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Afternote
S
The post-script to the Kalgenfurt saga is a saga in its own right (nothing with CC was straight-forward). Prior to all this Austrian nonsense, Colin had taken his aircraft to Air Hanson since we at AMH were obviously beyond the pale and had failed (miserably in his eyes) to convince insurers that they should pay for the 2nd, or possibly 3rd over-temped turbine under his, by then magnificently expensive, engine break-down policy. He burned a turbine whilst there and they obtained a H & S rental engine for him. It was the rental engine turbine that got burned in Klagenfurt - and you do NOT want to hear of the very convoluted and 'strenuous' conversations that went on between Manns/Hanson/H & S/ Insurers......... for weeks;) Colin, of course, couldn't see what all the fuss was about !! :D VFR |
Alan Mann
S
On a separate subject the story of Alan's later days (2002-present) I only have on hearsay, so anyone please correct me if this brief paragraph is flawed. I left the Fairoaks 'family' to start my own Company in 2002. I don't think Alan was very well then, though that is a view with the benefit of hindsight. I returned from the sandpit in 2005, and that was the last time I talked to him. He wasn't well then, and I believe his health has deteriorated significantly since then. I hear he is very ill. Which is very sad, since he was not only a pretty savvy Chairman, he also exhibited an enormous understanding of engineering. One would have to get up very early in the morning to catch him on a technical back foot. I wasn't involved of course, but understand the Company was sold in 2007 to a bunch of outsiders to the industry and there has been some speculation here on Pprune about the progress of the Company since then. I'm not in a position to comment, as I'm sure you realise. They were good days in the 80s and 90s; I treasure the memories ~ VFR |
Manfred Mann!
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G-AYTF: Before we leave Colin Chapman alone for a bit - there are still so many stories - I remain astonished that there is no photogrpahic record of the 'Dancer' G-AYTF. This craft would have been at numerous European Grand Prixs as well as at prominent locations and race tracks across the UK and yet there doesn't appear to be a single image of her online! I do have some images of her stashed away with a friend in the UK and which need to be rescued next time I am there (Easter 2011). Does anyone remember the 'Dancer' when she was in the colours of one of Colin's first sponsors 'Essex Oil' the 'oil company' based out of a Monaco apartment and run by David Thieme and his secretary (c.1975)? It was quite a snazy affair for its day - a mixture of navy/azure blue with a rich red centre piece edged with silver mirrored accents! Of equal interest was the Bell 206L which David Thieme owned. This was a French registered craft based variously in Monaco and Nice and which carried exactly the same colours albeit in a different arrangement. I believe the 'Essex' colours were the first ever to use this 'mirrored' finish which I am assuming must have been a reflective tape of sorts. Thieme's LongRanger also had one of the first all white leather interiors (c. 1978) complimented by thick sheep skin floor covers. Amazingly, to this day Thieme's LongRanger remains one of the most dramatic paint schemes I have ever seen on a rotorcraft! Manfred Mann: (Excuse the Colonelism but hearing Col. Bob refer to Alan Mann as Manfred Mann for nearly 20 years eventually rubbs off). I am beginning to be concerned that I may have another posterity-rescue candidate on my hands! I knew that my godfather's operation Ferranti was poorly documented and had been prepared for some time to invest in the research to dig up what was required to bring this story to life with the help of ex-Ferranti personnel as well as the collation of remaining material about this fascinating company. While accruing material and stories about Ferranti I decided to broaden the sweep to include a handful of the UK's private helicopter operators but .. now I am beginning to consider Alan Mann. Firstly there is hardly any detail offered on the existing AMH website about the company's rich history (about a sentence is all) and secondly there is barely anthing anywhere written up about Alan Mann and his entrance into aviation. So ... Calling All Ex-Alan Mann Personnel WANTED: - Stories of Alan's earliest days in aviation - Photos of Alan and his staff (especially 60's, 70's and 80's) - Stories of interesting affairs/incidents with client's aircraft and among the AM team (okay well not affairs of the romantic kind .. unless of course they are accompanied by photos lol!) - Any interesting photos of the AM team, early AM helicopters as well as images of aircraft belonging to clients http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/...4e8caa240b.jpg The prominent red and gold colours of Alan Mann racing I was told that the reason Alan didn't apply the red and gold livery to AMH was because of the involvement of his business associate Niki Papadakis (the Greek shipping magnate) who's corporate colours were yellow and black - can anyone verify this? http://www.ponysite.de/alanmanndetkl.jpg A youthful Alan Mann S. |
G-AYTF
The ajjcollection has one photo of the plane. |
Antarctic Incident
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Newforest: Many thanks - I have ordered this photo! :ok: Antarctic Incident 1950's In the 50's my godfather served as Chief Pilot for Christian Salvesen's whaling expeditions in the Antartic flying the Mk I Westland Whirlwind (S-55). He had reached the outer extremity of his spotting sortie about an hour away from the vessel (either the Southern Harvester or Southern Venturer) when the MRGB depleted itself of its precious content! The flight manual instruction for such an event was (I believe) to land immediately. Turning to his observer my godfather indicated his preference to remain aloft as opposed to placing the Whirlwind upon the frigid seas a good 80nm from the ship and to which course of action the observer readily agreed. Just over an hour later they landed back at the ship and when eventually a message was radioed through to Salvesen's base at Leith Harbour on South Georgia island the engineers were at first disbelieving of the event. Word got back to Westlands that one of the 'Antarctic Whirlwinds' had flown for over an hour with no fluid in its MRGB and they too were astonished by the claim. Westlands, unable to rationalise this performance, ended up by dry running a Mk I gearbox for more than 6 hours before it seized! http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/a...g/whaling6.jpg S. |
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Dennisimo: Another view of the first helicopter you flew, G-BALT, which was published online today! http://cdn-www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/aviati.../2/1810294.jpg Enstrom F28A G-BALT at an unusually quiet LHR in 1975 |
G-BALT
Hi 'S' ... still avidly following the thread's progress through the times & years and enjoy some of the earlier types I flew cropping up. Now G-BALT .... ah yes I remember her well. Made my first rotary solo on LT at Shoreham on 5th June 1973. Seem to remember her serial as 127. How daft is that! Capt Bill Bailey later sent me on my qualifying X country on LT .... Shoreham to Sunderland and back! There was an air show there.
The LHR pic was probably taken on my visit September 21st. I sold the machine there to a David Mappin who then leased it back to Spooner Aviation. Such happy and mostly profitable days. In total I sold 138 Enstrom models between 1972 & 1982 after which I left the Spooner business to form my first company, Skyline Helicopters at WAP. Sales were easier then as there was no Robinson or B47 competition and little from Hughes. In fact the now well-known, G-AYTF ex Colin Chapman was my first heli purchase for Skyline. See earlier notes. She languished in my back garden for a month as I worked out my notice from Southernair who acquired the Spooner business a year earlier. Then just out of interest, the new business lost two helis on the same day and within minutes of each other. The sad date was April 1st 1982. The local rag's headline was ... "Riddle of double 'copter crash at Shoreham!" That wonderful guy John ZZ was the first to put down on Truleigh Hill following a control malfunction. Number two 'roll over' accident, was the machine that was sent to the site to bring John ZZ and his student back to the airfield. I then jumped into the company Jetranger to bring all three back and as I surveyed the double wreck on the 'Motte & Bailey' sloping ground practice area, how well I recalled saying to myself ... "this is not a good time to have a third accident!" Such memories, although not always good. Keep the buzz going guys. Dennis Kenyon. |
Pity we're on Page 15 now, can we have post #280 back at the top of the page? :D
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Senior Pilot looked away once, I'm not sure if he will do it again though!
But I agree, it was a very attractive helicopter!!! In the meantime and for our German Rotorheads, what about this beautifully preserved photo! http://cdn-www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/aviati.../4/1290473.jpg Vertol H-21C Shawnee, Itzehoe-Hungriger Wolf, 1964 Earl :ok: . |
Can anyone remember who flew the Anglia Windows 206? I used to see this aircraft on occasion during the 80's.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/...7981b36c_z.jpg Anglia Windows AB206 III G-WILL Battersea 5th February 1981 Earl |
http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1261727M.jpg
S76C G-PACO arrives at Fairoaks 8th November 2010 Registered to 'Cardinal Helicopter Services' Isle of Man but does anyone have further details about this aircraft's operations? Dedicated to PPRuNer PACO! Earl |
I heard PACO on the airwaves a few nights ago and had to think of PACO.:ok:
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Earl: PACO is the newest S76 in the UK (as far as I know) and the latest 'ride' of John Whittaker - he of the Peel Group Homepage - The Peel Group http://www.liverpoolwaters.co.uk/images/LogoPeel.png Peel own a number of airports including Liverpool, Doncaster and Durham as well as ports (Glasgow) and are HQ'd at the Trafford Centre Manchester. I think PACO should contact John for infringement of username! :p S. |
You know I always wondered if it had been used - I'll have to think of something else when I get my own helicopter (yeah, right!) :) The best I've done so far is get it on my Corvette in Canada:
http://www.electrocution.com/AUT_1206.JPG Phil |
G-Info says it's a S76 C how come it's not a C++ which I would have thought is the latest standard until the D comes online proper.
I know nothing about S76's hence the question. |
Just had a look on G-INFO
CHC S76C models G-SSSC & G-SSSD (formerly Humberside BP aircraft) are designated on the database as S76. They have the Arriel 1S1 engine. G-PACO is in fact a S76C++ with Arriel 2S2 engines fitted |
Cheers Jon.:ok:
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Duke of Westminster (Grosvenor)
Noted the list of the DoW aircraft and it does not mention this company Grosvenor Aviation Services at Manchester Ringway, was this another of his companies ?
If so can add:- G-POLO Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain 350 G-OCAL Partenavia P.68B G-OGRV Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain 350 Helipixman |
Brantly
http://217.195.161.158/pz/hp/hpi/1001-1500/1265.jpg G-???? at Warners Holiday Camp. c. 19?? Mr Osato's Brantly B2 in "You Only Live Twice" http://007.graphicallstars.com/wp-co...x_osato_04.jpg |
Helipix
Grosvenor Aviation was an air taxi company based at Manchester Airport. Nothing whatsoever to do with the DofW and his companies. If memory serves, the last owner of GAS, was the then owner of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. |
Earl - I wondered that too. Had a front seat view watching the resident Brantly B2 returning to land and shut down at the Helicopter Museum in Weston this year and couldn't believe how close the disc is to the bubble, only just clears it!
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ANW
Thanks for the clarification, it was just a hunch, nothing else to go on just the coincidence with the name and how close it was ! helipixman :ok: |
Brantly B2
For the 'Earl.'
The machine I owned was G-AWDU which I purchased late 1970s for exactly £2000! It was the injected B2B version. I only flew her for around 20 hours before it was sold, but the type was smooth to fly with well harmonised controls and adequate power. Interior headroom is tight for a six footer. The rotor blade cabin clearance was certainly marginal, but I've not heard of any incidents resulting other than the Graham Meyrick accident when the type shed one blade at Kidlington. A second blade entered the cabin at head height resulting in the fatality. As is fairly normal, th PFM specifically excludes using collective to slow the rotors, but I imagine even with the double 'flapping' hinges, the higher blade angle would increase the cabin clearance until at lower rrpm when the disc was prone to blade sailing. Elfan Ap Rees will have much more personal info on handling having operated the type for many years. Regards to all. Dennis Kenyon. |
You only live twice
And oh ... I think it was Oxford's Peter Pekowsky who did the B2 flying in the 007 film with of course our wonderful 'Wingco' Ken Wallis flying his 'Little Nellie' gyroplane machine. In fact there were several 'little nellies' used on that shoot much of which was filmed in Japan.
DRK |
B206s
And coming in again ref the 206 pics. Around 1975 I purchased two Jetrangers from the then Bell distributor CSE, as a job lot being the one pictured, which I registered ... G-BBUY and a second G-BBUX. Memory is getting difficult but I'm sure I sold the BBUY machine to a certain Bill Gates who ran a chain of building supply businesses. My good mate & original mentor, Capt Bill Bailey DFM taught Mr Gates to fly from scratch, first on the Enstrom and then on the 206. Cannot recall from this range who purchased G-BBUX. Regards. Dennis Kenyon.
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Dennisimo! Brilliant! I knew there couldn't be a post on this thread that didn't somehow relate to you! Earl: 206's - I recall seeing the Compass 206 running around the UK as well as Dennis'/Air Anglia G-BBUY. G-BHXU and the 'Thompson Crew' were of course a common feature throughout the UK in the early 80's. The Treasure Hunt show was awful (especially the studio component) and which was a shame as I very much liked Kenneth Kendall as a person. But, like most aviators, I would endure Rice's wobbly bottom for the sake of observing Thompson going in and out of various locations across the UK. By virtue of its association with the show 'XU' must have been one of the most recognisable 206's in the UK! Although I only got to watch a few shows I believe in one of them they landed at Rochester! I would certainly like to know more about the French 'airlec' JetRanger - especially which vineyard she was visiting. However, the 206 which is of most interest to me is the 'USA' JetRanger. This was in fact N50005 which was shipped to Russia in June 1978 and was the entrant for the US team at the World Helicopter Championships held in Vitebsk, Russia in July '78. As far as I recall the US team didn't collect any awards that year but I think that may have won on the next occasion? 05 was then flown to the UK (where CSE swapped her shorts for pop-outs) after which she attended the Farnborough Airshow in September '78. As far as I know, she was the first Bell (as opposed to AgustaBell) 206 III in the UK. At Farnborough she was bought on behalf of the race horse trainer Vincent O'Brien by Irish Helicopters and delivered to Dublin the same month where she was registered as EI-BFK. I have around 200 hrs in this craft from the early 80's when she served with Vincent. In those 200 hrs I flew quite a collection of characters including Stavros Niarchos (Greek shipping magnate) who I collected from Shannon (he had arrived on his private 737 from Athens en route to the Kentucky Derby). Another regular passenger during '82 was a chap called Charlie Haughey to whom Vincent would regularly lend the craft (you know how these political arrangements are). Though not especially liked by a number of people, I always got on with Haughey. I didn't delve into his politics - as a person he was both warm and sincere and I spent many a weekend on his private island in the Blaskets with its stark (memorable) Eastern Atlantic seascape. Charlie was a keen sailor and I eventually convinced him to try his hand at flying the Ranger. Most people when you give them the controls of a 206 for this first time tend to enter a sort of 'pendulum' swing with the cyclic but Charlie never did. He managed to keep her on course and altitude with remarkable ease - given that this was his first time ever to control a helicopter. While I didn't manage to inflict the flying bug on Charlie I later discovered that my 'helivangelism' had not been in vain as his son, Ciarán (who was also on board during the occasion of his dad's first lesson), was keenly interested and apparently ended up buying an aircraft. I shall not quickly forget flying the Haughey family around the Emerald Isle during the summer of '82. There was some stunning scenery along the South West coast and some equally memorable encounters with a number of Irish characters. Some abstract linking; G-BHXU belonged to Castle Air (Roy Flood). My godfather's company sold Roy his first 206 (G-BAKX) which had previously been owned by Mohamed Fayed. 'KX' was then sold to Ireland in August '79 (a year after Roy had bought it) and became EI-BHI which I also flew - but that is another story! S. |
EoR I love seeing some of the old 206's, the ones I know are BBUY which became G-HMPH, which was owned by Ray Flowers of Direct Helicopters, and operated by Aeromega, I have flown that one a time or two, it is also in the picture with HRAY carrying our pleasure flights for Southend Air Show from the promenade, can you imagine being able to that now! I have flown HRAY, which has become OMDR, which is now owned by Castle Air. BAUN became OAMI, which spent a bit of time with Elite Helicopters and finally BEHG bacame LSPA and then INVU operated by Burman, I have also flown her as well.
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G-STEF
Here are a couple fo shots of G-STEF from my collection (mentioned earlier in thread).
Helipixman.. http://images.fotopic.net/?id=68198758&noresize=1 http://images.fotopic.net/?id=68198747&noresize=1 |
G-EYEI was imported from America by Clyde helicopters around 1987. The colour is the old livery from Barr's Irn Bru which, at the time, was not well known out of Scotland. It was repainted silver around 1989.
George Muir (RIP Wee Man) flew her daily for Radio Clyde's "Eye in the Sky" traffic reports that were sponsored by, you've guessed it, Barr's Irn Bru. The photo is taken from the hanger door area at the Heliport in Glasgow probably around the time of the Garden Festival in 1988 when the City Tours were at their peak. Sadly the machine was involved in a fatal accident early in 1990 when the engine stopped during a snow storm. Tarman |
G-BAVI
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Earl: I didn't comment on BAVI because I imagined there may be others with first hand recollections of this craft and her demise. Regarding Trent, both Mike Strangways and David Dixon are gone now and as sad as that is - so is the story of BAVI. I don't recall all the details so apologies beforehand if there are any inaccuracies but BAVI's incident was fairly well known in the 70's. From what I recall BAVI had only been in the Trent stable for a matter of weeks before it was involved in a crash with fatalities to all on board, pilot (I don't remember the name) plus 3. I do remember that it was a Farnborough year '78 and that it was around Spring that BAVI went down over the Channel (apparently in poor weather). Perhaps there are others who recall the incident with more detail including the pilot's name. S. |
Do you know who's two-tone brown 206 was alongside the Aeromega aircraft? |
I found sitting in the B2B like sitting in a sun lounger, well comfy.
Love the paintjob on G-AWDU, well done that design. |
G-BAVI
Little to report, accident was 29/5/78. ASN Aircraft accident 29-MAY-1978 Bell 206B Jet Ranger G-BAVI |
E of R & G-AWDU
Another "Oh my Gawd" simply because the colour scheme on Brantly G-AWDU is as she was when I owned her in the 1970s but presumably since repainted ... And just checked my log book to find I bought her on 10th October 1977. An entry shows I later demo'd her in March 1978 to a certain Wing Commander Cobb who I think was the buyer. I delivered her to the customer at Battersea.
The 'full & free' check did not produce a blade contact with the bubble and I seem to recall that the actual clearance was in the order of 9 inches or say 225 mm in old money. Here's another for the memory boxes. Did anyone on here fly the Helicopjet? I think she was registered F-HMSX or similar. I did a 'tethered' air test at Issy heliport on the 'Periferique' around 1976 ish. The type was a four-seater built from two Panhard CT24 cabins (floor and roof panels) with four 'tip thrust' blades ... a la Fairey Rotodyne ... driven by a the Djinn jet engine. I recall the engine was started by a hand pull on a cabin interior mounted 50cc 2 stroke engine! I've got a picture somewhere if people become interested. I believe only one was built and it was orange! Just another titbit from this mine of useless information. Regards to all 'Nostalgia' addicts. Dennis Kenyon. |
Pete Pekowski
Oh and Pete Pekowski was one of the BEAS pilots at Oxford late 1960s and early 1970. I never actually met the guy but his reputation certainly preceded him. Wasn't there also a 'Bunny' Austin flying at the time?
Dennis K |
G-BAVI
And for 'S' ... I've got an idea the pilot was 'Larry' Lamb who I believe had his family on board when he flew into the sea in poor viz. DRK
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Since Barry's name has been invoked, he took delivery of a 109C at Essendon Airport many years ago: the box it arrived in was big enough to sell to the third world as a housing estate!
http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/.../109BS%201.jpg http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/.../109BS%204.jpg A lovely bloke, I could always expect a call whenever a bike race was on at Philip Island, usually along the lines of "Maaate, have you got a spare seat?" Having his own 109 only marginally reduced the calls ;) Terrible loss to the bike and helicopter community, we remember Baz every year with a Memorial Ride from Bairnsdale to Philip Island for the MotoGP :ok: |
Somebody mention Trent?
Cranfield, 1988 and my old training mount G-AZMB. Both Mike and Sue Strangways were regularly in attendance and instructors Stan Sollit, George Warren and Joe Wright passed on many decades of wisdom. Happy days..........
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...BCranfield.jpg |
http://lh4.ggpht.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TP...ill%201978.jpg
B206 G-AYTF at Redhill 1978 http://lh6.ggpht.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TP...Hockenheim.jpg Gilles Villeneuve lands his AB206 at the 1979 German Grand Prix held in Hockenheim. No registration details sadly. http://lh3.ggpht.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TP...%20%28b%29.jpg Notice the pitch on the blades aka collective 'braking'! http://lh5.ggpht.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TP...%20%28c%29.jpg Villeneuve at the '79 German Grand Prix where Colin Chapman was also present 'James Anthony McCaughey'. http://lh4.ggpht.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TP...AMI%201980.jpg G-JAMI unknown location c. 1980 |
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