.
Tarman: This is an interesting development!

I had always assumed (erroneously it now seems) that Peter had bought his 206 new from CSE in 1977 but, your information seems to place this aircraft as having first been sold to Germany.

How intriguing, given our most recent unearthing of helicopter history, that both Charles Hughesdon and Peter Cadbury should have bought their Jet Rangers from Deutschland!

It also seems that Peter faithfully reproduced HMAC's colour scheme from that displayed in your photo (albeit in navy blue) even maintaining the rare white border following the circumference of the windshield.

Thanks for this contribution. :ok:

Deutsche PPRuNers: You are needed! Not only to assist with information about D-HJFF while in the service of Baron von Furstenberg c.1977 but also in assisting with information about D-HMAC which seems to have been in Deutschland about the same time c. 1976/7. I should like to discover the identity of HMAC's owner.

Danke schoen.

Jetranger c/n 1125 was D-HMAC, G-CHOC, ZS-HJH, 3B- ??, ZS-HJH. No information on owner, yet.

Fantastic thread, sorry I have joined so late, the pictures and comments on registrations certainly prompted memories! I worked for Thamesdown Helicopters whilst at school and when I left, we operated G-RODS, G-ROGR and also had G-NORM ready to be re-built. The maintenance was carried out at Skyline, where I first met the likes of Tony Clarke and Dennis, where we occasionally borrowed G-WIZZ, whilst she was owned by Hubbards. I can remember being told to keep away from G-JOKE whilst being too nosy when it was parked near us one day. We also used to work with Jonathan Palmer when he owned G-AWOL, I remember her when she was yellow with blue camels. After leaving Thamesdown I have remained in the industry and have flown the following Jet Rangers mentioned in the thread G-ONOW, G-WIZZ, G-BUZZ, G-BLZN (which the EOR posted a dash picture, how sad I recognised it!) G-SHCC, G-SHRR. I still operate and fly the 206, fantastic helicopter, there is also a picture of the dash of the Alton Towers 206L, we have an identical 206L1 with IFR kit onboard and the dash is identical. Although I was only just beginning when most of this was mentioned it was certainly the key that made me want to work in the industry. I will put some pics up.

Memories
 

How nostalgic to see all those reggies. The SHs for Starline Helis, (the company I established at Biggin Hill after Skyline) the oft quoted G-WIZZ ... then G-BLZN bought from South Africa with over 10,000 hrs on the airframe and which was later pictured on the front cover of the car book 'Cherished registrations hovering above my Jag E ... and of course the infamous G-BUZZ that landed too close to a second rotary on the Skyline helipad at Booker. Exit the Virgin team!

Does anyone recall the oddities of G-RODS when the pilot carried out his 'full & free' check on the cyclic which promptly snapped off at the base of the control!

God bless you all contributors out there and as the wonderful Bob Hope of the 'Road to ... films' once sang. "Thanks for the memories."

Dennis Kenyon.

Yes, I do, (it was me) and it would have been interesting trying to get down had that happened in flight!

I'll see if I can get some piccies of G-RODS.

Phil

Poor old Phil, snapping cyclics, dogs, pigs, goats, chickens! but looking back it was a memorable experience, I have pictures of you Phil with poor old ROGR I will post them up for you. Incidentially in later years I flew G-WLLY for many hours and I never recognised her as G-ROGR!

.
Long Box: Welcome to the thread!

Never flew WLLY, RODY or ROGR but .. I did meet Roger Woodward (Direct Rentals now MD of Cars Direct Group) a number of times at his apartment-cum-office which I think was somewhere in the Mayfair district. My godfather was looking to lease his aircraft for a season.

When Roger bought the aircraft is was registered as G-AXMM and its original owner (if memory serves) was Freddie Wilcox of Autair who acquired the craft back in 1969 making this one of the early 206's.

http://www.airport-data.com/images/a...321/321324.jpg

G-AXMM 'resting' in the hangar at Luton 4th December 1977 a year or so after being purchased by Roger Woodward.

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1061105M.jpg

Roger re-registered the aircraft to G-ROGR and re-painted it as seen here on 7th July 1984 at Cranfield. ROGR had one of the first sets of 'coloured coded' pop-outs which came into vogue for a short spell during the 80's.

S.

according to g-info the aircraft ROGR has been destroyed some years ago.

ROGR
 

ROGR later became WLLY , G-INFO has dereg date 23/06/06 as Destroyed, the sad accident happened on the 21st December 2005, near Coupar Angus, Tayside, ' the vertical stabiliser detached in flight, causing the tail rotor & associated gearbox to separate', from Griffin Helicopters accident data base.

Great pictures of ROGR, I first saw her when she had crashed at Brands Hatch, chasing a car round the track I think, it was then sent by Rod Crook to Canada and re built, it came back looking fantastic, until it fell of a building a few years later and was once again re -built, before running out of fuel on a pleasure flying event and crashing on a golf course, only to be re built again, poor old girl, would love to see any pictures of RODS

G-RODS
 

Great to see the image of G-CHOC as well as those of D-HJFF/G-BTWA.

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1063491M.jpg

G-RODS Manchester (Barton) EGCB 28th May 1989 still wearing the colours of the SONY Corporation who sponsored the aircraft while it was registered as G-NOEL. As with ROGR, RODS also wore colour-coded pop-outs.

Earl

G-AXMM/Freddie Wilcox
 

S
the second first (of course!) You will know I am sure that Freddie Wilcox disappeared to the big bar in the sky two weeks ago. Finally he ran out of steam, and died peacefully in Oxford, RIP. I worked for him in Africa for a few years; absolutely wonderful pilot. Good boss too, on reflection. A gentleman and not so many of those around.

Secondly, and possibly connected. Yes Autair (aka Court Line if you look at G-INFO) bought the aircraft, but the S/N plays games with my (rapidly diminishing) detail-memory. Was this perhaps subsequently the converted-to-206B standard and registered in Zambia as 9J-RIX for the Tazama pipe-line contract? If 'ole' Roy Neep ever read this thread he would correct me I am sure. It was in the days when J P Martin (John Percy to his friends, including Roy - but not me, I was FAR too junior!) was the 'guvnor', Roy also, the late Peter Hooper, and others. And right at the bottom of the pecking order yours truly, who invariably had the 'privilege' of buying the drinks for these icons of the industry to which I had enslaved myself. Man those boys could shift some beer - I HAD to return to the bush to get enough money together to live. :( Expensive if invaluable experience-curve.

Anyway, I digress. I wonder of MM was indeed RIX? Can tell you of one particularly embarrasing incident with her that taught me a lot....... But we've all been there, right? ~ VFR

.
VFR: I wasn't aware that Freddie had recently gone :( RIP as you say.

A gentleman he was and an enterpreneur too!

AXMM and RIX are, I fear, two seperate aircraft. AXMM's serial no. was 405 whereas RIX's was 331. They were however both Bell's (as opposed to Agusta-Bell) and both started out as 'A' models.

Freddie Wilcox is in many ways responsible for me buying a home (which I still keep) in East Africa.

S.

So that was the reason for those colours on G-NOEL. Noel flew that into Alton Towers when he was being courted to replace Terry Wogan on the adverts.

Yes, long box, those were good times, and Rod had a thing about rebuilding aircraft, didn't he? I believe Carol's jet is still sitting at Cranfield - wouldn't want to pay the storage fees on that!

Found a piccie of the JCB longranger the other day - will try to remember to post it when I get back out of Dubai.

Phil

- Paco

When Noel Edmonds bought this 206 (c. 1980) he was presenting a BBC programme called 'Swap Shop'. The show had impressive ratings and largely captured the Saturday morning children's/teens audience. Resultingly, Edmonds had (by the Beeb's standards) a fairly impressive presenter's salary but .. even for a successful presenter the cost of acquiring and operating a helicopter made some significant financial demands.

Edmond's manager set about seeking sponsors to help offset this cost and, with Edmond's contacts in radio and television production, was able to secure sponsorship from Sony UK.

On one occasion when Sony's worldwide president was visiting the UK he came into Battersea from LHR on a McAlpine AS355 when G-NOEL was departing and later made a comment to Sony's UK MD stating: "I didn't realise we had a helicopter here!" Sony's Japanese offices at the time owned several corporate aircraft including helicopters.

When Edmonds up-graded to a Squirrel (G-NOEI) his manager again 'successfully' secured sponsorship, this time from Phillip Morris who were already sponsoring, albeit it indirectly, the Team Lotus JetRanger.

This second sponsorship was not without its problems though as before long negative PR began to surface questioning the 'appropriateness' of Edmond's bold promotion of Phillip Morris' products (in this case Marlboro cigarettes) and, unsurprisingly, the sponsorship offer was soon thereafter declined.

Edmonds, across the years, has been a friend to the helicopter industry (even operating his own charter business at one point) but, as with his career, was dogged with bad luck on a number occasions and which marred his aviation experience.

Of those I've met who knew him - they all say that at the peak of his popularity, and while he was flying about the country in his various aircraft, he was the epitome of a down-to-earth, approachable and affable chap!

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/GImages/G-BCWN001.jpg

G-BCWN purchased from Alan Mann by Noel Edmonds and re-registered to become G-NOEL

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1077727M.jpg

G-NOEI (ex-G-BHIU) at Brands Hatch 6th October 1985 wearing the colours of Edmond's mid-80's sponsor Phillip Morris

Earl

I had the pleasure of transporting a lot of celebs at Alton, and I can confirm that Noel is indeed an affable chap - as is Terry Wogan and many others, of course. However, the one that really sticks in my mind, though I never met her, was somebody that all the other celebs going into Hold Tight (a Granada TV program that was broadcast from there) said was a thoroughly professional and nice person - Toyah Wilcox.

Phil

Phil I have haunting memeories of that jet, poor old Lansen, being put down the intake with rope round my feet, paint brush and WD40 to clean the first stage, deep joy, only to discover that Rod had disapeared for lunch in the club house and I was stuck in there. I remember G-NOEL later to be G-RODS being delivered to Lillybrook when Rod purchased her, lovely Jet Ranger in her day, complete with a bar in the back, huge white leather seats and floats! heavy girl

Before we entirely depart the subject of Alouettes ..

http://www.alouettelama.com/photos/H0004.jpg

Commandant Henry Tessier congratulates test pilot Jean Boulet after he successfully broke the world altitiude record on 6 June 1955 achieving a height of 27,000ft in this Alouette II (Serial No. 2).

The previous record was held by a Sikorsky S-59 which achieved a height of 24,500ft on 6 October 1954.

Earl

Was Thamesdown operating from near Swindon towards the end ?I seem to recall the heli Museum collecting some battered JetRanger fuselages from a field near there a few years ago.

Thamesdown were always based at Lyneham, I think Rod Crook has sinced move on, G-ROGR became G-WLLY and G-RODS is stil flying, not sure what happened to G-NORM, but Rod always had bits of Jet Rangers laying around, like the tail boom from Gaddaffis Jet Ranger that ended up on ROGR! so it is very likely

G-WLLY crashed when the vertical fin detached in flight, sadly killing it's 2 occupants.
The AAIB report states :
"The aircraft was constructed in 1969 and had experienced
a chequered history, being involved in a number of
incidents and two major rebuilds. At some stage it had
gained a tail boom of uncertain provenance, which served
to highlight a potentially confusing situation with the
Maintenance Manual, in that the method used to attach
the vertical fin varied according to the serial number of
the airframe, as opposed to that of the tail boom."
It makes a worrying read.

Tarman

NORM
 

on G-INFO as canx as destroyed, date 26/11/84, if you go to www.eglb.org.uk, gives info on Helicopter operations at Brooklands, and give details of the history of NORM and the accident, and also details of other JR's, LR's etc.

And ... while still withdrawing from the Alouette, Lama, Air Glaciers topic; this clip: Extreme Flight with Lama - Video involving the skills of ex-Air Glaciers pilot Bernd van Doornick who has logged over 22,000 hours and is credited with being involved in the rescue of more than 5,000 people.

It's hard not to appreciate the 315's 'grunt' when you see Bernd introducing power for the vertical assent!

The Lama still holds (I think) the world altitude record when, in 1972, a 315 took over the title from its younger brother, the Alouette II, by reaching a height of 41,000ft

Earl

Yes she did. Francis taught me to fly the Skeeter and I solo'd in G-SARO (XL-812) in 1995. We flew the Skeeters all over the country, Francis' last air display was in G-SARO at the Lowestoft Air Show in 1995, the year before he died. I have his last flight on video, he was flying G-APOI (the only civilian registered Skeeter) which we had restored over a 13 year period. I continued to fly his Skeeters for several years after his death.

http://wallmaster.co.uk/pprune/skt.jpg

G-AWGU
 

.
The history of G-AWGU is to be detailed in the Ferranti Helicopters tribute site (due 2011) but until then ..

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/774...9CB537790E60C4

G-AWGU 30th August 1969 at Wootton, Isle of Wight, on charter to Track Records delivering musician Roger Daltrey of 'The Who' to the Isle of Wight Festival.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12...kinghrayak.jpg

King Housein of Jordan reviews this Alouette III at the Rayak Air Base in Lebanon on 12th September 1962. Seated in the back (with moustache) is the Lebanese Defence Minister Majed Arslan.

Earl

Belgian Nostalgia
 

The decline of Belgium's national flag carrier Sabena was another sorry chapter in European aviation - given the company's long and interesting background which included, to a modest degree, helicopter operations:

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20076.jpg

Bell 47-D1 OO-UBA landing in downtown Brussels in the early 1950's.

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20068.jpg

S-51 1B OO-CWA operating in the Belgian Congo between 1951-1955. The aircraft was thereafter bought by Westland.

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20071.jpg

S-55 OO-SHA at Mesbroek in the mid 1950's.

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20002.jpg

S-55 OO-SHB departing Melsbroek. SHB flew with Sabena from August 1953 to October 1956.

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20054.jpg

Alouette II OO-SHV bought by Sabena in 1957 and operated in the Belgian Congo as OO-CWH returning to Belgium in June 1959 as OO-SHV and leaving the Sabena helicopter fleet in 1968. The aircraft was used for trials and service in medical rescue operations.

[Also .. because IFR hoods were not available in those days and in order to familiarise pilots with basic IFR conditions (for purposes of preparing crews for inadvertant entry to IMC) the helicopter was left out overnight and then used for early morning sorties while the condensation was still intact! (Not! ;))]

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20074.jpg

OO-SHV departing Brussels 'Allee Verte' heliport in 1962.

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20021.jpg

Boeing Vertol V-44 N74057 leased from Boeing for operations during the Brussels Exposition between April and October 1958.

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20014.jpg

S-62A N976 leased from United Aircraft and used by Sabena as an evaluation aircraft between May 1960 and February 1961.

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20037.jpg

Boeing 707-329 OO-SJB at Zaventem 1960. Sadly, this aircraft was to be involved in a nasty incident at Berg on 15th February 1961 killing 61 passengers and 11 crew. Sliced in this shot is, I think, an S-58.

http://www.sbap.be/archivalia/sabena/pic%20079.jpg

MBB BK117-A3 OO-XCY sponsored by Sabena in 1989 for air medical rescue operations and operated by Heli Samu.

Earl

ps: Do we have any Rotorheads from Belgium?

I've come into this thread a bit late, but......
 

To Savoia -

It might be Pete Wilson - evidently Bristol, then Westland.

That was probably Geoff Cocks.



To vfr440 -
Do I know you? Does 'Chip Bath' mean anything to you?

Re. G-NOEL, I had the pleasure of conducting the 1200hr inspection that turned 'WN into 'EL. Complete with painting the instrument panel and circuit breaker panel a light beige to match the new interior (and having all the edge-lit and breaker panels re-engraved) what a nightmare.

.
TRC: Well done that man! :D

When I saw the pilot exiting the Sycamore in this clip HELICOPTER PARTY - British Pathe I instantly knew he looked familiar and, lo and behold, thanks to TRC we've identified it was Pete Wilson, ex-Bristol test pilot.

Pete Wilson






Sox Hosegood










"19 September - The Bristol Sycamore Mk. 4 G-AMWI piloted by Peter Wilson arrives in Switzerland from England for a series of de-monstrations. During the trials, organized in the period between the 21th and the 27th of September, the helicopter flies people and goods, and takes part in an exercise organized by the Swiss life-saving society on the lake of Thun. The last day of the de-monstration Wilson lands on the Sanetschpass at an height of 2'000 meters, where a power line is being built".

Photo of the visit by AMWI to Switzerland can be see here: heli-archive.ch: 1947 - 1960

On the same page can be seen a photo of Alan Bristow flying an S-51 G-AJHW on helicopter trials. Alan and my godfather flew together in Antartica.

http://bp0.blogger.com/_YhGsknrK8Io/...ristol+173.jpg

Photo of the type 192 signed by Sox. Full size photo can be seen here: Sox+Hosegood+bristol+173.jpg (image)

TRC - again my thanks.

S.

ps: Tried posting images of both Pete and Sox but they failed - PPRuNe's forum software seems to be deleting anything with the words ' b l o g s p o t'.

However, for those who are keen, re-type the following link into your url: http://thetartanterror.********.com/...1_archive.html .. but substituting the asterisks for the word b l o g s p o t (without the spaces of course)

Sox is still around ......and still occasionally playing golf when I last spoke to him !

Well done! :D Out of interest how did you re-engrave the breaker panel? These used to be a grey colour, not sure if I have seen a 'colour-coded' circuit breaker panel in a 206 before!

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/GImages/G-BCWN001.jpg

G-BCWN before TRC got his hands on it

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1063491M.jpg

BCWN after TRC's TLC!

TRC - do you have any photos of G-NOEL after you performed the re-fit. Also, as I recall, she wore colour-coded pop-outs?

Perhaps Geoffers also delivered BCWN's sister ship BCWM (below) from Italy?

http://www.swissandmore.de/battersea/nScan195.jpg

TALY
I don't remember the timing of the skid change on TALY, but I do recall fitting no end of gadgets to her - dual wipers, sun visors, autopilot, etc, none of which were common mods at the time.
I also remember the inside of the P2 screen being scratched to bu99ery by His Lordship's boots - he'd put his feet up on the de-fog nozzle in flight, so Ken whatsit told us.

NOEL
The re-engraving was fairly simple once we found someone who could do it. It started off when we made our own edge-lit switch panels, e.g. Fuel valve, Hyd on-off, etc. Having made and drilled the new perspex plate it was first given several coats of 'special' paint in the desired colour of the writing. Then several more coats of the finish colour. A specialist engraver would then cut the wording through the top colour but not disturbing the base colour. Simple. We did the c/b panel the same way but it wasn't lit.

NOEL was also a flying accessory brochure - the first in the UK with a cow-catcher (wire-cutter), an illuminated T/R G-box sight glass, colour co-ordinated float covers, to name a few.
Don't have any photos - didn't take them in those days.

I don't remember whether Geoff delivered both N & M, they were close together I know - a week at the most, so I doubt it.
I remember writing a large 'WM' or 'WN' inside all the cowlings as they were all off at the same time as soon as we got them. We had to take them apart to see why they were working - brand new or not.

Hope this helps.

I've just looked back at the photos of TALY, and I am ashamed to admit that it's me doing the unmentionable thing to her (no idea what though) in post 135. I'm also looking in the P2 door a couple of pictures later.
I look like something out of Fleetwood Mac.

Love Geoff's flares - he looks about 15. Those WERE the days, apparently.

.
TRC: Out of curiosity do you happen to know the principal variations between the early Bell and Agusta 206s? My understanding is that aside from being slightly heavier the Agusta 206s used a different paint finish to the Bell factory and applied a rain gutter (eventually added by Bell) over the doors. But there may have been other adjustments?

Geoff Cocks: Anyone with information about Geoff Cocks (Charles Hughesdon's pilot?) and what happened to him post Tradewinds would be appreciated.

N2221W: Came across this image the other day:

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1029287M.jpg

During Royal Ascot week (1981) this aircraft was used by Bell as a demonstrator. Bell teamed up with Hascombe Aviation (Martyn Fiddler) who ran the Ascot heliport and agreed to ferry a string of passengers out of Battersea and other London locations to showcase the 222.

Fairly early on during day one of the exercise LHR instructed N2221W's pilot to contact them by phone upon landing at Battersea - which he duly did. He was told not to fly the aircraft any further! The problem .. Bell's pilot (I believe it was their Chief Pilot) was straggling across the helicopter routes in a fashion unacceptable to LHR. It was either ground the aircraft or recruit a pilot familiar with the routes, r/t protocol and standard navigation procedures around London!

Martyn Fiddler asked my godfather if he would help out, which he did, launching to Battersea in BA's 206 G-AWGU. He then spent the entire week flying the 222 with Bell's CP making sure the craft conformed with the norminal ordinances applicable to navigating in and around London.

A thank you lunch was arranged for my godfather at the end of the event at which, as a young boy, I got to meet Bell's CP at the Copthorne Hotel near LGW.

At the time the episode was slightly embarrassing for Bell and probably hasn't been re-told that frequently but, my godfather and the Bell team hit it off pretty well and remained in contact for some time afterwards when those involved would reminisce with humour Bell's blunder!

Terrible trivia I know. My apologies.

S.

I've read the whole thing now and can fill in some gaps
 

G-WIZZ
I recall doing the pre-delivery bull$hit on this one. The gold lining was real gold leaf. Every - and I mean EVERY - external screw was replaced with a brand new cad-plated one and this included the old-type pan pop-out floats with a million screws a side. The exhaust stacks were removed and polished. The fuel filler cap and pitot were gold plated, as were the Agusta-Bell name plates - except the first time they dissolved in the acid pre-treatment. She looked like a new pin.

G-AYTF
I went to the aid of Col. Bob Smith on the occasion of the engine run-down. It was caused by a fractured P2 air pipe - not quite as described as carrying the fuel-air mixture, but as important to an Alllison in terms of it staying running. The other pilot in wellies was the late John Ackroyd-Hunt.
I also had to do a turbine change in Austria with a colleague - JS - after much trial and tribulation, we ended up doing a ground run with Col. Smith in bare feet - can't remember why, but there must have been a reason. (More about him later).

Peter Cadbury
Not convinced his reg was G-CHOC - although it seems reasonable. His 206 came in for a 50 hour check "hardly flown it since the last one, old boy".
Finding fuel chits and landing fee receipts in the pilots door pocket dated for days that he 'hadn't flown' - awkward phone call miraculously jogged the memory. Suddenly, hours flown since the last check had almost doubled.
The engineer with the burned coat - nylon, not a duffel as previously reported - was Nick Thake.

G-BBBM
Originally operated and maintained by Mann at Fairoaks.Probably the best paint scheme of the time. Standard Bell 206B pattern, but the colours were milk chocolate brown and a burnt orange on white (yes, very 70's) looked fantastic.

Lt. Col. Bob Smith etc.

When I worked at Battersea, the afore-mentioned Colonel was night stopping and the tower ordered him a taxi.
After about half an hour, nothing had turned up so I offered to take him to the hotel on my motor bike. He agreed, so off we set. He in his full pilot's uniform complete with Cavalry Officer's pattern cap, white gloves and nav bag (pre helmet laws).
We arrived at the Waldorf in the West End and the horrified doorman - all clawhammer coat and top hat was ordered by the Col. to look after the bike. I was told to give my helmet to an astonished reception person - similarly ordered by Smith to "look after the bonnet" (he was from Scotland).
We then processed upstairs where the Col. now ordered drinks from an astounded waiter. When the drinks arrived, were duly paid for and the waiter returned with the change. The Col. whipped the coins off the tray like a gas meter reader leaving about 10p tip (I did say he was Scottish). The waiter retired hurt.
By the time the Col. had returned to the heliport in the morning, someone, had replaced the exhaust blanks on his 206 with a 38DD brassiere. Oh how we laughed.

I have another very funny Lt. Col. Bob Smith story, but I don't think I should recount it here.

Savoia.
I can't comment on the difference in paint finish between Bell and Agusta, but there were minor constructional differences. The gutter as you say, a hinged rather than a 'fall-off-and-hang-by-the-wires' circuit breaker panel, a removable panel under the baggage compartment, hand-sewn leather covers on the Hyd Servo pipes and probably some things I can't think of.

My brain hurts now.

If I think of anything else, I'll report.

Oh, I have an apochryphal story about Sox Hosegood. Not sure if it's true, but bloody funny none-the-less.

Nostalgia & 'Names'
 

Just had to jump in again ... ah the gentle, gentle flyer ... Geoff Cox. My log book shows, and having just left the service, I made my first ever rotary flight with Geoff at Fairoaks on March 23rd 1973. (Enstrom G-BALT) If you are out there Geoff ... how about a game of golf for old times sake.

Then Sox Hosegood. A bit later, I tried to persuade the SWEB unit at Lulsgate Bottom to use the Enstrom for their power line inspections. Sox wasn't at all impressed with the heavy handling of the collective, so my pitch was a failure.

Anyone know any history of B206 G-BBEG?

Dennis Kenyon.

BBEG
 

On G-INFO

BBEG Bell 206A S/N 442 New 1969 ex N2221N

Alan Mann 30/07/73 to 08/11/73,
Graysbrook Leasing Ltd, Guilford, later Shoreham Airport. 08/11/73 to 02/12/74
then what looks like, Shirelade Ltd., Berkshire, 12/12/74 to 26/04/76
then to France, as F-BXSU.:)

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1256804M.jpg

MBB Bo 105 DBS, G-BNPS, BHX (Birmingham), 7 February 1988

Thought I'd drop this into the mix as it were. Although at BHX this was evidently one of the first aircraft for the Sussex Police. Am wondering whether Dennis tried selling one of the Enstroms to Sussex in the early days?

Earl

Police Enstroms
 

Thanks E of R ... Yes I did ... and very hard wth some minor success. 'Twas around 1974 when, if I recall correctly, no UK police force had a helicopter ASU. So, as part of my sales campaign, I headed off first to Kidlington and then to Glascow to demonstrate the Enstrom type to the Strathclyde police force and then to Thames Valley at Oxford where I demonstrated to the Chief Constable who went by the name of 'Big Gee' ... being a Mr Gregory.

Neither units took up helicopters at that time, but almost immediately John Crewdson of Helicopter Hire, Southend, gained an interest from the London Metropolitan police. I was asked to demonstrate the type ... the overweight F28A in those days ... being G-BBRS I think. BRS for my boss Betram Roy Spooner of Spooner Aviation, Shoreham. The Met took up a contract with John Crewdson's company and I was tasked with doing some of the early flying. I have a pic of G-BBRS flying along the Thames with the POLICE logo. In 1976 I used the more powerful 'turbo' 280C Shark, G-BENO. I think the Met may have been the first force to use a helicopter full time.

Later I was tasked direct by the Surrey Police at Mount Browne, Guildford to fly an IR search mission and succeeded in locating a lost toddler very late in the evening at Farnham. I actually landed alongside the traffic lights on the crossroads in the centre of the town, having been instructed to do so by my police officer passenger who flashed his 'Home Office' authority card to make the landing legal. Having seen the site recently, a landing wouldn't be sensible now.

Then of course the big twins came on the scene, B222s at Luppitts Hill so no more use of an Enstrom piston single. I know Starspeed's, David Voy did much police flying while with Helicopter Hire and once suffered an engine-out over London. Being a good autorotator (both pilot and helicopter) Dave put the machine down safely and undamaged in the congested area. We are talking about the mid to late 1970s here.

The best known police users of Enstroms were the Pasadena Police who were staunch operators of the Enstrom marque using the type from the 1970s right up to a few years ago, maybe they still do. Nick Agusta was the CP in those days and put 10,000 hours on an Enstrom 28C-2 model.

I know ... I'm a mine of useless information! (but this is a nostalgia post)

Dennis Kenyon.

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TRC: Bravo that man for trawling through twelve pages of trivia (albeit fairly interesting trivia!).

WIZZ - I didn't really have much involvement with this craft but, Geoffersincornwall who, I am assuming must be a former colleague of yours, delivered her from Frosinone along with TALY. WIZZ was originally bought by Monks Builders in Sheffield who owned her from '77 to '82 and I'm guessing it was Monks' owner who requested all the detail you mentioned. For most of her early life she was distinguishable (as my 'wingman' on this thread, The Earl of Rochester, mentioned in an earlier post) by the fact that she was one of the UK's first 206's to be fitted with high skids.

AYTF - Thanks for the clarification on the cause of the engine failure and .. thanks for trudging up to Norfolk with John Akroyd-Hunt (RIP) to 'rescue' me and the Col! I did make a thorough inspection of the engine that morning (promise) although I was only 13 (which would have made this 1980) but had been taught by Ferranti Helicopters engineer John Froud how to DI a 206 at age 10. Needless to say I had to use steps for everything - even to check the t/r! It was an interesting event - Col. Bob was totally engrossed with maps which, at the time of the failure, obscured his forward field of view entirely. I recall the sequence of events pretty well. First a yaw in the aircraft, then the sound of the C20 winding down and finally the engine out pips via the caution warning. Within about a second of feeling the yaw Col. Bob had dispensed with the maps and lowered the collective. Mercifully - there was a fairly large newly ploughed field ahead of us and that's where you would have found us! I remember Bob telling the Savage (I think) that the furrows in the field were quite deep and that you would be better bringing a high gear 206 but .. you and JAH arrived in a 206 with 'shorts' if I remember rightly. How the heck did you move the 'Dancer' (as G-AYTF was known) onto a low-loader because, from what I recall, no semi would have been able to access that field?

CHOC - She really was registered G-CHOC and, courtesy of Helipixman, here is the evidence:

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=66973388&noresize=1

Peter Cadbury's 206 G-CHOC

I recall my godfather telling me about the engineer who got his coat burnt by PTC 'Peter the Cad' so its good to have a name to that incident from so long ago. Poor Nick Thake! Col. Bob knew Peter pretty well. Peter was, by his own admission, a difficult bugger to get along with but, Col. Bob always had a kind word for him and found him to be an amusing an interesting character. God rest his soul.

Btw, do you happen to know if it was Manfred Mann who re-painted D-HMAC when it was re-registered as G-CHOC?

http://www.transportphotos.com/image...r/AGc11044.jpg
D-HMAC before it became G-CHOC

BBBM - My godfather had names for everything and everyone, it was one of his many quirks which came to be known as 'Colonelisms'! This particular aircraft he would refer to as the 'Brave Brave Black Man' sincerely speaking - I don't know how he came up with that! BBBM was first bought by a client in Sussex in '73 then operated by Mann's during '74 and sold on to another customer in '75. At some point BM's owner (and I think it was a chap by the name of Bob Woods who went on to be one of Col. Bob's loyal clients in the post-Ferranti years) had my godfather manage the aircraft and so she entered the Ferranti stable at Gatwick for a season.

While with Ferranti this is how she looked:

http://ic2.pbase.com/o3/64/252464/1/...W5C.000114.jpg

G-BBBM at Biggin Hill 15th September 1973: Worked on by Rotorhead TRC and managed for a season by Ferranti Helicopters

COL. BOB - Well this man pretty much changed my life as, after my parents were divorced (when I was 8) he played a significant role in my up bringing (if you can call it that!). My godfather was a character, as you may recall, and in the end became mildly controversial for his somewhat unorthodox lifestyle choices! He was though an impeccable 'Army gentleman' with an eye for detail, fiercely loyal to his friends and a man of good will and good humour! Thanks for getting him in one piece to the Waldorf!

The Ferranti Group kept a permanent suite at the Waldorf for a good many years and I'm guessing that's were he would have gone. As I recall, it had a small spare bedroom annex where I stayed on a number of occasions. The last of these visits (for me) must have been around 1980/81. The Col. had been asked to drop a client at Stansted and we were using Jock Cameron's mount G-AWGU (the BA 206). We uplifted Bob's client from the Copthorne Hotel (near Gatwick) and proceeded to STN. After crossing into Essex the weather deteriorated noticeably so that most of the time we were flying in IMC (I do recall GU having the Schermuly flares fitted because Bob was the one who had recommended them to Jock) and it was also fitted with Decca's DANAC moving map navigator.

Whether we were classified as IFR or whether the Col. managed to convince the controllers at STN to let him in on a special I just don't know - what I do recall is arriving at STN in pitch black, in torrential rain and with a thoroughly sodden Martyn Fiddler standing on the apron to receive the pax. Martyn shouted a few words in Bob's ear trying to convince him to sleep over at Stansted but no .. there was an important dinner to attend in the city and so, to Martyn's disbelief we disappeared into the blackness and rain heading for Battersea.

Like many of the rotary characters from the early days, Bob was a determined type and having placed his dinner jacket and patent leather shoes in the baggage compartment there was no way he was going to miss his function!

By the time we approached North London the cloud began to break-up and the city became visible. I think we joined the Thames somewhere around HMS Belfast (perhaps just to the West of her) and the short cruise (around 8pm) to Battersea above the city lights seemed somewhat surreal after the noise and buffeting of rain and cloud during the previous 20 mins or so.

We wafted down to a dark and closed Battersea where I was assigned the job of putting on the overnight covers. When eventually we reached the Waldorf and Bob headed off for his function I was able to call my Mum who was beside herself with concern as apparently a couple of hours before we landed at Stansted a Hughes 300 had ploughed into the ground in the same weather system we had battled!

There are indeed numerous stories involving Col. Bob but, as you say, many of them cannot be recounted in public but, you might wish to send me a PM!

In the meantime please do regail us with the apocryphal story about Sox!!!

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DENNISIMO: I am of course the last person to be amazed that you knew Geoff Cocks - this is afer all the de-facto Dennis Kenyon nostalgia thread! ;)

Dear friend, your knowledge of all the people and aircraft which surface here only endorses your place as one of Britain's 'helicopter heros' and of whom we are all fiercely proud!

Dennis, as I understand it, you flew planks in the Forces - are you to tell me that your first ever rotary wing foray was with Geoff in an Enstrom? How prophetic - given that you were to become 'Mr Enstrom' in the UK!

Was this the craft?

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1035805M.jpg

Enstrom F-28A, G-BALT, seen at Shoreham 25th July 1979

Out of curiosity, who first trained you to fly helicopters, on which type and what was your first assignment upon achieving a CPL(H) - did you start out with Roy Spooner?

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i4...8/IMG_2908.jpg

Dennisimo at the World Helicopter Championships in Eisenach, 2008

http://cdn-www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/aviati.../1/1565150.jpg

DK in London (last year)

And ... something else which may russtle up a memory or two for the Menace!

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1035806M.jpg

Enstrom F-28C, G-BBBR, Shoreham 25th July 1979

Seemed only fair having included G-BBBM!

S.



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