Sea King Mk 4 Final Flypast Monday 21st March

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For those who may be interested:

From Navy News facebook page: -
PLEASE turn out in force across Southern and South-Western England on Monday March 21 as the legendary Sea King Mk4 conducts a farewell tour.

Five of the troop carrying green helicopters, which have carried Royal Marines into action for more than 36 years, will stage a five-hour ‘goodbye flight’ around the locations most associated with them on home turf.

As with their fellow Fleet Air Arm Sea King units which are coming out of service this year – the search and rescuers of 771 NAS and HMS Gannet – 848 Naval Air Squadron are conducting the formation fly past – and are hoping for a good turn-out.

Setting off from their base at RNAS Yeovilton, home of the Commando Helicopter Force, the ‘Junglies’ (a nickname they owe to their forebears who fought in Borneo in the 60s), at 8.30am on Monday March 21, the Sea Kings will pass over:

Joint Helicopter Command in Andover
Portsmouth Naval Base,
RM Poole
Portland
CTCRM in Lympstone
Dartmouth
RM Stonehouse
Plymouth Naval Base
HMS Raleigh
42 Commando in Bickleigh
Okehampton Camp
Commando Logistics Regiment in Chivenor

There the helicopters will take on fuel before resuming their tour at 1pm heading for

40 Commando at Norton Manor Camp near Taunton
Charlton Farm Hospice
Abbeywood, Bristol
Glastonbury Tor
Yeovil

Landing back at Yeovilton at 2.25pm.

Link to route map & timings: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdOJkE8WAAQAd2K.jpg:large
 
Having spent my entire working life around the Sea Kings it's a very sad but at the same time a very proud time. We had 4 different marks out the other day - 3 retiring, 1 staying in service, and I intend watching the flypast. No photos though - no cameras on site and it's cunningly timed so I can't sneak down the road in my lunch break................ Please someone post some photos of the event for me to sniff over!
 
Hoping to catch them as the leave Lympstone, but will be weather dependent of course, not spending the morning on the beach if it's raining ;)
Will be sad to see them go, they have been part of life for so long now. Guess that seeing Merlin's instead will be something we get used to over time, though not quite the same character to them.
 
Jannyfox said:
Please someone post some photos of the event for me to sniff over!
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Perhaps this will wet your appetite a little more, in the meantime...

25878097336_b8b2ec45ff_b.jpg


(Dawlish 2015)
 
Jannyfox said:
Having spent my entire working life around the Sea Kings it's a very sad but at the same time a very proud time. We had 4 different marks out the other day - 3 retiring, 1 staying in service, and I intend watching the flypast. No photos though - no cameras on site and it's cunningly timed so I can't sneak down the road in my lunch break................ Please someone post some photos of the event for me to sniff over!
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Not sure if you will get it north of the border, but 7.30 monday evening, BBC South West are showing a tribute to 771 squadron which should be worth watching.
 
Jannyfox said:
Yes I shall be watching that.
btw we do get BBC SW in Somerset - even before satellite...........
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Thats good.
Just hope the fog forecast for monday doesn't upset the flypast, suspect it might have a delayed start though?
 
Sorry, no pics to post, was pretty misty at Lympstone, so my shots are carp.
Not a very tight formation either, they were quite spread out and the Merlin that was with them seemed to be getting in the way :)
Was worth watching though, even if a little sad that they will soon be gone.
If noting else, it reminded me that I have shots from last years Dawlish airshow that I never processed. A pair of them came out of Lympstone and put on an impromptu display, before heading off west. At least I have those as a memory of them ;)
 
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It was fitting that one of the aircraft taking over the role went with them. I only saw them near the end so I didn't know if the Mk3 had gone all the way. They made a fine and dignified sight when I saw them. No pics as I wasn't allowed a camera with me - just the memory.
 
I think they might have been using the Merlin as a camera ship, seemed that way from it's positioning.
It was a very moving sight, but I don't think they will be competing with the Red Arrows in a formation flying contest anytime soon :)
 
Sejanus Aelianus said:
Nicer lighting than mine. Were you on one of the boats?
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Thanks, not from a boat, was up on the hill by the Smugglers. Best place to photograph from as a lot of the time you are level with the aircraft.
 
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b****r!

Missed this post so missed the flypast yesterday morning. I was on the hill opposite the CTCRM at Lympstone at 10 but could easily have stayed for a while and had a camera ready for the final fly-past.
 
The Mk5s are being withdrawn as well, and the Mk3s (the yellow RAF ones). The only one remaining in service a bit longer are the Mk7s (all grey with the radar scanner hanging off the side). There's no replacement for them yet. I don't know how long the Sea King's been in service but it's a very long time and they've been amazing aircraft, but when you take a close look at one now............... they are a bit agricultural!
 
Jannyfox said:
The Mk5s are being withdrawn as well, and the Mk3s (the yellow RAF ones). The only one remaining in service a bit longer are the Mk7s (all grey with the radar scanner hanging off the side). There's no replacement for them yet. I don't know how long the Sea King's been in service but it's a very long time and they've been amazing aircraft, but when you take a close look at one now............... they are a bit agricultural!
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Sometimes "agricultural" is good in certain circumstances.
 
Nod said:
b****r!

Missed this post so missed the flypast yesterday morning. I was on the hill opposite the CTCRM at Lympstone at 10 but could easily have stayed for a while and had a camera ready for the final fly-past.
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You probably wouldn't have got much from up on the hill, it was pretty misty/hazy over the river. They came in over Woodbury Common, but couldn't be seen, only heard until they were almost over the camp. They turned there and headed down the estuary toward Exmouth.

Jannyfox said:
I don't know how long the Sea King's been in service but it's a very long time and they've been amazing aircraft, but when you take a close look at one now............... they are a bit agricultural!
Click to expand...

They first entered service late 1969, so a little over 45 years of continuous service. Quite remarkable really.
 
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