Wasp Helicopter Hire
 

Wasp was headed by Don McGillivray and operated G-CHIC Hughes 269 in addition to G-WASP, G-BUZZ & G-WOSP. Don also had a Campbell Cricket (G-AYHH) which was replaced by G-WASP.

G-CHIC was regn to Wasp on 31.7.79 but crashed soon after on 13.11.79 near Betws-y-Coed when it struck trees shortly after t/o. The pilot died from a fractured skull as he was not wearing a crash helmet.

I am not sure but I think the pilot killed in G-CHIC was Don McGillivray, as the MD changed from Don to Elizabeth McGillivray.

Wasp were based to quote Flight in a small hangar behind an industrial estate in north Glasgow, and all the aircraft were regn to the same Glasgow address as Sims Automations so there may be a financial link.

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De Havilland, I must say that I greatly enjoy your posts, you always manage to provide thoroughly interesting information.

Within minutes of your post on John Poland's association with PLM, Tarman was adding complimentary information over on Nostalgia. I had always wondered what the acronym stood for.

Aren't we indulging in severe thread drift here?

This is the AMH thread isn't it?

Alan Mann Helicopters (Nostalgia thread)
 

Ref post from c53204 on 01/06. Are we going to say any more about the ZE cabs? AMH were involved with them for some time so there must be some interesting stuff out there or should we leave them in peace now that they are retired. I have info on paint schemes and a couple of pictures if we are happy to further this one.
Does anyone have any info on G-HUEY which is the UH-1D that came back from the Falklands and was sponsored by the RIAT for a while. I remember it being with AMH for a while under some sort of maintenance deal.

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I'm sure it would be of interest to learn more about Mann's involvement with the Army 109's. Did they ever pitch-up at Fairoaks for maintenance?

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l...520Ringway.jpg
G-BCWM/N cited by the photographer as being a frequent visitor to Manchester's Ringway during the 80's

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https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T...y%25252075.jpg
Terence Murphy (wearing the neckerchief - centre) collecting AgustaBell 206B G-BDFD from Agusta in June 1975

BDFD's tenure at Mann's was brief indeed having being delivered in June and then flown back across the Channel in July to take up residence in her new home, France.

ZE cabs
 

Hi guys. please help. After the request about the ZE machines I saw some pictures posted along with a couple of write-ups but I can't find them now. I am having finger trouble here or have I lost it?!

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Ex-D: The discussion on the ex-AAC 109s was split from this thread and is now here.

Sav

AAC A109's
 

thanks to Savoia for the link to the new thread.

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Plus, I believe, G-BCWM/N below:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-t...es%2525204.jpg
Mann's G-BCWM/N appearing in episode 4 of the Professionals c. late 1970's

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0..._landscape.jpg

Am trying to establish whether Mann's were involved in the filming of the movie 'Figures in a Landscape' (1970).

The pilot is credited as being one Gilbert Chomat who's other filming credits include: The Longest Day, The Sound of Music and Murphy's War.

Does his name ring any bells?

Shots from the movie:

http://www.rotaryaction.com/images/figlands.jpg

http://www.imfdb.org/w/images/thumb/...ures1892_5.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/...38db2322b5.jpg

From the poster it seems as if the aircraft wore an 'XZ' prefix.

... show that it has an Astazou engine. That rules it out as being neither a British Army machine or G-FILM. These were Artouste powered. The Army Alouettes were XR I think.

Another clue to Mann's non-involvement is that if the film was dated 1970, which is 10 years or so before G-FILM was aquired by them.

The names of the pilot and the aerial camera operator sound rather French to me too ...

The film is set in South America (but shot in Spain). The national mark for Mexico is XA - maybe XZ was a bit of poetic licence by the art department - it wouldn't be the first time.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x...ith%252529.jpg
Early 109A demonstrator I-CDMV is towed at Farnborough in Septmeber 1976 (Photo: Chris Lisney-Smith)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e...ber%252529.jpg
Agusta 109A demonstrator I-CVMD seen at Cranfield on 8th September 1979 (Photo: Ray Barber)

This 'A' model demonstrator attended the 1979 Cranfield Show along with the LongRanger I-CDVM and is seen wearing Mann's sticker on the passenger door. During the show I accompanied my godfather in this aircraft while one the Agusta jocks invited him to pole the craft about the Cranfield vicinity.

lemonchiffon

The film was shot in Sierra Nevada (Spain). Could have been either AWEE or AWAP..
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/5782/unled1ah.png
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5...b23e29142b.jpg

I doubt it - with a French pilot and camera operator it's more than likely to have been a French helicopter.

In any case, there would have been no Mann's involvement.

"I sent someone"...?
Oh well, that's what comes of being a mere cameraman, rather than a helicopter pilot or engineer I suppose.
I spent many happy days at AMA, working with Peter Allwork and the guys in helicopters. Peter was an amazing cameraman and could work magic, but for that matter, so were the pilots who (when I was shooting) did most of the work.
Brian Rose

Brian, are you talking about the "Ginger Assassin"?

ex manns workers
 

And 254 i was there during 1998 to 2003

"I sent someone"...?
 

Re. post 32. Brian, The penny has just dropped.. sorry.

It was you that went and got the weird but effective hydraulic pump wasn't it.

I'd forgotten who it was. Well well...

Yes, I forgot that name! Peter had a somewhat short fuse, his favorite remark seemed to be (especially when a camera or cable went down) "I don't f*****g believe it!" We all had a lot of fun together.
Aerial filming seems to have changed a lot from the times of side mounts and flying with the doors off. Funnily enough, we were discussing this in another forum (Guild of Television Cameramen) and the health and safety implications of non qualified people installing camera mounts. On that particular Professionals shoot, I seem to remember the Assistant Director insist that I hurried up with the installation. We simply told him that unless it was done OUR way, we don't fly. Then the stupid bugger nearly walked into the tail rotor.
Oh happy days!