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Bristow Helicopters Westland Wessex Series 60-1 G-ATBZ as seen at North Denes Aerodrome on 7th June 1970 (Photo: RA Scholefield)

Interesting that AZOM didn't sink, the pax ended up in the water yet no mention in the report as to why the liferaft wasn't used.

Eric: The available report (advertised as a bulletin) might mean there is a more detailed report .. somewhere .. which may answer the question of the liferaft?

Of Strubby and Bölkows ..

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Management Aviation MBB Bo105D G-BCXO at Strubby Airfield on 15th April 1975 (Photo: Steve Stoneman)

Originally registered to Helicopter Marketing and then Management Aviation this craft is rumoured to have become G-THLS in her latter years although the record does not clearly reveal this transfer. The serial no. for BCXO is given as S80 and for THLS S80/859.

As with G-AZOM (mentioned in an earlier post) G-THLS ended hers days swimming.

The 'Invasion' of Rockall
 

As all British readers would know from their 'proper' education .. On 18th September 1955 at precisely 10.16 am, in what would be the final territorial expansion of the British Empire, the island of Rockall (a small outcrop of rock in the North Atlantic somewhere between Scotland and Iceland) was officially annexed by the British Crown when Lieutenant-Commander Desmond Scott RN, Sergeant Brian Peel RM, Corporal AA Fraser RM and James Fisher (a civilian naturalist and former Royal Marine) were deposited on the island by a Royal Navy helicopter from HMS Vidal (coincidentally named after the man who first charted the island).

The team cemented in a brass plaque on 'Hall's Ledge' and hoisted the Union Flag to stake the UK's claim. The inscription on the plaque read:


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Royal Navy Survey Ship HMS Vidal in the Atlantic with a Westland-Sikorsky WS51 Dragonfly aboard

Video of the event:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X.../Play+Icon.png

. . . these events followed by 58 years of seabirds crapping and covering
the plaque in thick layers of guano.

... and the Dragonfly pilot was Tubby Leonard. Lovely man who left the RN in the rank of Commander after serving as a test pilot and then he worked for Sperry after he left the service. He passed away in 2010.

Daily Telegraph obituary here

C16: According to my godfather 'Tubby' was indeed a 'great guy'. Sadly never got to meet him in person.

A thread was launched at his passing: http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/434...y-leonard.html

Westpac Life Saver: 40th Anniversary

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The first training session at Wanda in 1973

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'The Wales' rescue helicopter made use of a fixed-float Airfast Bell 47 equipped with external stretcher panniers

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Rescue exercises on the beach

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Hoisting from the hook (which I believe they also used to do from the 206)

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'Wales Rescue' upgrades to an Airfast Bell 206, in this case .. VH-UHC

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w...les+Rescue.jpg
The contract (as far as I know) then moved to Ferguson who supplied this 206, VH-FHF

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At one point Westpac 'trialled' this Ecureuil, they may subsequently have bought it!

My apologies for the lack of details regarding the Bell 47 registration and photo locations. These details from Westpac's own site.

Surf used the same system in the AS 350 for many years. I think ELP ended up on the Sunshine coast & was sold to West Australia or was it Tassie. The 350 had a winch but this strop system was much quicker, easier & took 2 people unlike the winch. I can't recall any accidents with it.:ok:

Spent a lot of time in UHC when it was rigged up for bush work!

Nigel: I only seem to have shots of UHC 'wearing' floats but .. if I happen upon one where she's in 'bush' configuration (high skids I suppose) I'll put it up.

Having posted a Trans World Hughes 300 on the previous page (EI-AOU .. I want to say .. AEIOU!!) .. it would be rude not to 'expose' her stable-mate which is a recent contribution from RA Scholefield's wonderful collection of aviation imagery:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/1...35dfc997_b.jpg
Trans World Helicopters Hughes 300 (269B) EI-APH at Hannover Airport in Germany, as seen on 7th May 1966 (Photo: RA Scholefield)

APH is seen here attending the Hannover Air Show in 1966 as part of the Hughes exhibit. Very likely at the time of her delivery to Trans World.

In 1978 she was sold to Globe Construction of Felsted in Essex, when she became G-AWKC, and in '71 she moved to Tywford Moors Helicopters of Southampton. Her last UK owner was Forecourt Services of Eastleigh in Hampshire who acquired her in 1976.

The following year the craft was exported to Austria (via Germany) where she ended her days as OE-AXG.

Keeping with the floats ..

Another shot of G-ATDW (a previous photo of her, taken at Southampton, appears on page 101):

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Bristow Helicopters Hiller UH-12E4 G-ATDW as seen at Redhill on 14th May 1966 (Photo: RA Scholefield)

Began life as N5350V, then VP-YXR, G-ATDW and finally ZK-HCQ. Registered to Bristows (Redhill) between 1965-68.

The Hiller Thriller....
 

Gotta love those old Hillers, especially the 4 seaters, so retro looking today.

I have just returned from a short trip to San Francisco this week, which included a visit to the Hiller Aviation Museum at San Carlos. This is a fascinating building out at the airport there with many old aircraft, and restoration workshop onsite, all set up by Stanley Hiller himself.

Two amazing Hiller facts;

1) I was informed the -12 is still in production (my late step father learned to fly on one in the early 60s with the Royal Navy).

2) Whilst airborne, Stanley Hiller used to demonstrate that aircraft's stability characteristics by climbing onto the outside of the machine, whilst a colleague would do the same on the opposite side - leaving nobody in the cockpit! The museum has a photo of him doing precisely this.

Personally having learned to fly with the Bell 47, this is not something that ever occurred to me to try........

Plank you swine, you owe me a new keyboard! It was good coffee too!

Ciao Planko!

I have a brother who lives in SF so .. when next there I shall endeavour to visit San Carlos and check-out the museum. Sounds interesting.

On page 90 there is a photo of Stanley Hiller standing aside one of his prototypes while his wife Carolyn is in the hover being taught the trade .. and on page 91 there is a photo of two crew from the Hiller factory having left the cockpit (in flight) and sitting on the engine tray in an effort to demonstrate the craft's stability!

Astonished to learn that the Hiller 12 is still being produced.

Hiller History
 

Sav Hey,

I knew you'd have the story on some previous pages, well found!

A small selection below from the Hiller museum in San Carlos. The famous Hiller 12 in Korean MASH guise, suspended from the rafters. The yellow coaxial XH-44 that Stanley landed in his girlfriend's parental house on his first meeting with them, circa 1942. My favourite though is the orange painted tandem rotor device, intended as a single pilot (open cockpit!) twin engined stretcher carrier for battlefield medevac. Apparently it never saw production strangely enough, possibly couldn't find a willing test pilot, let alone stretcher patient...........

Regards,

Le Plank


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Lonely Front Seat
 

Here's a question for all you old and bolds out there.

On the 4 seat Hiller (and Bell 47J) with the one and only pilot seat (and presumably one set of controls) up front ahead of the pax bench, just how did a pilot new to the type get checked out? Perhaps back then it was all done over a cup of tea on the ground and a chat with the trainer before blasting off solo on one's first mission..........?

You learnt in the 3 seat model such as the Bell 47G series, then went onto the 47J. Same deal with the Hiller. No problem!:ok:

Oddly....a helicopter is a helicopter is a helicopter!

The UK makes it difficult with its "Type" system.

Compare the UK system to the US FAA system of "Typing".

I did my three hours and 1179 on a 47G2 then three weeks later my shiny new CPL/H arrived and dropped through the letterbox at work - those were the days, I had been employed without the company knowing the results of my CPL exams and only with a Hiller 12E on that licence. Told the boss my licence had arrived and he said to go and teach myself how to fly the 47J2. As Nigel says, no problem. Loved the J2 and ended up with 2,500 hours on it.

Just realised that first solo on the J2 was almost exactly 45 years ago......I feel old!

I declined a B47J endorsement (too busy at the time) which would have consisted of the examiner sitting behind watching me start, then a quick verbal quiz.

I should have made the time :hmm:

In Canada we do have the "type" system as well so when you get the B47 type endorsement you get all the model of that type, I flew the G2, G4 and the J models.

JD