Probus Club member David Stiles recalled an experience he would not want to repeat about a long-distance helicopter flight in 1968. He was acting as “Flying Spanner” with two pilots who had to ferry a newly introduced Bell 212 helicopter from Coventry that was urgently needed on a Shell oil drilling ship in the Mediterranean Sea above Alexandria in Egypt.
As an avionics expert he was monitoring an advanced navigation system throughout the flight of 4,500 kilometres. Bell 212 helicopters had a range of under 300 miles which meant many refuelling stops, hence the need for an indirect route.
Difficulties soon arose between the two pilots who squabbled as to which of them was in charge with several instances putting the helicopter, and themselves, in great danger. One decided to take a short cut over the French Alps to Nice instead of the planned route to Marseilles. The Bell 212 did not have de-icing equipment and with cloud up to 9,000 feet the helicopter started to ice up at 10,000 feet. Reducing height to above the top of the clouds they just missed the weathervane at the top of a monastery.
Flying down Italy one decided they should ‘take a look’ at the Vesuvius volcano and descended into the crater. While the volcano was dormant sulphur fumes curtailed this sightseeing.
Severe turbulence became problematic as they crossed Greece and had to fly as low as possible. The Corinth Canal offered calm conditions, flying just a few feet above the water the 200 feet high sheer rock walls were only 15 feet either side of their rotors. They hopped over any shipping returning close to water level.
A nervous Egyptian army insisted the helicopter circle slowly over their army base with their missile site tracking the flight. They checked that no armaments were visible as the Bell 212 was American made with a British crew and both countries had supported Israel in the recent Six Days War which the Egyptians had spectacularly lost.
The Bell 212 had behaved impeccably as had the navigation equipment throughout the flight that had taken a total of seven days.
Returning to England David Stiles left the company six months later, having never been fond of helicopters, and returned to his first love of fixed wing aircraft working for Dan Air at Lasham airfield south of Basingstoke.
Probus Club of Basingstoke 
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