At Maynell House in Felixstowe, few stories are as inspiring as that of Gordon Lucas. Known for his remarkable aviation career and unforgettable record‑breaking flight. Today, he enjoys a peaceful life by the sea while continuing to inspire residents and staff with his extraordinary past.
Record‑Breaking Helicopter Flight Across the World
Gordon spent many decades as an RAF pilot before flying to North Sea oil rigs. His work often involved dangerous weather, emergency situations, and demanding missions that required precision and quick decision‑making. At Maynell House, he regularly shares these stories.
In 1971, Gordon was tasked with delivering a brand‑new Wessex 60 helicopter from Gatwick Airport to Western Australia- a journey of 13,000 miles.
Former pilot Gordon Lucas enjoying life at Maynell House after an extraordinary aviation career.
With no autopilot and only basic navigation tools, he manually flew the aircraft through Europe, the Middle East, South-East Asia and Indonesia before reaching Broome, Australia.
Challenges on the Journey
The journey was filled with obstacles. Engine problems appeared early. In Pakistan, Gordon and engineer Frank Tucker landed with almost no fuel and were mistakenly surrounded by soldiers before the village chief intervened and shared tea with them.
Later in Malaysia, a rotor blade partially failed mid‑flight. Gordon carried out a controlled emergency landing in a school playground- a moment local children still recall fondly.
The final portions of the journey involved long, quiet stretches over open sea, using dead reckoning to navigate without radio beacons.
He even landed briefly on a drilling ship in the Timor Sea. The 23‑day journey set a company record for Bristow Helicopters.
Gordon’s Flight Diary: 23 Mar – 15 Apr
23 Mar
-
Aircraft positioned to Gatwick
24 Mar
-
Gatwick → Lyons: 12:00 – 15:45 | Duration: 3:45
25 Mar
-
Lyons → Nice: 17:00 – 19:05 | Duration: 2:05
-
Nice → Naples: 07:55 – 11:25 | Duration: 3:30
26 Mar
-
Naples → Brindisi: 13:25 – 15:15 | Duration: 1:50
-
Brindisi → Athens: 08:00 – 11:35 | Duration: 3:35
-
Athens → Izmir: 12:05 – 14:05 | Duration: 2:00
27 Mar
-
Izmir → Ankara: 07:00 – 10:05 | Duration: 3:05
-
Ankara → El Azig → Ankara: 12:30 – 15:20 | Duration: 2:50
28 Mar
-
Ankara → El Azig: 06:50 – 10:10 | Duration: 3:20
29 Mar
-
El Azig → Tabriz: 07:40 – 11:20 | Duration: 3:40
-
Tabriz → Tehran: 15:20 – 18:35 | Duration: 3:15
30 Mar
-
Tehran → Esfahan: 07:30 – 09:45 | Duration: 2:15
-
Esfahan → Shiraz: 10:30 – 12:50 | Duration: 2:20
-
Shiraz → Abu Dhabi: 14:15 – 17:25 | Duration: 3:10
31 Mar
-
Abu Dhabi → Dubai (including Air Test): 17:35 – 18:10 | Duration: 0:35
1 Apr – 2 Apr
-
Servicing Dubai
-
Dubai → Pasni: 07:00 – 11:40 | Duration: 4:40
-
Pasni → Karachi: 18:50 – 21:00 | Duration: 2:10
3 Apr
-
Karachi → Ahmadabad: 10:55 – 14:15 | Duration: 3:20
4 Apr – 5 Apr
-
Ahmadabad → Jaipur: 07:05 – 10:10 | Duration: 3:05
-
Jaipur → Lucknow → Patna: 12:45 – 16:30 | Duration: 3:45
-
Patna → Calcutta: 09:55 – 12:40 | Duration: 2:45
6 Apr
-
Servicing Calcutta
7 Apr
-
Calcutta → Akyab: 08:10 – 11:10 | Duration: 3:00
-
Akyab → Rangoon: 12:55 – 15:40 | Duration: 2:45
8 Apr
-
Rangoon → Mergui: 07:00 – 09:45 | Duration: 2:45
-
Mergui → Songkhia: 10:30 – 14:00 | Duration: 3:30
9 Apr
-
Songkhia → Penang: 15:50 – 17:15 | Duration: 1:25
-
Penang → Ayer Boloi: 08:15 – 11:05 | Duration: 2:50
-
(Rotor blade failure occurred)
10 Apr
-
Singapore awaiting blade replacement
11 Apr
-
Ayer Boloi → Singapore: 13:00 – 13:30 | Duration: 0:30
12 Apr
-
Singapore → Palembang: 08:15 – 10:50 | Duration: 2:35
-
Palembang → Jakarta: 11:00 – 13:10 | Duration: 2:10
13 Apr
-
Jakarta → Surabaya: 08:00 – 11:35 | Duration: 3:35
-
Surabaya → Bali: 12:30 – 14:05 | Duration: 1:35
14 Apr
-
Bali → Sumbawa: 08:15 – 09:40 | Duration: 1:25
-
Sumbawa → Kupang: 11:15 – 15:05 | Duration: 3:50
15 Apr
-
Kupang → Glomar Tasman: 07:45 – 10:20 | Duration: 2:35
-
Glomar Tasman → Broome: 12:00 – 14:25 | Duration: 2:25
Totals
-
Total Flight Time: 99 hrs 50 mins
-
Total Transit Time: 23 Days 15 hrs 20 mins
Life on the North Sea and Beyond
After the Australia flight, Gordon spent years flying to North Sea oil rigs. Some flights involved medical evacuations or dangerous weather, proving even more challenging than the record‑breaking mission.
Now at Maynell House, Gordon and his wife Mavis enjoy peaceful days in landscaped gardens and regular social activities. Staff say that residents often gather to hear Gordon’s stories.
Gordon and his wife of 70 years, Mavis- together at Maynell House, where they enjoy a peaceful retirement by the sea.
Care and Support at Maynell House
Maynell House provides residential and respite care with modern facilities, en‑suite rooms, landscaped gardens, and specialist support.
Stories like Gordon’s foster a sense of pride, curiosity, and connection among residents. Maynell House encourages people to share their backgrounds, creating a warm and supportive community.
Maynell House is located in the seaside town of Felixstowe. It is a superb home with a real difference, offering a wonderful environment for residents to relax or socialise. Set in landscaped gardens, the home is a lovely place to be and the staff work hard to help residents remain as independent as they can with a gentle network of help provided, should they need it.
A high standard of care is provided throughout the home. The atmosphere is relaxed and easy-going and the staff support residents with whatever activities they choose to do. The home is located in a really nice area of Old Felixstowe.
Marketing Executive
With hot weather continuing across Swaffham, staff at Meadow House created a simple outdoor activity to help residents stay cool. The team set up...
Kingsmead Care Home in Swindon welcomed Local MP and Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, as part of Care Home Open Week....
Handford House in Ipswich welcomed residents, families, staff and members of the local community for a football-themed garden party as part of Care...
A resident at Oaktree Care Home in Yate recently experienced a special and long-awaited return to live football, attending a Bristol Rovers match at...