RAF KHORMAKSAR
Gentleman Aviator
Old Pax, I was there early 62 - mid 64 and the SAR flight had Sycamores, NOT Dragonflys, the Whirlwind Mk 10 then arrived late 63, but definitely not any Dragonfly's on the island.
Well, one squadron was tasked with carrying out long, tedious and usually uneventful patrols using pretty antique equipment.
And so was the other one....
TTN - Very funny!
Jack
And so was the other one....
TTN - Very funny!
Jack
Yes I'd got that about the in flight catering catering. Somewhat better than the soup heater provided for us in the Victor in my later incarnation after leaving the Rockapes. Guaranteed you a tin of luke warm oxtail soup by top of descent after a five hour sortie 
Memory lapse!
Yes of course "Sycamore".Probably said Dragonfly as a result of a visit to Yeovilton not long back!Not long after I arrived in Ksar The SAR flight had to take out the casualty of a shooting accident at Conquest bay ,I remember it hovering over the rocks while a doctor and medic attended the casualty(he died)and then we loaded the body onto a stretcher and put it aboard and away it went!
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Shooting
Wasn't Dave K**s the pilot ?, who had to go fly around the bay and await the call back as he commented the said aircraft was an ar*e to keep in the hover or nearby and it made his arms ache, whilst medic attended the patient.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
I was at Khormaksar at the same time as 601-4. My logbook shows 02,03 and 04, so I guess the yellow one (if one there was) was XT601.
S&R started in Khormaksar in '55 - log books are distinctly grotty, after being immersed when the house was destroyed, but may be able to decipher dates if necessary. It was set up with 3 pilots and three 'Siggies' from APCSS/ACS on temporary loan because of a shortage of Navs. We did our winch training on the flight - best described as 'interesting!! We had two commissioned pilots and one Master Pilot - 'Tommy' Tomczak - later name changed to Tommy Pavey. He and I flew several times together - flights which emphasised the complete lack of suitability of the Sycamore for hot clime operation ... 44" of boost ... and going down
Phil Clay has just reappeared in memory and ??? Bamber? The other volunteer siggies were Brian Fletcher and Geoff Wigley - the latter is the one nearest camera,
Brian was on stand down. This piccy was included in a related thread in 2013. Only lasted in role for 3 months then back to the Valettas.
No more S&R until back from Bangkok in '64 (someone has to do the hardship posts
), when asked If I would like to try 22 Sqdn Whirlies ... and the rest, as they say, is history!!
Phil Clay has just reappeared in memory and ??? Bamber? The other volunteer siggies were Brian Fletcher and Geoff Wigley - the latter is the one nearest camera, Brian was on stand down. This piccy was included in a related thread in 2013. Only lasted in role for 3 months then back to the Valettas. No more S&R until back from Bangkok in '64 (someone has to do the hardship posts
), when asked If I would like to try 22 Sqdn Whirlies ... and the rest, as they say, is history!!
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
XT 601 was certainly a Wessex 2. All four XTs (01,02,03,04) were part of 78 Sqn. This was late '67. I'm just wondering if 601 might have remained in the yellow colours and sited somewhere else on the airfield. I've got a couple of contacts from those dasy who would know. I'll ask around.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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Regarding the hot and high capability of the Whirlwind, in 1969 I flew a civvy WS55 Mk.3, with Gnome engine out of Abu Dhabi to a rig offshore, +30C and more was the 'norm' along with very high humidity, especially during summer. We managed to uplift eight oil rig workers so I would have thought the '10 could have managed a SAR payload in Aden? Stand to be corrected, of course! 
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SAR WESSEX KHORMAKSAR 1967
Thanks again Coff for your sterling service.
I was at Khormaksar in 1966-67 and the SAR choppers were yellow Wessex flavoured. This pic was taken at an Open Day at the airfield.
Hope it helps with your deliberations.
I was at Khormaksar in 1966-67 and the SAR choppers were yellow Wessex flavoured. This pic was taken at an Open Day at the airfield.
Hope it helps with your deliberations.
The Sycanores had a bad time at first in the Far East. Thet had wooden blades and when they caught the de Havilland Mosquito disease they would delaminate.
Not a good thing to happen to a helicopter.
They eventually solved the problem and so they carried on until the mid sixties.
I had a friend who was SAR at El Adem with Sycamores. The pilot would operate the winch via a mirror and the winchman would go down the wire. As there was insufficient power to lift both out of the dinghy then he would send the survivor up first. He would then be winched up unless there was insufficient power or fuel in which case he would be left behind in the dinghy and the Sycamore would take the survivor back and then return for him.
Not a good thing to happen to a helicopter.
They eventually solved the problem and so they carried on until the mid sixties.
I had a friend who was SAR at El Adem with Sycamores. The pilot would operate the winch via a mirror and the winchman would go down the wire. As there was insufficient power to lift both out of the dinghy then he would send the survivor up first. He would then be winched up unless there was insufficient power or fuel in which case he would be left behind in the dinghy and the Sycamore would take the survivor back and then return for him.
Gentleman Aviator
They eventually solved the problem and so they carried on until the mid sixties.
The pilot would operate the winch via a mirror
Wet winch training was slated for (what turned out to be) our last week as 'fill-ins'. Intention was to winch from a dinghy in the inner harbour. However, on arrival, we could see some local residents - sharks and ray circling - 'jungle' drums having advertised the prospect of a free lunch, maybe, so discretion ... etc.