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By: - 2nd August 2012 at 11:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That is a great shame. Back in the early 80s, I was working at Monarch based at LGW. On a day off, I scrounged a lift on the old S61 Skylink? service between LGW and LHR. I did the round trip with a couple of hours spotting at LHR thrown in, befor returning to Gatwick on the same aircraft. The only other 'heli' trip I did was over London in a Bell Jetranger.
By: - 30th October 2012 at 20:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
At least one person and BBC news interested in this, service to end tomorrow, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20146673
By: - 30th October 2012 at 20:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Saw the piece on BBC news, didn't realise until now that the ferry service shuts down during the winter months, the Scilly Isles have very little cover for anyone in need of medical attention or indeed contact with the mainland.
Apparently there is a light aircraft service, but even that is subject to disruption during the winter months, locals have queried as to why there is no subsidised service as in the Scottish Islands.
By: - 30th October 2012 at 21:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Sad news. A friend of mine is a pilot for them, but obviously not for much longer.
Such ashame they could no longer make such a long standing service work anymore.
By: - 30th October 2012 at 21:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
the Scilly Isles have very little cover for anyone in need of medical attention or indeed contact with the mainland.
I assume in the event of a medical emergency, air ambulances or Navy Sea-Kings from Culdrose would be drafted in to ferry the patient?
By: - 30th October 2012 at 23:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The 'Scillonian' passenger ferry ship does go in for overhaul every autumn but there is a cargo ship the 'Gry Maritha' as back-up.
The 'Skybus' airline operates scheduled services with BN-2A Islanders from Land's End airfield and a new terminal and control tower there are nearing completion. They also fly Twin Otters from Newquay and Exeter to Scilly.
QUOTE=silver fox;1945463]Saw the piece on BBC news, didn't realise until now that the ferry service shuts down during the winter months, the Scilly Isles have very little cover for anyone in need of medical attention or indeed contact with the mainland.
Apparently there is a light aircraft service, but even that is subject to disruption during the winter months, locals have queried as to why there is no subsidised service as in the Scottish Islands.[/QUOTE]
By: - 31st October 2012 at 13:18 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Longshot, the winter ship isn't known as the Grim Reaper for nothing! In the winter (indeed even the summer) both the sea and the fixed wing services are at the mercy of the weather.
The helicopter service has been hugely valuable to the locals and business alike, the story of its downfall is a sad one indeed involving greed and aspirations by the local council in Penzance. Losing this service is a blow.
Emergencies are covered by Sea Kings at Culdrose, but the BIH S-61Ns fly their share of medical pax, an auntie of mine on St Agnes can vouch for both services after difficulties in labour.
By: - 31st October 2012 at 14:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
End of an Era
Gave PZ a call on 118.1 yesterday;wished them luck, and thanked them for 36 years (for me) of a traffic info service in the PZ area.The final flight will come back from SCY at 17.30 today and then the last 61 will depart to NQY,leaving no aircraft on site.
Still unsure what will happen to the location in the short term as there is a possibility of a judicial review regarding the granting of planning permission for a supermarket.
Needless to say the weather forecast this week will only fuel concerns regarding the loss of this service in the winter months.
For Penzance this will be the end of an aviation link going back to 1964,which of course was to replace the BEA Rapides that had operated from St Just.
By: - 31st October 2012 at 15:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think I only ever spoke to Penzance over the RT once, but they were a nice and helpful group!
Hopefully all the personnel will find jobs elsewhere soon.
By: - 31st October 2012 at 17:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Here's a view of the (wet) heliport at 1600 today with the penultimate S-61 in the air, I just heard the last outbound for St Mary's over Penzance at 1700
Gave PZ a call on 118.1 yersterday;wished them luck, and thanked them for 36 years (for me) of a traffic info service in the PZ area.The final flight will come back from SCY at 17.30 today and then the last 61 will depart to NQY,leaving no aircraft on site.
Still unsure what will happen to the location in the short term as there is a possibility of a judicial review regarding the granting of planning permission for a supermarket.
Needless to say the weather forecast this week will only fuel concerns regarding the loss of this service in the winter months.
For Penzance this will be the end of an aviation link going back to 1964,which of course was to replace the BEA Rapides that had operated from St Just.
By: - 31st October 2012 at 20:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Nice photo of such a sad day. Ashame they won't keep it as an airfield, surely it would be an idea with hangarage there etc.
By: - 31st October 2012 at 20:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Don't be silly, you're thinking logically.;)
By: - 31st October 2012 at 20:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Penzance HP 'final PT movement'
Nice shot L-Shot,and i popped in this evening to see the final flight come in and say goodbye to some of the team (including former ones who turned up).
The last flight came in late,no doubt due to a tearful departure event,and was greeted by many wellwishers.FJ took a rotors running refuel and eventually departed to NQY.
Standing in the front of an (empty of aircraft) hangar i enquired what was to happen with the structure and the answer seemed to indicate it will be rapidly demolished !!,thereby ensuring the site is deemed as abandoned for aviation use,and clearing the decks for a s-mkt.
A sad day for PZ and also a warning that the all powerful s-mkts continue to erode us of facilities that are unfortunate enough to be located on 'development land'(former rubbish tip).This sorry tale has seen a valuable transport facility sacrificed to the God of retail !!!! RIP.
By: - 31st October 2012 at 21:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I just hope that the judicial review you mention does take place and give the appropriate boldies a good kicking. It's an absolute disgrace what has happened and I don't know one local that wants an extra supermarket (particularly as Tescos and Morrisons are right next door) to add to the running down of the town, let alone to the sacrifice of this transport link.
It's a particulaly sad day as my grandfather worked at St Marys & occasionally Penzance for BEA and BA from the Dragon Rapide through the helicopter period.
My gran lives just off Eastern Green and still thrills to the noise of the S-61Ns, or did. needless to say many other family members have relied on the helicopter service.
By: - 31st October 2012 at 22:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think BIH did absolutely the right thing from the business point of view....£4million for the land is not to be sniffed at....the lack of vision goes back to the local authorities and the thrombotic British planning laws...in BIH's defence they did project a new heliport at St Erth but the nimbys shot that down and why should BIH spend any money fighting for it?
I went to a talk by a Skybus official recently (they're spending money on a new Land's End terminal) and I asked him what would be the ideal site for fixed wing ops...he said the heliport site! :)
They had a chance 25 years ago....and if you look at the land behind the heliport the potential is still there....but it won't happen
By: - 31st October 2012 at 22:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That's half the problem it became too business centric, it should have been more subsidised as a local asset.
I didn't know anyone that favoured the St Erth move, the heliport was ideal at the end of the railway and A30, flight delays and cancellations are inevitable and time spent in, or transport arrangements made out of, Penzance are easier.
There was absolutely no need to try and put up another supermarket there, and apparently the Duchy would have gained the most financially from selling the heliport land.
By: - 31st October 2012 at 22:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
It's ashame that the locals rejected the new heliport idea and now have lost BIH in the process, but atleast they get another supermarket out of it which will lead to more congestion :D :rolleyes:
In all seriousness though, it does look like a nice area for use as a small airfield. Too bad that the buildings will be knocked down asap, rather than used to their potential.
Supermarkets seem to be everywhere and oversaturate in some areas. When I lived near the Pool industrial estate in Redruth I had 3 options for tescos - One in redruth town, one near pool market and one just inside Camborne.. not to mention Morrisons (formerly Safeway, where I worked just before I learnt to fly and went on to work at the flying school) that was 5mins walk from my old house!
By: - 1st November 2012 at 00:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Penzance air link.
Quite a while ago there was a report into the transport situation with relation to the Isles of Scilly.
This projected that the helicopter service would prove to be unsustainable for the long term,and therefore a 'fixed wing' option would have to prevail.
Skybus had to fight to get a licence for a scheduled service as their original service was 'charter' based,and only Brymon supplied the other limited operation to the Isles.
In fact business was good in those days and the helicopter flew with high % payloads.
Even so they had the advantage of a machine that was specifically modified for the route with baggage hatches slotted into the hull to reduce turnaround times.
As the company advanced through BEA, BA,Maxwell.and then being part of commercial companies, so it lost the protection of a subsidised offshoot and back up equipment.The S61 has been a faithful servant,but only at an increasing operating cost that would never match the fares.
The main problem is that passengers (local & tourists) have got used to a service that was always going to have a problem funding new equipment (even if it existed) and therefore it comes down to 'who pays'!!.
In fact; the Islands do have a comprehensive fixed wing service,and emergency coverage from the local air ambulance plus Culdrose.
Skybus are organising extra coverage to fill the 'air-gap',but they will have the added ongoing problem of having excess capacity in the low months which reduces the operating profit.
My idea of a giant hydraulic catapault (with computer prediction) seems almost plausible now.
By: - 1st November 2012 at 22:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Photo by (and uploaded for)pobjoy pete
I popped in this evening to see the final flight come in and say goodbye to some of the team (including former ones who turned up).
The last flight came in late,no doubt due to a tearful departure event,and was greeted by many wellwishers.FJ took a rotors running refuel and eventually departed to NQY.
Standing in the front of an (empty of aircraft) hangar i enquired what was to happen with the structure and the answer seemed to indicate it will be rapidly demolished !!,thereby ensuring the site is deemed as abandoned for aviation use,and clearing the decks for a s-mkt.
A sad day for PZ and also a warning that the all powerful s-mkts continue to erode us of facilities that are unfortunate enough to be located on 'development land'(former rubbish tip).This sorry tale has seen a valuable transport facility sacrificed to the God of retail !!!! RIP.
By: - 2nd November 2012 at 00:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
PZ (the last rites)
Thanks for that LS (would not have been possible in the the good old film days). I am more used to looking down on the site on working days,and remember when the EH101 came down for some PR and local tests.
In fact many yeras ago the 'tilt rotor' was thought of as a possible future machine,but then fuel was cheap,and no one had any idea of the development costs.
What made the 61 (EB) work on this route was its capacity, and the modifications incorporated to allow rapid turnarounds (hull baggage entry).
This machine is up to approx 50,000 hrs,so certainly did its job but has no real economic replacement.In the 80's the service was boosted by the addition of a WG30 (single crew 19px) on the route,but this type never really made it into the civil Heli world, and few were produced.
It is fair to say that this service really put the Isles into the modern tourist realm,and was only possible due to the operation being part of a nationalised company (BEA) at the time.The spin off to the local economy has been considerable,but in the end the spectre of higher costs, and no real replacement that can carry 30 px was always going to be a difficult situation to overcome.The recent pass numbers were approx 90,000 per year with approx 30,000 going direct to Tresco.
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By: pagen01 - 2nd August 2012 at 10:38
Sad, but predictable, news indeed, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-19090660
British International Helicopters have announced that their Penzance to St Mary's and Tresco, Isles of Scilly, service is to end in November this year.
The forward thinking helicopter service was set up by BEA in May 1964, to replace the DH Dragon Rapides then still in use.
Initially the service flew from Lands end, but quickly moved to a purpose built site and hangar, adjoining the rail main line and the end of the A30 at Penzance.
It has provided a hugely dependable and highly valued, most weathers link to the Scillies. The Sikorsky S-61N was chosen and some of the same airframes are still providing great service, G-BCEB being an example that has served right through the BEA, British Airways, and British International Helicopters era of 49 years.
The end of the hopes and dreams of people like Jock Cameron and others at BEA who foresaw a commercial scheduled helicopter service in the UK.