discussion Rescue system

[stona]

Following on from the dambusters/Barnes Wallace thread here is the one picture I have scanned of my father and his crew using a Barnes Wallace designed contraption to pluck a "survivor" from the sea of Malta.

There are more photos of this ,taken by a photographer from a Maltese newspaper. I guess Barnes Wallace was quite a celebrity post war. They are probably at my mum's house, I'll have a look next time I'm there.

Steve

 

[yak face]

great pic steve,your dad must have been quite a pilot, fishing that bloke out of the sea just by following the winchmans directions.Did your dad fly planes as well as choppers, i remember seeing a pic of him in the cockpit of a sea fury? cheers tony

 

[stona]

He did indeed fly both. He converted to helicopters in early 1955 leaving 801 Sqn and his Sea Fury for 705 (helicopter conversion) Sqn. He never told me why he switched but I know that on a high altitude selection test dated 21/5/54 he was rated "C". If my dad thought this would affect his opportunities to fly the new fangled jets I can easily imagine him considering the equally new fangled helicopters as a better option. Helicopters don't go so high after all. From the ratings in his log books he was a very good helicopter pilot but an average fixed wing pilot (by Fleet Air Arm standards of course) so he seems to have made the right choice!

Is this the one of him hanging out of a Fury?

They mis-spelt his name,it should be Rusling....no T. His nick name was Rusty and that may have caused confusion.

Steve

 

[yak face]

he must have been considered very good , or they wouldnt have picked him for such a high profile job.Tell me steve, have you ever been tempted to make a model of this whirlwind, what with the personal connection. tony

 

[stona]

Well Tony I have to admit that I've thought about it,but I've never got around to it. I have a library of aircraft references but not a single book on helicopters,nor have I ever built one. All the more reason to have a go I suppose. I've got a very busy summer ahead so not much modelling of any type...maybe after that,or after the Tamiya Spitfire.

To be honest at the moment I'm determined to get an Fw190 (any bl**dy Fw190) together for the GB.

My dad did a few "high profile" jobs. He flew "the flying bedstead", literally a bedstead hanging from a helicopter at airshows for the Navy. I think it was part of a humorous routine! He was also a regular Royal flight pilot too.

Cheers

Steve