8 Flight AAC 109's

[exdesigner]

Ref post from c53204 on 01/06. Are we going to say any more about the ZE cabs? AMH were involved with them for some time so there must be some interesting stuff out there or should we leave them in peace now that they are retired. I have info on paint schemes and a couple of pictures if we are happy to further this one.
Does anyone have any info on G-HUEY which is the UH-1D that came back from the Falklands and was sponsored by the RIAT for a while. I remember it being with AMH for a while under some sort of maintenance deal.

[helihub]

The Army 109s were regularly at Fairoaks. The first two, captured during the Falklands war, were immediately painted yellow/white like G-OAMH and G-HWBK to make them "look civil" to help the unit blend into the "real world" if you like.

The schemes were changed a few times, as were the colour location of the ZE41x serials they always wore (ZE410 through 413), often in a very similar colour to the background they were painted on, and sometimes in odd places like the nose cone, but still meeting some official (Geneva?) Convention that all aircraft must carry a serial. (contrary to what c53204 said earlier this thread). Here are some schemes they wore

ZE410 as captured, Argentine serial AE-334
http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1055343M.jpg

ZE411 in AMH-look yellow scheme
http://bills-stuff.net/GB/images/tywanted.jpg

ZE410 in a grey scheme
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3653/3592606457_2a17f69190.jpg

ZE411 as captured, Argentine serial AE-331
http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1082208M.jpg

ZE411 in AMH-look yellow scheme
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5787896296_5ddf800ac3.jpg

ZE411 in blue
http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1107884M.jpg

ZE412 in white with two dark blue stripes (and reg in black on the dark blue)
http://bills-stuff.net/GB/images/tywanted.jpg

ZE412 in white with blue/red stripes
http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1001519M.jpg

ZE413 in white with two dark blue stripes (and reg in black on the dark blue)
http://bills-stuff.net/GB/images/tywanted.jpg

ZE413 in white and black
http://www.airpics.net/UserFiles/pics/medium/ZE413-Agusta-A109A-Hirundo-Army-Air-Corps-UK/9150/9115m.jpg

and like it or not, they got replaced by four of these (all in this scheme)
http://www.targeta.co.uk/images/091_1160w5+.jpg

[exdesigner]

nice to see such a good response to this already. All four aircraft ended up in individual paint schemes but in between these and the initial AMH scheme they all got painted white with two dark blue lines running end to end. Any pictures out there?

[helihub]

I have a photo of one *somewhere* which would need scanning. I will go hunting this evening. Meantime the four are *thought* to be currently as follows

ZE410 @ Yeovilton, Cobham Hall storage facility
ZE411 @ MoAF, Middle Wallop - awaiting public display
ZE412 @ Arborfield
ZE413 @ Hereford (for local static display?)

[c53204]

ZE411

http://www.demobbed.org.uk/images/ze411.jpg



ZE412

http://www.demobbed.org.uk/images/ze412.jpg

[Savoia]

Are the Army Dauphins owned by the MoD or are they (as with the RN FOST Dauphins) contracted?

What does the ZJ designation, shared with the FOST Dauphins, signify?

And finally, what sort of tasking are the Army Dauphins engaged in? The image seems to reveal FLIR and possibly a NightSun on the opposite side.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uLbqCE9_Xdw/Tgx1mGdf0hI/AAAAAAAADxU/A2-NbQS5Ey0/1052749M.jpg
Navy Dauphins are contracted through civilian operators

[helimarshaller]

what sort of tasking are the Army Dauphins engaged in? The image seems to reveal FLIR and possibly a NightSun on the opposite side

Sorry, that sort of information is not likely to be revealed, but if I tell I will have to kill you afterwards.:=

[helihub]

Check near the bottom of the hinged door below the red stripe and you will see ZE413 painted there in a near white colour on a white background, but it is visible....

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/3/5/8/0609853.jpg

[c53204]

You'll find some pics of the ZE aircraft. I spent a few hours 'on board' ZE411 and 412

Demobbed - Out of Service British Military Aircraft (http://www.demobbed.org.uk/overview.php)

[Savoia]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8U4tJvQB5Xs/Tk6FZTEnwCI/AAAAAAAAEiI/jOmnCqa-juI/s640/a109saspr2.jpg
ZE411 (perhaps) carrying out special ops for the Special Forces - (no further details)

[Savoia]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7293/8740131009_ecf28d837d_b.jpg
8 Flight AAC AS365N Dauphin II ZJ785 arriving at Wattisham on 2 May 2013 (Photo: Gary Stedman)

Assigned to the SAS.

[Brilliant Stuff]

How many have they got now? I thought I counted 5.

[Faithless]

ZE 413 is on display at the DMS Lichfield and not Hereford. It is in a medical fit with blister doors fitted as it contains a stretcher in the cabin.

ZJ serials is the sequence of allocated serials and nothing special.

[HeliStudent]

Does 8 flight use a special call sign when they fly?

[notar]

I think there might be six now:suspect:

[MightyGem]

Tell us more.

[chopper2004]

Sloanes had the maint contract for a while :)

I saw white / grey ZE177 (?) inside their new hangar over 10 years ago :) and even close up looks like any civvy machine bar the oomps and wee bumps on the fuselage lol :)

Single pilot operated IIRC when looked in the cockpit looked no different to say a police machine tbh. Didn't see in the back

Cheers

[notar]

As of 1 September 2013 8 Flight Army Air Corps was remustered as 658 Squadron Army Air Corps.:suspect:

[Rigga]

I don't know what AMH is/was so G-HUEY probably wasn't involved with it at all.

[helimarshaller]

I don't know what AMH is/was so G-HUEY probably wasn't involved with it at all.

AMH is Alan Manns Helicopters. They were tasked with refurbishing the 2 captured A109's and getting them airworthy.

[FSXPilot]

I have a black and white picture from the 80's How do I post it?

[Savoia]

Photos on PPRuNe have to be 'hosted' online on another site, typically Yahoo's Flickr, Google's Picasa .. or one of the many additional photo-hosting sites.

If its just a 'one off' and you don't want to go trough the rigmarole of setting-up a photo-hosting account, email the image to [email protected] and I'll mail you a link which you can use for your post.

[FSXPilot]

This photo was taken sometime around the end of 82 or sometime in 83.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--a8qS-7mk1M/Uk3HnkyDhbI/AAAAAAAAOlQ/q2Eh4N3gW1k/w762-h545-no/A109A.png

[helimarshaller]

FSXPilot

I would say that was possibly taken in 1983 at the Airshow at Middle Wallop. Not sure that it would have returned from FI in time for any shows in 82, but I am open to correction.

[diginagain]

Was there an airshow at Wallop in 83? There was the Silver Jubilee airshow in 82, 3CBAS had a Gazelle from Corporate on show. It might be worth asking on HERE (http://armyaviation.co.uk/index.php) once registered. Chap in the cockpit doorway looks like an 8 Flt customer.

[Low Flier]

I had a giggle at the advertisement on page 1 before I logged in.

Quite apt, considering some forays (allegedly) made in '82 by a few outdoorsmen known to 8 Flt AAC.

http://s18.postimg.org/qkavm7gjt/PPr_Rotor_Ad.jpg
:}

It seems that a certain "weather observation" flight made by the FAA is deep in the psyche of the bot which chooses context-sensitive ad placements
.

[Rigga]

G-HUEY's return to the sky was monitored by Bristow (and the CAA) but conducted by RAF techies. Bristow Appo's overhauled the Gearboxes and some other components.

[Chopper Doc]

That wasn't at an air show.

[helihub]

I think there might be six now

Almost.... Five at present, the sixth is still in Falcon colours at Oxford :ok:

[Davef68]

Bit of thread resurrection, but just for completeness on the colour schemes, ZE410 carried this grey/grey scheme in the 80s

AgustaWestland A109 - Large Preview - AirTeamImages.com (http://www.airteamimages.com/agustawestland-aw-109_ZE410_united-kingdom---army-air-corps_43787_large.html)