The Rotary Nostalgia Thread

[Savoia]

As I was saying ..


South Western Electricity Board Agusta-Bell 206A JetRanger G-AVYX as seen at Blackbushe Aerodrome on 14th September 1970 (Photo: Ad Vercruijse)

This 206 I affectionately refer to as 'Black Sox' because of her black 'feet or socks' (skids) which actually remind me of a Suffolk sheep and in tribute to Charles 'Sox' Hosegood who pioneered SWEB's helicopter unit. SWEB's last 206 was in fact named 'Spirit of Sox'.

Sox Hosegood was a test pilot with the Bristol Aeroplane Company together with my godfather. The two remained good friends over many years.

G-AVYX was the 12th JetRanger delivered to the UK from Agusta and was purchased from new by SWEB. She was officially registered with the CAA on 28th November 1967.


The Suffolk sheep which remind me of G-AVYX

[Savoia]

AS365N2 G-TRAF (6074) as seen near Chelmsford, Essex in June 1986 (Photo by Andrew Goldsmith)

G-TRAF captured here during an inspection of the A12 near Chelmsford prior to the opening of the by-pass. One or more of the Trafalgar House subsidiaries were providing construction services to the project and whose staff were decent enough to paint a temporary 'H' for craft's visit.

[Savoia]

Maltese Air Force Agusta-Bell 47G-2 9H-AEE (225) with 9H-AAG at Luqa Malta on 21st October 1983 (Photo by John Visanich)

[Helipixman]

Yes he was, must have been downstairs at the time of this photo, Mama elipix was also on the bus but would not come upstairs. Before we got on the bus my father took cine film of us holding both cups - must look for it.

[Savoia]

That is great Elipix and what a wonderful memory for you! Was papà Elipix also aboard this bus?

[Helipixman]

Nostalgic Memories

Sorry not about helicopters, but as mentioned I was at the 1971 FA Cup final, this was the year Arsenal did the double, FA Cup and League Champions. I can be seen in the photo during the Cup parade, my brother Peter is just behind me, not one bit interested in what is going on, not really a great football fan !



Above: I am sitting next to Arsenal manager Bertie Mee in 1971

[Savoia]

Grazie Elipix!

I think the photo may be of the stadium where the photo is said to have been taken, ie. Layer Road in Colchester, but the rest of the details seem somewhat askew.

I'm guessing that the AAC took this shot and offered to make something of an event of giving it to the club by way of showing support for the club/community or something along those lines.

[Helipixman]

Not really sure what the photo is about, but looking at the stadium in the photo it is not Wembley !

In 1972 Colchester went out in the 2nd round being beaten by Gillingham. My team, Arsenal went on to to the final against Leeds United on 6th may 1972 and lost 1-0. I was at that game, so not sure how Spurs were thought to be in the final.

I have no idea what the photo is all about but as I mentioned it is ceratinly not Wembley, the ground is too rectangular where as Wembley is more oval shaped.

Has someone mixed up dates because Colchester Played Leeds United at Layer Road on 13th January 1971 in the FA Cup 5th Round and they beat Leeds 3-2. Colchester were beaten in the 6th round 5-0 by Everton. Arsenal were again finalists in 1971 beating Liverpool 2-1 I was also at that game.

Still none the wiser as to why an aerial photo was being given though ?

[Savoia]

Westland Sioux from 665 Squadron AAC as seen at Layer Road Stadium in Colchester, Essex on 13th January 1972
(Photo by Desmond Blake)

The Sioux landed on the pitch prior to a match between Colchester United and Bury. Major Allan Bower is seen presenting a photograph (taken from the Sioux) of the Leeds United cup tie.

Elipix, as Avia's official football advisor, do you have any idea why the Army would be giving Colchester United a photo of the final between Leeds and Spurs (which I assume is the 'cup tie' the photo notes mention). Also, did Leeds in fact have a tie with Spurs in '72? I thought you had a 'shoot out' when a tie happens?


Photo Replay

While on the matter of football, this is an opportune moment to re-post an image from page 5 #128 which features 1960's Brantly's and the UK police, but here is a 'side' image:


Someone with an armband, two policemen, and what looks like a St. John's first-aider, on the touchline during a game at Spurs' White Hart Lane football ground, in Tottenham, London in 1962

[Helipixman]

I think it must have been with Autair, where the shot is taken it was outside their blister hangar.

[Savoia]

Will make some enquiries Elipix but this is almost certainly taken in the early 80's and I suspect that this craft is associated with Autair who were selling a number of JetRangers into Africa at that time.

[Helipixman]

5N-APP Bell 206B II (s/n 2018)

Seen at Luton Aiport, not sure of date ? I have tried to find details of this craft but there does not seem to be much info about. It has a big horse logo on the side so I wonder who owned this ? I am sure after it was broken up it may have been in Scotland but again unsure ?

Help anyone ?

[Savoia]

Ha ha, great stuff! 🤣

[AndyM]

Caribbean call sign 8 Pineapple, Banana, Hotel, Mango!!!!

[Savoia]

Lovely shot Andrea 👌 literally 'flying high!' 👍 The calm 'after' the storm. 😊

[AndyM]

Dauphin Memories

AS365N Dauphin II 8P-BHM (cn.6077) ex PH-SST en route from Barbados to Antigua post hurricane Georges in 1998.

[AndyM]

I'm afraid that they are the only photos Maureen had. My wife actually photographed the photographs!!!!
Not a bad effort.
We met Maureen at the Sywell Motel and I had the greatest pleasure returning her fathers log books and pilots licence to her. I never for a moment thought they belonged to me. I had almost given up on finding the familly. I decided to give it one last chance and posted on another aviation web site that shall not be named. By chance Maureen had googled her fathers name and the post came up. As they say the rest is history. Maureen was amazed that anything still remained to be found after 50 years. One interesting entry in her fathers log book for a flight notes simply John Lennon, Beatle.

[Helipixman]

Hi AndyM great to have you in this group. Some wonderful nostalgia and photos, do you have any more of the helicopters operated by Christian Salvesen in the album ?

The accident you refer to happened on 18.7.63 in N8785F at High House farm, Heckingham, Norfolk. Initial cause was reported at tiredness but after a post mortem it was more likely from Toxic Pesticide poisoning.

[Savoia]

Some incredible nostalgia there Andrea, bravo! 👍

As is happens, the Colonel served as chief pilot for Christian Salvesen in support their whaling operations in Antarctica in the mid 50's.

Very sad though that Ron perished in that crash and that this happened so early in his career.

[AndyM]

Ronald Harvey Osborn

In the late 80's I came across the log books of Ronald Osborn who was one of the first commercial helicopter pilots in the UK. I went on to spend nearly thirty years trying to locate his family in order to return them.

Ron learnt to fly in Southern Rhodesia during the war, and remained there as a flight instructor. After the war, he continued to instruct for the R.A.F at Sywell. As chance would have it, in the early 80's we lived in Sywell, opposite the churchyard, and I later discovered that Ronald was buried about 50 yards from our front door!

He went on to convert to helicopters and flew Whirlwinds for Helicopter Whaling in the early 50's. In his log book it shows that his conversion from fixed wing to helicopters was undertaken by Alan Bristow and John Fay.

The photos below are from Ron's photo album and depict various scenes from his life. This were given to me courtesy of his daughter Maureen, whom I have sadly lost contact with over the years. Maureen was just four years old when her father was killed on the last flight of the day after having spent the day spraying with a Hughes 300 in Norfolk in 1963. Unusually, this was an American registered aircraft which was owned by Westland and leased to Management Aviation.

[Savoia]

Okay grazie, will amend my photo notes accordingly.👍

[Savoia]

Grazie Andrea! 👍

[AndyM]

Surely that is Middle Wallop? Bristow had the initial helicopter training contract for the army

[AndyM]

G-JAMC photograph taken at the back of Dollars hangar Coventry. They also looked after G-JAMI in 1979
The rusty car bodies and hangar are unmistakeable!!!!

[Savoia]

Oh no 😲 WIZZ has come down with a bang! 😫 How thankful we are though that all on board are okay! 😊👍

Yes, WIZZ has featured at various time on the Nostalgia Threads (old and new). I first got to see her in 1978, just months after her delivery. She was one of the first (if not the first) 206 delivered to the UK on 'highs' (ie. high skids without pop-out floats).

'𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝒗𝒊𝒂 𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔!' — Oh yes, Albania is 'the' place for news these days! 🤣

[Helipixman]

Nostalgia News

G-WIZZ Forced Landing

Agusta-Bell JetRanger G-WIZZ, a helicopter which has featured many times on Rotary Nostalgia, has suffered a forced landing and severed it's tail boom. Hopefully there is no other damage and it could be put back into the air soon.

The ASN report states that the aircraft suffered a "loss of engine power" but that none of the three people on board were injured.

The accident happened on Humberston Fitties Beach in Grimsby, Lincolnshire on 15.10.21. Looking at the photo, the marks in the sand show a run on and boom severed.

Strange that I found this photo via Albanian News!

[Savoia]

Grønlandsfly (Greenlandair) S-61N OY-HAN (cn.6487) as seen at Narsarsuaq Airport in Greenland on 1st January 1970
(Photo by Mat Herben)

[Savoia]

Westland-Bell 47G-4A G-AXKY (WA729) as seen at Redhill in May 1970

From a time when Bristows trained many of their pilots in house.

[Savoia]

Bell 206B G-KFDF (cn.1748) filming during the Needles Trophy near the Isle of Wight in 1988

G-KFDF from 24:14 mins

[Savoia]

Civilian Chinooks


Boeing-Vertol 234LR Chinook N225RA as seen at Linden Airport in New Jersey in 1990

One of two Chinooks flying for the Trump Corporation in 1990. Both were later sold to Columbia Helicopters.