drone strike. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/kdtoilet.jpg A couple of Sundowners.......Levan Island. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...undowners1.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...undowners2.jpg The hangar at Zagros. Most types operated from here. The sign on the hangar door says Iranian Helicopter Aviation Company who were Bristows partners. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Iran/iran6.jpg One of the mobile laboratories having just been delivered by a 212, in the background. These were hooked up by miles of cable to geo-phones which would pick up acoustic feedback from the surrounding strata after a series of explosive charges were detonated. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Iran/iran7.jpg Aircraft could make up to 70-80 landings per day ferrying the labs, interconnecting cables, explosive charges and personnel. This is Bell 212 VR-BEE on a typical task. Engineers also doubled up as load masters. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...Iran/iran8.jpg Bell 206, EP-HAR, operating out of Bagharan. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...nb206ephar.jpg Iran Zagros base. EP-HAY Bell 206A and EP-HAM Agusta Bell 204 with Gnome engine. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/fpzagros.jpg |
Iran
Iran 3
47s, Allouettes, 212s and a bit of a 206! Back of photos: Bristow archives. "Military training in Iran" http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...eb47iran70.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...dieiran47s.jpg An Allouette 3 probably in Iran. The sign says "Welcome to Gunis". http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...sallouette.jpg Iran Lavan Island base. EP-HAD Allouette 3 coming into hover. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/fplavan1.jpg Iran Lavan Island base. EP-HAD Allouette 3 with S55 in back ground. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/fplavan2.jpg ......and a picture I've posted before....... That was taken by Sr. Captain Gunter Burmeister, who is now in Nigeria. It was taken in 1975 while working on the BICC contract at Bavush, Iran. We were engaged to help build a high tension power line that required lots of serious longline underslung load work. The base camp was at 7200 feet msl and the average work site was at 4500 feet msl with outside air temperatures approaching +45 C during the summer. Landed one sling load at 13,000 feet while on that job. The pilot in the Alouette 3 is none other than myself....thirty pounds lighter and a whole lot more hair in those days. That very well may have been the Alouette that crashed later and was written off. Burmeister was the pilot at the time of the crash. The aircraft lost a tail rotor gear box and came to rest on a very steep mountain slope. Ralph Chappell http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...persia_big.jpg .........and a few 212s... http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...an/212iran.jpg Zagross 1975 http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...agross1975.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ightprakla.jpg .........and after the pull out, at Redhill.....a few of these are probably still flying somewhere today. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...12slorries.jpg Who is the guy surfing one of them................ http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...edhill_big.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...hill11212s.jpg ........and finally....a bit of 206................ http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ran206cowl.jpg |
Surfing
The surfer on the Redhill 212's looks like Billy Denman.
The fat git standing on the skid of 'CF in post #2065 is me! |
Iran people
Hey, you ole Bristow chaps from Iran will remember Terry Watts? Sadly I didn't belong to the elite who worked Iran in the '70s since I was in Canada with Okanagan. :ouch: But I had the great pleasure of working with Terry when he migrated South from Dollar in Coventry and became QM at Denham and later Blackbushe in the late 90's. He was with me on the Tech Committee of BHAB (now BHA) right up to his retirement in 2001/2.
IIRC he retired to a 'rural' farmhouse in the Loire valley with his own personal vineyard :D .......... & a co-operative winery just down the road.:eek: I went off to the sandpit for 3 1/2 years and no-one I've spoken to since that time has heard of him. Anyone give me a steer, phone, landline, e-m? VERY much appreciated if you can :ok: Best ~ VFR |
Sorry I have not heard of Terry for many years.
I worked for Terry in Iran whilst on Seis 4, great bloke to work for so I recall. He certainly helped keep us out there after a visit by Bill Petrie(God rot his soul :mad:). As for EP-HBF the Allouette 3, I flew up from Zagross with the 212 and helped undersling her off the side of the mountain after her unfortunate demise. |
Italy
Italy
http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a.../map_italy.gif In 1996 Bristows deployed an S76 to Helitalia, an associate company, to operate on a contract awarded by Enterprise Oil to support an offshore drilling programme. The aircraft operated out of Brindisi with a short round trip time of approximately half an hour. Carrying the Helitalia logo, S76 G-BVKP awaits the next sortie under moody Italian skies. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...rindisis76.jpg |
Odd Jobs
Taking a break from bases..........................an interlude....
Odd Jobs Over the years Bristow Helicopters have been tasked with a wide ranging variety of missions. Here are just a few of the more unusual. A Yarmouth based Wessex under-slinging the one millionth Ford Cortina across to Belgium. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ob_cortina.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...wessexart8.jpg This Hiller 12 is carrying a guy in a Superman outfit hence the slogan on the float. It is circa 1960, possibly in Trinidad, the pilot being B.B. and the aircraft operated by British United Airways. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...b_superman.jpg Parking on the apron was not treated lightly in the old days as can be seen in this early picture of the Stuffins van being "towed" away as the owner looks on horrified. Circa 1965 Bristow Wessex 60 about to lift a 17 cwt van at Redhill. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ssexandvan.jpg Wessex G-ASWI carrying Dinosaurs - no, not the crew but real dinosaurs on their way to the "Black Gang Chine" theme park on the Isle of Wight. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...xdinosaurs.jpg Oil company Conoco paid for a nurses van to be underslung to the island of Foula, West of Shetland, Capt Bob Innes, Cop Terry Wolfe- Milner and crew Gerald Flaws and Alan Taylor with Vince Cain on the ground. Dated 27th May 1976. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...bnursescar.jpg 18th February, 1980. Crewed by Capts Russ Smith, Peter Cole and crewman Gerald Flaws, S61 G-BDIJ rescues a Loganair Islander which had ended up in a stream on the island of Rousay when touching down in a gale. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...obislander.jpg Duncan Leech writes (wrote!): This postcard turned up at Aberdeen University shop. The Bell 206 was at Inverness in the early 70s. The pilot is believed to be Paul Gliddon (2nd from the right). http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...hspitfires.jpg No details on this one. It is a picture of Wessex G-AVNE underslinging a minivan whilst winching. Trials for the first R.A.C. get you home service!? http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...0Jobs/jv26.jpg |
Dave Ed: The Bristow thread was one of the first of the 'longer' threads that I trawled through over a period of time after joining PPRuNe. It remains one of my favourite and this is made so in no small measure due to your magnificent contributions. Fantastic! :D
There are some splendid memories captured here and I have especially enjoyed the photographic contributions of Alan Biles, Gabra1, HOGE, he1iaviator, Rosh, Schinthe, Soggyboxers, S61-S92 and of course .. Tail-take-off .. to mention but a few! |
Thanks for the appreciation Savoia :)
About another 600 pics should wrap things up from me! They may not be the best resolution images ever taken but I am great believer that in the world of media it doesn't matter how many pixels, how BIG the TV screen, how many stars in the film. ......It all comes down to the story/content. Many of the greatest moments in TV/films/images have been captured in low resolution, grainy, old black and white. |
There are some splendid memories captured here and I have especially enjoyed the photographic contributions of Alan Biles, Gabra1, HOGE, he1iaviator, Rosh, Schinthe, Soggyboxers, S61-S92 and of course .. Tail-take-off .. to mention but a few! I'm very glad that you enjoy this thread. 17 years & 2 employers later I still look back at my short time with Bristows with great nostalgia, & follow every post here avidly although I've contributed very little recently. The inspiration for starting the thread was the demise of Dave Ed's Skyweaver site which was a wealth of fascinating information, photos & anecdotes. Many of which would never be allowed into any official company history. I find it very pleasing that Dave has seen fit to start migrating his material over here. Keep it up Dave! TTO |
Ferry Land
Ferry Land
Many off us have faced the interesting challenge of ferrying aircraft by land, sea or air. I remember one of my Cyprus 412s arriving by lorry at Redhill 11 years ago....here are a few others...... There are many reasons why helicopters are moved about by lorry : - It may have been damaged in an accident and needs to be transported to a place of repair. - It may need transporting to the docks, in kit form, for an onward journey by ship. - Scrapped or out of "useful life" machines need moving to museums or breakers yards. - etc etc. Below are just a few examples of the jobs carried out by Redhill's transport team. 29th April 1986. Westland Widgeon from Warden Park school, Cuckfield, Sussex to British Rotorcraft Museum, Weston-Super-Mare, Avon. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ferryland1.jpg 13th May 1986. Westland Whirlwind, ex Warden Park school, on its way to East Midlands Aero Park, Donington, Derby. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ferryland2.jpg 6th March 1986. Westland Wessex about to board the Red Funnel ferry at Southampton on its way to Cowes, Isle of Wight. Probably on its way to the breakers yard. Sad. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ferryland3.jpg 13th March 1986. Bell 212 arriving at Redhill's main hangar after a pick up from Tilbury Docks. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ferryland4.jpg April 1993. Transportation of Aerospatiale SA321F Super Frelon from Marignane to The International Helicopter Museum,Weston-Super-Mare. At the time this was probably the largest helicopter to be moved by road in Europe and took a total of ten days. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ferryland5.jpg Early nineties. A couple of Bell 212s departing Redhill on their way to a UN contract in Somalia. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n212slorry.jpg "Rotor Runner II" and "Blade Runner II" - 1999. "RR II" has a Tiger on board. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...towrunners.jpg |
Thought you might have included the S61 wreck being delivered to the Redhill hangar for rebuild or are you saving that for the Redhill engineering section?
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Originally Posted by Dave Ed
(Post 8131698)
April 1993. Transportation of Aerospatiale SA321F Super Frelon from Marignane to The International Helicopter Museum,Weston-Super-Mare. At the time this was probably the largest helicopter to be moved by road in Europe and took a total of ten days. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...ferryland5.jpg Seem to recall Heli1 making mention of this craft at some point in the past. Look forward to seeing it when eventually I get to Weston. :ok: |
When the 212's arrived in Somalia....we discovered the one thing missing was the "Jesus Nut" Socket.....but I was able to scrounge one off the USMC Helicopter Detachment up the road.
The look on the Gunnery Sergeant's face as I explained why I needed one was a Kodak Moment! Answering his question as to exactly "Why" we were short the Socket was a bit embarrassing but got much easier when I explained I was but a mere Yank working for a British company got me more than a bit of sympathy and assistance. He later gave us really good support in all manner of ways....Helicopter folks being Helicopter folks no matter the clothes we wear. |
Great to see those transport pix. Alan and later Bryan Collins were great supporters of the BRM/ Helicopter Museum and we built a great rapport with the very professional transport team. The most interesting move was moving the Hind from East Germany to Weston super Mare.
We were told to reduce the height to 13ft 9in as I recall to fit on their especial low trailer.We did that but when the trucks arrived they discovered the bridges were lower than in the west.....Our team had to work through the night to reduce the height still further and to avoid the convoy missing the booked ferry back from the Hook of Holland. Great memories and many thanks to those guys.it was a great shame when the company later closed down the transport department and outsourced.Thos guys really knew what they were doing and we had absolute trust in them. Thanks wherever you are. |
SASless story reminds me of the time myself and Ringo Renno went to a port in Belgium to unload a Bristow 212 from a ship. We got it assembled and flown off in the normal days work, but there was also a 212 from another company in Saudi Arabia, on its way to an aviation company in Germany for a check. The guy from Germany arrived to unload this aircraft, dressed in a suit, carrying a brief case, and with no tools.
After trying to borrow tools from us all day, we took pity on him, and after we had finished the BHL job, we quickly dismantled his aircraft and put it on a truck for him. That evening a lot of international beer was drunk. |
Kazkhstan
Kazakhstan
Dave B .....timely anecdote mentioning Ringo......a legend in his own lifetime.....here he is in Kazakhstan, a bit over dressed.......where is he now? Had to change the tense in this one as it was up and running when I wrote the original. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/mapkazak.jpg Provision of two Bell 212 helicopters to support OKIOC'S (Offshore Kazakhstan International Oil Consortium) offshore exploration activities. The contract was a joint venture between Bristow and a local operator, Atyrau Aue Zholy, with Bristows supplying two Bell 212s plus crews and A.U.Z. providing a Tupolev Tu 134 plus back up. The operation was based at Atyrau and as can be seen on the map many atlases still show the old soviet name, Guryev. Early drilling results were very successful threatening to be one of the biggest oil finds in history. Taken June 1998, when the operation commenced, the Bristow hangar being the big one on the right. The airport is 30Nm from the North coast of the Caspian Sea, about 5 miles outside town. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...tan/kazak1.jpg The hangar. Work rota was 6 weeks on and 4 weeks off with on-site accommodation being in the form of rented apartments in town. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...tan/kazak2.jpg Bell 212, G-BIXV, shortly after its arrival at Atyrau. G-BFER was the other. Rig was about 1 hour round trip with the 212s averaging about 60 hours per month. One aircraft was used on the contract and the second was a standby SAR machine. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...tan/kazak3.jpg XV in V.I.P. fit ready for Presidential visit. Note the carpet! Eric the cat clearly approves. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...tan/kazak4.jpg Engineering staff also in V.I.P. fit ready for presidential visit. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...tan/kazak5.jpg The Tu 134 flew from Atyrau to Budapest twice weekly taking 3.75 hrs, plus ad-hoc internal flights for the oil company. The operation of this aircraft was part of the contract requirement although the maintenance was not. Assistance was provided as required. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...tan/kazak6.jpg Natalies http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/Natilies.jpg |
Bristows Atyrau
Memories flooding back......... spent a couple of months in 2002 freelancing for Bristows driving the 'temporary' S76 G-BJFL in Atyrau. Great bunch of guys and girls to work with. Arrived in the February, daily temperatures of -20C and a frozen northern Caspian, one could have walked to the rigs over the ice! Two months later when Spring had sprung, +15C was the norm and all the white stuff long gone.
As well as offshore support occasionally the odd ad hoc charter would come our way, such as the seal surveys we would do down to the south of the Kashagan Field. Remember flying over what used to be an old Soviet era gunnery range, littered with numerous carcasses of expired Russian ships. They sat lying on their sides, targeted by their air force for practice in years gone by, now just left as rusting hulks. Rather a sad sight in a strange way. In the picture taken from the atlas above, the Aral Sea east of the Caspian is virtually no longer, having been drained by man for agricultural purposes. Very bizarre to sea old ships beached in what appears a desert with no water in sight. Best story of my short stay in Atyrau came from one of the Russian co-pilots I flew with. In a previous life he had flown Mil 8s in the area, and one day had a large buzzardy type bird come through the windscreen during the cruise. Being made of solid stuff the impact didn't kill the bird, merely winged it on its journey between both pilots and into the rear of the cabin. Somewhat shocked and annoyed at its surprise arrival into the Mil, it then preceded to attack the passengers. The crew got the aircraft onto the ground, and the bird lived out its days hopping around the hangar being fed by the engineers........... You couldn't make it up! |
AZDC is born
TTO......were you referring to this one...?
1971. Ex Elivie S61N (post crash). Bristows bought the wreck, ferried it to Redhill and after some extensive work produced a North Sea work horse. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...zdcbeforeb.jpg Another Bristow legend, Jean Dennell, overseeing the arrival of what was to become G-AZDC. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...pjdennellf.jpg Trenches were dug and a cut out made in the hangar frontage to enable the semi-finished machine to escape the confines of the hangar! http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...trench_big.jpg G-AZDC was born. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...azdcaftera.jpg The pictures of the old machines seemed to have such clean lines. The days before the multitude of safety mods and avionic systems. 22 antennae on my Cyprus 412s..... |
Thanks Dave, they're the the ones. I remember seeing them in your old website & I was shocked that such a wreck could be returned to the skies. I always knew Bristow engineering was good but this must have been a monumental task.
She's still flying but 5' shorter than in these photos! |
Where's the instructions on how to post pictures? Can't find them... ;)
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Kosovo
Kosovo
Not much operational/contract info on this one. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...map_kosovo.gif G-BALZ in Dubrovnik , Croatia with Mi8 operated by Air Chayka from Ukraine. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...flightline.jpg G-BALZ on finals into Belgrade Airport , Serbia. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...sovoaerial.jpg G-BALZ at U.N.helibase , Pristina , Kosovo with Capt. Robin Ball, Capt.Andy Rice , Eng.Chris Atkinson and Eng.Ian Shields. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...osovogroup.jpg Taken after a night mission using FLIR to check the mountainous Albanian border for smuggling activity where many arms/drugs and people etc cross in the hours of darkness. The pilots in the cockpit are Ivan Maritz and Don Burton. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...o/balzdark.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...balzsunset.jpg Underslung ops in Kosovo with G-BALZ. Flying are Jamie Jamieson, Peter Walker and Steve Armstrong with Chris Atkinson "hooking up" and Eric Greensmith on marshalling. http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...zundesling.jpg http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...kosovocrew.jpg |
Malaysia
Malaysia 1
Getting there.......... I've tweaked out the names should any of this be illegal!!! But as it was 43 years ago I guess all this sort of stuff was pretty common place. Some of these epic ferry flights needed an element of improvisation to actually make it to the final destination......... The following ferry flight was extracted from an article by KR. Ferry Flight Redhill to Kuantan (Malaya) Sept '70 ( Wessex G-AVNE) I arrived back at Redhill to be told that there had been a hang up in visas and the aircraft was not ready and there was still discussion as to who the pilot would be. There was only one thing for it another quiet fortnight lounging around in "The Mill House Hotel" (Thank you Alan) Eventually everything was sorted in true Bristow fashion and I was re-united with Wessex G-AVNE and introduced to the pilot BB M.B.E. and we set course for Gatwick for customs clearance. The aircraft had been fitted with overload tanks both internal and external and had no amount of "junk" in the back. In truth it was "slightly" over weight if fully fuelled so we took off from Gatwick with only half fuel. The idea was to head for Kuantan Malaya with a "few" stops in between. Just as we were about to take off from Gatwick the aviation press, "Flight" and "Helicopter World" who had missed us at Redhill, collared us. B wasn't keen to talk to them and passed me off as the captain as we were both dressed in "civvies" I was left to do the talking with the result was that I am credited with flying the journey by the press. We lifted off for Tousous-le-Noble in France and B asked over the intercom whether I was one of Bristow's flying fitters and I had to admit that I was not. I had only recently left the Air force and I didn't have any chance to get any stick time in. Little did I realise what I was about to encounter. In reply to my negative reply B said if you think that I am going to fly this bloody thing all the way to Malaya you're wrong. There were no flight stabilisation systems in Bristow's Wessex at that time and they took a bit of handling when heavy and at altitude. We landed in France with an escort of light aircraft who were very inquisitive and you would have thought that they had never seen a helicopter. We took of from Tousous-le Noble with a full fuel load and the only way we could get off was to taxi out to the runway and do a rolling take off (you can't do that on skids, thank god for wheels). After about an hour of flying, with B scribbling on his kneepad, he announced that we would miss out the stop at Lyons and go straight to Nice. I asked him how we were going to do that and he explained that if we flew single engine all the way we would have enough fuel. We had a dispensation to fly single engine on one of the legs in Iran from the A.R.B. (yes it wasn't the C.A.A. then) but not elsewhere but B's theory was it was better to try it out over a relatively populated area than over a mountainous desert area so he shut one engine down instructing me in the art of relighting it should he be involved with any emergency. His next communication was "Come on then it's your turn to fly" so I had my first flying lesson in an overweight Wessex, flying on one engine, and with no stabilisation system, a very reasonable introduction I thought. We entered the Rhone valley at the top of the mountains with the intention of following it down to the sea and on to Nice and just as the mountains started to loom higher and higher on each side the fog and mist rolled down on top of us. There was no option but to set the aircraft down on the side of the mountain. Before doing this, B who by now had contact with Nice, sent a radio message to say we were landing at 3000 ft and wound the trailing aerial in and set the aircraft down with me hanging out of one window and him out the other. It was a textbook landing on sloping ground, amongst the pine trees very nearly requiring a change of underwear. The mist lifted and we shot up and away extended the trailing aerial only to find the HF saying that Nice was about to launch a search for a lost aircraft. Nice hadn't realised that we were a helicopter and thought we had crashed at 3000ft. As we arrived towards the bottom of the valley the mist came down again and obscured everything but by this time B had ADF contact with Nice. He decided to head out towards the sea until the ADF needle indicated we were not over land and then proceeded to descend with me hanging out the window to look for the sea and, once seen, we headed for the beach and as soon as we saw it, landed. It turned out to be Marseille beach and as soon as the mist cleared we lifted off for Nice and a well-earned beer in a top class hotel (thanks again Alan) and thought about the days exploits. As I went to sleep I thought well if that is the first day what was the rest of the journey going to be like. Next day we took of for Italy followed by Greece and Turkey and it was not until we arrived at our departure point in Turkey to leave for Iran that the trouble started. We had inadvertently landed in a military airfield whose name I forget when we should have landed at the civilian airfield running parallel in the next valley 2 miles away. This caused such a commotion as they were just about to start an air show for a visiting general and we were immediately suspected as being spies and were summoned to the control tower. At the control tower B managed to half talk his way out of it and the authorities said that they would refuel us if Istanbul gave permission but due to the communications problems in Turkey it would take until next day to get it. So we were driven to a hotel, had our passports removed, and we were virtually put under house arrest until next day so there was nothing else to do but spend some more of Alan's money sampling the local brew. We were picked up by the police next morning and driven to the airport refuelled and departed for Tehran. After an overnight stop in Tehran and a few more stops in Iran we headed for Pakistan doing the longest leg of the trip. Our destination was a place in Pakistan called Pasni which is the most isolated place in the world being in the middle of the largest salt flats in the world and by the time we landed B leapt out of the aircraft jumping for joy shouting that he was the first person in the world to keep a Wessex in the air for almost FOUR HOURS, a feat not beaten until this day. All I can say is the fuel gauge was not indicating when he shut down. We would have celebrated with a beer but Pakistan being strictly Muslim there was no chance. That night we made Karachi and as Pakistan, at that time, had limited entry to foreigners we had to stay in designated hotels and could only spend "Tourist Rupees" which you could not change back when you left. The upside was that the Hotel sold beer as there were only foreigners staying in the hotel so once again we had to spend some of "Alan's" money. It was all pretty mundane across northern India until we went to start up at Luknow when the No1 engine started but would not lift off. Hmmmm!!!! It was obviously a computer failure and we didn't have a spare so the old K R logic cut in. I wound the ground idle up as high as I dare and bypassed the lift off sequence of the computer, something that Rolls Royce says is impossible to do but they weren't stuck in the middle of India with a sick engine, anyway it continued to work all the way through Burma, Thailand, through Malaya to Kuantan where upon arrival the computer was changed. The total time travelling was 14 days with a flight time of about 75 hrs. |
BRINDISI OP S76 1996
I did the ferry flight out to Brindisi and stayed on for a month whilst the Italians did their crew training and then started the flying to the rig, which you could see from the airfield. Kev Smith came out and took over from me until the operation closed.
I then returned a year later with Helitalia(BHL) to look after a AB412. However the weather was so bad we hardly flew, so a couple of months of R&R basically. Our relationship with Helitalia was to carry over to the next year when I was sent to Ravenna(Ancona) to look after one of the ex Hong Kong Aux Airforce S76's, very fickle beast. You had to start #1 engine first or you couldnt start #2. We had greenies out for a couple of months to try and sort it - we never did. Dave Pridmore(RIP) took over from me until completion of the contract when the machine went to Florence for a rebuild of the tail. I enjoyed Italy, very laid back and great food. The red vino was very pleasant as well. |
This is G_BIXV today:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...ICT0004-HM.jpg Sorry---could not resist......that was a photoshop job to mess with one of my pilots. This is the real pic: http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...PICT0004-1.jpg http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...ps3b2ac09e.jpg Her new role is as a fire fighting helicopter operated by Redding Air Service, she was on contract in Oregon for the last 4 years, the new contracts have yet to be awarded: http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...psdda4d47c.jpg http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...ps60724c9a.jpg http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...ps4db5f6bf.jpg |
Bristow's Westland Widgeon G-AOZO
http://s13.postimg.org/bszr30rtv/G_A...nd_Widgeon.jpg ... sorry for poor quality of the image :( |
Ferry flight - Redhiil to Singapore : G-AWOX - July 1971
Dave Ed - I think I posted something on this ferry flight on the old Skyweaver website. Like BB, we had an eventful trip and even managed to fly for 4 hours 25 mins on one leg. - is that a record for the Wessie?
I wrote this up for my family as part of an autobiography so forgive the style! "On June 30th, we finally set off from Redhill on what was planned as a two week flight to Singapore. JH, being senior to me was the aircraft Captain and we flew most of the trip down to India swopping seats; although when we got into the really nasty weather, as an ex Navy IR instructor, I seemed to do most of the flying!! In the cabin we also had NO, a bearded engineer who was not only very talented but also good company. After clearing customs at Gatwick, we set off across the Channel for our first night stop at Lyon. However bad weather forced us to make an unscheduled landing at Chateauneuf – a great start to our trip. The helicopter had been fitted with a cabin fuel tank to cope with some of the longer legs, and on a couple of occasions, we had to shut down one engine to conserve fuel which enabled us to fly for 4˝ hours. From Lyon, we flew on to Naples, Athens, Izmir, El Azig, Tabriz and Teheran. Navigation in those days was almost medieval compared with modern day sat nav. We had an ADF, a basic VOR/ILS system and VHF and HF radio. There was no autopilot, it was hands on all the way, and when we were out of range of the usual nav aids, we were back to following a map! On the leg from El Azig to Tabriz we were transiting the high mountains bordering Iran, and uncomfortably close to the Russian border. Of course, this was at a time when the Cold War was at its peak, and naturally at this critical point we got lost; the road we were following just seemed to disappear. Expecting at any moment to be buzzed by a pair of Mig 21s, we held our nerve and after 20 minutes recovered our route and slid down a long valley into Tabriz. After a two day break in Teheran, where Bristow’s had a big base, we set off again into the dusty brown lunar landscape of the Persian plain and the southern mountains. Isfahan, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas passed by as the temperatures soared. We flew high to keep cool, and out of the heat haze. On our last leg before Karachi, we had to make a refuelling stop at Char Behar. This was used by Imperial Airways in the thirties on their long runs down to the Far East, and amazingly there was still a small depot stocking cans of aviation quality kerosene. Our problem was that there was no-one to refuel us. So for two hours in temperatures of around 40 degrees centigrade, we poured can after can into the aircraft tanks. I seem to remember a figure of 112. Whatever it was, it was one of the most uncomfortable afternoons I have ever spent. Even worse, after that, was another 3 ˝ hours flight to Pakistan, stinking of kerosine. After 3 days in Karachi at a blissfully proper hotel, we set off again on July 13th to Ahmadabad in India. Here we refuelled and cleared customs. This was an experience in itself as it seemed to take forever and I have never seen so many dusty old files surrounding the office walls – it looked as though nothing had been thrown away since the Raj. Our next night stop was at a small airport near Nagpur. We were taken by a rickety taxi to a very seedy looking hotel in the town, and although it was the best there, we spent the whole night scratching ourselves. The next day, the weather we feared most had arrived. It was now the monsoon season, with incredibly vigorous weather systems bringing violent rainstorms almost every day. We had to spend another night at Nagpur for the weather to clear, staying this time in a sort of rest room at the airport, and living off boiled eggs, the only food that looked edible. Our next leg was to Calcutta with a stop at Ranchi. However the weather intervened again and we were forced to make a precautionary landing in a jungle area near Khunti to wait for the low clouds to clear. We shut down the engines and looked around at a deserted grassy area surrounded by what seemed to be banana trees – not a soul to be seen. Within ten minutes, however, the helicopter was surrounded by a horde of native Indians peering at this apparition from the skies! In Calcutta, we were gratefully taken by a BOAC aircrew bus into the city centre to spend the night in a luxurious hotel. Walking out into the street was totally fascinating. This was the year of the Bangladesh revolution and thousands upon thousands of refugees from East Pakistan had descended on the city, sleeping on the streets and in the parks. It was quite literally a seething mass of humanity interspersed with the sacred cows and an incredible colophony of hooting from countless cars and lorries. The next day, we had to get back to Dum-Dum Airport, but this time only in a local taxi. Getting to one of the ring roads, we found our way barred by a mass of striking workers. A heated argument with our taxi driver ensued, and at one point JH wanted us to leave the car. However NO and I vetoed that idea and virtually threatened the driver with instant death if he didn’t get the taxi through the melee. This seemed to work and we managed to get away. Leaving Calcutta across the Ganges delta we ran into even more extreme weather. To avoid the worst storms we headed towards an airport in Burma called Akyab. Although we had negotiated visas to enter Burma, with great difficulty, these were issued specifically for Rangoon, and to land elsewhere created a certain amount of official pandemonium! We were taken to spend the night in a government rest hut, under armed guard, and hurriedly put back on our helicopter the next morning. Unfortunately, the weather had got no better, and for the next three hours I flew the Wessex in the worst thunderstorms I have ever known. We were flying in very turbulent cloud, in incredibly heavy rain and with no navigation aids! It was pure dead reckoning, hoping we were just off the coast; not daring to climb any higher, and very aware that just inland was higher ground than our 1000 foot altitude! One further and rather sobering consideration was our technical situation. Since leaving Karachi, we had been required to do a specific and complicated check on the rotor hub, as recently there had been a fatal accident, where part of the head had disintegrated and a rotor blade had detached in flight. In order to complete the maintenance check we had to do a dye penetrant test to see whether there were any cracks in this component. This was an almost impossible task in the weather we had been experiencing. So our fingers were very crossed and our anus’s very tight as we bucked and tossed in the stormy monsoon. Obviously our luck held out, and we reached Rangoon to spend an extraordinary night in the most wonderful colonial hotel – The Rangoon Palace. I think we must have been the only guests as tourists to Burma were heavily discouraged by the authorities. It was enormous, with that languid air that Forster and Kipling brought to their novels. The flowing day we set off for the last two legs of our journey. In Phucket in Thailand, we were able at last to carry out the maintenance test on the main rotor assembly, and, believe it or not, we had a hairline crack in one of the arms. So that was it, the helicopter was grounded. We sent a memorable telex message to Redhill “ G-AWOX is f****d in Phucket”!! As we boarded a commercial flight down to Singapore, we reflected on a marvellous experience which covered over 7,500 miles in 20 days and 76 hours of flying." ... and sadly no photos |
Hico-P: Wow, what a great story, fantastico! :D
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7...arper%2529.jpg Bristow Westland Wessex 60 Mk1 G-AWOX (Photo: Keith Harper) ps: If you are able to insert some spaces between the paragraphs in your great story, it helps a little with the reading. |
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