Bell Rock

Wed, Oct 9th 2024 at 12:40 pm - 2:00 pm

Jerry Beaulier flew over it many times when based at Leuchars

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The speaker was member of the Club, Jerry Beaulier, a former US Navy ace fighter pilot and test pilot. Jerry has had an incredible international career, mostly involved with aviation, but the subject of his talk this time was the Bell Rock lighthouse. Over the years Jerry has flown over the Bell Rock and he did so at 620 knots ( equivalent to 713.5 miles per hour! ) and at a height of 100 feet above sea level, no doubt frightening the keepers! The iconic Bell Rock lighthouse, which took 4 years to build, was completed in 1811 and sits on Inchcape Rock. It has 90 floors, a diameter of 42 feet at the base, and comprises 2300 toms of rock, mostly granite which is ingeniously interlocked in a tongue-and-groove method which has clearly stood the test of time! Over the years, a recorded 80 ships have been lost on the reef and in 1955 a helicopter which was delivering Christmas presents to the Keepers, went down with the loss of all 3 crew. The Bell Rock sits on a large dangerous reef which at low tide can be as long as 1500 feet. The lighthouse was originally named after its warning bell which was stolen, and the story goes that the thief's boat ironically collided with the reef a year later and foundered. 36 floors up there is accommodation for the keepers and a kitchen. The lighthouse was manned until 1988 but it is now radio-controlled from Edinburgh. Jerry showed a dramatic picture of gigantic waves crashing half way up the massive structure. After many questions, an indication of a successful speaker, the vote of thanks was given by Henry Paul who has also flown over the Bell Rock when he was stationed at RAF Leuchars.