John Whale, Bristow Helicopters - RIP

[CharlieOneSix]

John Whale has sadly died of cancer. He became one of the Bristow stalwarts who I first met when we were both doing the 8 week CPL crammer course for ex-service pilots at the Oxford Air Training School at Kidlington in 1968. John was a Royal Marine whose last job in the service was flying the Wessex 5 on 707 Squadron. Once he got his CPL he joined Bristow and stayed there from 1968 until he retired at 58. He then flew for CHC as a contract pilot, before returning to Bristow in the same capacity.

Even though I knew him for over 30 years until my own retirement, and our paths crossed many, many times, I never flew with him - in Bristow we were always on different fleets. One of the most respected characters of the helicopter industry who will be greatly missed.