Return to Bristow bases

..........Bristow Base: Great Yarmouth, U.K.

Another base with a long Bristow history is Great
Yarmouth which dates back to the sixties. Once
North sea gas had been discovered things really
started to liven up with the base operating some-
where in the region of 12 aircraft at its peak.




The base was actually at North Denes airfield
and, as can be seen, early operations were carried
out with Whirlwinds and Wessex between 1966
and 1981.

This photo taken around 1989 shows considerable
change with a new terminal building to the left and a
larger hard standing for the S-76s and Bell 212s.
Other types operating from the base include S-61s,
I.F.R. training Bell 206 and a Bell 412SP on sales
demonstration flights.

Yarmouth based Wessex were called upon to carry
out a wide ranging variety of tasks including this one
which shows G-AWOX helping to construct the base
of the Royal Sovereign light tower platform off Beachy
Head in the English Channel.




After the demise of the Wessex an urgent replacement
had to be found and it came in the form of the Bell 212.
The Yarmouth 212s went through an extensive modification
programme at Redhill to bring them up to "North Sea
Standard" and included the fitting of radio-coupled
autopilots. An example of one is shown here - this being
G-BJJP posing next to an offshore gas installation. Eventually even the 212 had
its day and was replaced by the faster and more comfortable S-76s.

Here is a photo of the North Denes fleet taken in 1991.
It is interesting to note that some of the S76s have been
Arriel converted and some have not. It also shows the newly
cladded hangars which considerably upgraded the base in
1990-91.