SPIRIT OF PARIS.
8th January,1980.







The image above was e-mailed from Australia by Ian Clark and records the attempt on the speed record between London and Paris. The writing on the envelope is as follows:

Flown in Bristow Helicopters Ltd., Sikorsky S-76 "Spirit" twin turbine helicopter, G-BHBF during world speed record (Class El) flights London-Paris, Paris-London on Tuesday 8 January, 1980. Distance of 184nm was covered each way from Battersea Heliport London to Issy Les Moulineaux Heliport Paris and return. The record time on the outward journey was 1 hour 15 minutes 05 seconds and on the return 1 hour 11 minutes 20 seconds.

CREW
Captain Frederick Le Grys (Pilot), Captain John Allerton (Co-Pilot),
Mr. Douglas West (Chief Engineer)

PASSENGERS
Official Observers - Captain Eric M Brown, CBE DFC AFC FRAES International Committee of the FIA.
Miss Carolyn E Evans, Royal Aero Club.
Courier - Mr Michael A Fopp, Royal Air Force Museum.
Air Attache, British Embassy, Paris, France.

And inside............

BRISTOW HELICOPTERS LTD - SIKORSKY S-76 "SPIRIT" WORLD SPEED RECORD

This World Record achievement is the culmination of many years of intrepid flying establishing Bristows as the premier civil helicopter fleet in the world. Formed in 1953, Bristow Helicopter Ltd were quick to realise that the best potential for the helicopter as a vehicle was not as a competitor to the aeroplane but as a specialist craft in its own right. Alan Bristow, Chairman and founder of the Company, had already proven the usefulness of the helicopter in the most testing conditions in the world, performing reconnaissance operations above the Antarctic ice pack as early as 1951. The Company has now earned a world-wide reputation for skill and professionalism with over 200 helicopters in operation around the world.

These records emphasise both Alan Bristow's early reason for forming the company and the high standards attained in the years since. The original records were set in 1961 by C.T.D. Hosegood in a Belvedere covering the London-Paris journey in 1 hour 41 minutes 28 seconds, three days later he returned with a time of 1 hour 40 minutes 55 seconds. Bristow's S-76 Spirit has now convincingly established new records for these point to point distances and furthermore have succeeded in doing so with only a refuelling stop between journeys.

The Sikorsky S-76 "Spirit" is a 14 seat helicopter powered by two Allison 250-C30 free turbine engines rated at 700 shp each. It has a maximum speed of 155 knots and this is achieved by a clean design with features such as a retractable undercarriage.

The aircraft is 44' 11" long, 7' wide and 12' 10" high (excluding rotors). Bristow Helicopter's Ltd. have the first two S-76's in the United Kingdom and both helicopters are used for their off-shore operations to the oil rigs in the North Sea.

...........and while we are on the subject of envelopes, here is another one celebrating Bristows 25th anniversary. It was flown on Puma G-BERH on a routine crew change to Sedco 704 in the North Sea, 6th June 1978. So we can assume the 50th anniversary is 6th June 2003 or there abouts ???






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