Lands End airport 13/12/22

[graham]

Two days working down in the Duchy, I had to see a customer whose premises is on Eastern Green in Penzance, which used to be the base of the BA Helicopters that flew to the Scillies. After I'd finished, I drove to Lands End where nothing was happening at all. Two Skybus Twin Otters were parked up although I couldn't ID them, not that I need any of the fleet. A bonus was that while I was sat in the car, a helicopter went over me which turned out to be S-76 G-PNZE which according to PlaneBase, is based at Penzance heliport wherever that may be these days. Is it still Eastern Green, I have to say that I thought it had all been built on.

Weather was overcast for both days but way warmer than anywhere I'd been for the past fortnight, the benefit of a maritime climate.

I did intend nipping in to Bodmin on the way back but either side of the A30 between Bodmin and Launceston was rather snowy and given that the lane from the A30 to the field is narrow and possibly slippery, I decided to press on and head for home.

[Deleted]

Dec 14, 2022 17:07:15 GMT graham said:

Two days working down in the Duchy, I had to see a customer whose premises is on Eastern Green in Penzance, which used to be the base of the BA Helicopters that flew to the Scillies. After I'd finished, I drove to Lands End where nothing was happening at all. Two Skybus Twin Otters were parked up although I couldn't ID them, not that I need any of the fleet. A bonus was that while I was sat in the car, a helicopter went over me which turned out to be S-76 G-PNZE which according to PlaneBase, is based at Penzance heliport wherever that may be these days. Is it still Eastern Green, I have to say that I thought it had all been built on.

Weather was overcast for both days but way warmer than anywhere I'd been for the past fortnight, the benefit of a maritime climate.

I did intend nipping in to Bodmin on the way back but either side of the A30 between Bodmin and Launceston was rather snowy and given that the lane from the A30 to the field is narrow and possibly slippery, I decided to press on and head for home.

Graham - the Heliport is on the right of the Long Rock Bye-pass- heading west -you go around the Chy-An-Mor Roundabout and take the fourth exit onto Jelbert Way which is next to KFC Penzance Heliport Retail Park and take first right into the Heliport. I went to the old one a number of years ago- looks like it is newly built- but I maybe wrong.

Happy Days

Bob

[foxfire]

I flew out of Penzance heliport on a day trip to and from the Scillies back in the late 70s, on S-61 G-BCEB. Never having been on a helicopter before, my main memory is the very strange feeling of flying backwards as we lifted off when departing Penzance!

[graham]

Thanks Bob, that explains it then, Eastern Green was sold for redevelopment decades ago and as far as I know, pretty much built on these days so I did wonder where the new one could be. Spent many a lunchtime on Long Rock beach back in the 80s when I was working for the day in Penzance.

Foxfire, back in the 80s I worked for Bowater Scott, based in Cornwall and had four accounts on St Mary's. Once a year, the firm paid for me to fly over to see them. Far better and faster than taking the mal-de-mer inducing "Scillonian" from Penzance harbour. Great memories, I did the trip for six consecutive years and just wish I could remember what I flew on.

[davebasing]

Dec 15, 2022 19:00:25 GMT foxfire said:

I flew out of Penzance heliport on a day trip to and from the Scillies back in the late 70s, on S-61 G-BCEB. Never having been on a helicopter before, my main memory is the very strange feeling of flying backwards as we lifted off when departing Penzance!

Hi Foxfire. Graphed your S61 at Penzance still going back in 1990. 

90-id by dave tompkins, on Flickr

[davebasing]

Dec 15, 2022 19:00:25 GMT foxfire said:

I flew out of Penzance heliport on a day trip to and from the Scillies back in the late 70s, on S-61 G-BCEB. Never having been on a helicopter before, my main memory is the very strange feeling of flying backwards as we lifted off when departing Penzance!

This was my first helicopter flight, in Brazil 1982.

82-37a by dave tompkins, on Flickr

[rugbyref]

My first helicopter flight was in a Whirlwind from RAF Wittering in 1970. No phot unfortunately.

[foxfire]

Dec 16, 2022 9:01:34 GMT graham said:

Thanks Bob, that explains it then, Eastern Green was sold for redevelopment decades ago and as far as I know, pretty much built on these days so I did wonder where the new one could be. Spent many a lunchtime on Long Rock beach back in the 80s when I was working for the day in Penzance.

Foxfire, back in the 80s I worked for Bowater Scott, based in Cornwall and had four accounts on St Mary's. Once a year, the firm paid for me to fly over to see them. Far better and faster than taking the mal-de-mer inducing "Scillonian" from Penzance harbour. Great memories, I did the trip for six consecutive years and just wish I could remember what I flew on.

graham, there was no contest when choosing how to get to the Scillies.  I'd heard all about the Scillonian where you could spend three hours each way being very ill and was more than happy to take the 25 minute helicopter flight!

[foxfire]

davebasing, thank you for the splendid picture of BCEB. I know I took pictures of it but they're buried somewhere in a large collection of slides!