419 has clearly sniffed to much aviation fuel/aircraft oil. Well they did use it to pack the sand down around the airfields in Doha. :) I can still smell in now.
Thank you all for your kind words. the information on this thread has been valuable and glad to see ur all still going. Yep dad did'nt expect to go either.
I'm sure he had some great stories but I obviously cant ask him.
He had just been on training courses in USA for the Bell spirit if I remember correctly when he passed away. Worked to hard I think, and burst a gasket so to speak. Since I was a kid when He died I was trying to piece his journey through life. He left behind a lot of very interesting paper work. I still have all the old Westland 55 and Bell maintenance manuals as well as life jackets etc from that time plus a very interesting log book which includes biafra. Great old stuff. It was amazing to see the image of the camo Riley Dove 5N-AGF. I have the instruction manuals for that aircraft and a photo of my dad and another posing in what looks like pilot uniforms in front of it when it had a Bristow Livery. In his log book the evac flights are there for this aircraft so he was clearly on board up to no good not listening to the authorities. My mum was pregnant with me at the time so I was not born in Nigeria like my brother as...well we were evacuated.
Since you are interested I will start to see which images I can find. I have alot but currently in storage. They go back to the early 60's. The images of the 205's and westland s/55's bring back so many memories as we spent our summer holidays flying around in them. I remember to get to Eket in 1975 we went via a DC3 from Port harcourt / Lagos?, just the family and the pilot...the madman even let me take the controls...But anyway great to hear your words, much appreciated. I suppose most of the guys who would have worked directly with dad are hopefully enjoying retirement, but if you hear of anyone who worked with him,would love to know. My brother keep a bit of the helicopter tradition and got his rotor licence. Thanks again.:ok:

Dubai Airwing
 

Hi Tony...were you working with him at the Dubai Airwing?

419 in Relation to Eric V Alan...yea it was a bit late when I typed that out but I think they both liked playing darts from what I remember ;) but since you met Alan once or twice maybe you might have some other useful information that may be helpful to me:confused:

Hello Xonboy,

Yes I was working with him at the Dubai Airwing, I worked for BHL for 12 years, before going direct contract on the Airwing fixed wing aircraft.
At the time your Dad was the Chief Engineer, I was already direct contract, but was operating out of the same small corrugated hangar that the Helis used.
Regarding the Riley Dove, your father told me that the twin Pioneers used to shed cylinders regularly due to shock cooling in the heavy rain in the wet season.
Of course this was before the Biafran war, and one of the jobs for the Dove was to fly engineers and parts to repair the Pioneers.

I have visited the Riley Dove at its final resting place in the school playing field at Uli airstrip in Biafra.(1970) I tried to remove the main entry door kick plate as a souvenir, but the screws were all corroded in and my presence was detected by the Nigerian Army soldiers, who chased me off. I did however manage to get a nice picture of it, which appears in the book "Shadows".

Tony

Uploading
 

Anyone know how to upload pics from ur computer?

Dove
 

Hi Tony
Really nice to hear your story and glad to see you still chugging along. I would presume the aircraft is now part of a shanty town. Pity you didnt get the plate. I remember when I was in Eket in 1975 Dad (Patrick O'mara) told me to follow him. We went to a derelict house with a fountain in front. In the fountain there were several machine guns rusting away...only in Africa. I also remember going to a restaurant in Port Harcourt at the same time and the glass still had bullet holes in it..just couldnt be bothered fixing it. I will start digging out the old photos. There split between London and Dublin so will take me some time. I have some stuff to upload but cant figure out how to do it.
Sean o

Dubai Airwing
 

Hi Tony..did you work on the Cessena that they had ?..I went up in that with my box brownie and took pictures of old Dubai, mostly desert then.
Sean o

Pit specials.
 

For some reason there were a load of pit special stunt planes in Rothmans liverys?
Do you remember them?

Xonoboy

If you go into the search box, and type in "uploading Photographs" it will take you to the instructions. You cannot upload straight from your hard drive, but must use a photo hosting site.,(I use photo bucket). It looks difficult at first, but is really quite easy, even a computer novice like me can do it.

Cheers Dave.
I think I have a flicker account so will do as you say. :ok:
Thanks for your help.
Sean o

Patrick O'Mara Bristow Helicopters
 

eeeeem Cant seem to link from Flicker..maybe a PC is required as I use a MAC.
Looks like Photobucket keeps the file type so will give it a go.:*http://www.flickr.com/photos/5780143...n/photostream/

Patrick O'Mara Bristow Helicopters
 

Patrick O'Mara Bristow Helicopters
 

Patrick O'Mara Bristow Helicopters
 

XONBOY;

When you first posted, I knew immediately who your Dad was and was shocked to hear that he had died. This was the first I had heard but have been away from the Middle East/Nigeria since the late '70s. When you posted his photo, it brought back a flood of memories.

He was one of the really great guys and although we all drank too much in those days, it sure made for some hell raising times, never to be forgotten.

My condolences to you and your family. You are from good stock.

Regards

carholme

Hi carlholme
Sounds like you guys really tore it up some. They were real Mavrick times and glad to see your still going. Think you were real adventurers in those days. Dad actually died quite young and long ago in 1980.
Its great to hear all your comments and Im glad I found out were you guys hang out as I was interested to hear any stories relating to him. I will load up pics from the early days soon as I can, there unfortunatly not in easy reach. He was great fun to be around...sometimes I used to think he was trying to get rid of us as he used to put us on as many helicopter flights as possible in the summer holidays...the longer the better..the hours I clocked up and places I went you have no idea :O
Best
Sean

Hello Sean,
Being dual licenced , fixed wing and choppers, I was sent by Bristows to Dubai Airwing contract to maintain the Cessna and SM 260.
Nice to see your pictures of the Dubai souvenirs, sadly over last Christmas I managed to smash my Airwing monogrammed whiskey glass, it has been in our family since 1980, when I borrowed it from the Boeing 720.
I gave it to my father in law as a Christmas present after he had flow out from UK on that aircraft.
Tony

Pitts Specials you remember were the Rothmans Aerobatic Team out in the Gulf on tour.
Tony

Dad told me if I BORROWED anything I would get my hands chopped off:)
didnt stop me I have to say. Thats a pity about your glass as I think Items relating to the Dubai Airwing are rather obsure. I made a mistake of pestering dad to go on a flight in the Dubai Airwing Boeing 720. The interior of that aircraft was bit mad. looked like some ones living room from what I remember. A test flight came up and I was allowed on board. I was the only passenger.......but what I didnt know was it was a test for take offs and landings....needless to say I felt sick:yuk: by the end of it and could'nt wait to get off.:bored::bored:

Here is a link to the aircraft: cant put photo here as its copyrighted:ouch:

Photos: Boeing 720-023(B) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Speaking of the original great helicopter men! Another one has left us.
 

I am posting this for a friend at work,Phil Sparks Jnr

Phil Sparks Snr died,just after Christmas,after a long career including Fisons Airwork,Bristol Siddeley,Rolls Royce & Hants and Sussex.He will be cremated at Porchester Crematorium on Thurs 13th January 2011.If there are any old friends and colleagues out there who would like to mark his passing,Please send no flowers but make a small donation by cheque to Help for Heros care of Barrells The Funeral Directors,'Lawswood' 245 Fratton Road,Portsmouth,Hants PO1 5PA,The UK