Shrieking Gazelles

[Savoia]

Quite right, my mistake, and which no doubt resulted in your reference to G-OGAZ. G-OGEO was, as you say, previously F-GEHC.

While on French registrations .. do you have any history on F-GEST?




SA342J F-GEST (cn: 1113) as seen in Albertville, France, date unknown (Photo: Christophe Gothié)

[Zishelix]

Sure: as SA.341G F-BVRU, EC-CUA & F-GEST (later transformed into SA.342J). Crashed in September 2005, 2 killed.

[Savoia]

Very sad.

The accident report seems to suggest the pilot may have suffered a heart attack induced by the g forces encountered while making a tight base leg turn onto final approach at Albertville Airport??


SA341G F-GEST as seen at Chambery Aix-les-Bains Airport on 24th January 1999 (Photo: Fabien Campillo)

[Savoia]

More GEST ..


SA342J F-GEST at Nice Airport in July 2003 (Photo: Air-Azur)

[Zishelix]

So we need it as F-BVRU and EC-CUA as well… oh, OK



SA.341G F-BVRU at Le Bourget Jun75 and



SA.341G EC-CUA at Madrid Airport, Nov82 (Photo: Francisco Andreu)

[Savoia]

That's a nice shot of BVRU. Do you happen to know who was operating it at the time?


Engine change on a Soko Gazelle

[Zishelix]

Do you happen to know who was operating it at the time?

It's "HELI AFFAIRES EJA" lettering visible the tail boom.

[Savoia]

Grazie Zis!

Do you have any ideas on the possible registration of this Gaz. Seen here flying at Le Bourget on 31st May 1975. No registration is visible but, as you can see, the craft is sporting German national colours on the vertical stabilisers.


Aerospatiale Gazelle as seen at Le Bourget on 31st May 1975

[Zishelix]

It's D-HOYE (the reg letters probably retouched in the print you have shown).

[Savoia]

Bravo Zis!

More orange Gaz ..


Royal Navy SA341C Westland Gazelle HT2 XW891/49 (cn WA1163) as seen at Greenham Common Air Base on 24th June 1979 (Photo: Fred Willemsen)

From the markings .. based at RNAS Culdrose and a member of the RN 'Sharks' display team.

[Savoia]

Central College Nottingham has been chosen as the only English venue to host a prestigious WorldSkills UK squad selection event. Hundreds of the UK’s most talented apprentices, employees and learners will battle it out over three days of competition in June 2014 at Central’s Ruddington campus in a bid to secure their place in Squad UK for WorldSkills Sao Paulo 2015.

The selection event will focus on Aircraft Maintenance, Automotive Body Repair, Automotive Technician, Automotive Re-finishing and Commercial Refrigeration categories. The Ruddington campus is the base for Central’s specialist automotive centre – Emtec College Ltd – and was chosen by World Skills because of the industry-standard facilities on offer.

http://www.centralnottingham.ac.uk/w...ills-2014.aspx

An RAF Gazelle is trucked to Central College Nottingham in support of the WorldSkills UK selection event

[Savoia]

Army Air Corps Westland SA341B Gazelle AH1 XX409 (cn WA1351) as seen at Chantilly in France on 9th September 1989 while attending the World Helicopter Championships (Photo: Fred Willemsen)

[Gary Gazelle]

crashed into the water in Hong Kong 1977 - rebuilt by Westlands

[Zishelix]

XX409 was demobbed during 2009 and seen at Stapleford Tawney (privately owned, not in flying condition) in June 2012. No info of her fate since then...

[Savoia]

Grazie Zis!


SA341C Westland Gazelle G-ZZLE of the 'Gazelle Squadron' (formerly XX436) as seen at Throckmorton Airfield on 7th June 2014 (Photo: Martin Jones)


SA341D Westland Gazelle G-CBSK of the 'Gazelle Squadron' (formerly ZB627) as seen at Throckmorton Airfield on 7th June 2014 (Photo: Martin Jones)

[Savoia]

SA342J F-GJSL (cn 1052) stretched Gazelle as seen at Issy-les-Moulineaux Heliport in Paris c.2000 (Photo: Frank Cohen)

Read more about F-GJSL on page 8 in our summary of Gazelles which encountered the notorious "Tail Swing Bite!"

[Savoia]

SA341G Westland Gazelle F-BXPG (cn WA1073) as seen at the Airfield of La Tour-du-Pin in Cessieu c.1980

This aircraft was operated by Auxiair based at Lyon-St. Exupery Airport in Lyon and was previously owned by Twyford Moors Helicopters of Southampton in the UK. WA1073 also flew in Italy as I-ATOM.

[Zishelix]

Some trivia about these two Gazelles: F-GJSL was owned by the well known French house of couture Yves St. Laurent while F-BXPG once took part in "La Chasse aux trésors" (Treasure Hunt) TV show in 1981.

[Savoia]

Très bon Zis!

F-BXPG as she looked six years before the photo above:


Twyford Moors Helicopters SA341G Westland Gazelle (cn WA1073) G-BAZL as seen at Southampton Heliport in 1974 (Photo: Barry Friend)

"Bazil" seen here receiving what might be referred to as .. pre-flight maintenance!

[Savoia]

More WA1073 ..


SA341G Westland Gazelle (cn WA1073) G-EZEL as seen at Goodwood Aerodrome on 13th March 2004

Having started life as G-BAZL, this craft then became F-BXPG, then I-ATOM, before returning to the British register in 2000 to fly as G-EZEL.

[Zishelix]

WA1073 was used for Special Branch operations in and around London when Twyford Moors Helicopters had the Metropolitan Police contract during 1975.

Today it is with Gazelle Helicopters.

[Savoia]

WA1073 was used for Special Branch operations in and around London when Twyford Moors Helicopters had the Metropolitan Police contract during 1975.

It would be wonderful to hear about these operations from someone who was involved. Perhaps one day!

In the meantime .. do you know anything about cn 1125 which 'seems' to have been delivered new to South Africa .. but after that one hears nothing more!


SA341G ZS-HYI (cn 1125) as seen at Rand Airport on 7th October 1977 (Photo: Gabriel le Roux)

[Zishelix]

ZS-HYI was delivered to the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) and was then bought back by the local Aerospatiale dealer, Heliquip Ltd. based at Rand Airport, who then sold her to Marie Coetzee Helikopter Huur.

The last info I have is that it was seen stored at Johannesburg International Airport in May 2005.

I assume that it is probably HYI in this small & blurred image.

[Savoia]

Grazie! It would be interesting to know whether she's still sitting in the hangar!

Low-level Gaz over Verdun in north-eastern France.

[Savoia]

Another blue Gaz (to compliment F-BXPG and ZS-HYI) and also another Gaz without many details.

Do you have any idea what may have happened to her after her time with EDF?


Électricité de France SA341G F-BVEI (cn 1087) c.1970's (Photo: Dominique Roosens)

[Zishelix]

Sadly, I have no up-to-date info about this one

What I know is that after EDF it went to Heli-France, then Air Affaires, Equipbail and finally Intelair.

Last seen in April 1994 at Issy-les-Moulineaux.

[Savoia]

Okay, grazie!

Sticking with the classic blue scheme (for now) is this Serbian example:


Serbian Air Force SA341H 12651 as seen in Serbia in 2011 (Photo: Anton Balachiev)

Seen here having her engine changed. I suspect this is probably a Soko-built craft.

[xbdt]

Yes it is a Soko S/N 19
I see the fenestron gear box and blades are missing also.

[Savoia]

Grazie XB!

More French Gaz ..


SA341G F-GFEB, evidently operated by 'Francecopter' (Photo: Helico-Fascination)

Seen here wearing the 'Rotor Club de Paris' badge.

[Savoia]

SA341G Gazelle G-GAZA as seen at Northampton's Sywell Airport on 31st May 2014 (Photo: Mick Bajcar)

Read more about G-GAZA, when she was G-RALE, on page 12.

[Savoia]

More F-GFEB ..


F-GFEB c.1980's (Photo: Patrick Mathieu)