Savoia

It looks remarkably similar to me - but I don't have any photos of the Mk3 or Mk 7 Dashboards and cockpit controls. Do you?

Regarding the chaps who flew out of a WW3 still in their seats complete with the panel - I just find it hard to see how they got past all that gubbins in front of them without injury, never mind the small things like whirling rotor blades. I can see how people have been ejected through bubble canopies but WW and WX cockpits are pretty tough old things. Someone with the time and inclination could trawl through Lee Howards and others magnificent book "Fleet Air Arm Helicopters since 1943" and find the incident. It will be there if it happened.

However miracles do happen I am sure - just don't recall this one. D

I think this happened only a few years ago and was listed in the FAAOA website death/obituaries but the archive doesn't seem to go back that far. One of my brain cells says that he was living in Thailand at the time but I can't remember any details. I last saw him back in the 80's in Aberdeen when he was part of a independent consulting team inspecting us on behalf of an oil company.

Colin Moorcraft is living in Oz - his contact details are in the members' section of the FAAOA website to which you have access. He appears to live only a 45 mile drive from you!!

I never quite got used to the raw amount of excess power the H-19 had on a hot summer's day when fully loaded with fuel, Instructor, two Student Pilots....and a verbal message. Must have been the length of the Verbal Message that got us!

Nick Boyd
 

I knew I'd seen a notice about Nick's passing - it was here on PPRuNe some 7 years ago:

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/210017-nick-boyd.html

Some Brecqhou History

Past owners of Brecqhou Island (part of the Channel Islands) include: Sibyl Hathaway and Angelo Clarke but it is, I believe, the owner prior to the Barlcay's who perhaps pioneered 'helicoptering' to the isle.

From 1966 to 1987 the island was owned by Leonard Matchan who owned several helicopters and at least one fixed wing.

Leonard took it upon himself to commission a series of Brecqhou stamps and, one is mighty glad he did, for it is from these stamps that we are able to piece together a little of the island's rotary-wing history.

In 1969 Leonard commissioned a first day cover which looked something like this:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-h...0+Sep+1969.png
First Day Cover of indigenous Brecqhou stamps dated 30th September 1969 and stamped "Brecqhou Island Heliport"

On the cover we see a two shilling stamp (below):

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l...ou-2s-1969.jpg
One of the first Brecqhou stamps depicting a Hiller UH-12E4 with floats

Separate sources show the following actual helicopter (below) as having visited the island:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z...rd+Matchan.JPG
Hiller UH-12E4 over Brecqhou Island c. 1969

Now, I have not yet been able to tie Leonard Matchan to the ownership of a Hiller UH-12E4 but .. on the Nostalgia Thread we have looked at G-ATDW a couple of times, each time located at Southampton, each time wearing fixed floats and both times between 1966 and 1967. So, I think there may be a case to surmise that just possibly, Leonard was chartering the Hiller from Bristows?

Let's look at another stamp from the same period:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z...ed-82227-p.jpg
Leonard Matchan's 75p Brecqhou Island stamp depicting Brantly 305 G-ATLO

Well well. As we know from the Nostalgia Thread, there were very few Brantly 305's in Britain and this one we have certainly covered previously. She is of course none other than Tommy Sopwith's former mount (son of the designer of the WW1 bi-plane the Sopwith Camel .. for those just joining us).

Tommy sold ATLO in 1966 to BEAS (the Brantly distributor) who then sold it within a matter of months to Leonard Matchan (although the craft was registered to 'Bouley Investments' of St. Helier).

A little later we find another 75p stamp issued by Matchan:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9...-no/G-BBHU.jpg
Leonard Matchan's 75p Brecqhou Island stamp depicting Gazelle G-BBHU

Now when I saw this I thought .. aye aye .. we're back to chartering and he's rented it from Specialist Flying Training (for one recognises the scheme) but no .. Leonard bought BBHU from Westland Helicopters in 1974 and kept her until 1985 when she was then sold to SFT. So, our island owner was traversing the channel for over a decade in this little Gazelle fitted with skid-mounted float 'bags'.

Regarding the stamps, I came across this:

One more item of 'stamp history' to come.

Thanks C16 & I even wrote on that post!! I didn't realise my memory had been going for so many years!!:ugh:

Westland's Wonderful Whirlwinds
 

On 705 Squadron,during the winter of 1964/65, we flew both WW3 (Wright Cyclone) and WW7 (Alvis Leonides). The main differences have already been discussed. I can add that during night flying the flame from the Mk3 exhaust was at least 2 feet long and a lurid yellow colour. Most disconcerting as one approached the hover. The Mk7 flame was about a foot shorter and a much more efficient violet colour.

On the Mk7, an aircraft destined to spend much of its life at low level over the sea, Westland had positioned the engine air intake on the very lowest part of the nose. Similarly, as only they could, the identical Hydraulic and Engine Idle Cut-Off switches were placed adjacent each other on a sub-panel just below the centre console.

The Bendix cartridge starter is to be seen in post 2242 concealed behind a small blister shaped panel on the front of the engine clamshell doors. This unit had 6 "shots" (IIRC) contained within a revolving magazine that was rotated by means of a lever under the instrument panel. The Navy, in its infinite wisdom, had disconnected this feature fearful that an incorrectly indexed cartridge would blow the nose off. Also, only one cartridge was loaded at a time as it was felt the additional cartridges might "cook off" during flight.

When the cartridge was fired the expanding gasses acted on a piston that, by means of a suitable system of gears and levers, could rotate the engine through about one revolution. If one had got the mixtures and throttle setting correct, and had turned the Mags on, there was every chance that at least one, then eventually all fourteen cylinders would fire up and join the party. Experienced WW pilots took pride in only ever needing one cartridge..................students were different.

If carbon residue built up in the starter cylinder the piston could not move and the excess gas pressure was relieved overboard by rupturing a safety disc. If the safety disc did not blow there was a real danger that the whole unit would be blown off its studs, through the blister panel and lay in a smoking heap on the deck in front of the aircraft. So, the wiser start crew would hold the blister panel open at arms length whilst ensuring that the more sensitive areas of the body were not in line. If necessary the starter was beaten severely with a leather mallet to dislodge any carbon residue. Later, on ARK ROYAL, the stove pipe jockeys and engineers appeared nonplussed by this procedure and I'm sure they thought it was a punishment rather than a recognised maintenance practice.

When I left 705 as a student and went on to qualify on the wonderful new and shiny Wessex Mk5, I thought my Whirlwind days were over. But, a pier head jump in late 1965 saw me joining ARK ROYAL, on her Far East tour, as the junior pilot on the Ship's Flight. XM684 and XM685 were the last AVGAS fuelled aircraft in the fleet and we were the first Ship's Flight to complete a commission with the same aircraft that we started with. (Even though we ran it close). I grew to love the Whirlwind 7 and under the tutilage of POFMAN and a bunch of long suffering but excellent crewmen, I learned more about helicopter flying than I could possibly have done elsewhere.

XM685 now resides in the Newark Air Museum. Whilst in reasonable condition she is lifeless, in the wrong colour scheme and her place in naval history as the last AVGAS powered machine in the fleet goes unremarked.

Whirlwind tales........and what about the diver who was sent down off Portland to locate a ditched Mk 7 and came up asking "which one "?

Shades of Basil Fawlty and the Austin/Morris 1100!:)

Reminds me of a Bristow 206 that landed at Sywell for fuel and wouldn't start.
At the request of the pilot I went for a look and it was apparent that the start relay was operating but the starter gene wasn't turning.

So being short on ideas I gave it a wack with a nylon hammer while the pilot held the start switch down. A huge shower of sparks resulted, I fell off the steps, but the engine started.

Problem now was no output from the gene.

The pilot decided to call for advice and left the aircraft padding next to the pumps while he went off to find a phone.

We all went and hid at the far end of the hangar.

ICO: Thank you for that engaging reflection of your Whirlwind flying days. Fascinating!

Baston: Sadly no Whirlwind cockpit shots. :(

Eric: I'm sorry you fell off your ladder. Am trying to picture the scenario which, together with others mentioned on this page, comes across as most amusing!

Some great stories being told across various threads the past few weeks! :ok:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-H...ROYAL+NAVY.JPG
Royal Navy Westland Whirlwind HAS7 XK906 (No date or location available)

Delivered to the FAA in June 1957.

I was tasked with a schools liaison visit in the summer of 1979. I can't recall the precise date but it was either June or July and we flew back to my old school. For some reason I didn't log it; probably because by then I'd moved onto the Wessex phase of the course and was recalled onto the Whirlwind just for that day so I wouldn't have ready access to the authorisation sheet and forgot. We received a complaint afterwards. Apparently some old lady claimed we had blown away her wishing well although I later found out we were not guilty - apparently some drunks from the local pub nearby had liberated it from the front garden on their way home the night before. It was found in the brook quarter of a mile up the road!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...ps85e66051.jpg

Djinn
 

hi, there. I flew the Djinn for AAS, got 500hrs spraying, quite an experience

Dear God! That is incredible. Please tell us more!

AAS?

Another one of Dave's fantastic photos!

Is anyone able to shed some light on where, when, which Whirlwind model and perhaps identify anyone in the photo?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5...G+Logo+2+s.png


You've picked an interesting one there Zis.

As mentioned on the Bristow thread, she is almost certainly the same craft as captured by Ken Knight at Sabine pass but .. I wonder if she was actually registered to Bristows?

Does anyone happen to know whether there is an FAA equivalent of G-INFO?

The craft in question, N9000A (as your database must show) was serial no. 1470. It seems that by 1986 (perhaps before) she was sold to Air Zermatt in Switzerland when she became HB-XMU (below) thereafter being sold to France to become F-GIBU.

The records show that in 2011 she was sold to 'Gazelle Management Services' of Ruthin in Wales and now flies as G-IBME.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U...umann%2529.png
Air Zermatt SA324J Gazelle HB-XMU c. 1986 (Photo: Anton Heumann)

The only N9000A on the FAA database is a Firefly 7 Balloon. No Gazelle comes up on a search of S/N 1470 either.

As to the WW7 starting problems, I seem to recall that the engineers on 705 had resorted to chocks instead of hide-faced mallets by the early 70s.

Hi Sav. Rotorspot is the site to look for if you want to check up on a particular registration. It covers pretty much every country and is a great research tool. Here is the entry for N9000A and it confirms the info in your post.

"N9000A Sud-Aviation 341G Gazelle > 342J 1470 N9000A,HB-XMU,F-GIBU"

Sadly, no details on operators.

500 Fan.

My eyes are pretty shot at my age but could that registration be N9003A - also a Gazelle? Have a close look at the red line through the last numeral and compare that number to the other zeros.

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6e8776f4.jpg

Like N9000A it does not seem to appear on the FAA Database as a Gazelle but both are listed in Rotorspot which also lists a S76A as having been issued with N9000A.

N9003A....Sud-Aviation 341G Gazelle s/n 1566........ N9003A,9Y-TGU,N7448Y,SX-HDL,..??..

Mamma mia .. what a lot of confusion!

XX514: Thank you for the link. I simply can't explain that! :confused:

500 Fan: I use Rotorspot the whole time and regularly exchange information with Jos. :ok:

C16: You absolutely right .. it could very well be N9003A! Grief :confused: now what to do?

Zishelix: You have to help us out .. especially as you started it all! ;)

Receiving some messages in response to Zishelix's 'Bristow Gazelle'. The first comment highlights what should have been obvious (but I somehow managed to miss) .. the photo from Zishelix shows a standard Gazelle whereas HB-XMU is a stretched version! As I say .. I should have seen that. :ugh:

This means C16 is absolutely correct in his theory about the aircraft being s/n: 1566 .. ie. N9003A.

However, there is also speculation that N9000A also flew offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and was a stablemate of N9003A?

Taking another look at Ken Knight's photo:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P...night%2529.png

What were Bristow doing in this area, Port Arthur in Texas, in the early-to-mid-80's and from where did they 'collect' these light singles?

Neither of these Gazelles wereactually Bristow owned I Think.Both were with Vought Helicopters,the US agent as demo aircraft to begin with..1566 was built in 1978 and sold to Govmt of Trinidad and Tobago two years later with Bristow supporting training and maintenance .It is feasible it was leased though?

Hi guys, sorry for took me so long to join you on this interesting theme :)

Re N9000A/HB-XMU stretched or not... it was born as standard SA.341G but upgraded to SA.342J during 1982 and probably "stretched" during the process as well.

For both N9000A & N9003A I have: regd 4/78 to UCB Leasing Corporation; leased to Sabine Offshore Service Inc. (operated by Bristow Offshore Helicopters, Inc.)

I also have these Gazelle regs as once operated by Bristow: N3593B, N18842, N47315, N69506 & N9002Z ... but need confirmation of these data!

Zis: I have now come across this ..

History of Bristow Helicopters Ltd. – FundingUniverse

Never heard of Offshore Helicopters Inc. before. It would be interesting to learn something more about them.

I don't suppose Bob Suggs took kindly to Alan's presence in the Gulf in the late 70's!

Depending on whether or not this post is transferred to Nostalgia, we shall on this page have a record of the three aircraft, spanning four decades, which have served on Brecqhou Island.

The current Barclaycraft (atop), the first Barlclaycraft (G-BVNH above) and Leonard Matchan's Gazelle (below):

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L...on+Heumann.png
SA341G Westland Gazelle G-BBHU as seen at Jersey Airport in 1983 (Photo: Anton Heumann)

The ensign carried on BBHU's tail was a device designed by Leonard Matchan which is essentially the flag of Sark Island with Matchan's Coat of Arms appended to one of the quarters (below).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a...cqhou+Flag.png
The personal ensign (or standard) used by Leonard Matchan and which became a defacto 'Brecqhou Island flag' during his tenure of the isle

There is a contemporary flag available, following Matchan's example, where his Arms have been replaced by those of the Barclay brothers.

Approximate periods that the cited aircraft have served the isle:

G-BBHU from 1974-1985

G-BVNH from 1994-1998

G-BYDF from 1998 to date

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P...m+1960.jpg.png
Earl Mountbatten visiting the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, Suffolk in 1960

Is anyone able to identify the 'box' (for want of a better phrase) mounted below the engine bay doors just for'ard and above the front landing gear?

I'm assuming that 'Lord Louis' was delivered courtesy of a Queen's Flight Whirlwind.

WW memories
 

In 1977 (possibly 78) AMH asked GS and I to attend the British Helicopter Championships with our B47G5A. The presenter of prizes was to be Prince Charles who had been delivered to the Epsom Racecourse (the avenue for the championships) by Royal Flt Wessex.

The RAF entry was a WW10 from CFS which was parked just across the way from us. Whilst PC was inspecting the WW and it's crew I decided that there would be 'action this day'.

As was my duty I snuck up on the blind side of the WW10 and carefully placed a Fly NAVY sticker on the roundel. Unfortunately I was filmed by the BBC who included it in their evening news - I've been running ever since.

G.

PS. SAV - I think that lump is an oil cooler.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--...ni+Muttley.png

Baston: Thanks for the clarification on Westland's ingenious snow-and-water-scoop-cum-air-intake!

Quite right too! As the Colonel used to tell me .. "I don't care whatever else you want to do with you life .. but you will start out by being a helicopter pilot." After which he would look at me in anticipation of some sort of challenge to this "law" of 'flying first' and which of course I never offered!

Managed to get this Queen's Flight Whirlwind image from a fellow collector today, taken a couple of years after Mountbatten's visit to the Royal Hospital School (I imagine you and Geoffer's probably both went to RHS in any case ;)) and by which time it seems the flight may have up-graded to a Mk 8 (if indeed this is the significance of the HHC8 designation?).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n...81963%2529.png
Queen's Flight Westland Whirlwind HCC.8 XN127 in 1963, no location given (Photo: Marcus Carruthers Collection)

Ciao Bastiano!

I am also unfamiliar with this designation but .. I did notice this reference a couple of pages back:

So, this might be a Crab designation for the former Queen's Flight craft?

Heli1 to the rescue!

SAVOIA - I do recall Steve Borrowdale Jr. telling me that the Gazelle was replaced around 1985 by an AS350B G-BMAV and was maintained by McAlpine out of Hayes.

Inspection of G-INFO supports this, as G-BMAV and G-BBHU were owned consecutively by Solaria Investments, which I believe was one of Leonard Matchan's organisations.

When Leonard died the aircraft I think G-BMAV was sold via RCR and Heli Trans to PLM Dollar Group Ltd in Inverness then Ireland

Coincidentally, G-BMAV's previous owner after selling G-BMAV to Leonard bought an AS355F1 G-OMAV and that became G-NEXT which I flew for a while upon leaving Bristow.

If someone can post a picture of G-BMAV then I think we may have the whole picture.

Be careful, it may not end there.

Mark Harrisson and I had heard that an Auster had operated on Brecqhou and before full development of the gardens and grounds, Mark and I used to pace out where we think this could have occurred. With a stall speed of 28mph it would not be difficult. I can vouch for the wind on Brecqhou.

How do I know it was 28mph stall ? Well Mark and I used to fly the Bristow Auster G-APOA together, when we were working in the hangars waiting to start helicopter flying - so we really are closet plank pilots.

Although Mark is rather fond of AutoGyros now.

What a small world this business is !;)

Savoia and bastOn,

A short input from a long-retired Crab, who just might be acceptable to bastOn since I was on 705 for 3 yrs '63 to '66, remembering many happy Sundays out on (in?) Seahawk's whaler from Falmouth to many different pubs up many local creeks, skippered by the bearded Dave T - who IIRC hung on too long to the skids of a Hiller when the little old lady took off on one Air Day and was well bruised.

Anyway, to the point - yes that HCC8 was indeed the RAF's VVIP version of the RN Mk7. There were just the 2 on The Queen's Flight.

All RAF Whirlwinds, and Wessex, always had an even Mark number - RN always odd numbered. Our Whirlwind Mk4, which I was lucky enough to operate in Malaya (before your Borneo days bastOn) was same airframe as the RN Mk3, but we had a smooth 9-cyl P & W Wasp instead of that thumping 7-cyl Wright Cyclone. There were also 2 HCC12s (VVIP version of the Gnome turbine-engined Mk10) which replaced the 8s on TQF, until one crashed after main shaft failure in Dec '67. They in turn were replaced by 2 Wessex HCC4s (ok you're way ahead of me now, they were the VVIP version of the RAF Wessex 2s), and these did sterling and very safe service for nearly 20 years.

Enough.

Must be another David!!:ok:

Yeah. The left-handed ones were born to choppers.

Last saw Dave T about 5 years ago, believe he still lives in Aberdeen.

deltahot - good pseudonym - you feature in my logbook on one or two occasions in '64 when I was a 705 stude - probably when BB got fed up with me and wanted a break!

Glad you survived that experience then C15. I remember Bill B very well and many others. So many studes went through 705 in those 3 years that I knew more RN heli pilots than RAF for many years after re-joining the Crabs. Others seconded to 705 in my time and good friends were a couple of Aussies from the RAN - there was a Lt Roly W-W who I believe went back to become quite senior in the RAN, and PAT V who I'm fairly sure was killed in that b....y Vietnam.

Yes, Pat was killed in Vietnam. This article will be of interest: Biography - Patrick John Vickers - Australian Dictionary of Biography

Pat was the first OZ pilot killed in Vietnam when a stray shot entered the Huey & hit him in the head & the co-pilot flew it back to base. His sister wrote a book about him recently.

Bill B! What happened to him, went to his wedding in Canturbury & met the girl who became my wife!!

Thanks for that C16 and Nigel O. This nostalgia business is getting very emotional ... what an amazing site this is. Bill B gave me my very first flight on 705 in June '63 - just 10 mins famil in the little Hiller 12E.

Couple of random memories: Predannack grew lovely mushrooms ... hovering practice was popular ... Left 3...2 ...1... steady...down10. Open door, lean out, pick m'room. Up 10... forward 10 ....

My most disliked sortie was the height climb. Stagger up to 10000ft, always on a nice day, none of that IMC stuff. Unnatural environment even if you could see from Lands End to Portsmouth. Stagger about nibbling at retreating blade stall for 2 minutes then get back down again. Had the Mk3 on one of those ... just passing 8000ft or thereabouts on the way up when the Cyclone gave a bloody great bang and a twitch - frightened the life out of me but still running fine so went back to Culdrose sharpish. No fault found! Took it up again - same deal, less fright. Turned out to be loose carb buftterfly only apparent when above full throttle height, which only happened once per course.

Here's another. Hiller - Practice engine failure in the hover. Wise laid back instructor now - hand under lever for split second just in case stude drops it instantly, then elbow above lever in case he heaves it up in next instant. Wrong ... elbow now above and THEN he drops it. Real heavy t/d, everything flexed so much that both floors flew open, v noisy but no damage except pride.

Canterbury was a long way from Culdrose for a wedding ....

VFR: Good to see you!

DFD: I failed to mention in my initial response my great admiration for your 'breed'. I have always held a great fascination for rotary-wing engineering and have several times wished that I had gained greater exposure to the practice. I believe that possessing an understanding of both disciplines can be of enormous benefit in numerous applications both operationally and from a management perspective. So, to you and to the other 'Bristowers' who made the transition (and to all dual-qualified pilots/engineers) my sincere congratulations.

Many thanks for the additional information on 'Brecqhou's blitterblats', fantastic!

Did you know that Leonard Matchan also owned a B206?

Yes .. a Beagle 206 Basset registered G-AVAM. ;)

Here's BMAV when she was with Heli-Trans:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P...seeuw%2529.png
Heli-Trans AS350B G-BMAV as seen at the Cametringane Hotel in Castletown Bearhaven on 31st March 1998 (Photo: Bram Risseeuw)

I'm not sure if this is how she looked under Matchan's stewardship, what I can say is that most of the Ecureuil's delivered from Aerospatiale in the year of BMAV's arrival in the UK (1979) looked like this:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q...iezny%2529.jpg
Lord Glendyne's AS350B Ecureuil G-BGIM as seen at Cranfield on 5th September 1981 (Photo: Alan Mosiezny)

I always thought Bill B's wife Val was gorgeous! Last I heard of him was many many years ago when I think he was Naval Attache in somewhere like Oman.

I did the Whirlwind height climb to 10000ft with Bill and at the end of the auto on the way down I managed to miss the field he had chosen....:D

My third solo on the Hiller. Facing 705 offices. Thumbs up, pressed the tit, ground crew disappear as do the Squadron buildings - now looking at the bomb dump having done a 180 - funny smell of burnt clutch linings - Bill not best pleased with me.....requests that I don't start with full throttle in future.:=