The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

[Savoia]

British Airways Sikorsky S-58ET G-BCLN as seen at Beccles Heliport on 4th August 1979 (Photo: Avia Déjà Vu)

[Savoia]

While we are considering the identity of Wessex drivers, I should be glad to discover who flew the Wessex (presumably QF) which accommodated the late Princess Diana in the left seat on a flight from Highgrove in 1986!


The late Princess Diana aboard a Wessex at Highgrove House in 1986


Diana flew from Highgrove in the left seat of the Wessie, with what 'appears' to be a driver wearing civvie uniform

........Diana, Princess of Wales
1st July 1961 - 31st August 1997
........................RIP

[Savoia]

Identity Parade!


Westland Wessex flying over an Amoco gas rig in the North Sea in 1970

It would be great to discover who this driver is. I'm assuming this is a Bristow Wessex because, as far as I know, British Airways only operated the S-58 the first of which (I think) arrived in 1973-4.

So .. a Bristow Wessex driver from 1970!

[Savoia]

Another Bell to add to the collection ..


British European Airways Bell 47B-3 G-AKFB as seen at the Royal Aeronautical Society's Garden Party at White Waltham on 15th June 1952 (Photo: Courtesy of the Tony Clarke Collection via David Whitworth)

This aircraft was named 'Sir Balan'.

[Savoia]

This Alouette II (F-WIEA) was fitted with a solid tailboom and flew as a Sud Aviation prototype but never went into production.

[Savoia]

Elipix, this image appeared on the first Nostalgia Thread but .. it's a pretty good example of a covered tailboom:


Fabick Aircraft Co. Bell 47-D NC194B in Alberta, Canada in 1949 (Photo: Helicopter Heritage of Canada)

This 47 made its way up from Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri in 1949 to assist in a gravity meter survey in Chard, north of Lac La Biche in Alberta, Canada. The United Geophysical Company were searching for suitable areas in which to perform wildcat well drilling operations and were able to complete the survey without any major road construction thanks to this aircraft and one other 47.

[Savoia]

Having showcased a photo of John Crewdson wearing his scarf (further above) .. is seems only 'proper' that I should do the same for Peter Wilson who was a family friend as well as colleague to my late godfather:


The late great Peter Wilson as seen at Dunsborough House in Ripley, Surrey, in 1958 attending a rotary garden party hosted by Charles Hughesdon

Ah .. scarf-wearing helicopter pilots. Those were the days!

On the day of the above photo, Peter was flying the Bristol Aeroplane Company's Type 173 below:


The Bristol Type 173 G-ALBN as seen on final approach to Dunsborough House in Ripley in 1958

Abaft the 173's starboard hindquarter were two Bristol Sycamores the nearest of which was G-AMWG the other being an RAF craft.

[Savoia]

Steve, thanks for that very interesting link. There is certainly a wealth of information there!





An interesting tidbit of filmed nostalgia involving a Whirlwind from No. 22 Squadron RAF Coastal Command conducting a 'locate and winch' rescue demonstration in the English Channel in 1955. Unfortunately, the Whirlwind becomes the subject of the spectacle by deciding that it too should be in need of rescue!

Ah .. British Pathé! They don't make them like that anymore with the 'higher-toned' English accent and orchestral accompaniment to the voice-over!

In fact, one no longer hears Brits speaking like that (normally) and even American accents have changed over the past century.

[Steve]

Found this the other day, the US Army Aviation Digest Archive, some great reading.

[Savoia]

Bravo !!

Welcome Elipix, great to have you aboard!

(I can see, at this rate, I am going to have to go out and buy some more digital fireworks!).

For those of you reading the Nostalgia Thread on Aviafora but who were not aware of the 'original' Nostalgia Thread .. Helipixman was a constant source of hard-to-find historical helicopter photos .. especially those which featured in my ramblings. I think the one I remain most grateful for was the image of Peter Cadbury's G-CHOC. I remember at one point that the beloved 'TRC' doubted that the Caburycopter was infact registered as G-CHOC but .. having seen this aircraft as a 'wee lad' I was absolutely certain she existed .. and with some help from 'Elipix' we got to see her!

Regaring G-AWAP and your mentioning of June 1983 - this was a very sad day indeed. I was still in the UK at that time and I recall the Colonel calling Gill Aldam to offer his condolences. The Colonel was bitterly saddened by this tragedy having known John for many years and with John and the Colonel being good friends. Indeed, Helicopter Hire would end-up buying several ex-Ferranti aircraft including the Widgeon (G-APVD) which John bought directly from the Colonel.

So, in remembering John and because Elipix has said ..

Any other shots of Bell 47s or Alouette/Lamas with cladded tails welcome !

.. I am going to re-post something which appeared on the old Nostalgia Thread:


The late John Crewdson flying Agusta-Bell 47G G-ANZX at White Waltham on behalf of a Helicopter Services client in 1955 (Photo: Frank Hudson)

Well okay, its not actually 'cladding' in the technical sense but, near enough!


The late great John Crewdson at Gatwick Airport in 1956

I do have an Alouette II which is extensively clad and which I shall post shortly.

Also, check-out post #4 on the previous page which depicts a 1950's Bell 47 photographed by Frédéric Renaud and belonging to the French newspaper Sud-Ouest. This also had some 'cladding' on its tail used, as with G-AWAP, to advertise the company name.

[Helipixman]

G-AWAP SA.318B ALOUETTE ASTAZOU

After noticing a couple of shots of G-AWLC I thought it would be interesting to share a photo G-AWAP showing a partly clad tail structure with Helicopter Hire titles parked up at Edinburgh Airport.

Photo from my collection... not taken by me, so unsure of date, but must be pre 26.6.83 as AP sadly crashed at Gat Sand, The Wash in East Anglia on this date.

Any other shots of Bell 47s or Alouette/Lamas with cladded tails welcome !

[Savoia]

Urrà !!

At last .. the Maestro joins us.

What can I say Denissimo .. but to offer you a very warm welcome to Aviafora !!

Terrific to hear about 'BEEL' and 'BACH' and their associated stories! G-BACH .. hmm .. 'Air on the G Reg' perhaps!

I am also interested to learn anything about Gordon King. I was certain he only had a 'plank' training school but .. it seems he delved into the blitterblats!

Once again .. great to have you aboard!

'The Menace' says ..

[Dennis Kenyon]

And a second Oh ... cos I can't resist it and this is rotary nostalgia ... I'm pretty sure the fairish-haired guy walking toward the Enstrom G-BEELat Battersea, (left of picture) was Mark Langford who was a good sales guy for Alan Mann in those days. Anyone agree? Dennis K.

[Dennis Kenyon]

Oh and I forgot to add ... in later years G-BACH was painted to the scheme shown above (originally all white) and purchased by my dear mate, the amiable Mike Woodley. Mike is the guy who apart from holding professional licences for helicopters and fixed wing is the consultant frequently used for the major Bond feature films. He also owns the B747 blue tailed Jumbo that sits at Dunsfold aerodrome and is routinely seen in the background as the ever effervescent Jeremy Clarkson and the Stig racer blast various cars around the test track.

[Dennis Kenyon]

OK Sav ... I've finally managed to penetrate the AF hurdles to join this esteemed group. Hope I can add a fluff or two of interesting titbits from time to time.

But I start with an admonishment .... The pretty turbo-charged 280C Enstrom Shark, registered as G-BEEL and being a newly imported ship, was the helicopter I exhibited on our 1976 Farnborough stand ... and if I only knew how to post a picture, I could show a young Kenyon handing over the keys to its FIRST buyer, Mr Reg Brealey. If the CAA registration records say differently - they are wrong! I've told the story elsewhere, but Mr Brealey was wearing a black & red striped tie at the handing over ceremoney. One of the many aviation reporters invited commented that he had purchased an appropriately coloured tie to match his new helicopter. "No" replied Brealey, "I purchased the Enstrom in those colours to match my tie!!" Quite true, since Brealey was a Director of Lincoln City football club whose house colours were of course: Red, black and white. For sales specification purposes, the G-BEEL colour scheme was known as SPS 1. I ordered two other Enstrom Sharks in the those colours being G-BEEK and G-BENO (G-BENO being our sales demonstrator and display helicopter for 1976 thru 1978.)

Turning to G-BACH, I'm surprised Savoia didn't have a good knick-name for her. We called her JS for some reason I forget! She was sold much earlier about 1972 or so being about a 098 serial number. The buyer was Mr Bill Spear, a builder from Surrey. Later, he was sadly killed in a Morris Mini road accident in the days before proper interior crash protection was available.

Just a few more titbits ref the above. George Suttie wasn't a George. In fact he was no less than Sir Phillip Grant-Suttie from just east of Edinburgh where I landed in his Enstrom many times. John Woodhouse was also a DRK customer, and in fact in later years I flew for him at his Sandown, Isle of Wight helicopter school. A super guy and I wonder what he is up to these days!

So thanks for having me on Aviafora site. Being an ex Anorak, I hope I can be useful from time to time.

[Savoia]

Enstrom F-28A G-BACH (sn: 094) as seen at Shoreham Airfield in April 1975

Delivered to Spooner Aviation in August of 1972 this craft was soon sold to Spear & King of Camberley in Surrey (who may have been a building company) and then on to the aviation division of Parker and Heard (and of whom I have never heard) of Hampton Hill in Middlesex.

In 1978 she was sold to 'Dargon' or Dargen in Awbridge, Romsey .. then to George Suttie, John Woodhouse and 'Finload Ltd' before being bought by Gordon King at Biggin Hill in 1984 (I thought he only offered plank lessons!).

No doubt more details surrounding this craft .. and for which we patiently await the arrival of the Maestro!

[Savoia]

Following on from Shane's Alouette ..


Alouette II at Bickley Manor in Bromley, South London c. 1960's

There is a possibility that this may be G-AWLC but .. there is also a chance that it is Air Gregory's G-AVEE (formerly F-BNKZ). Either way, it would most likely place the photo in the late 60's with Heli-Union (UK) taking delivery of G-AWLC in 1968 (as mentioned above) and RBA Helicopters of Reading, Berkshire taking delivery of F-BNKZ in early 1966.

[Savoia]

Doman Helicopters was founded in 1945, commencing operations from a cow pasture in Stratford, Connecticut where Glidden Doman and a handful of engineers set about solving some of the structural and dynamic problems (including blade failures), which were plaguing some helicopters at that time.

Based primarily in Danbury, Connecticut, the company also established facilities in Pennsylvania and in Puerto Rico. It's best known product was the Doman LZ-5 (also known as the YH-31 and the D-10) which was certified by the FAA in 1955. The first prototype (registration N13458) flew on 27 April 1953, and by the end of 1955, two machines had been delivered to the Army (52-5779 and 52-5780).

The LZ-5 utilised designer Glidden Doman's unorthodox gimbaled rotor system, which featured the elimination of rotor hinges and dampers and included blades of soft-in-plane dynamic design. The servo control system was entirely contained within the rotor head, with no external oil tanks or plumbing. The tail rotor was also hingeless and free floating to eliminate stresses in rapid tail rotor turns. In other ways it had a conventional helicopter main rotor and tail rotor configuration. The pilot and co-pilot were seated over the engine (which was in the nose) and a six-passenger compartment was located behind them. The engine was cooled by exhaust ejectors, producing an energy saving that increased payload by 800 pounds.


A Doman LZ-5 c. 1953 (Photo: Courtesy of New England Air Museum)

"And if you look there you will notice a tubular spar which is used to connect the blade to the hub. Now while Mr Doman did not specifically design this for the purpose I am about to describe, what he has found .. while using the helicopter for camping expeditions with his wife, is that this is an ideal area on which to hang one's washing!"

[Savoia]

Buongiorno Shane! Welcome aboard.

Ah yes, the venerable Alouette II .. in this case G-AWLC an SA318C belonging to Heli-Union (UK) from 1968-72.

Another shot here:


Heli-Union (UK) Sud Aviation SA318C Alouette II Astazou G-AWLC as seen in the UK c. 1970 (Photo: courtesy of Pierre Gillard)

[Shane101]

Something a little different!

[Savoia]

BEA S-61N Mk II G-BBUD as seen at Penzance Heliport c.1974

This craft is now flying in the US as N905CH.

[Savoia]

More Suffolk sheep ..

And just in case you thought that 'Suffolk sheep Rangers' were only seen in Britain during the 60's and 70's ..


Blades Aviation Bell 206B JetRanger II G-ISPH as seen at Manchester's Barton Aerodrome on 26th March 2009 (Photo: Michael)

This more recent example illustrating that the breed, though rare, can still be seen!

[Savoia]

Agusta-Bell 206B JetRanger III G-BIZB as seen at Bournemouth (Hurn) Airport on 1st June 1986 (Photo: Trevor Bartlett)

Seen here attending the TVS Airshow at Hurn in 1986 and wearing Renault titles, doubtless as part of some advertising/promotion campaign.

Imported by Mann's in 1981 the aircraft was bought the following year by Martin Butler Associates of Hertfordshire who owned the craft until 1989 when she was involved in a tragic filming accident in Corfu, Greece.

[Savoia]

Formwork it is then! Actually such details are tremendously important!

More from Battersea ..


Enstrom 280C Shark G-BEEL at Battersea in 1977 (Photo: Anton Heumann)

At the time of this photo G-BEEL was owned by Slea Aviation of Sleaford in Lincolnshire. Prior to this she belonged to Tyrrell Contractors of Welbourn also of Lincolnshire who bought her from Spooner Aviation in 1976.

So, I'm sure that somewhere along the way Denissimo must have been involved!

G-BEEL of course wearing the same colours as G-BENO .. the 280 the Maestro was flying when I first encountered him at Biggin Hill.

[Tarman]

Savoia, It's actually Formwork, not Foamwork. Formwork is a term for setting out kerb logging prior to building a road. Sorry to be pedantic ..................lol Tarman

[Savoia]

Agusta-Bell 206A JetRanger G-AZAG at Battersea Heliport in 1977 (Photo: Anton Heumann)

Lord Dulverton's (he of Imperial Tobaccos) JetRanger (owned by 'Cadogan Foamwork and Reinforcing' at the time of this photo) parked on the pier (now FATO) at Battersea in '77.

Aircraft were often parked at either (or both) end/s of the pier in order to free-up the normal parking spaces.

[Savoia]

Only landed at Battersea once (2004) and it didn't look like that picture!

Ah yes well, things do change!

Those blue and yellow panel buildings are pretty much how I remember it though. I guess between 1975 and 1984 I flew into Battersea around six times a year and it always looked pretty much the same. I think in the early 80's (when Noel Edmonds set-up shop for a bit) they tried re-vamping the buildings but the layout remained essentially unchanged.

Today it looks something like this:


The 'new' Battersea

The 'new' Battersea seems to have only two or three spots!

(It gives me a certain amount of pleasure to see that, as hard as they've tried to scrub it off, the word 'Westland' is still just visible above 'London').

I'll have to trawl my archives but I'm sure I have a shot of six or seven aircraft parked at Battersea from the late 70's and I am certain that during that time there were at least seven spots.


Westland's SA341 Gazelle G-BCHM and Michael Somerton-Rayner's Bell 206 G-BAZN as seen at Battersea on 10th April 1985 (Photo: John Oram)

Here, from 1985, you can see five spots - there were another two in front. The numbering system went in a sort of clockwise pattern from the upper left corner (as you approached the port) and is why the spot beneath the Gaz is marked number 7.

Sometimes, when it got super busy, they would park craft at either end of the FATO so that you would arrive and depart between them and which was always great fun!

[Nomorehelosforme]

Only landed at Battersea once (2004) and it didn't look like that picture!

[Savoia]

Tommy Sopwith's Bell 206B JetRanger II G-BASE as seen at Cranfield on 2nd September 1977 (Photo: Peter Nicholson)

We've seen BASE before of course (from Tommy's 'Endeavour Aviation' stables) but a couple of 'new' (and sadly not so clear) images of G-BASE in her 1970's livery:


G-BASE featuring in Season One Episode 10 of the New Avengers 'Sleeper', filmed in 1976


G-BASE landing at Battersea in 1976 during filming for the 'New Avengers' TV series

The Avengers used Manfred Mann (Alan Mann) for most of their aerial work so I'm guessing that Mann's cross-chartered from Endeavour - either to plug a gap in their own availability of aircraft or because the series producers needed an aircraft in different colours to those already featured from Mann's stable.

[Savoia]

British Airways S-76A (This is a Vera Lynn Photograph but almost certainly c.1980)