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Trinity House Bolkow Ops Penzance 1987
Climbing over Gulval and rare Cornish snow behind the Heliport 25 years ago
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ouseBolkow.jpg |
Yoyo: Another wonderful shot, bravo!
Geoff: So BCalH began their S61 maintenance department with a grease gun and with what looks like a wheel-nut spanner - lol! Didn't realise that David Sale had been among BCalH's early crew. The last time I saw him would have been c.1990 at Hayes. I was visiting McAlpine's on behalf of a client who was interested in a 365N and David had been collared by their sales team to demonstrate the type. At the time he was CP for P&O. Could this be David first in the line-up below (seem to recall he had red hair) only that he appears a little different (I suppose younger) than I remember him: http://lh6.ggpht.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TR...air%20crew.jpg |
Not David Sale - that's the Boeing 707 crew who flew the Pope from the UK to Rome at the end of the Papal visit in 1982.
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That is Geoff Chandler in the photo & he did move to West Australia & worked for several companies. Top bloke & excellent engineer; must be retired by now & probably still in Perth.
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C16: There's a bespectacled chap in the image on the previous page who also appears in the images when HH is moving about the UK aboard BCal's S61. One can see him again (behind HH's shoulder) in the photo below:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/__dRpfF8qlVM/TR...bin%20crew.jpg |
Looking at the BCAL website it would appear his name is Ray Searle, the airline's Security Services Manager.
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Thanks Charlie.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2...Logo%2520s.png One knows that squirrels like nuts but .. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2...0Oram%2529.jpg AS355-F1 TwinEcureuil G-NUTZ (registered to 'Powersense Ltd') as seen at Hickstead on 31st May 1987 (Photo: John Oram) |
Apologies to Geoff......
........Chandler that is, it must be my age. Speechless Two, Charles Pemberton and Chris Powell and Chris Hunt were of course reinforcements once we got our first contract and then I went over to Evergreen's HQ in McMinville, Oregon to check out another S61 which became G-BIMU once it had been through Marshal's hands down in Cambridge.
Another S61 found in Buenos Aires (remember main line BCal provided scheduled DC10 services to BA) turned out to be the ex-president's ex-VIP transport and had been painted Olive Green and had no paperwork to speak of so that was given a miss. I believe it turned up in South Africa with Court Helicopters but not sure about that. A quick trip to Greenland provided another ship and then there were three: G-BHPU - Leased from KLM first flight in BCal(H) colours April 23rd 1980 G-BIHH - ex Greenlandair, first flight in BCal(H) colours January 9th 1981 G-BIMU - ex N8511Z Evergreen, first flight in BCal(H) colours in May 1981 G-BFPF - came along in July 1981, it came from BA but it was leased by them from Court and they did not extend the lease. I collected it on 3rd July 1981 after doing a test flight at Beccles on June 2nd. G. |
I would like to issue a belated "Thank You" for the Blue Eagles photographs a few pages ago - absolutely superb!!!
:D :O :D |
P6D: Hope to be able to drop in some more to compliment Amos' wonderful shots!
Geoffers: Most interesting about BCal's first 61's. Did you happen to meet Del while in McMinville? Last time I saw him was in the lobby of the Anaheim Hilton - he was having a 'tipple' with Col. Bob (another Smith) and Mr Suggs (another Bob) lol! More from the Papal visit: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2...2520Flight.jpg This states that F. Coulshaw (who was he please) and Chris Hunt were flying G-BFPF (which Geoff collected in 1981). I wonder where they landed in Canterbury? Seem to recall a long strip of grass alongside an ancient section of stone wall that could have been used or perhaps they made use of a school ground etc. (My mother used to enjoy drinking 'Lapsang Souchong' tea from the County Hotel in Canterbury where we would visit together on my exeat weekends .. accompanied by toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches!!!). Chris Hunt was the person who piloted me on my first ever helicopter flight and which occassion is recalled earlier in the thread. A wonderful chap. |
Torrey Canyon
The Torrey Canyon was a supertanker capable of carrying a cargo of 120,000 tons of crude oil, which was shipwrecked off the western coast of Cornwall, England in March 1967 causing an environmental disaster. At that time, the tanker was the largest vessel ever to be wrecked.
When laid down in the United States in 1959, it had a capacity of 60,000 tons but the ship was enlarged in Japan to 120,000 tons capacity. At the time of the accident it was registered in Liberia and owned by Barracuda Tanker Corporation, a subsidiary of Union Oil Company of California but chartered to British Petroleum. It was 974.4 feet (297.0 m) long, 125.4 feet (38.2 m) beam and 68.7 feet (20.9 m) draught. The ship left the Kuwait National Petroleum Company refinery at Mina al-Ahmadi on its final voyage on 19 February 1967 with full cargo of crude oil, reaching the Canary Islands by 14 March. From there the planned route was to Milford Haven. On 18 March 1967, owing to a navigational error, the Torrey Canyon struck Pollard's Rock on Seven Stones reef between the Cornish mainland and the Scilly Isles. An inquiry in Liberia, where the ship was registered, found Shipmaster Pastrengo Rugiati was to blame, because he took a shortcut to save time in getting to Milford Haven. "Ashore on Seven Stones, require immediate assistance." This was the message which began the drama of the break up of the 118,000 dwt tanker the Torrey Canyon on Saturday 18th March 1967. Initially the report of the vessel running aground on the Seven Stones Rocks said that seven cargo tanks had been holed and that some 30,000 tons of crude oil had escaped. The inspection made on the second day of the drama showed that the damage was a lot more serious than first stated and that 14 of the 18 cargo tanks had been holed. A fleet of four tugs and equipement was at the site but the master did not agree to there salvageing the vessel at first and this caused considerable delay. On the Sunday it was`realised that the rocks had ripped through the bottom plating beneath the forward and aft fuel tanks. At this stage the lifeboats and the Search and Rescue helicopters had lifted off most of the crew and only the Master and two other crew members remained on board. The British Government and the salvage company tried to salvage the vessel in one piece and equipemnt was placed on board the Torrey Canyon to try to float the vessel and good progress was made through the Monday and Tuesday but then an explosion happened in the engine room and the salvage crews left the vessel and during this process the captain of one of the tugs was injured and died. On the Wednesday the Royal Navy and the salvage company decided to try again and the vessel was partially floated by the Thursday . However the tanker was stuck firmly on the rocks and the weather started to deteriate. Force 7 to 8 winds were predicted for Friday 24th March so work was hectic to try and reflote the Torrey Canyon. On Saturday and Sunday further attempts were made despite the increasing deteriation of the weather. On the evening of Easter Sunday the vessel broke in two and the stern section started to settle in the water. On Easter Monday, the fore ship, pounded by the enormous seas, broke in two. On the morning of Tuesday the Admiralty ordered everyone off the ship and away from the area and then Fifty three vessels sprayed 5000,000 gallons of detergent, itself toxic to wildlife, onto the slick which covered an area of 35 miles by 22 miles. With the wreck in three sections by this time, it still held about a third of its cargo, 40,000 tons. A decision was made that the RAF would bomb the wreck in order to attempt to set fire to the oil. The RAF dropped 200,000 lbs of explosive , 11,000 gallons of kerosene and 3,000 gallons of napalm onto the wreck The salvage attempt was officially abandoned. In 1982 her entire forepart, still intact, was refloated and converted into an oil storage barge. The 120,000 tonne MV Torrey Canyon runs aground off the coast of Cornwall in March 1967 https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-F...2520Canyon.jpg Navy Wessex respond to the incident https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3...0Torrey_c6.jpg A Navy Wessex winches personnel from the distressed vessel https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1...rey-canyon.jpg Navy Wessex contine to support the salvage/recovery operation https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C...20TorreyC2.jpg At one point a BEA S61 gets involved https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9...tlack%2529.jpg Not wanting to be left out the RAF too participate with this Wessex using a car park in Trevone Bay as a staging area (Photo: R.A. Cutlack) https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0...ean%2520up.jpg A 'Dennis Oates' lorry unloads detergent for the clean-up operation in Cornwall . |
Back in the late 80's we had the pleasure of carrying out the last few crew changes on the "sevenstones" light vessel before it was automated....I !!!! you not people it had a moving deck that made a Bolkow look like a chinook :E
Without a doubt on a slack tide it was pound for pound the most difficult landing sight I have ever encountered in 30 years of aviating..:{ That wreck had a lot to answer for...:= |
Early Jetranger photos
Some old 206 photos to jog memories !
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/6...74867e7e_b.jpg G-AVVH Agusta Bell 206A (8026) seen during ownership of Autair Helicopters Ltd, 14.8.70 -15.1.73 eventually sold as EI-BEV 15.5.78 http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7...a3ef3124_b.jpg G-AWOY Agusta Bell 206A (8094) cancelled 18.1.74 to SE-HEP http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6047/6...d003d2ef_b.jpg G-AWRV Agusta Bell 206A (8095) Seen at Edinburgh Airport (Turnhouse) 6.6.71 during ownership of Globe Construction Ltd. Eventually sold in France as F-GAJL http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6...6e22f4d8_b.jpg G-AYDK Bell 206A (337) owned by Fairoaks Aviation Services Ltd. Sold as 9J-ACT 5.5.71 http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6045/7...413ecdb9_b.jpg G-AYHN Bell 206A (225) seen at Gatwick 5.10.73 during ownership of Heli-air Ltd, 10.1.73 - 2.7.74 Eventually left the UK as N4802R http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7125/6...5da09973_b.jpg Now for a couple of Bermudan registered Agusta Bell 206A's at Gatwick 7.7.71 VR-BDZ is Agusta Bell 206A (8095) not sure which one is behind it ? Eventually became EP-HAP. Can anyone shed any light on how long they were in the UK. This 206 was never registered on the UK register and I assume it was on contract work and returned to UK for engineering ? all photos from the Helipixman collection |
Re the Torrey Canyon.......
Originally Posted by Savoia
(Post 7100252)
A decision was made that the RAF would bomb the wreck in order to attempt to set fire to the oil. The RAF dropped 200,000 lbs of explosive , 11,000 gallons of kerosene and 3,000 gallons of napalm onto the wreck The salvage attempt was officially abandoned..
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I had the pleasure of being the first helicopter to go to the Torrey Canyon. John Bell, later joined Alan Mann, went first in a Wessex 1 but the float bag on his right wheel blew & duly burst in the cruise, so he came back. I set off in a Wessex 5 which didn't need floatation!! It was my last week or so in the RN & quite a fun way to finish my time. I think I did about 10 flights, mixture of SAR crew, photographers, medics, salvage experts & picked up some ship's crew members plus at least one badly injured. I think he was the one who was hit in the back by a flying hatch when there was an explosion in the engine room. It was truly well stuck on the rocks, so I'm not surprised it couldn't be dragged off.
So long ago!! |
Presented to Nigel Osborn for being 'first on scene' in the Torrey Canyon disaster and for his ongoing efforts in bringing rescue and relief to her crew and salvers . |
Originally Posted by CharlieOneSix
(Post 7100704)
.........as usual the efforts of the Fleet Air Arm Sea Vixens and Buccaneers are omitted.
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Sav!
Interesting! My great golfing friend John Williamson who was duty S&R pilot (RN) on the Wessex 1 has always maintained he was first on the scene. I'll ask him to register and respond. Small world, as I was a 9 year old on holiday on the Scilly Isles at the time, and remember it all unfolding! |
Ciao Estepo!
Please do encourage John to sign-up as we would love to hear his reminiscences of this event. Even better if he has some photos from his Navy days. I'm guessing you would have been following events via the 'wireless' given that live television coverage was somewhat rare in the 60's. The Seven Stones are of course just a stone's throw ;) from the Scillies. I'll prepare another DFA (Distinguished Flying Award) in case John comes up with a good story, lol! |
Classic Culdrose photoshoot Merlin and Seahawk
Stumbled on this shot whilst trying to find images of helicopters with wheels for my grandson (click on pic to get to flickr page)
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4090/5...2ea65f3b_z.jpg A Merlin HM Mk1 helicopter from RNAS Culdrose, with a Seahawk from the Australian Navy by Defence Images, on Flickr |
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