RN Helicopter Display Teams - Whales and Pirhanas

[Lee Howard]

Can anyone advise the names of the crew members of the following RN Helicopter display teams:

706 Sqn 'The Whales' 1977 - 1986

706 Sqn 'The Pirhanas' 1987 - 1990.

I have a few names but certainly not all of them.

Many thanks in advance.

Lee Howard

[Finningley Boy]

The Whales and Piranhas were the two Culdrose based Sea King teams. There was certainly a 4-ship of R.N. Sea Kings which gave a good display at Prestwick on 3rd June 1972. Don't know the name though, even if they had one. Gazelle wise there was the Pussers Pair and the Sharks and going back to the 1960s teams of Hillers from Culdrose were quite routine.

FB:)

[Lee Howard]

FB

Thanks. I haven't found any name for a Sea King team prior to The Pirhanas, so probably not - unless someone can correct me!

Happy with the names of the others; it's more the individuals who flew with them that I'm after.

Anyone?

Lee

[Lee Howard]

BUMP

Anyone?

[Ox cidental]

My gazelle formation instructor was ex whales, and was in the pair that clipped rotor tips. Will dig into log book for his ID.

Surely Baz Jones, Ted Bucket, Mike Swales et al would provide more names? Baz is at BIH sim in Bournemouth I believe....

Oxinator
West Australia

[Lee Howard]

Ox

You're either looking at Stanley, Sambrook, Galway or Mowbray for that particular incident.

Rgds

Lee

[davaar lad]

I remember the Christmas Lunch carol singing after the "clashing rotors over the autofield" incident including as a verse to "Good King Wensleslas" being

"Fence building, ploughing 706, 706, oh Fence Building Ploughing 706"

i've got some Culdrose phot promo pics of the Whales somewhere (cabs, not the crews)

can't help thinking Phil Sheldon was in one of them, whatever, the late Hugh Clark got a major baz on!

definately 3 in the bump, the third got hit by debris from the other 2 which made holes in the T/R. I think 2 ended up in fields and one limped back.

rgds

DL

[Vampiredave]

1976: First mention of team. A formation of 2 Sea King HAS.1s from 706 NAS and flown by selected instructors at CU Air Day in July.

1977: Increased to 4 SK HAS.1s and performed at CU Air Day.

1978: CU Air Day. 4 SK HAS.2/HAS.2A

1979: CU Air Day. 4 SK HAS.2/HAS.2A

1980: CU Air Day led by Lt Cdr Ian Domoney. 4 SK HAS.2/HAS.2A

1981: Cancelled due to lack of serviceable aircraft and pressure on training courses.

1982: Cancelled due to effects of Falklands war.

1983: Reformed for CU AD. During training, two aircraft suffered main rotor blade tip strikes with each other and and had to force land. 4 SK HAS.2/HAS.2A. Also appeared at St Mawgan.

1984: CU AD. 4 SK HAS.2A. Also appeared at Chivenor and St Mawgan.

1985: CU AD. 4 SK HAS.5.

1986: CU AD. 4 SK HAS.5.

1987: Team renamed as "Piranhas" with 3 SK HAS.5s. Similar display.

1988: Piranhas - CU AD. 3 SK HAS.5s

1989: Piranhas - Lt CDr Tanzi lea with Lt Attril and Lt Hanney - CU AD. 3 SK HAS.5s

1990: Piranhas led by Lt Cdr Nigel Hennell - CU AD. Three aircraft with crews drawn from Lts C Douglas / R Newson, N West / D Ffrench and A Atrill / M Skeer. 3 SK HAS.5s.

1991, 1992 and 1993: No teams.

1994: Whales reformed for one season - CU AD. 3 SK HAS.5s

1995 - 1998: No teams and squadron disbanded Feb 1998.

[Wander00]

Anyone know if Mike Swales went to Harrow County Grammar School ....just a thought