Thanks for the memories
 

I made the briefest of contributions to his thread earlier on and have avidly followed its progress. It has brought back many happy childhood memories of watching helicopters flying back and fore across the sky where I lived. The detail in this thread has revealed the reasons why. I lived between Ripley, Fairoaks and Brooklands from the mid-70's and from aged 6 I remember looking skyward every time I heard a helicopter. Almost without exception it would be another Jet Ranger or best of all a Bell 47. Over time I developed a keen interest in helicopters and would often persuade my parents to pay a visit to Fairoaks or to Battersea when we travelled into London. Several years later I was fortunate enough to join the RAF as a pilot and rather than follow my heart and head off to helicopters I followed the stream and was very lucky to fly the Tornado GR1/4 for 14 years. I have now retired from the RAF and like many of my predecessors joined a civilian airline. Perhaps I should have followed Dennis K's path and made the transition to helicopters. I doubt I will ever be able to afford to now, but this thread has definitely re-kindled a childhood passion, long may it continue. With 7 years to age 50, I have half promised myself that I will set aside a little (a lot I think) every month and at the very least try and solo in a helicopter (perhaps even a Jet Ranger) on my fiftieth birthday!!! Thanks for the memories......:ok::D

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Hofmeister: Welcome back! :ok:

Your previous contribution (post #186 on page 10) may have been brief but .. it was invaluable in that you identified Baron von Furstenberg's 206 as D-HJFF which became G-BTWA.

Without this information we would not have gone on to discuss Charles Hughesdon or his pilot Geoff Cox and neither would we have been likely to mention the other aircraft in Hughesdon's stable. Hughesdon in turn spawned conversations related to Ripley which led to a brief exposé on Ben Turner helicopters.

More recently an enquiry from Estepo regarding Geoff Cox cropped up and we were able to offer an immediate response mainly because of your introduction of G-BTWA and her link to Hugheson. So, your contribution continues to ripple across the pages!

I suppose we all suffer from 'the grass is greener' syndrome to some extent and in this regard I recall an encounter in the right hand seat of a GIII. We launched from a murky Teterboro when my friend stiffened the climb and in just a few seconds we were atop the stratus leaning back heavily bolting skywards and being greeted by the fading glows of a departing sunset. At that moment I remember thinking: "damn, I'm in the wrong job!".

I am fascinated that the Tornado remains as indispensable as it is. In virtually every conflict it is cited as being the primary fighter/bomber despite the fact that commentators keep saying it is going to be replaced! A great aircraft I am sure though.

Regarding your inklings towards the blitterblats .. keep going! I read on another thread the other day that someone had a student in this 70's (I think)! There may even be a generous Rotorhead willing to grant you a pole of their ship to further stir your leanings towards the spinning wings!

Best

Sav

B206 Training
 

For Hofmeister.

Its always great to see a fixed wing airman lust after rotary flight ... but sadly you won't be training on a Jetranger as our dear EASA are disallowing ab-intio tuition on anything with five seats !! Its been on the JAR cards tho' for over ten years! Whither the R66 methinks.

Anyway, welcome back to our wonderful world with whirlybirds. Every man (and woman) of us is totally addicted.

Dennis Kenyon.

G-AWAP John Crewsdon
 

A couple of pictures of G-AWAP

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5272/...23e29142_b.jpg

with Film Flight titles (Helipixman collection - photographer not known)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5182/...93c47cac_z.jpg

with Helicopter Hire titles (Helipixman collection - photographer unknown)

Helipixman

Hofmeister

I'm sure there are many Rotorheads, myself included, who'd like to help you get to a stage where you could solo a helicopter without making a fool of yourself. Most importantly, we need to think about how to organize this in a way which hopefully doesn't cost you anything.

I was talking to my wife the other day, and casually mentioned my cost calculation of financing 1200 odd hours of mostly turbine rotary.

I'm feeling better every day now, and am expected to make a full recovery. Apparently, my new teeth look fine - they say it would have been better if I hadn't swallowed my own when she punched me squarely in the face.

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Don't be silly Estepo!

One can never annunciate proposed expenditure with one's spouse on the basis of figures alone. They must be contextualised within the framework of female thought and priority!

For example: Frequent day trips must be rationalised against the threat of stagnation in maintaining the status quo to become essential missions during which vision is focussed, new goals set and inspiration rekindled.

Overnight escapades (without the missus) must be explained as possessing the potential to reveal exotic and previously unknown retail outlets laden with all manner of unique and beautiful examples of shoes, handbags and dresses.

Longer excursions usually require 'madam's' presence whereupon her participation as an essential companion must be unequivocally communicated along with assuraces of stops along the way at sufficiently romantic locations with promises of relaxed conversation over lingering reflections of past moments of passion combined with promises of impending encounters of similar if not greater intensity!

Communicated this way I've found is usually good for about half a mil!

:E

Sav

The ladies of our existence!!
 

Oh how I agree :ok: :ok: It's a hard and long road but this exquisitely erudite explanation I shall learn word-perfect for future encounters. Might save me a beating with the handbag (or worse still the interminable silence).

We should respect such wisdom, obviously gained from a full life's experiences :O

VFR

Heli Training
 

For Hofmeister.

Sir, if you can secure a suitable helicopter ... Enstrom, Sikorsky 300 or similar (not R22) ... being semi-retired and wanting to put a few things back into our industry, you have my instructional services on a complementary basis. It would be a priviledge to train a guy with your aviation background ... I'd just ask you to pick up my petrol travel costs. With your experience, I guess I'd have you off safely solo circa 15 hours, say 4-5 days if we worked hard. Obviously need a consenting airfield, but these days we can train at an unlicenced site, subject to the FI being satisfied it broadly meets the CAA criteria. I'm licenced to train on the turbine Enstrom 480, B206 and MD 500 but I'm pretty sure the most recent EASA rule changes say we can no longer use the five-seater type. Good luck. Dennis Kenyon.

Excellent! :ok::E

Dennisimo, what the heck is EASA upto with this five-seat business?

Sav

HUMBLED
 

DennisK

You are a true gent. I have sent you a Private Message.

Best Regards

Hofmeister

estepo. teeth-memories!
 

It must have been mid 78, I was standing on the raised AMH luxury platform (pictured in an early post 431 next to G-BAKU) working on a tail rotor . Our training machine Bell 47 G5A G-BBRI was working away on the other side of the airfield. For some reason the CAA had decided that tax payer’s money would be well spent teaching one of their senior office clerks how to fly a helicopter. Garry was banking the cheques.
Anyway all was peaceful, with Kate Bush gently reverberating around the hanger, when the steady whirring of Romeo India changed to a series of muffled crumps, followed by silence. TRC and I looked at each other, downed tools, and we went over to the door to see what had happened.
Sirens were blaring and the crash truck was on it’s way . The student was practicing sloping ground landings and had touched a blade. When the crash truck arrived the pilot had his chin touching the end of his nose, and was scratching around in the remains of the cockpit. It transpired that he wasn’t badly injured, he was just looking for his teeth !

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Helipix: Bravo, again, for your sterling contribution. Your range of helicopter images really is most impressive. Well done.

Hof:
Dennis is one of Britain's 'great naturals' in the art of helicopter flying and those to have been schooled by him are privileged indeed.

Sam Manekshaw

I remember Col. Bob telling me about the day he spent with Indian Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw and how impressed he was by the man's character.

Perchance, would anyone have an inkling as to the following:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/__...Sandhurst..jpg
The late great Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw photographed at Battersea en route Sandhurst.

Any clues as to the type of craft, the year or perhaps even the driver?

Sav

Hofmeister

We need to get you going, so if you'd like to do an hour or so familiarization flight in G-LEDR, and can make it to Bourne Park near Andover, I'll organize it.

I'm in Spain, but I'll ask John Davis (recently retired Senior Standards pilot for the Army) if he'll take you up.

Should give you a taste of the rotary world, which I'm sure you'll never look back from.

Wonderful offer from Dennis - I hope it works out for you.

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Well done Estepo! :D That is wonderfully generous of you.

Hof: It would seem as though the rotor-beat of your childhood memory has finally caught up with you. 'Jump in' dear friend!

Estepo's and Dennis' generosity is indicative of the character of so many I have met in the rotary world. Long may it continue.

Lashings of compliments all round!

Sav

The aircraft was a Gazelle and the driver was a Major Scott-Hopkins, probably 1984.

Tam

The individual on the left is the legendary (some might say infamous) Johnny Johnson, manager of the then Westland Heliport.

Many thanks
 

Estepo

I have sent you a Private Message, but I would also like to thank you publically as well for your extremely kind and generous offer.:D

Hofmeister

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Hof: 'Another one bites the dust' springs to mind! I'm sure you will love it though.

Tam/TRC .. many thanks. :ok: I shall add the image (with your much valued information) to the Colonel's digital scrapbook to join the legion of characters he encountered during his career.

Johnny Johnson is a name I've read about a number of times across the threads - I think Dennis mentioned him at least once. Never knew him or even recognise the name. The chap I was familiar with was someone called Ward who I think was a controller.

He didn't much care for people loitering in his cab (other than to pay their fees and be off) but, he had a female colleague who was slightly more tolerant of youngsters and it was with her collaboration that I got to 'hang out' in the cab for many an hour while Bob was across the other side of the river at Ferranti's head offices.

On most occasions he would leave a collection of notes (whatever he had in his pocket, which usually wasn't much, he was Scottish remember) with Battersea's ground handlers with the charge "Look after the wee lad would you."

Back to Johnson; how did he gain his notoriety - there must be some stories there TRC?

The Crewdson Files .. continued ..

Dennisimo mentioned John's daughter (whom he taught to fly) and Helicopter Hire's WG30 G-KATE (below).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/__...England%29.jpg
Helicopter Hire's WG30 G-KATE (so named after John's daughter) seen at Plymouth on 2nd June 1984. John Crewdson's name appearing beneath the forward door. (Photo: Chris England).

If I have my facts straight the craft was leased from Westland before being sold to British International in 1989. Check out the curvature on the main rotor blades compared say with an S76!

As a project the WG30 was however an unmitigated disaster!

Sav

Does anyone have any information of an operation that worked out of Rainton North Yorkshire in the late 1970s and early 80s? Rainton is just North of RAF Dishforth.

I believe one of the a/c they operated was Hiller G-BEFY, if that is any help.

G-INFO tells me -BEFY was registered to Farm Supply Company (Thirsk) Limited from October 76 - 0ctober 80.

Planemike

http://%5CRotor-396d023%5CUser%20Dat...oster%20PhotosJust wanted to say great thread.

My father flew the Ferranti and BCal Jetrangers from Cranfield in the late 70's before moving on to fly the BO105, Bell 222's and AS355N for the Met Police.

Has brought back some great child hood memories!