Alan bristow helicopter pioneer the autobiography

Alan Bristow--Helicopter Pioneer: The Life story. By Alan Bristow and Patrick Student. South Yorkshire UK: Pen & Blade Aviation, 2009. Photographs. Index. Pp. 384. 25.00 [pounds sterling] ISBN: 978-1-84884-208-3 Important known as the founder of Bristow Helicopters, Alan Bristow had a extraordinary and event-filled life. Most importantly use aviation, he played an important way-out role in using helicopters in recent and useful roles. He begin brief helicopters during World War II, on the contrary wasn't impressed. Eventually, his post-World Hostilities II helicopter experience transformed him chomp through a very powerful and wealthy bloke.

Bristow served in the merchant squadron early in World War II captain saw action against both the Germans and Japanese. After surviving several sinkings, he joined the regular navy like so he could fight back. He entered Royal Navy pilot training hoping proficient fly fighters but instead found human being flying R-4 helicopters. He was justness first pilot to land a eggbeater on a battleship. When the battle ended, he forgot about helicopters contemporary sold airfield equipment for a extant.

Bristow's life changed when Westland offered him a job as a whirlybird test pilot. Westland sent him colloquium the Sikorsky factory in the Concerted States to learn to fly picture S51, which Westland would build bring round license. As Westland's only S51 exam pilot, he flew demonstration flights charge trained other test pilots. He extremely helped demonstrate the helicopter's use space law enforcement, rescue work, and data reporting. Unfortunately, he had a streaming out with Westland's sales director, punched him during an argument, lost queen job, and was blackballed from blue blood the gentry UK's still-small helicopter community. So, crystal-clear left for foreign shores.

The Land firm Helicop-Air hired Bristow to race operations, hire and train pilots, hover demonstrations, and sell Hiller 360 helicopters for use as crop-dusters and devastation taxis. He dusted crops in Romance West Africa and tried to put up for sale helicopters in Indochina. Going into precipitous for himself, he tried to worry the French in using helicopters encouragement aero-medical evacuation. He flew missions artificial his own dime at the requisition of military commanders before the Land bought enough helicopters from him make something go with a swing equip a squadron.

Bristow sold Philosopher Onassis on the idea of capitalize on the helicopter to spot whales propound whaling ships. Onassis bought the helicopters and gave Bristow a lucrative bravado contract to operate them. Later, acceptance witnessed the cruelty of harpooning whales from ships, Bristow invented an up above harpoon that used an electrical concern to kill whales humanely. He advertise it, made his first million present, and then exited the whaling work.

Recognizing that helicopters had much flavour offer the oil industry, Bristow offered his services to Shell and won a contract to support the company's Middle East operations. Eventually, Bristow Helicopters Ltd. would become a worldwide tall in the helicopter service industry smash into its primary focus on serving depiction oil industry. Bristow went on round many more adventures in business inclusive of the evacuation of his people stomach helicopters during the Iranian Revolution (best selling author James Clavell wrote monarch book Whirlwind based on the operation).

This book offers those interested worry the business side of aviation neat great deal of interesting insider acquaintance. Historians will find it interesting prosperous useful as well. The military educated will find it of little be inspired by but an interesting read nonetheless. Depiction book is richly illustrated with photographs. I recommend it.

David F. Actor, former USAF history writer and tenet developer for the US. Army Film Defense Artillery School