The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

[Savoia]

LOL! Oh dear .. the thought of it !!

More BEA Nostalgia ..


BEA S-61N G-ASNL (aka Arsenal) at Penzance Heliport c. 1960's (Photo: E. Ludwig)

ps: I think his hand is actually stuck there!

[Tarman]

Maybe he was taking a 'selfie' with a Polaroid !!

[Savoia]

Another take of the venerable G-AZCF at Penzance ..


British European Airways Sikorsky S-61N G-AZCF landing at Penzance Heliport in September 1972 (Photo: GV Halliday)

By the look of the extended left arm in this and the previous photo .. one has to assume that the 'co-jo' was driving!

[Savoia]

British European Airways Sikorsky S-61N G-AZCF approaches the heliport at Penzance in September 1972 (Photo: GV Halliday)

Commissioned into service with BEA in July 1971 "Charlie Fox" went on to fly from London Gatwick to Brunei on 8th June 1981 .. a journey which took 85 hours over 16 days accomplished in 25 sectors and arriving at Anduki Airport in Brunei on 24th June 1981. While in Brunei she served on contract with Shell.

In the new millennium she evidently found herself Stateside initially tasked with Pacific Helicopters of Hawaii and then with Erickson Aircrane. Word is she last flew offshore in Brasil.

Our thanks to Mr GV Halliday for this wonderful photo!

[Savoia]

Greenlandair's S-61N OY-HAF as seen at the Jacobshavn-Illulissat (Icefjord) Airport in Greenland in June 1992 (Photo: Erik Gjoerup Kristensen)

Great to see this aircraft at work and with our thanks to Erik Kristensen for this wonderful photo.

[Savoia]

While looking at 'First Rangers' we should include G-AVIG's sister-ship, construction no. 8003, SE-HBI:


Ostermans Aero Agusta-Bell 206A JetRanger SE-HBI as seen at Malmen Airport in Linköping on 23rd September 1967 (Photo: Lars Lundin)

SE-HBI was the third 206 off Agusta's production line and the first JetRanger delivered to Sweden.

The word is that this aircraft is still flying, in Australia, as VH-BCX!

[Savoia]

More Suffolk sheep ..

'Black Sox' (see G-AVYX above) was not the only UK 206 of the 'Suffolk sheep' variety ..


Bristow Agusta-Bell 206A JetRanger G-AVIG as seen at Redhill in the late 1960's (Photo: Courtesy of 'Oldlae', photographer unknown)

As can be seen, she also had black 'feet'!

G-AVIG was the UK's first JetRanger, delivered in March 1967 and the fourth 206 off Agusta's production line being Construction No. 8004.

Sadly, she perished in a CFIT accident in Antarctica on 5th January 1985.

[Savoia]

More SWEB and more Bell ..


SWEB Agusta-Bell 47J-2 G-ASLR at Plymouth's Roborough Airport on 25th January 1970 (Photo: Stephen Rendle)

Another one of Sox's ships .. this one the first for the SWEB helicopter unit.

Purchased by SWEB from Agusta in 1963 and sold to Twyford Moors Helicopters in 1972.

Of the delivery flight:

A fascinating tale is told of how the Agusta Bell was brought back from Milan to Bristol.

Surprisingly the Chairman, Bill Irens, chose to go with Sox Hosegood to take delivery of the helicopter in early October and to fly back as far as Gatwick taking 3 days.

Mr. Irens said "it was the most exciting experience of his life" and related how they flew at little more than 150ft, following the coast line of the Italian and French Rivieras and then across France, stopping en route, not always where planned, for sleep and sustenance. The weather was warm and sunny and he was surprised how many people relaxed naked on roof gardens!

From Peter Lamb's "A 35 Year History of the SWEB Helicopter Unit"

[Savoia]

Sud-Ouest Bell 47G-2 F-BGOF (cn 1319) departing Royan beach in France in August 1959 (Photo: Frédéric Renaud)

This image may cause a small quandary; for the sight of an American Bell 47 bearing the name 'Sud-Ouest' seems, initially, incongruous!

That is until one discovers that this was not the left over of an attempt at 'reverse-engineering' by Sud-Ouest (as in the Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-ouest) in their development of the Alouette II (before they became Sud Aviation) but in fact a Bell 47 owned by the French newspaper Sud-Ouest!

Seen here departing the beach at Royan which is about 40 miles North-northwest of Bordeaux (where the newspaper was based) and about 20 miles West of Cognac!

[Nomorehelosforme]

Yes it appears normal service has resumed after the fiasco at Christmas! Wonder how long before we start seeing some of the old faces on here?

[Tarman]

Now. . . . . . Where were we ?

[Savoia]

Another shot of 'Black Sox' taken two years after the above photo:


SWEB Agusta-Bell 206A G-AVYX at Plymouth's Roborough Airport on 20th April 1972 (Photo: Stephen Rendle)

Memorial Edit (18th February 2014)

12 days after this post was submitted, Charles 'Sox' Hosegood passed away.

I therefore wish to take this opportunity to dedicate this post to his memory.

While I have nicknamed SWEB's first JetRanger 'Black Sox' (for the reasons mentioned above) it should be noted that SWEB's last JetRanger was in fact named 'Spirit of Sox'.

Charles and my godfather worked together at the Bristol Aeroplane Company, later to become Westland Helicopters, for several years and flew together many times in Sycamores, Belvederes and numerous other types.

You may read Charles' obituary here.


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Charles T.D. 'Sox' Hosegood
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4th January 1921 - 17th February 2014


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