Robinson-eye views of Liverpool

[viscount]

In decent weather, a 'trial flight' in a Robinson R.22 of Helicentre from LJLA. Full of praise for the efficient organisation by Helicentre and to the QFI who conducted the flight and ensured that the gyrations while I had control, did not go out of control! A number of pictures taken while not trying to kid myself that I really was flying straight and level. My thanks to all at Helicentre for an enjoyable afternoon.

A departure 'snap' that I have also added into the LFS/Keen family companies history post in the Nostalgia section.



An empty 'Tango' apron and much of the terminal. The 'Hampton' Hotel and Multi-level car-park providing colour to the otherwise grey complex.



The west end of the terminal, with a couple of Ryanair's present.



The November 1982 to May 2002 Control Tower, although the associated RFFS centre still in use.



The somewhat bland and anonymous LJLA terminal building, with the more interesting colours of the 'Hampton' Hotel, near surrounded by car parks. A different view to that most passengers see from ground level.



The architecturally outstanding 'art deco' terminal building 1939-1986, currently the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with some of the sahg fleet on the apron. My, how the Prince G-AMLZ has improved with a little tlc from sahg. The 'round barrel' is the nose of HS.748 G-ORAL. How the balcony levels show up on this photo.



I then put the camera away for a few minutes of instruction and an attempt to fool myself into thinking I really could fly a helicopter. A confident "you have control" from the instructor is not totally shared by myself as I become fixated on a rapidly wandering speck of the horizon on the windshield. Returning control back, the horizon magically ceased oscillating around; so back to the camera. For those that need a little orientation, this is the Norris Green area of the City. The Trans-Pennine Trail runs in the green line from near right foreground slightly diagonally to middle left. Queens Drive is roughly parallel, but underneath us, while Muirhead Avenue runs up the right side of the photo.



Not that much further on, the Trans-Pennine Trail is again the green strip from lower right to middle left. Townsend Avenue runs from near right corner to meet Utting Avenue (from foreground centre) at the double roundabout under the former railway bridge structure. The large building on Utting Avenue is an Asda Supermarket.



Utting avenue in the foreground, the Asda Supermarket is clearer than in the previous shot. Queens Drive Walton is just in the left immediate foreground of the photo.

[viscount]

Seem to be fighting a reluctant router, so will enter the previous post while ahead, and start another one for the remainder.

Clearly the reason for straying out over the Walton section of the City is to overfly the football grounds. First Anfield - you can tell it is Anfield due to the red seating in the stands!



.... and on over Goodison - which you immediately tell apart from its near neighbour, by the blue seating!



While once the 'Three Graces' ruled the Mersey, now they face much competition from taller buildings to the north (right). The view towards the river is perhaps less familiar than the 'skyline' view from the River.



After a 'go' at the controls, back to the camera over Woolton Village. The woodland and fields is Camp Hill/Woolton Woods Park, while St.Julies School and the Marie Currie Centre both stand out.



The major cross-roads of Hunts Cross is near photograph Centre. Speke Road enters from the foreground right corner, Hillfoot Avenue from upper right, Higher Road off to the lower left and Woodend Avenue off towards the distant left. Railway cutting cannot be seen, but lies under the green trees that cross the photo. This is the only Hunts Cross photo I'll post, as the majority of the others zoom-in on Chez Jones.



The GA apron from over eastern Speke, with an EasyJet on taxiway Alpha nearing the 27 threshold, and the 2002 onwards VCR Tower in the background.



The use of telephoto lens shortens the mile plus from the GA apron to the west end of the main apron visually. The angle makes the hotel look massively larger than the terminal - which we all know is not the case!



Finally, an EasyJet A.319 just about to enter the threshold of 27. From ground level the warning 'Runway Ahead' does not show, a great visual warning to prevent unintentional runway incursions.



Hope you enjoy the pictures, I certainly enjoyed the flight!!
Brian.

[mb]

Some super photos here.For any youngster out there ,join the ATC and you can get flights like this (over most of the city) for free.

Seen reg G-ORAL elsewhere on the forum.Wonder how that came to be chosen.Maybe someone realised there was an a/c called that viz Gloster Goral,a Wapiti look alike about 1927 IIRC.

[viscount]

Mb,

Nothing quite so exotic or obscure I'm sorry to say.

There were 4 of Emerald's fleet of HS.748s which were contracted to operate flights on behalf of newspaper transport consolidators, Reed Aviation. They all were painted in Reed Aviation colours and titles. In 1999, one of them G-BPDA was painted in a revised Reed Aviation colour scheme and re-registered G-ORAL, the logic for which is quite simply "Go Reed Aviation Ltd". Around the same time the same logic produced G-OPFW for "Go Parcel Force Worldwide", G-OJEM effectively "Go Emerald" as JEM was the airline's ICAO code, G-OSOE for "Go Securicor OmEga", while on the same theme G-SOEI for "Securicor OmEga One".

The highly unsuccessful Gloster Goral can be confined back into the history books.

[kevmul]

Nice selection of shots Brian.

I too did a trial lesson in an R22 (G-TINK) a few years ago and flew an almost identical circuit.

Like you, I was convinced I was flying straight and level, I swear I never moved the stick but the truth obviously deceives!

Good fun though!

Kev

[mb]

Viscount.Oh,now I know.

Ref history, some of us relish the obscure.

Sad ,innit?

[Deleted]

If you want to be even more obscure, to some it's also the name of a goat-antelope. Which, I suppose is quite fitting as it used to leap across the pond. For those interested I've provided a link to the wikipedia Gloster Goral page below.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_Goral

Nice pics Brian - glad you enjoyed your birthday.