Sea King Farewell in style

[Oldsarbouy]

Great coverage tonight of the final flight around half of Scotland by two Sea Kings of the HMS Gannet SAR Flight saying farewell to other rescue agencies and the public. Done in style and typical of the RN publicity machine doing a fantastic job as always. Contrast it with the low key departure of the final RAF Sea King from Lossiemouth in March as if to distance the RAF from the long and proud service provided by D Flight, almost as if it never existed. The same sorry story was enacted at all the RAF SAR flights to the lasting shame of those at the top and the RAF PR machine.
Well done to all the military SAR crews, mission accomplished.

[LFT]

Well done and thanks to all @ HMS Gannet and particularly all the crews and support personnel of "Rescue 177" -

[Icanseeclearly]

I see in some of the formation pictures there is a Mk4 with the Gannet aircraft.

As someone who served on the SAR flight for a number of years I am Intrigued as to why, it has never been used at Gannet either when it was a frontline base or after it became the SAR flight. any ideas?

(I know there are junglie pilots there but many ex SAR guys are flying Lynx and merlins etc but they were not present)

[LFT]

Video/photography of the flight I believe.

[Icanseeclearly]

That makes sense, also explains why it's not in close formation with the other two.


Ta

[Akrotiri bad boy]

Speaking as an ex Crabfat I think the WAFU's did a good job today, they even organised the weather. Clear blue skies, snowy mountain backdrop, water cannon salute from the tugs; yeah, you done good

That's my last "type" binned, I guess if I want to go back on the tools its Hendon or Cosford for me.

[Oldsarbouy]

Let's not forget that Morayvia have XZ592 at their HQ at Kinloss.

[Exnomad]

Sea king Retirement

Is that all Sea Kings or only SAR ones.
Lynxes cannot carry as many offensive stores if offensive action needed

[Martin the Martian]

The last of the Junglies will go by the end of March, will leave only the ASaC.7 in service. Sea Kings have not carried offensive stores for a number of years now, with Merlins taking over the ASW role from the HAS.6 from about 2003.

[tucumseh]

I see in some of the formation pictures there is a Mk4 with the Gannet aircraft.

As someone who served on the SAR flight for a number of years I am Intrigued as to why, it has never been used at Gannet either when it was a frontline base or after it became the SAR flight. any ideas?

I may know one reason. The primary role of the Mk4 fleet was to "effect a simultaneous two company lift of Royal Marines", so tended to stay near their customer. The Mk4 fleet hasn't been able to do that for at least 30 years, and is why the RN were to get 108 Merlins, half of which were to supplement the SH fleet. At the same time (late 80s), Mk4 was to be retrofitted with surveillance radar; partly to have parity with the Mk5 SAR fleet. The 108 was chopped to 40-odd ASW only and the retrofit finally cancelled in 1995 (the radars having lain in store for 10 years!). The more obvious issue arising from this is that it is evidence of conscious rundown of the SH fleet(s), when various politicians claimed we had sufficient during various recent conflicts.