The chinook crash in November 1986 sticks in my mind as I was working my first trip offshore when it happened only a few days after I got onboard. I knew a couple of the guys who died and it was pretty grim reading the details of it offshore knowing that in a week or so you would have to climb aboard a helicopter and fly back to Shetland yourself.

The guys and girls out on the rigs deserve full credit for the jobs they do, it’s far from an easy life out there let alone getting to and from their place of work!

Regards
Linzee

Fully agree – I did 14years (Ekofisk, Alexander Kielland, 36/22, 37/4, Cormorant, Dunlin, North Cormorant, Brent Charlie, Auk Alpha, FSU then ending on the Fulmar Alpha in 1991) – happy days but never again!

My Grandad worked for British Airways Helicopters on the Scilly Isles for a long time, he never liked the Chinook and stated the company didn’t either.
Didn’t BA (or another rig operator) suffer a fatal with Chinook?

My Grandfather was on shift on that horendous day for S-61N ‘ON 16 July 1983, and it is a day I will never forget – even remember what I was doing, the weather, and news reports clearly even though I was only 12.

I can remember BA using S-76 Spirits and WG-13 (fat Lynx!).

BA had a fatal crash 2.5 miles from Sumburgh on 6th November 1986 – 45 killed, 2 survived. A/c was G-BWFC

The accident report states the aircraft was recovered…..anybody know what happened to it?

ISTR that BAH used it as an engine/component test bed at Aberdeen for a while – it never flew again, certainly whilst it was in the UK.

Blub…..

At least you took the wings off! Tell me this is destined to become the mother of all home simulators!!! 😀 Of course the only button you need working is on the overhead panel and marked ‘ATTEND’. Then just the small matter of getting your wife/gf/sig other to play along. Maybe even in uniform……….but I digress! 😀

I stored it at Graham Revils farm in Birlingham, near Pershore, for a couple of months, before we sold it to a Dutch collector, who has restored it as a 737NG with glass cockpit. A couple of days after it left, some b*stard stole the empty trailer! Wife has a total aversion to any aeronautical matters, but I seem to get away with it……;)

I also would like to hear the Sabena story 🙂 No harm done, since they went bankrupt years ago.

I have been respectfully requested NOT to publicise the Sabena incident at the moment – there’s at least one person still at EDI who was involved – in a senior position. Sorry chaps, for the time being….

Thanks for that.

EASA – a dirty word for many these days.
Any chance of a photo or two of your remaining fleet?

Only one available at the moment is the Sky, restored to original 1952 condition when it was entered for the World Championships. This is the glider that Hans Nietlispatch flew from Switzerland over the Alps and Pyrenees to Spain!

Not my picture – I cannot remember the name of the nice chap who took it. I’ll credit it immediately if he gets in touch.