Tracking down a Bell 47 serial
Thread Starter
Tracking down a Bell 47 reg
Hello all, I am, for purely nostalgic reasons, trying to track down the serial of the first aircraft I ever flew on, a Bell 47 helicopter.
This would have taken place when I was a young lad in the early '90's, likely between 1992 - '94. As I recall, my father took me to a pub somewhere in Cheshire which was operating helicopter pleasure flights. I cannot for the life of me remember the name or location of the pub, and my father has sadly long since passed.
My memories of it are mostly hazy, but I recall being out in the sticks somewhere and we must have been near a river or stream as I clearly remember thinking it looked like a giant snake from the air!
I'm hoping the rarity of it being a Bell 47 may help, as even back then it was considered ancient and fairly unusual. Being a total spotter at the time, I recall carrying with me my copy of 'Civil Aircraft Markings', and the pilot flicking through it and pointing out the helicopter's serial, which I duly underlined. Unfortunately I have either misplaced of thrown out the book.
So if anyone recalls who was operating Bell 47 pleasure flights in the UK at the time, please let me know. Or even a list of Bell 47 serials operating in the UK during the early '90's might help ring a bell?
TIA.
This would have taken place when I was a young lad in the early '90's, likely between 1992 - '94. As I recall, my father took me to a pub somewhere in Cheshire which was operating helicopter pleasure flights. I cannot for the life of me remember the name or location of the pub, and my father has sadly long since passed.
My memories of it are mostly hazy, but I recall being out in the sticks somewhere and we must have been near a river or stream as I clearly remember thinking it looked like a giant snake from the air!
I'm hoping the rarity of it being a Bell 47 may help, as even back then it was considered ancient and fairly unusual. Being a total spotter at the time, I recall carrying with me my copy of 'Civil Aircraft Markings', and the pilot flicking through it and pointing out the helicopter's serial, which I duly underlined. Unfortunately I have either misplaced of thrown out the book.
So if anyone recalls who was operating Bell 47 pleasure flights in the UK at the time, please let me know. Or even a list of Bell 47 serials operating in the UK during the early '90's might help ring a bell?
TIA.
Last edited by Stu666; 13th Sep 2021 at 19:45.
Any more identifying features that you can recall might help to narrow things down.
Just to be a bit pernickety, you are actually looking for the aircraft's civil registration rather than its serial number/constructors number....Agree with DR you are going to have a few to choose from. I seem to recall a company out of Barton was offering pleasure flights around that time.... They may have branched out....!!
Can't really help but by the date range you state certainly helps you: by that time there can't have been that many Bell 47s flying on the UK register. Even fewer giving pleasure flights. If nothing else, track down a UK civil register and go through each on G-INFO to work out a shortlist. It would take a while but I suspect you'd end up with quite a short, shortlist.
Thread Starter
Thanks all.
Just had a quick look at G-INFO, and there's been 182 Bell 47 registrations total and 16 currently active. Unfortunately none of the registrations are jumping out at me as I'd hoped. Also not sure if searching "Bell 47" would necessarily return all the hits, as some may have been recorded as variations.
Looks like I'm in for some detective work when time permits!
Just had a quick look at G-INFO, and there's been 182 Bell 47 registrations total and 16 currently active. Unfortunately none of the registrations are jumping out at me as I'd hoped. Also not sure if searching "Bell 47" would necessarily return all the hits, as some may have been recorded as variations.
Looks like I'm in for some detective work when time permits!
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Manchester Helicopter Charter Company used G-BPAI primarily for pleasure flying from their base at Manchester Barton around that time.
Apart from Barton, they would operate pleasure flights from pub gardens in the summer.
Are you sure the snaking river is not the adjacent Manchester Ship Canal which runs alongside Barton aerodrome, and your 'pub' was in fact the clubhouse restaurant ? There are also a few hotels further along the canal which host helicopter visitors.
A colour scheme might also assist. BPAI is predominantly red. The reason I mention this as one of the MHCC shareholders had another Bell 47 at the time in an ex-Army overall paint finish, should that jog your memory.
Apart from Barton, they would operate pleasure flights from pub gardens in the summer.
Are you sure the snaking river is not the adjacent Manchester Ship Canal which runs alongside Barton aerodrome, and your 'pub' was in fact the clubhouse restaurant ? There are also a few hotels further along the canal which host helicopter visitors.
A colour scheme might also assist. BPAI is predominantly red. The reason I mention this as one of the MHCC shareholders had another Bell 47 at the time in an ex-Army overall paint finish, should that jog your memory.
While G-BPAI may well have been operated by MHCC, they were never the registered owner of the aircraft, which had two owners while on the UK register: London-based Bola Ltd (1988 to 1993) and Huddersfield-based LRC (Leisure) Ltd, before being cancelled from the G- register in 2007 (although it still operates in the UK on a US registration).
Thread Starter
Manchester Helicopter Charter Company used G-BPAI primarily for pleasure flying from their base at Manchester Barton around that time.
Apart from Barton, they would operate pleasure flights from pub gardens in the summer.
Are you sure the snaking river is not the adjacent Manchester Ship Canal which runs alongside Barton aerodrome, and your 'pub' was in fact the clubhouse restaurant ? There are also a few hotels further along the canal which host helicopter visitors.
A colour scheme might also assist. BPAI is predominantly red. The reason I mention this as one of the MHCC shareholders had another Bell 47 at the time in an ex-Army overall paint finish, should that jog your memory.
Apart from Barton, they would operate pleasure flights from pub gardens in the summer.
Are you sure the snaking river is not the adjacent Manchester Ship Canal which runs alongside Barton aerodrome, and your 'pub' was in fact the clubhouse restaurant ? There are also a few hotels further along the canal which host helicopter visitors.
A colour scheme might also assist. BPAI is predominantly red. The reason I mention this as one of the MHCC shareholders had another Bell 47 at the time in an ex-Army overall paint finish, should that jog your memory.
Unfortunately I have no memory of the colour scheme, except that I think the tail boom was either a natural metal colour or painted silver/white. G-BPAI looks to fit this description, and if they were doing pub pleasure flights around that time, I guess could be a good candidate still.
Just a small point, the Manchester Ship Canal does not do much "snaking", either near Barton or elsewhere. It runs for long lengths virtually straight...!!
ROTORSPOT - Production list for Bell 47
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mr Reid, you seem to put a great deal of trust in registered ownership info. That alone does not tell the full operational story for any flying machine. You have no idea regarding my involvement with that company and its helis, which included BPAI. It wore MHCC titles/tel. as such throughout its time with the company (photos available). I don't take kindly to being called a liar.
Given what little recollections the original poster is able to provide, but with specific regard to the approximate dates he lists, I would put BPAI at the top of the list. From my recollection, I cannot recall any other B47s operating commercial pleasure flights in the NW area at that time.
Given what little recollections the original poster is able to provide, but with specific regard to the approximate dates he lists, I would put BPAI at the top of the list. From my recollection, I cannot recall any other B47s operating commercial pleasure flights in the NW area at that time.
That alone does not tell the full operational story for any flying machine. You have no idea regarding my involvement with that company and its helis, which included BPAI. It wore MHCC titles/tel. as such throughout its time with the company (photos available). I don't take kindly to being called a liar.
Wonder if it looked like this :- https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1163199 ??? Photo not taken in the the NW of England but time is about right.
Last edited by Planemike; 14th Sep 2021 at 16:53.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,769
Received 2,762 Likes
on
1,173 Posts
Plan B,
start scrolling and look at U.K. Aircraft
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?...B%22type%22%5D
start scrolling and look at U.K. Aircraft
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?...B%22type%22%5D
ABPic will also allow a search for all the photos of a given aircraft type in a particular year - might be quicker as the OP has an approximate timeframe.
Either use a URL to include the year, like this: Bell 47 photos taken in 1992
or open the Search form and enter the year and type.
Good luck!
Either use a URL to include the year, like this: Bell 47 photos taken in 1992
or open the Search form and enter the year and type.
Good luck!
Thread Starter
Wonder if it looked like this :- https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1163199 ??? Photo not taken in the the NW of England but time is about right.
ABPic will also allow a search for all the photos of a given aircraft type in a particular year - might be quicker as the OP has an approximate timeframe.
Either use a URL to include the year, like this: Bell 47 photos taken in 1992
or open the Search form and enter the year and type.
Good luck!
Either use a URL to include the year, like this: Bell 47 photos taken in 1992
or open the Search form and enter the year and type.
Good luck!
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know this is an old thread but I flew in that helicopter around 96 GBPAI operated by MHCC and was working at Barton at the same time from 94 onwards. They did do days around the northwest operating from farmers fields and pubs so I think it's the right one.
Thread Starter
Be sure that your database queries include also the licence-built AB-47 manufactured by Agusta.
For example, RotorSpot has a dedicated list for the AB-47s and a number of them were registered in UK.
https://www.rotorspot.nl/product/ab47.php
For example, RotorSpot has a dedicated list for the AB-47s and a number of them were registered in UK.
https://www.rotorspot.nl/product/ab47.php
Apologies for the delayed reply, but the thought has just occurred to me that if if was in an Army colour scheme, I would surely have remembered that as it would have given me bragging rights and I would have been telling anyone that listened how I had flown in an "Army" chopper. I think the reason I can't remember the main colour scheme is probably because it didn't particularly stand out to me. I must confess to being mildly red-green colour blind, some shades of red can appear very dull to me, even brown.