World Wide Helicopters
 

Does anyone have any pictures they care to share about World Wide Helicopters during their base operations at Biggin Hill or elsewhere in the world. I flew for them in the 1963/64 era and spent a good deal of time on the North Sea project for Shell as well as in Libya. I would very much like to hear from any of the old crew members as well. Many thanks to everyone out there. It was great to meet some of you at the Las Vegas HAI.

I flew for World Wide on their last contract in Sharjah, UAE for a short period in 1977/78. I'll see if I can find some phots.

Regards, Chris H

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-W...ewart%2529.jpg
World Wide Helicopters S58-F N871 as seen at Ameland in the Netherlands on 15th June 1963 (Photo: Ed Stewart)

Engaged in ditching practice in preparation for geophysical survey operations over the North Sea.

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N871 as seen at Biggin Hill in the mid-60's (Photo: Ken Wilkinson)

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N885 as seen at Biggin Hill in the mid-60's (Photo: Ken Wilkinson)

I flew for a company named World Wide Helicopters who operated mostly American registered helicopters and a few fixed wing aircraft out of Biggin Hill. The year would have been 1962. When I was with them we had Sikorsky S-58's, Bell 47's and a few fixed wing. I stayed at a pub called the Fox and Hounds.....fabulous. The flight crews were a mix of British, Dutch and Australian and I think I was about the only American. I have tried to run down some of the old crew members to no avail. I have a photo of a Beech parked on the ramp at their hangar but I do not know how to upload it. On another matter I also flew A-26 N3710G a good deal in the US which some years later you will recall crashed at Biggin Hill Sept 21, 1980 tragically killing everyone on board.


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World Wide Helicopters Beechcraft TC-45J Tri-Expeditor N8181H as seen as Biggin Hill on 4th February 1964 (Photo: Brian Nichols)

Thanks
 

Chris
Thanks for the information. Do you recall an engineer named Metcalf? He was with me on the North Sea project and I ran into him elsewhere in the world after I left World Wide.

I have a few pictures of the North Sea operation and a picture of a Conrad 10-2 that World Wide sent to us in Libya but that is about all I have in the way of airplane pics.

Regards...ed

A few names come to mind, Frank Minjoy, Dick Saker, Chris ? ( locked up in Iran), Ken Cos, can't remember the others.:confused:

There was a derelict S58T in Madras as World Wide hadn't paid fees to the Indians. It was basically in good nick with flat tyres & a resident cobra!:ok:

Sorry, Metcalf doesn't ring a bell with me.
How about Frits Hasselman, Stan Franklin, John Turner, Chris van Riet? - all World Wide and then involved with Abu Dhabi Helicopters (as it was originally named before becoming Abu Dhabi Aviation).

Chris and Frits (Chief Pilot of ADH) were both Dutch and now both deceased.
Stan was the GM of ADH and now lives in Gloucestershire in England. I've lost touch with John.

I was hoping to attach some photos but apparently I’m not allowed to! Don’t have time to resolve that just now so you’ll have to imagine a Jetranger on bags in an oilfield in the Arabian Gulf. This was the last World Wide aircraft on the last World Wide contract - for Crescent Petroleum based in Sharjah, UAE in late 1977.

If you need photo hosting I'll be glad to assist.

Simply email your photos to: [email protected]

Please include your PPRuNe name with your email so that I may attribute the photos to you.

Thanks to Savoia for helping with the following:

The last World Wide aircraft in the Cresent Petroleum field off Sharjah, UAE in 1977:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S...+JR+1977+2.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6...+JR+1977+1.jpg

Mmmm ...

By 1980 ... Aerogulf Services Dubai had that contract !!

I worked for World Wide in 74/75 in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi on their two Bell 206’s then as an unlicenced mech. I did take quite a few pictures but they are not scanned to digital format. Most of the work I remember was to the rig Rowan Texas. The helideck ‘boy’ opening the 206 doors was on three times my pay, which kicked me into action about getting licenced up and on better pay.
My time with World Wide did not last long. I do remember pilot Tom Loosemore (spelling), later killed when with the newly formed ADA, when the main rotor brake quill of his B212 departed the main transmission.
My time with World Wide finished after a ride in a drunken car from Pauling’s (the roads were mainly rough tracks then, with only a few good ones). In the car with me was an engineer from Bournemouth, Mike Coleman. We had an overnight in the women’s part of an old prison. It was a rough night with rats squeaking in the walls, blanket that would not unfold and a vitamin tablet for breakfast.

edited to add 'brake'

I Feel Old
 

You guys are making me feel VERY old. I started with World Wide in 1962 and did a summer with the S-58's off the North Sea in Holland followed by Beavers and Bell 47's in Libya. The Ameland crew consisted of mechanic Ken Metcalf, UK; Bob Bishop, UK, Tony Biddle, UK, Pilots George Strolenberg, NL; Ted Von Capelle, NL; John Wood, UK; George Cummings, CDN. When in Libya we received a Conrad 10-2 (converted Beech) that I am uncertain as to who took the picture but I think it is at Biggin Hill awaiting transfer to Libya. Fortunately I didn't fly it because almost every flight it came back with a landing gear problem. I recently made contact with the grandson of Arni Sumarlideson who lives in the DC area but he doesn't know anything about the company or any of the crew. The old corporation is still in business as a real estate holding company in the Caribbean.

Frank Minjoy
 

I remember Frank Minjoy and Frits Hasselman but I do not remember in what context.

When I last heard of World Wide they were doing very well as a real estate operation in the Caymans. Probably a better deal than any helicopter operation.

Frank the Merciless Ming was either a chief pilot or manager in this part of the world & very experienced on the S58. After that he became the general manager of Helicopter Utilities in Sydney.

Australians in Libya
 

The general manager in Benghazi in 1963 was an Australian who had his wife and son there with him. The chief pilot there was also Australian but was only experienced on fixed wing aircraft (I happened to fly both helicopter and fixed wing there). There were also a couple of aircraft engineers there who were Australian. I dearly wish I could recall any names because it would be great to renew old acquaintances with them. Alas, my brain has turned to mush!:ugh:

Ahhh . . . Nige . .. . . you'd remember the company that Frank Minjoy and Denis Killen proposed forming, combining their two names - "KILLJOY AVIATION PTY LTD" (My only link there, apart from pestering Arthur Dunn for a job, was working for one of HUPL's subsidiaries, Westernair Navigation at Eagle Farm, Brisbane in '68-'69.)

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World Wide Helicopters S-62A as seen at Brunei International Airport in 1966

This aircraft was operated on behalf of the Brunei-Malay Regiment.

They were also flying for Brunei Shell out of Anduki (with S55s as well.) We have several scanned photos but I don't have access at this moment. I do know that the accident rate was one driver towards forming the BSP aviation department in 1967!

Does anybody know what happened to Ken Metcalfe as posted by sillohed in post # 12 and if this was the Ken Metcalfe who was with Bristow in Egypt?

Gerry

Ken Metcalfe
 

Jerry,
In December of 1969 I was flying a DC-3 for Phillips Petroleum when I had the occasion to stop over in Cairo. We stayed at the Cairo Hilton and upon my arrival at the hotel I saw across the lobby by the pool a young man facing the opposite direction with perhaps 5 or 6 young ladies around him. Although I had not seen him since 1963 I immediately thought "Ken Metcalfe" and sure enough it was. I don't remember a Bristow connection but I wouldn't be surprised. Ken was one of my favorite people within the international aviation community. Would love to run him down. Just keep an eye out for someone surrounded by lovely young ladies!:)