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..........Bristow Base: China.

In 1983/4 Bristow Helicopters (BHL) and China Ocean
Helicopter Corporation (COHC) negotiated and entered
into a Joint Venture Agreement to work in partnership
to provide offshore helicopter services to the international
oil companies then newly-established in the People's
Republic of China.

Commencing in the latter part of 1984, these operations started using Bristow
AS332L "Super Puma" and SA330J "Puma" helicopters operating on the CAA
civil register and being operated and maintained in accordance with CAA require-
ments. These initial operations were flown by mixed BHL/COHC crews with the
aircraft also maintained by Bristow and COHC engineers.

In 1986, based on the demonstrated operating record and capabilities of the
Bristow AS332L helicopters, COHC purchased and took delivery of two of
this aircraft type for their own fleet releasing the Bristow SA330J "Puma" so
that until mid-1994 all operations were conducted using Bristow/COHC "Super
Pumas". In June 1994 the Sikorsky S-76A "plus" helicopter type provided by
Bristows from the U.K. joined the fleet. Until late 1994 all operations were carried
out from the COHC bases at Shenzhen and Zhanjiang in support of various multi-
national oil companies.

In December 1994 a new operation started at Wenzhou to support the operations
offshore in the developing East China Sea and this was followed by an operation
at Tanggu which commenced in 1995. These latter operations have been supported
using both COHC and Bristow AS332Ls and COHC SA365N "Dauphin" helicopters
and associated personnel.

The pictures below show the arrival of the first aircraft at Hong Kong, these being
AS332L "Tiger" G-TIGN and AS330 "Puma" G-BERH.

Dick Jones relates:- The Tiger and the Puma were shipped from UK six weeks
apart, and arrived in Hong Kong on the same day at 6am whereupon we unloaded
the Tiger, assembled it and flew it to Kai Tak airport. At 9pm we offloaded the
Puma at another docks, fitted the blades etc. and the next day flew that to Kai
Tak airport. The second Puma was ferried up from Australia, by pilot Tony
Ferris and engineer Bob Grocke. After re-registering the Oz Puma to UK
registration (no mean feat) they flew off to Shenzen Heliport. The ground crews
went over on the hovercraft ferry to Shekou, and settled into the Tai Zhi hotel.

Crew Shekou, China 1984. Pilots:- Graham Lee, Robin Hunt, Mike Moran and
Vavangas (Avgas). Engineers:- Dick Jones, Ian Stewart, John Murray, John
Cureton, Tom Barber, Ian Robinson.

Now carrying COHC markings "RH" is shown here coming to the assistance of
"GN" which is stuck on the rig due to an oil cooler failure.







Another "Puma" serving at Shekou was an Australian machine G-BFKZ which
is shown here about to start the long journey back to its ozzie base, with floats
removed! The third picture is "Tiger" G-TIGF with a COHC logo but location
unsure.







Super Pumas in full COHC colours at Shekou (Shenzen). The first shot is taken
on the apron with the second in the hangar which used to be a tank factory my
sources tell me.
The third picture is not a Super Puma but an interpreter who translated conver-
sation between the Bristow Captain and Chinese First Officer during the first
years of operations.