Return to Bristow Bases

..........Bristow Base: Morocco, N.W. Africa.

This contract for Esso started 1968 and was based at
Tan Tan, some 100 miles South of Agadir.
The aircraft were a Hiller UH 12E (G-AWME)
and a WS 55-3 (G-ARPW) replaced by VR-BDH
in 1969. A second base operated out of Tarfaya,
close to the Spanish Saharan border.

The Moroccan contract was the Companies first
contract with Esso. This picture of a Hiller was taken
at Tan Tan, an abandoned holiday camp, some 55
miles to the rig ( Drillships Glomar Grand Isle which
was joined by Glomar Sirte in 1969).


Whirlwind at Tarfaya, 1969.
The work routine was 3 weeks on and 1 week off in U.K.





No positive i.d. for the guys in this pic but I have
a few names for this operation:-
Chief Pilot Johnny (Jake) Johnson,
John Nicholls (Pilot),Jacques Fages (Pilot),
Jacques Villeneuve (Pilot), Graham Conway (Chief Engineer) and
(?) Paterson (engineer), John Church (engineer), John Holmes (engineer).

"Well that's the tail rotor stand knocked-up. What
can we make from the rest of this stuff?"




Crew change was by a Martinair DC3 to Agadir then
Sterling Airways F27 to Stavanger via Bordeaux (refuel).
Finally a S.A.S. DC9 to Heathrow.


Catering was carried out by an external catering
company, Desert Cruise, who was a retired British
Swissair pilot and his wife. They had a huge pantechnicon
which was the kitchen and the dining room.
Pantechnicon - n. furniture van.