Just looking at my Log Book my first line flight in G-TIGB in May 1982 for BNOC resulted in a diversion to Sumburgh with an MGBCH light.

I can also see that I ferried TIGD when it was green from Marignane to Erith (Metair installed the interiors and Dave Ware's team at Redhill did the spray painting).

I believe the clostest the Tiger came to disaster was when one landed on the Thistle with a severe 1R vibration. Investigation revealed the the rotor head had cracked in the vicinity of a drag bearing.

Another session of six heads and gearboxes simultaneously airborne in the hanger.

When I joined Bristow I went on to the Puma 330J. To my surprise they still had the old rubber stop for the incllined shaft cover. I had flown the Puma for seven years in the RAF and I pointed out that they had substituted a locking plate to prevent the hinge wire from coming out. I was effectively told to shut up (crab) and it was ignored. A few weeks later one started migrating and was protuding about 15 cm at the end of the flight. A rapid series of phone calls to Odiham and then they all had locking plates.

Fast forward a couple of years. Doogal Douglas (RIP) and I were looking at a shiny new Tiger and we both noticed that there was a rubber bung holding the pin in, albiet a bit bigger. We brought this to the attention of somebody but we were told that this was not a Puma, this was a Tiger. We all know the end of that story.

Don't get me started on the S76A.

In the begiining of 1984 I was bumbling along on the Tiger fleet when GBHAI, a 330J arrived. They were short of Puma jockeys so I was refammed and flew both. We simplified it by flying the Puma like a Tiger ie. 15.5 degrees of pitch instad of 15. In May they were short of S76 drivers so I was refammed again to help them out so I was current and operating as PIC on three types. In July I airtested and deliverd GBERH from Redhill to Southampton to go to China. That was the last Puma left in the UK so I then went down to two.

FED

It was a cracked Visco Elastic Frequency Adapter (Damper) and if I remember, it was Peter Hall who had the failure in the East Shetland basin.

After that, there was no more 16.5 degrees of pitch and Laurence Bristow's famous direct ABZ to the ESB at 145 knots marketing ploy became more like 130-135 knots at 15.5 or 16 pitch if I remember.

In 1984, I moved down to the SNS and flew the 76 for many years, I much preferred the short range busy flights than flogging to the ESB in a 332L

The frequent failure of the inclined drive shaft fairing securing latches, which prompted Tiger pilots to be issued with speed tape for en route repairs, culminated in one such fairing detaching and taking off the tail rotor of an aircraft in the late stages of approach to Aberdeen. The aircraft impacted on its side on the runway but luckily no one was seriously injured, although the captain permanently lost his sense of humour.

One passenger who was interviewed by local TV played down any thoughts of disaster by calling it just a normal Bristow landing.

Was that the captain who used to take his rig meals home, calculate the cost and dock it off his missus' housekeeping?

FED PH's wife was a doctor, as I found out one day, but that's another story.

I think I still have a photo of TIGD, I think, between the hangers at Sumburgh, with a "GREEN" tailboom having almost lost the other due to severe vibration.
I seem to remember that I was told in the aftermath, there wasn't very much holding the tail on when it landed.

retirement
 

Finalcheckplease,

Perhaps there's somebody from Vector reading this thread that could enlighten us the fate of each 332L, not only these 332L's roaded from Aberdeen & Norwich but also the others they currently have at Fleetlands, rebuild, spares or scrapping ?

Far East Driver,

Not that I was aware, although he was Scottish!

The one I am thinking of who definitely did gravitated to Trengannu where he had a nice little scam going with some of the rigs to bake proper expat bread then he would take it ashore and flog it.

He also used to bring frozen beer to barbecues and then take it home at the end. Needless to say, his leaving party was a bit of a dry old do.

Vector appear to be overhauling them for lease...certainly that's what happened to the initial batch shipped to their Canadian facility.

Towards a Humanitarian Airwing
 

I thought you may be interested to see this.

Airbus Helicopters

I can think of no better use for these 'mature' beauties. The innocent and power less families caught in the grip of a natural or manmade disaster will have a powerful new friend to look to; when all hope is gone. I am sure that Old Man Bristow would fully approve.

I believe that some of the Tiger's predecessors, 330Js, are still operational after their tours of China and Australia. They were bought by an American company that uses them for vertrep of US Navy ships.

Starlite in South Africa are still operating a number of 330's not sure if any are ex Bristow.

Some BHL Tigers went to German Police a few years back.

I think they lost a couple when one landed within the rotor disc of another during a night anti-terrorist exercise.

This one?

https://youtu.be/yeajdJFZmFM?t=2m8s

Not night, snow.

They went to the Bundespolizei as very different animals I assure you. I spent months working on just one of them, serious amount of modification carried out on them.