The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

[Savoia]

Seeing as Nosco mentioned the 330 ..


Britsow AS330J Puma, G-BERG, c.1977

Unfortunately I don't have a location for this shot.

The craft appears to be wearing the name 'Delphinius'.

The company I flew for in PNG operated three 330J's (ex-PHI birds).

[Savoia]

Irish Helicopters MBB Bo105C EI-BDI as seen in Bantry Square, County Cork, in 1979 (Photo: Ronald Searle)

This craft was involved in supporting the first European parliamentary elections held in June 1979, and was used by one electioneering politician who landed in the middle of Bantry Square.

I have a black and white photo of BDI load-lifting just off O'Connell St. in Dublin which I shall post anon.

[Savoia]

Bell 47G G-AWRZ (cn. 7832) as seen on the A944 in the village of Bellabeg in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire in 1974

James McIntosh who worked for Yellow Bird Air Services at the time of the above photo states:

We were contracted to spread fertiliser on young trees on the Isle of Mull and as the helicopter was due a service, myself and American pilot Don Ambabo decided to head to Strathdon for the weekend and carry out the service there, before we flew to Mull.

Assisted by a local policeman, the pair landed on the road on the Friday evening before wheeling the helicopter to the cover of the local garage. During the weekend, they serviced and washed down the helicopter with the help of fellow Lonach Highlander Archibald Stuart.

When they manoeuvred it back out on Monday morning for take-off, things didn’t quite go to plan. We wheeled the chopper out onto the road and went to fire up the engine and there was nothing.

It was a piston-driven engine which can sometimes be difficult to start, especially after being hosed down and cleaned. Knowing that the local bus and other folks would be needing past soon we had to act quickly. As the battery on the helicopter was fairly small, a car can jump-start it – so I hijacked my father’s Rover.

There were a few bemused drivers and some of the locals were peering out their doors to watch proceedings. It’s not every day a helicopter uses the main road through Strathdon as a helipad.

[Savoia]

SE313B Alouette II (1648) EI-AUI as seen while shooting aerials for movie 'The Flame is Love' in 1979

This was originally a 'BEAS' bird (G-BANR) before being sold to Irish Helicopters in June 1974. The craft returned to the UK in May 1980 to fly with Peter Allwork's 'Aerial Camera Systems'. The craft was then registered as G-FILM but tragically perished in Croatia in May 1982 while filming the movie 'High Road to China.'

[Savoia]

Barclay Brothers S-76A+ 2-BYDF (formerly G-BYDF) (cn760364) as seen at Denham on 16th August 2017 (Photo: Brian Nichols)

This craft was once crewed and maintained by Bristows.

[Savoia]

The crane driver is said to have commented, ‘It’s never done that before!’ - Lol, brilliant!

[Savoia]

B205 Skid Change!

Q: What do you do when you need to effect a skid change .. but there are no gantries, cranes or jacks to hand?

A:

[noscoavia]

Flapping, yes more correct. Mast bump prevention is still the reason though.

[Savoia]

Grazie Nosco!

Regarding the ST, is it possible that the crewman was preventing blade 'flapping' specifically (as opposed to sailing or 'windmilling') otherwise wouldn't holding the blade with the brake have been sufficient?

Very interesting to learn that Erickson are taking over product support. I can only imagine that this will be of benefit to operators.

Concerning LN-OMM, this was tragic.

[Savoia]

Ah Nosco, some lovely nostalgia, great stuff!

The 214ST really was quite extraordinary. I remember seeing a large model of the craft (a concept at that time) displayed by Bell at Farnborough in the late 70's and thinking wow, what a beast!

You can read some of my thoughts about the 214ST here in a piece I wrote about Bell Helicopter a while back somewhere else.


G-BKFN swimming in the North Sea in May 1986 following the failure of her collective control locking plate

You mention C-GDYZ, and I 'think' this is a clip of her taken just three years ago:

More recently Erickson Air Crane repainted their ST, and this is what she looks like now, this filmed just last month:

Also, thrown in for good measure, is a clip of this ST which visited Air Park South in Missouri in the early 90's. The clip shows just how clean the 214's start was!

And the last one for now, Nosco perhaps you can clarify, was this necessary because the ST didn't have a rotorbrake?

While a somewhat gawky craft, the 214ST produced the epitome of the 'Bell slap' and could be heard for many miles before she became visible. All great stuff of course for the helicopter enthusiast but not, as Nosco mentions, especially appreciated by local residents.

Regarding Pumas, one of the companies I flew for in PNG operated three 330J's, one of which I am fairly sure had the smaller radome, much neater (methinks) than the Marignane affair.

[Savoia]

G-AYDK


Bell 206A JetRanger G-AYDK (cn 337) as seen at Fairoaks on 7th June 1970 (Photo: Trevor Bartlett)

This photo was taken two months after her registration to Fairoaks Aviation Services. She spent a year flying with Alan Mann (AFAIK) before being shipped to Zambia where she flew as 9J-ACT.

[Savoia]

Austrian Air Force


Agusta-Bell 206A 3C-JI (cn 8137) as seen at Sion in Switzerland in Jun 1997 (Photo: Paul Schaller)


Agusta-Bell 206A 3C-JH (cn 8135) as seen at Langenlebarn Air Base in Austria on 22nd March 1999 (Photo: Joop de Groot)

[Zishelix]

The DPAW used a single Gazelle when originally formed,...

Was it this one, by a chance?
http://www.aviafora.com/forums/forum...=6309#post6309

[Phil Croucher]

ALC - yes, I remember it well, plus ALW, ALY....... This one is ALU!



phil

[Savoia]

Wow, lovely shots there Elipix. I was never aware that Gleneagles had a 212! Great stuff.

As Gleneagles were based in Perth I was wondering if this was Scone?

Got to fly this craft while she was in PNG (albeit from the left seat) while accompanying her on a short assignment for the government.

[Helipixman]

Yes I think the second photo is at Turnhouse. I assume the reference to Car Dealers is the connection with Dickson Motors in Perth.

[noscoavia]

Nice one!. Is that at Turnhouse?. I worked with one of their engineers once, who made the comment that car dealers and offshore ops were not a good mix.

[Helipixman]

Scottish Bell 212 from the past.... G-GLEN

A couple of shots of G-GLEN during its time with Valley of Gleneagles Helicopters Ltd, 13.3.79 - 19.11.80

G-GLEN was re-registered as LN-OQS in Norway with Helikopter Service A/s before being restored to the UK again as G-GLEN, this time with Autair International Ltd, 14.10.83 - 6.7.89. It then became P2-PAV and met an unusual end near Ghazni, Afghanistan. It suffered a mechanical fault resulting in an emergency landing. Whilst left standing it was attacked by hostile forces who shot at the helicopter before launching two RPGs destroying it by fire. Days later it was transported to Kabul.

[Savoia]

Classic 212


Bell 212 OY-HCV (cn 31159) as seen at Jakobshavn-Ilulissat Airport in Greenland on 27th June 1988 (Photo: Erik Kristensen)

Operated by GLACE Greenlandair Charter.

[Savoia]

G-CULL


Bell 206B JetRanger II G-CULL (cn 348) as seen at Old Warden on 25th February 1992 (Photo: David Lunn)

Originally delivered to Bristows as G-BEWY in 1977 and sold to Copley Farms in 1984. In 1988 she flew for a year in Ireland as EI-BXQ returning to the UK to fly for Dollar from 1989 to 1993 during which time this photo was captured. With several other owners in her history she now flies with Polo Aviation of Bristol who bought her in 2001.

[Savoia]

Fantastic stuff HAS, much appreciated!

[Hoveratsix]

The first ferry back to the DRH facility at Marignagne took place between 1-3 November 1991. Aircraft was G-BJKA and the routing was ABZ-NEW-HUY Strubby (Company Base in Lincolnshire). O/N then Southend-Beauvais-Toussus-le-Noble-Nevers-Lyon(Brun). O/N then Caderousse (unscheduled stop in a melon field due to deteriorating weather!). The farmer's son was an English student which made comms a lot easier. Family came back from church and invited me to stay for lunch. Wx improved so on to Avignon and finally Marseille. An Aerospatiale Tech Rep cadged a lift from Toussus to Lyon. The highlight was the First Class upgrade with Air France to GLG and ABZ!!

The second ferry was in G-BFVW with Don Macdonald in VV between 16-19 March 1992. Routing was ABZ- Boulmer-BPL-Staverton. O/N then Exeter- mid-Channel(div back to Exeter due to fog) O/N then Dinard-La Rochelle-Agen. O/N then Beziers-Marignane. We had to fly VFR as the a/c had been stripped of its IF kit!

Now Mauritania....that's another story!! Coming soon to a forum near you!!

[Savoia]

Grazie HAS. I was just wondering why Aérospatiale decided on two filling points for the main tanks?

[Savoia]

Hoveratsix wrote: I returned G-BJKA to France as Bond were replacing the 365C with the 365N. I ferried VW to Nouadhibou, Mauritania and worked there between Jan 20 to March 6 1980.

HAS: Are you able to elaborate a little on this flight, including the routing you took. Was the ferry uneventful and how was the work in Mauritania when you were there. Were they just starting-out in such operations?

[Hoveratsix]

I agree, Sav, great photographs! The bottom one is Plockton. The North Scottish photo is not Aberdeen, I think but not sure where!

[Hoveratsix]

Sav, you are correct about the fuel filler caps. The two lower ones were for the underfloor fuel tanks and the top one was for the auxiliary cabin tank. The parts circled are part of the fuel jettison system.

[Savoia]

Elipix, truly lovely photos once again, brilliant!

Very much like the middle shot of G-BJKA with the North Scottish titles and also showing a fin from a Dan Air HS-748. HAS, does this look like Aberdeen to you?

Some questions for HAS ..

In the top photo of F-WXFG (from Elipix) there seem to be three fuel filler caps. Presumably the top one was for the auxiliary tank you mentioned, but was it common to have two lower filling points?

In the next two shots (of yours) can you identify the 'flanges' (for want of a better word) which appear at the rear of the skids (circled in yellow).

Grazie

[Savoia]

Fantastico Elipix!

[Helipixman]

More Classic Dauphin: G-BJKA and G-BJKB







All photos from the Helipixman collection.

[Savoia]

Wonderful stuff HAS!

A great example of the Dauphin in action as well as a clear depiction of the port-side winch of which you made mention.