The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

[Savoia]

SA365C1 Dauphin II F-GVIP as seen at Grenoble's Le Versoud Airport in the Rhône-Alpes region of France on 25th April 1999 (Photo: Capt Fluo)

Ah .. the delightful tail-dragging Dauphins!

[Hoveratsix]

Without doubt, the nicest helicopter I ever flew albeit on skids with pop-outs. 1979 to 1994

[Savoia]

G-AWUC

Some may recall Kestrel Helicopters' Bell 206 G-AWUC which featured in the old Nostalgia Thread:


Kestrel Helicopters Bell 206B G-AWUC at Inverness in the Summer of 1974 (Photo: Peter Nicholson)

And now a 'new' image to add to AWUC's history:


G-AWUC at Dalcross Airport, Inverness, in July 1974 (Photo: Dave Conner)

In the photo are shown Constable Evelyn Morrison and Sergeant William MacKenzie, who were part of the Traffic Department of Inverness Constabulary. Also in the photo is Kestrel's pilot (who, sadly, is not identified). The photo was taken at the conclusion of one of the regular Trunk Road Traffic Observation Patrols which the Inverness Constabulary made use of in the early 1970's.

During the summer these patrols surveyed the major roads across Scotland which were prone to clogging-up with heavy slow-moving vehicles such as caravans and tourists who tended to drive slowly in order to admire the scenery. The lack of dual-carriageway combined with small twisting roads gave little opportunity for safe overtaking and which resulted in congestion and the odd collision.

Air observation 'Police Patrols' enabled actual and potential problems to be identified quickly and the information relayed to traffic patrol vehicles (mostly motorcycles) which could be deployed accordingly.

[Hoveratsix]

I think this could be Don Macdonald...he was at Inverness the same time as me in 1974, I was flying a Bristow JetRanger at the time.

[Savoia]

From 'The Graphic' magazine, Leicester, June 1969:

"The first jet-engined helicopter service in the Midlands is being launched by Mr Anthony Everard, of Ratcliffe Hall.

Mr Everard is an enthusiastic helicopter pilot and has on many occasions proved a popular opener of various charity functions in his machine.


Tony Everard

He uses an aircraft of this type for business purposes and was the founder chairman of the Helicopter Club of Great Britain, which numbers among its members the Duke of Edinburgh.

As further proof of his belief in the capabilities and potential of these aircraft, Mr Everard had recently acquired a five-seater jet-engined machine which can travel at 150mph and has a range of about 400 miles.

His pilot will be Captain T S MacDonald, a Royal Naval helicopter pilot, with 5,000 hours experience.

Mr Everard hopes that eventually Leicester might agree to having a helicopter landing ground within the city. He suggests machines could be made available to the police for observing traffic from the air, searching dense countryside and probably for emergency medical missions.

"I understand a site that has been suggested as a possibility for a helicopter landing ground is near to the proposed Leicester Museum of Technology, at the old Abbey Pumping Station" said Mr Everard.

[Savoia]

Lama Memories ..

One of the UK's first Lamas, if not 'the' first:


SA315B Lama as seen at Greenness in Aberdeenshire in 1976 (Photo: Norman Davidson)

The craft in question is G-AZNI (cn 06) which was imported by BEAS at Kidlington in 1972. BEAS were of course associated with Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) as also they were with the Brantly Helicopter Company. The craft was sold to Dollar Air Services in 1978.

On the day of the photo, BEAS had accommodated a visit by a small group of school children (pictured inside the cab) while the aircraft was employed by the Forestry Commission to spread rock phosphate onto the plantations in Greenness, in the Forest of Deer in Aberdeenshire.

Captued in the photo are (L-R): Emslie Wilson, Head Forester Jack Christie, the pilot and children (inside the cab), two BEAS ground crew (sitting and crouching by the skids), Audrey Wilson, Mrs Edith Wilson and Bill Scott.

Sadly, as with the photo in post #62, the pilot's name is not disclosed.

Here is an enlargement of the driver (although very blurred):



Do you know who this driver may be .. or indeed the two BEAS ground crew?

Answers please on the back of a postcard to:

'I have an aversion to posting on Aviafora'
London Weekend Television
PO Box 57994
W4 4QG

[Savoia]

More G-AZNI ..


BEAS SA315B Lama G-AZNI as seen 'somewhere' surrounded by wooden crates! c. mid-70's

[Savoia]

Staying in the Highlands ..


Bell 206B G-BNIT lifting core samples 'somewhere' in Scotland c.1990

This craft belonged to Black Isle Helicopters of Dingwall, Ross-shire and was previously been owned by Dollar Air Services who had imported her from the US in 1987.

Sadly, G-BNIT came a cropper when on 3rd June 1993, during a power line survey, she struck the lines at Fourdoun near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire. Three people were on board two of whom (one being the pilot) were seriously injured.

G-BNIT Accident Report.

[Savoia]

British Airways S-61N Mk II G-BCEA as seen at the 'Beehive' at London Gatwick Airport on 9th September 1982 (Photo: Derek Ferguson)


Capt. Mike Evans flying G-BCEA onto the Staflo Rig c. 1975 (Photo: ExxonMobil Archives)
This image was originally published in 'Esso Air World' and is reproduced here courtesy of ExxonMobil's Public Affairs Department

With thanks to William Ashpole for the above photo which was sourced through his website.

Ah .. those were the days, 'proper' uniforms and not an immersion suit in sight!

Note the Decca Danac atop the panel.


The Staflo Rig

Do you remember this BA S-76 from page one?



In response to my query regarding the driver, William says:

"As far as I can make out, it looks like Captain John Millward. He was based at Beccles and the photo may have been at Beccles where BAH had it based."

[Savoia]

Former Ferranti-managed Bell 206B G-BBBM as seen during the filming of 'The Legacy' in 1977

Owned at the time by 'Keluma Ltd' of Woodhall Farm, Bands Hatch and which, if I remember correctly, was also the location of Shawline Helicopters.

[Shane101]

This may be of interest.

Bell 47 EI-BKG with Irish Helicopters from 1977 to 1981.

[Savoia]

Nice one Shane!

More Irish nostalgia ..


Irish Helicopters MBB Bo105C EI-BDI atop a lighthouses c. late 70's

[Savoia]

Staying with lighthouses, 105's and Ireland ..


MBB B0105D G-AZOM in 1978 (Photo: John Law)

In Bristow livery though registered to BEAS (which had been bought by Bristow) and wearing Northern Lighthouse Board titles. This aircraft flew with Irish Helicopters as EI-AWB from 1972 until 1978 and doubtless landed on one or two Irish lighthouses during that time.

The owner of this photo is keen to discover the location of this shot so, if anyone has an idea, please chip in.

[Hoveratsix]

Inverness Airport.

[Savoia]

Not a lighthouse .. but a light ship!


A Bristow Westland Wessex engaged in crew transfer trials with the Smith's Knoll light vessel located off Great Yarmouth on 4th October 1972

[Savoia]

A Swedish Navy HkP1 Boeing-Vertol 44A rests its front wheel on a lighthouse
helipad in the Baltic sea off the Swedish coast in 1961 (Photo: NA Archives)

This aircraft was of course the Piasecki H-21 Shawnee prior to Piasecki's purchase by Boeing in 1960.

[Savoia]

More Piasecki ..


US Army Piasecki CH-21C Shawnee 52-8634 in the hover at the Pentagon Heliport in Arlington, Virginia in October 1965 (Photo:SM Reeves)

Seen here holding for a US Air Force Shawnee to complete its arrival to the heliport.

[Savoia]

Piasecki gathering ..


A Piasecki H-21 lands at Philadelphia International Airport alongside an H-16 and a US Navy HUP-1 c. late 50's (Photo: Charles Kessler)


Another view of the H-16 c. 1953 (Photo: Piasecki Archives)

The H-16 was designed by Frank Piasecki in 1951 and made it first flight on 23rd October 1953. Two Piasecki H-16's were built, the first with two Pratt & Whitney R-2180-11 radial engines producing 1,800shp. These engines were the result of splitting the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major. The R-2180 had 4 rows of cylinders commonly referred to as the 'Corn Cob'. The result was an engine with 2 rows of cylinders. The second H-16 prototype was fitted with two Allison YT-38 gas turbines.


The H-16 in-flight seen here with two Curtiss C-46 Commandos in the background (Photo: Piasecki Archives)

[Savoia]

Gear change ..


The late Robert Maxwell atop the Mirror Group building (aka Maxwell House) in Holborn, London, with AS355F1 G-RMGN in 1986

[Savoia]

More classic Ecureuil ..

Back in the days when police helicopters were not 'Police State' black and yellow!


West Midlands Police Authority AS355 F2 as seen in 1989

[Shane101]

More rooftop, more Ecureuil.

I recently saw the only remaining private rooftop helicopter pad in use in London, the DeBeers Ecureuil II on top of 17 Charterhouse Street.


View from helipad with visiting Ecureuil


The DeBeers Ecureuil G-STRL on the roof pad

[Savoia]

Great stuff Shane!

Another perspective of G-STRL:


De Beers AS355N G-STRL departing Héliport d'Issy-Les-Moulineaux on 14th April 2011 (Photo: Olivier Cabaret)

How accurate this is I don't know but .. it is rumoured that this craft sometimes flies under the callsign 'Diamond 1'.

[Savoia]

More from the Emerald Isle ..

Although on the British register, this craft was owned for a number years by Jim Kelly.


Jim Kelly's Bell 47J-2A G-BFPP as seen at Weston Airport in Eire on 28th August 1993 (EI-AMD Photos)

Weston was also home (in the early 80's) to Brendan O'Mahony's 206 EI-BHI ..


Bell 206B EI-BHI as seen outside the Shannon Repair Services hangar at Shannon Airport in 1980 (Photo: Sav)

Took this (somewhat grainy) photo with a little instamatic camera during the middle of 1980 while flying EI-BHI over a period of about a month.

EI-BHI was formerly G-BAKX which was purchased by Ferranti in 1977 on behalf of their client, a certain Mohammed Al Fayed, and managed on his behalf for about 18 months when an order was placed (for the same client) for G-BFAL (the UK's first LongRanger). G-BAKX was Fayed's second helicopter and his first turbine helicopter.

In 1978 G-BAKX was sold to a Roy Flood of Cornwall, this also being his second helicopter and his first turbine helicopter. The aircraft initially flew with 'Castle Motors' titles (and of which I have an unscanned photo) until the formation of Castle Air.

Castle Motors then sold 'KX' to Brendan in 1979.

[Savoia]

Something for 500 Fan:

OH-6 Cayuse from 1964

[Savoia]

Captain Willis P. Kuay pilots a US Air Force H-19 Chickasaw (S-55) assigned to 66 Air Rescue Squadron at Manston in Kent on 3rd August 1954 and is seen lowering a crew member into a waiting Volkswagen during rehearsals for the Squadron's display in the Royal Artillery Searchlight Tattoo at Woolwich Stadium, London and which was the first occasion for American troops to participate in the tattoo

[Savoia]

The Barclaycraft ..


S-76A++ 2-BYDF as seen at Guernsey Airport on 23rd July 2014 (Photo: Bill Teasdale)

The Barlcaycraft (formerly G-BYDF) sporting her new Channel Islands registration of 2-BYDF on a stop-over from Brecqhou Island.

[Savoia]

Lesser-known Rotary-Wing Pioneers: Emilie & Henry Berliner

Emile Berliner, known for his invention of the flat gramaphone record, was a rotary-wing pioneer who experimented with intermeshing and contra-rotating helicopters as early as 1907. As with most of the designs of the time, his early prototypes were underpowered and struggled with control problems.

In 1919, Emile Berliner's son, Henry Berliner, left the Army Air Service as an aerial photographer to work with his father on helicopter designs. By 1922 Henry had founded the Berliner Aircraft Company with a focus on conventional aircraft development. At the same time Henry continued to develop helicopter concepts and the 'Berliner Helicopter' was successfully demonstrated throughout the 1920's although interest was lost due to its limited control and poor autorotational qualities.

One of Berliner's first helicopters (which he referred to as gyrocopters) had two contra-rotating propellers, a four-wheeled chassis, engine, shutter-like vanes, rudder, a seat for the pilot, and little else.


Josephine Berliner (wife of the eminent engineer, inventor, and pilot Henry Berliner) poses with the new family obsession, one of Berliner's first experimental helicopters (then referred to as a gyrocopter) as seen at College Park Airfield in Prince Georges County, Maryland (now the world's oldest continually operated airport) c.1920

[Savoia]

Westland Dragonfly HR.3 alighting aboard HMS Warrior in 1951


A pair of HR.3's with HMS Warrior in 1953. Seen here delivering the ship's mail


Westland Dragonfly HR.3 WG665 rises from the deep aboard HMS Warrior in 1953


HMS Warrior c. 1950's

[Savoia]

More Delightful Dragonflies ..


Westland Dragonfly HR4 WG664 533 from 705 Squadron at seen at Chatham Docks in August 1957 (Photo: Malcolm Clarke)

[Savoia]

Memories from 72 Squadron RAF Aldergrove:

Wessex from 72 Sqn on exercise with Mourne Mountain Rescue Team, no date given but suspect it to be c. 1990's



Plus .. Wessex retiring from 84 Squadron RAF in Cyprus in 2003:

[Steve]

Found this great photo of a Royal Navy Whirlwind in Antarctic colours.

I've seen a couple of these in museums painted in a Black and Orange scheme but I was wondering whether it was Black or were they originally painted in Midnight Blue and then had the Orange painted over it, can anyone help please.

Many thanks

Steve

[Savoia]

Ciao Steve!

Nice photo.

As Aviafora has still to attract some more regular contributors .. you will have to put up with me for now. Sorry!

Royal Navy Antarctic Whirlwinds cropped-up on the old Nostalgia Thread and I've posted a couple of photos of them below. To me it would seem 'highly probable' that the lower half of the craft was over-painted with orange with the base colour being the midnight/navy blue you mention. Having said that .. I have no way of actually verifying this.


Royal Navy Westland Whirlwind WS55-1 HAR1 XA868 from the Ice Patrol Ship HMS Protector over Speedwell Island on the Falklands in December 1963 (Photo: Joe Barr)


Royal Navy Westland WS55-1 Whirlwind HAR1 aboard HMS Protector as seen off the coast of Beauchene Island (in the Falklands) in 1959 (Photo: Jeffrey Stokes)

Caption: "I didn't have my finger anywhere near the float inflation button .. honest!"


Westland WS55-1 HAR1 XA870 as seen at Lee-on-Solent on 29th July 1972 (Photo: Ray Peltit)

Here I think one can see the 'regular' blue livery of Whirlwind '518' in the background and with XA870 (in the foreground) one might presume that the orange was simply painted atop the blue!

Between 1954-56 my late godfather served as Chief Pilot for Christian Salvesen flying Whirlwinds on whaling duties in the southern Atlantic.

And this is one of the craft he flew .. although while aboard the whaling ships the Salvesen Whirlwinds were fitted with fixed floats (see bottom photo):


Westland Whirlwind Series 3 G-AOHE belonging to Christian Salvesen & Co. as seen at Newcastle Airport on 19th October 1960 (Photo: Ian MacFarlane)


Christian Salvesen Westland Whirwind Mk3 becmoing airborne on whale spotting duties in the Antarctic c. early 50's departing either the MV Southern Harvester or MV Southern Venturer. The aircraft were fitted with fixed-floats while based aboard the ships

[Savoia]

Bristow Agusta-Bell 206B Jetranger II G-AWMK as seen at Sandwich in Kent in 1993 (Photo: The Helipix Collection)

A lovely photo from The Helipix Collection!

"MK" was the 23rd JetRanger registered in the UK. This craft eventually became G-GAND and is still flying albeit with over 12,000 hours on her frame. While with Bristows she performed a tour of duty in Trinidad c. 1976.

I shall be posting some more images from Helipix's collection and which you can see in full here.

Behind 'MK' is Bristow S-76A+ G-BIEJ.