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..........Bristow Base: Das Island, Arabian Gulf.
Another base which needs some background information so if you can help please
e-mail me from the home page.

Das Island is the main centre of the UAEs offshore
oil industry, lying in the centre of the Arabian Gulf.
In 1957 Bristows won a contract from BP to operate
on a tiny uninhabited island in the Persian Gulf ( Das
Island) 70 miles off the coast of Qatar.

Bristows had to provide the helicopters and Alan
Bristow bought the first two helicopters owned by
the company, two Westland Widgeons. At Das Island
the Bristow crews soon proved that the helicopters,
initially contracted merely to fly essential spares
and key executives to the rigs, were far more reliable and effective than
boats in ferrying whole rig crews. The company was to operate in the area
for the next twenty years.

Back of photo:Das Island 1958. Helicopters in hangar
at Das Island Base. Helicopters are used for comm-
unication between the island and Umm Shaif No.1 well,
being drilled by Abu Dhabi Marine Areas Ltd, in which
The British Petroleum Company has a two-thirds shareholding and Compagnie
Francaise des Petroles one-third. So presumably the two aircraft in the photo
were the first helicopters bought by Bristows.

Back of photo:
WS-55 Srs 3 landing on a well-head tower at Das Island.
Registration G-AOZK.


WS-55 Whirlwind G-ANUK at Das.
Back of photo: Spencer Allen - one of Bristow's captains.




A couple of Whirlwinds at Das G-AOZK and ?.

Das 1957. Widgeon about to land on "Adma Enterprise"
whilst in harbour at Das Island during final fitting out
prior to being towed to the site of Adma Well F-1.

Aerial view of Das taken in 1976.