Return to Bristow Bases

..........
Bristow Base: Sumatra, Indonesia.

Bristows have had numerous operations in the
Far East and it would be impossible to mention
every staging post as a lot of them consisted of
no more than a landing pad and a few refuelling
drums. The bases covered will give an insight into
the types of operations carried out.

This picture shows the "old" Duri hanger as it
was during the Eighties, the types in the hanger
being Bells 205 and 206.


And moving on a bit, this was the improved set up.



Bell 205, PK-HBU carrying out a typical task.
The main client was Caltex-Pacific and the work
involved servicing the onshore oil rigs and seismic
exploration. The vast amounts of underslung work
was ideally suited to the 205, however, flying over
the Sumatran jungle was risky stuff in a single
engined aircraft
.

Upmarket Duri with twin-engined Bell 212s, new
hangar and new paint scheme.





The staff roster was 2 weeks on and 10 days back
to Singapore.
This is typical of the accommodation when on site,
the house name being "Chateau Bristeau"


Taken in 1980, winch training at Duri using Bell
205, PK-HCE.



More pictures of Duri taken in 1974, the first, showing a Bell 205 respray
most likely post major inspection. The second and third pictures show the
results of a birdstrike on a 205, the bird in question ending up on the co-pilot's
seat.







Below are a few more pictures of aircraft operating in Sumatra. The 205
with the tin hut is at Serulongun and the 212 could be at Muratanbesi.
The other 205 is moving a seismic team.



Another Sumatran operation was Djambi which again was used to support
helirig operations of which there is a good explanation at Base-Ecuador.
The pictures show some of the earlier aircraft used in Sumatra, at Djambi,
such as the Wessex and Bell 206s, plus the on-site accommodation and a
typical onshore drilling rig.