Location
 

Blenheim, Oxford perhaps? - VFR

Grazie mille VFR! :ok:

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Aérospatiale (Sud Aviation) SA342J Gazelle C-FEMF belonging to Caterpillar dealer 'Finning Tractor' departs Vancouver International Airport in March 1987 (Photo: Mike Head)

Toronto Heli-Shuttle

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Air Canada AS350B Astar C-GDUF in 1986 (Photo: Air Canada Archives)

In 1986 Air Canada operated this 'Astar' as part of a shuttle service to downtown Toronto. Does anyone recall this operation or know any of the details relating to it?

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Fantastico Carholme, grazie mille !! :ok: :D

Carholme many thanks. I was having no joy unearthing details surrounding this operation.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L...ction%2529.jpg
Ranger Helicopters Aérospatiale AS350B C-GBBX at the downtown Cherry Beach Heliport in Toronto in 1986 (Photo: The Mike Ody Collection)

From the photo notes: From August 1986 to June 1987 Air Canada leased three AS350 Astar's from Ranger Helicopters to operate a connector service between Toronto International Airport and Cherry Beach Heliport near Downtown Toronto.

And which brings me onto the next hurdle .. can anyone provide a little background information on Ranger Helicopters, where they were based and how long they operated for?

Plus .. if anyone has any memories of the Air Canada shuttle, please do chip-in! :ok:

Sav, Regarding your photo of the Gazelle from 1987, the two pilots (L & R, rear) are Jim McCartney and Jules Allen. The crewman at second left on the front row is Howie Jones.

I served on 1AFT Gazelle Sqn at RAF Shawbury with Jim and Jules a couple of years previous to the photo but they are wearing CFS(H) upper arm badges so they must have moved across dispersal by then.

I'm also wondering if it might be Bob Holden wearing the blue uniform.

Location....1987 Championships were at Castle Ashby?

Heli1, I searched for an image of Castle Ashby. I'd say you're spot on - it's a perfect match!

Grazie ShyTorque/Heli1!

Prior to posting the 'Ashby' Gazelle I visited the British Helicopter Team site whereupon a 'Championship Archive' page was proffered. I immediately though "Ah .. problem solved" but their 'archive' only extended as far as 2005. :sad:

But, based on recent input from ShyTorque and Heli1 we can now add the following information:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D...ps+in+1987.jpg
Gazelle attending the 1987 British Helicopter Championships at Castle Ashby. Identifed crew are: Jim McCartney (standing), Jules Allen (extreme right) and Howie Jones (front row, second from the left), Jerry English (to the right of Howie Jones). Blue uniform (in front of trophy) perhaps Bob Holden?

A further Gazelle image from Castle Ashby, this one a year earlier attending the World Helicopter Championships:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q...ewins%2529.jpg
RAF SA341D HT3 Gazelle ZB628 attending the World Helicopter Championships at Castle Ashby on 26th June 1986 (Photo: Don Hewins)

ZB628 was of course to become the swimming Gazelle.


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Sav,think that`s Jerry English in the middle in the Gaz.pic.

Gazelle/ RNAS Yeovilton
 

Was sent there once at the end of my commitment to my school CCF it was meant to be a great week of range firing, on land! Then the Falkends got invaded HMS as it was at the time went on red alert, 12 young guys were sent home having been awarded Cadet of the year and the chance of a weeks range firing, got one day in!

That aside waiting for the coach home I saw so much preparation prior to heading out. Apart from the numerous helicopters was the Vulcan there?

Sycamore, I concur.

NMHFM, Sorry but that one's definitely RAF, not Navy! ;)

ZB628 was a CFS(H) airframe. The last time I flew it was my very last flight on type. Night currency check, 11th November 1991.

Carholme: Thank you. Your notes are much appreciated for, as you rightly say, information on Ranger Helicopters is scarce. Gary Vincent (who contributed the JetRanger photo below) informs me that he read that by the time Ranger sold-out to Canadian they had 62 helicopters and one fixed-wing and that they may have been associated with Maple Leaf Helicopters? Again .. Grazie! :ok:

Sycamore: Grazie mille! :ok: Have added Jerry's name to the photo notes.

A little more from Canada:

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Timberland Helicopters Aérospatiale (Sud Aviation) SA341G C-GOCA as seen at Courtenay Airpark in British Columbia on 6th July 2004 (Photo: Jason Pineau)

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Century Helicopters Bell 206B JetRanger II C-GIWU as seen at a private helipad on the edge of a potato field situated along 64th Street in Delta, British Columbia (just south of Vancouver), in June 1981 (Photo: Gary Vincent)

Gary Vincent (who contributed the photo above) has sent me an intriguing photo .. of a type I have never before seen .. and which I shall be posting in the next couple of days.


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Btw, C-GOCA now Spotters.Aero - Ôîòî ñàìîëåòà (ID:7704) Untitled Aerospatiale SA 341G Gazelle UR-ACCA :)

Gazelle Connections
 

Having received a message from Gary Vincent re: Ranger Helicopters and their possible association with Maple Leaf Helicopters (and which information I added in my comments to Carholme in my previous post) one discovers that Maple Leaf Helicopters (not sure if this is the original company) are in fact disposing of a Gazelle .. not sure of it is theirs or one of their customers:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-z...Maple+Leaf.jpg
SA341G Gazelle C-GONG s/n 1363 presently being tendered for sale by Maple Leaf

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y...C-GONG+Int.jpg
C-GONG's interior

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...363+C-GONG.jpg
C-GONG in flight

Maple Leaf Helicopters

I'm not a pilot or involved in the rotary community by any means, just an enthusiast and aviation history buff who has been enjoying this thread immensely. So I thought I'd contribute in some small way. My dad is a professional photographer and was hired by Bell Helicopter for a project in Iran in the late 70's. He was involved with photographing the rotor assemblies in-flight and while I don't have access to the technical photos he took, I do have a few of his more candid shots so I thought I'd share. These were Bell 214A/Cs, bought by Iran before the fall of the Shah.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23...iran/70776.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23...iran/70773.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23...iran/70759.jpg
That's my pops on the right, eh :)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23...iran/70750.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23...iran/70741.jpg
You can see the camera setup for photographing the rotor hub here, being checked by one of my dad's more colorful co-workers!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23...iran/70739.jpg

I love Speedy's last picture of the camels fleeing from the helicopter.

Below is a similar picture of fleeing animals taken in the Tsavo game reserve in the 60s. Flying with the left hand, camera in the right and mind the trees! I expect that lots of us have photos of wild animals taken from the cockpit............? Let's see them then. :O

Bongiorno Bastiano!

Please could you post a larger copy of that photo .. one has trouble seeing it (even with reading glasses).

Savoia - on my screen it is way too big - where am I going wrong? D

Looking at your post, there was no image attached!

Obviously one of those jungly moments....

As I was saying before the Pinger interrupted................

I loved Speedys picture of the camels in flight chased by the helicopter and thought there may be more of a similar ilk.

Below is a picture of hephalumps in the Tsavo game reserve in Kenya in the 60s. Fly with left hand, camera and most of you out of the window, mind the trees and click. We used to have a competition on board when people got there slides back for the most boring shot of wild animals - this one did not win!

There must be more of this sort of thing out there so let's see them.:O

PS: The camera was a Kodak Retinette - a great and robust thing.


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Speedy: Welcome aboard. Great to see your dad's photos! :ok: I have a couple of Iranian 214's in my collection so I shall endeavour to dig them out and post them. Camel mustering with a 214 .. brilliant!

Bastiano: Not taken with my own hand I regret .. although I have spent many-an-hour above the game reserves in both Kenya and Tanzania but .. sadly .. with no camera available and long before the age of mobile phones!

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A Hughes 500 herds Lelwel (Jackson's) hartebeest for relocation to Solio Ranch Laikipia District, Kenya in 2009 (Photo: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy)

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Zebras photographed from a Hughes 300 at Etosha National Park in Namibia in 2011 (Photo: Hannes Lochner)

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An AW139 engaged in game countning within the Tswalu Game Reserve in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa in 2013. Nicky Oppenheimer flying P2 in this shot. (Photo: Tswalu Game Reserve)

In follow-up to Speedy's post:

More 214 ..

The original development of the Model 214 was announced by Bell in 1970 under the name "Huey Plus". The first prototype was based on a Bell 205 airframe equipped with a Lycoming T53-L-702 engine producing 1,900shp.

The first 214A demonstration prototype followed and was evaluated in Iran during field exercises with the Iranian Armed Forces. The trial was judged successful and an order for 287 214A helicopters followed. The intention was that these aircraft would be constructed by Bell in their Dallas, Fort Worth facility and that a further 50 214A's and 350 Bell 214ST helicopters would then be built in Iran. In the event 296 214A models and 39 214C models were delivered before the Iranian Revolution ended the plans for Iranian production.

Similar in size and appearance to the Bell 205 and Bell 212, the Bell 214 used a single, more powerful Lycoming LTC4B-8 engine 2,930shp/2,185kW and upgraded rotor system giving it a formidable lifting capacity and good performance at high temperatures and high altitudes. It can be identified by its single large exhaust port, wide chord rotor blades and a rotorhub without stabiliser bars.

Bell offered a civilian variant of this aircraft known as the 214B "BigLifter". It received certification in 1976 and was produced until 1981. Powered by a 2,930 shp/2,183kW Lycoming T5508D turboshaft, it has the same rotor drive and transmission system as the 214A. The transmission was rated at 2,050shp/1,528kW for take-off, with a maximum continuous power rating of 1,850shp/1,379kW. The BigLifter featured an advanced rotor hub with elastomeric bearings; an automatic flight control system with stability augmentation; and up-graded (for that time) avionics.

The first production Model 214A (c/n 27004) was taken in charge by the Iran Imperial Army Aviation (IIAA) on 26 April, 1975. Three days later, on 29 April, this aircraft, with Maj. Gen. Manouchehr Khosrowdad (Commander of the IIAA) and Clem Bailey (Bell's Assistant Chief Production Test Pilot) at the controls, established five new world records in the FAI Class E-1e.

The helicopter reached a maximum altitude of 9070m/29,757ft and sustained a horizontal altitude of 9010m/29,560ft for 30 seconds.

It also climbed to 3000m/9,842ft in 1min 58sec; to 6000m/19,685ft in 5min 13.2sec and to 9000m/29,527ft in 15min 05sec.

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Some of the more than 300 214's delivered to the Imperial Army Aviation unit of Iran. Chooks also present (Photo: Meghdad Madadi)

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Iranian Army 214's coming in to land

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Iranian Army Bell 214A 6-4865 landing at Zahedan Airport on 9th June 2009 (Photo A. Mahgoli)

Those are some impressive and rare photos you have managed to find, Sav. That ramp full to the brim with 214s and Chinooks is a sight to behold.

500 Fan.

That photo does not do the actual situation justice.

At Isfahan, the 214's were lined up in long lines side by side....hundreds of them.

The Iranians had a crew or two that spent their full day each day...pulling one after another out into the clear...running it up....and then putting it back into the stack.

They had far more aircraft than they did qualified Flight and Ground Crews to Man them.

Bell Helicopters had Fort Rucker East....all the IP's wore their sand colored Military Style Flight Suits, Ray Bans, flew empty aircraft all day, and bragged of their flying at night in the Kohrush Hotel Bar. Bristow crews came into the Bar looking less than spic and span, having been up in the mountains living at at higher elevations than the Bell guys flew. Was many a good fuss heard in that Bar....until most of us got banned from the place for being "Bristow".

I'm certain you are right SAS!

A fellow photo collector told me that there are images (presumably aerial) in which 200+ 214's are depicted!

Nearly 5,000fpm roc in the 'A' model. Must have been enjoyable to fly.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2...o/214+iran.png
A sampling of 214's lined-up at Isfahan

Sas/Sav Bell 214
 

Was going to ask if they ever had enough crew/ back up for such a huge fleet, additionally are they still flying today?

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Newly recruited Iranian helicopter pilots during their initial training ;)

At present they are confined to performing ground runs as a result of an instructor shortage! ;)

Affirm. :ok: With such a large fleet they can't afford not to!

We're talking about Iran and SAS is on-board .. but he hasn't mentioned Chooks once .. so .. this is for you SAS!

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CH-47 Chinook of the Iranian Army Aviation unit

They sure can climb. The 214B and 214ST have a limitation on the rate of climb which is 2000 fpm, above that roc if the engine quits, the blades will be stopped by the time you start descending again and enter autorotation. The 214ST has also a max limit on the rate of decent, 1500 fpm.

JD

The Chinook.....Queen of the Skies!:ok:

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Air Hanson Bell 206B JetRanger II G-BBFB as seen at Blackbushe in September 1980 (Photo: Brian Bickers)

More BBFB in this post.

It pleases me to introduce a new photographer to Nostalgia .. Tony Maris.

Tony served with the Fleet Air Arm from 1962-1971 where one of his assignments was aerial photography (mainly from helicopters). He also has a number of photos of helicopters and which he has kindly agreed to share with us.

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Westland Wessex XS875 recovers a casualty from HMS Dark Gladiator (Photo: Tony Maris)

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Westland Wasp XT434 overflying HMS Aurora (Photo: Tony Maris)

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Our photographer .. Tony (Antonio!)

Wessex XS875 ended its flying days on the SAR Flight on Ark Royal in September 1974 when it suffered an engine surge on take off, crashed on the port waist catapult bridle arrest ramp and fell into the sea when the tail broke off.

Wasp XT434 had a happier life and is still extant as G-CGGK.

Source: Lee Howard's book "Fleet Air Arm Helicopters Since 1943"

Slight error there: it certainly crashed on the waist cat, but didn't fall into the sea:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/...AR%20crash.jpg

Note the undamaged blades, and the inflated flot bag!

Ah, I stand corrected - re-reading Lee's book I misinterpreted what I saw. The direct quote is "crashed on port waist catapult bridle arrest ramp, tail broke off and fell into the sea".

Memorabilia
 

I wonder how many others received this telegram back in 1976. I should explain that back in the summer of '76 Helikopter Service of Norway was desperate for pilots and hearing about the discontent that was manifest amongst the workforce in Aberdeen they began a recruiting initiative that saw a few move across later that year then a veritable flood of Bristow strikers found their way across the North Sea the following year. Anyone else get one of these?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7385/1...e96dd2f3_c.jpg

I wish I had......History would be much different than it is!

Here's a scan of a creased postcard from the mid 1970's showing a KLM S61, S58T and a Bo105 at Schipol East:

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/...ps55e36c56.jpg

Here's an interesting one; just up the Junglie's alley.

I took a photo back about 1973 on Bulwark of a crab Harrier, and in the shot was a Steyr Puch Hafflinger which the junglies use as a tug for their Wessex V plus other odd things. There is an enthusiast chappy who is interested in all things to do with the RN Hafflingers and he has a website here.

The request is for any photos or anecdotes relating to these things:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/...ght%20deck.jpg

Here is a photo on Atlantic Conveyor 2 days before she was sunk.

All sizes | Onboard Atlantic Conveyor | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7427/1...35024c06_c.jpg

Hope this works.

Ppruner bastOn was on board, said the sea was very cold!! 848 lost most/all their Wessex. A very sad occasion.

As you say, a very sad occasion. I was fortunate to cross deck the day before she sank. I gather that after, with all the claims for lost possessions, Atlantic Conveyor was so heavy she should have sunk before. I am just grateful I continued on Norland.