Bond Helicopters returns to the market - Norwich

[CharlieOneSix]

From the Aberdeen Press & Journal today.....good to see an expansion in this day and age....

Bond Helicopters, a name synonymous with Offshore Helicopters in the North Sea for decades, is delighted to be returning to the market. Headed by Peter Bond and supported by a team of leading industry experts, preparations for the commencement of operations are already well underway.

Bond 18823.jpg (56.69 KiB) Viewed 1568 times

[PHXPhlyer]

Dusting off your resume?

PP

[CharlieOneSix]

Dusting off your resume?

PP

No, it will stay covered in dust. Even if I was young enough, 26 years on North Sea ops was enough for me! I'm pleased to see Bond Helicopters back in business though. Quite an amazing aviation family, Bond. The old man, David Bond, was a wartime Lancaster pilot who formed a company called Bond Air Services Ltd in 1946, flying Austers, Halifaxes and Lancastrians on air taxi and charter work. His association with Bond Air Services ended in 1947 (the company continued trading after his departure) and he flew Halifaxes for Eagle Aviation before joining Flight Refuelling Ltd to fly Lancastrians during the Berlin Airlift. He joined Pest Control Ltd (later Fison-Airwork) in 1952 and converted onto helicopters in 1953, thereafter flying Hiller 360s in Nigeria. In 1956 he converted onto the S55 and flew in support of Shell D’Arcy and BP in Nigeria, and at various times he was involved in instructing at Bourn, crop-spraying in the UK, Jamaica, Panama and Honduras, surveying in Algeria in a Twin Pin and flying for Marley Tiles in a Piaggio P166. After the Bristow takeover of Fison-Airwork he left to form Management Aviation Ltd which later gave birth to several subsidiaries including Bond Helicopters Ltd.

I had been made redundant in 1974 and went for an interview with David Bond at Bourn, Cambridge. He offered me the job of Operations Manager but I didn't take it, having been offered jobs in two other companies the same day - those were the days! David Bond died three years after my interview at the age of 57.

Two of his sons, Geoff and Mike, flew helicopters for the family firms, Management Aviation and North Scottish Helicopters, for many years and were particularly involved with the Lighthouse Board resupply contract in the UK. The younger sons, Stephen and later Peter, also became involved in aviation and it's Peter who is behind this reintroduction of the Bond Helicopters name. Stephen and Peter turned the Scottish airline Loganair around and when they put it up for sale last year they had 44 aircraft and 900 staff.

A story about the Management Aviation Limited name - whoever it was who registered the company had a rather good lunch and a few bevvies before he completed the paperwork. The name was supposed to be Aviation Management Limited but things got muddled. True or not? Who knows!!

[FD2]

I agree C16 - it's good to see some expansion these days.

Let's hope Sunak can defy the green bleating and some more offshore fields can be developed.

[OneHungLow]

Dusting off your resume?

PP

David Bond at Bourn, Cambridge. He offered me the job of Operations Manager but I didn't take it, having been offered jobs in two other companies the same day - those were the days! David Bond died three years after my interview at the age of 57.

Two of his sons, Geoff and Mike, flew helicopters for the family firms, Management Aviation and North Scottish Helicopters, for many years and were particularly involved with the Lighthouse Board resupply contract in the UK. The younger sons, Stephen and later Peter, also became involved in aviation and it's Peter who is behind this reintroduction of the Bond Helicopters name. Stephen and Peter turned the Scottish airline Loganair around and when they put it up for sale last year they had 44 aircraft and 900 staff.

A story about the Management Aviation Limited name - whoever it was who registered the company had a rather good lunch and a few bevvies before he completed the paperwork. The name was supposed to be Aviation Management Limited but things got muddled. True or not? Who knows!!

Geoffrey Bond was also an interesting chap.

https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/bond/4767027

[CharlieOneSix]

Oh, I didn't know about Geoff's death, sad to see that. I hadn't seen him for very many years and with increased age he really does look like his father in that obituary photo.