The Rotary Nostalgia Thread
Thread Starter
Richard Seymour Retires
Somerset pilot who became a voice for helicopters | This is Somerset
A former squadron commander has retired as RNAS Yeovilton's community relations officer after a 50-year career with the Navy.
Commander Richard Seymour, 68, of Hardington Mandeville, joined the Navy in 1961 at the age of 18. At least six generations of his family have served the Royal Navy.
Cdr Richard Seymour with a Wessex helicopter similar to those he flew in 1968
He qualified as a commando pilot in 1967 at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and flew the Wessex and Wasp helicopters in his early career.
In 1972 he earned the Air Force Cross for rescuing 42 people from a grounded cargo ship during a tropical storm near Hong Kong. Flying a Wasp helicopter he returned to the stricken ship time and again so the crew could be winched to safety.
Cdr Seymour first came to Yeovilton in 1973, and commanded 846 naval air squadron in the late Seventies. It was the first squadron to have the Sea King helicopter; still in service today.
During the Falklands war Cdr Seymour was senior naval officer on the Merchant Navy ship SS Atlantic Causeway – a container vessel converted with a hangar and flight deck to carry aircraft to the conflict zone.
He said: "The Merchant Navy crew were absolutely brilliant. They did a wonderful job and saw ships close to them come under attack."
He returned to Yeovilton in the early Nineties to take up a job leading the flight staff and accident investigation centre.
In 1996, he took up a civilian post of community relations officer and has become a well-known figure in communities around Yeovilton where its helicopters regularly fly. He said: "It has been wonderful. A perfect job for me. I have been acting as a link between the air station and communities. It is very important for people to know what is going on at the air station and why we are doing it.
"People sometimes forget the air crews at Yeovilton have been operating in combat for more than ten years. This is not an exercise, these are roles where people are being shot at. They are operating in some of the most difficult conditions anywhere.
"I personally think it is really important for the general public to know that. Quite often they won't realise that the sort of training we are doing is preparing for this sort of operational role. "When they are exercising over the Somerset Levels and carrying out low-level night flights they are exercising as if it was Afghanistan. A few months later they will be out there doing it for real.
"The air station at the moment is far more operationally active than it was when I first came here. Every squadron has been involved in Afghanistan. In the last 15 years the operational tempo has never been greater." Cdr Seymour has a wife, Ann, and two adult sons.
Commander Richard Seymour, 68, of Hardington Mandeville, joined the Navy in 1961 at the age of 18. At least six generations of his family have served the Royal Navy.
Cdr Richard Seymour with a Wessex helicopter similar to those he flew in 1968
He qualified as a commando pilot in 1967 at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and flew the Wessex and Wasp helicopters in his early career.
In 1972 he earned the Air Force Cross for rescuing 42 people from a grounded cargo ship during a tropical storm near Hong Kong. Flying a Wasp helicopter he returned to the stricken ship time and again so the crew could be winched to safety.
Cdr Seymour first came to Yeovilton in 1973, and commanded 846 naval air squadron in the late Seventies. It was the first squadron to have the Sea King helicopter; still in service today.
During the Falklands war Cdr Seymour was senior naval officer on the Merchant Navy ship SS Atlantic Causeway – a container vessel converted with a hangar and flight deck to carry aircraft to the conflict zone.
He said: "The Merchant Navy crew were absolutely brilliant. They did a wonderful job and saw ships close to them come under attack."
He returned to Yeovilton in the early Nineties to take up a job leading the flight staff and accident investigation centre.
In 1996, he took up a civilian post of community relations officer and has become a well-known figure in communities around Yeovilton where its helicopters regularly fly. He said: "It has been wonderful. A perfect job for me. I have been acting as a link between the air station and communities. It is very important for people to know what is going on at the air station and why we are doing it.
"People sometimes forget the air crews at Yeovilton have been operating in combat for more than ten years. This is not an exercise, these are roles where people are being shot at. They are operating in some of the most difficult conditions anywhere.
"I personally think it is really important for the general public to know that. Quite often they won't realise that the sort of training we are doing is preparing for this sort of operational role. "When they are exercising over the Somerset Levels and carrying out low-level night flights they are exercising as if it was Afghanistan. A few months later they will be out there doing it for real.
"The air station at the moment is far more operationally active than it was when I first came here. Every squadron has been involved in Afghanistan. In the last 15 years the operational tempo has never been greater." Cdr Seymour has a wife, Ann, and two adult sons.
Thread Starter
Harry Dubinsky
Harry Dubinsky flew with the Canadian Navy until 1958 after which he joined Kenting Helicopters flying S-55's.
When Kenting was contracted by the US Air Force to help with the DEW (Distant Early Warning) line construction on Baffin Island, he flew in support of the construction of their radar sites.
Kenting went on to be contracted by the Canadian Army Topographic Survey to assist in mapping of the Canadian Western Arctic Islands. Dubinsky was appointed detachment commander flying S-55's. This was the first ever accurate mapping of these Arctic Islands using telerometers. They mapped Banks and Victoria Islands.
From late 1960 Dubinsky flew S-55's out of Greenland in construction support for the DEW line. Later in life, he became District Manager of the Canadian Coastguard vessels in Hayriver, North West Territories.
Harry Dubinsky (right) with members of the Canadian Army Topographic Survey Corps in 1962
Harry Dubinsky with Kenting's S-55 CF-JJD in 1962
With thanks to Harry's daughter, Gale, for these images.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Somerset
Age: 81
Posts: 635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just love reading the threads about do we have this bit of equipment and should we allow this or that - we never thought about that in days of old and we were...............................simplistic.
D
D
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Somerset
Age: 81
Posts: 635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Reference Richard Seymour above - he used to have a beard............
Oh dear................
and somtimes he took his duties too seriously...................
D
Oh dear................
and somtimes he took his duties too seriously...................
D
Thread Starter
Ah Bast0n, as always .. wonderful stuff and a great graphic reflection of the former post!
Yes, it is a different world now. Back then was the 'age of innocence' when many aspects of the industry were still being pioneered. I have always felt that those who were exposed to operations in the 50's through 70's were privileged indeed!
Regarding Seymour .. this comes as no surprise. He was even wearing your FAA tie in his shot for the Somerset Recorder (or whatever it was). Who, out of interest, was the chap on the port side in the 'bone dome' photo?
Also, on your coveralls you are wearing two squadron badges .. any details please?
And .. one sees in your 'Hard at Work' shot with Riccardo that you have lept from Lt to Lt Cmdr!
I just love reading the threads about do we have this bit of equipment and should we allow this or that - we never thought about that in days of old and we were .. simplistic.
Regarding Seymour .. this comes as no surprise. He was even wearing your FAA tie in his shot for the Somerset Recorder (or whatever it was). Who, out of interest, was the chap on the port side in the 'bone dome' photo?
Also, on your coveralls you are wearing two squadron badges .. any details please?
And .. one sees in your 'Hard at Work' shot with Riccardo that you have lept from Lt to Lt Cmdr!
Thread Starter
New Year's Appreciation
It is with immense satisfaction that I present the latest Medal of Appreciation to a PPRuNer whose contributions are, in a word, superb!
Awarded to PPRuNer Bast0n for his superb
nostalgic reminiscences supported by his capable
literacy and illuminating photographic record
Medal of Appreciation Past Recipients:
Industry Insider
Ah de Havilland
Helipixman
Awarded to PPRuNer Bast0n for his superb
nostalgic reminiscences supported by his capable
literacy and illuminating photographic record
Medal of Appreciation Past Recipients:
Industry Insider
Ah de Havilland
Helipixman
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Somerset
Age: 81
Posts: 635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh I say!
First HM the Queen, then Prince Charles and now this. Thank you so much Savoia.
Below another memory.............what a cracking helicopter to go wave jumping in the storms around the Cornish coast. Single everything, no ASE no nothing but pure fun - single pilot day, night, imc you name it. The only major problem was that it had two anti colls mounted at an angle, one on top and one under the nose, and in cloud or at night the twin beams rotating in opposite directions crossed over in front of the aircraft - very offputting to the old scan! See other threads for todays view on that lot
David
First HM the Queen, then Prince Charles and now this. Thank you so much Savoia.
Below another memory.............what a cracking helicopter to go wave jumping in the storms around the Cornish coast. Single everything, no ASE no nothing but pure fun - single pilot day, night, imc you name it. The only major problem was that it had two anti colls mounted at an angle, one on top and one under the nose, and in cloud or at night the twin beams rotating in opposite directions crossed over in front of the aircraft - very offputting to the old scan! See other threads for todays view on that lot
David
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Somerset
Age: 81
Posts: 635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Savoia
Reference the picture of Neddie Seagoon with a beard, the chap on the left is Chris Clay and the badges on my magnificent breast are Seahawk SAR and 707 Squadron. Hope that fills in a bit of your encyclopedic knowledge!
D
Reference the picture of Neddie Seagoon with a beard, the chap on the left is Chris Clay and the badges on my magnificent breast are Seahawk SAR and 707 Squadron. Hope that fills in a bit of your encyclopedic knowledge!
D
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: In the Haven of Peace
Age: 79
Posts: 600
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I see Neddie Seagoon is looking very smart these days, though he still hasn't purchased a comb!
Everybody I know seems to be retiring for some odd reason! Is it old age? I suppose I'll also have to sometime.
Everybody I know seems to be retiring for some odd reason! Is it old age? I suppose I'll also have to sometime.
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Posts: 943
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
David,
Is that photo of Whirlwind W taken near Bario? And who was flying it? Brings back memories of the flights I did in the Whirlwind to Nanga Gaat & Bario!! Where did you get all these photos from, I don't recall seeing you with a camera!!
Is that photo of Whirlwind W taken near Bario? And who was flying it? Brings back memories of the flights I did in the Whirlwind to Nanga Gaat & Bario!! Where did you get all these photos from, I don't recall seeing you with a camera!!
Last edited by Nigel Osborn; 1st Jan 2012 at 11:55.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Somerset
Age: 81
Posts: 635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL
This picture of VZ 965 is interesting in many respects. If you look closely you will see that it is being tracked by the old “flag into the rotors” game that was always a laugh and full of exciting possibilities!
This aircraft was in the Station Flight hangar at Culdrose when I was the SAR pilot,(WW7s, 1966), and just sat there unused. It was in superb condition almost as though it had been restored for a show. Tony Thurstan was the boss of the flight and when I suggested that we dragged it out and played with it he agreed. He had flown Dragonflies in the distant past and so once we had it up and running he checked me out to go solo on it – I am still not sure as to the legality of that check out! I was the last person to qualify (?) solo on a Dragonfly in the FAA.
I remember that it had some interesting traits like trying to roll onto its left side on take off as it had no built in cross coupling in roll as you raised the collective, and landings were equally affected.
At one stage a tail rotor driveshaft bearing got a bit wobbly and of course there were no spares, but the FAA Museum came up trumps and we did a straight swap with the museum aircraft.
I used to use the aircraft for fun – going out to the Scillies in very early spring and collecting bunches and bunches of early daffodils which we the sold back at Culdrose to beef up our party fund. The landlord of the pub in St Marys came out to he airfield to collect us, resplendent in our two piece grey goonsuits, and treated us to lunch – but of course no beer………………………….(oh dear, not a good way to start the New Year!). We also used to collect those big orange fishing markers that broke loose in the storms and sell them back to the fishermen at a knock down price for the same reason. As an aside, using a Whirlwind, we found a very smart yacht dinghy floating off Looe Bar in a bit of an onshore gale. I lowered the diver into it on the winch and he tied a line to it and going backwards, as the wind was too strong to turn around in the hover, managed to tow it and surf it up the beach on the back of a big wave. It had a pot of paint and a paintbrush in it but no markings. We reported it to the Coastguard but no one claimed it and it became ours – a big party that year!
Eventually the Dragonfly met a sad end. We foolishly let someone else fly it and it had an oil leak with lots of smoke at Preddannack and an incident signal was raised. All hell was let loose as the Command at Yeovilton did not know the aircraft existed, in a time of big cutbacks, and off it went on a lorry. It ended up believe it or not as a cropsprayer in Cyprus!
Happy days, David.
This picture of VZ 965 is interesting in many respects. If you look closely you will see that it is being tracked by the old “flag into the rotors” game that was always a laugh and full of exciting possibilities!
This aircraft was in the Station Flight hangar at Culdrose when I was the SAR pilot,(WW7s, 1966), and just sat there unused. It was in superb condition almost as though it had been restored for a show. Tony Thurstan was the boss of the flight and when I suggested that we dragged it out and played with it he agreed. He had flown Dragonflies in the distant past and so once we had it up and running he checked me out to go solo on it – I am still not sure as to the legality of that check out! I was the last person to qualify (?) solo on a Dragonfly in the FAA.
I remember that it had some interesting traits like trying to roll onto its left side on take off as it had no built in cross coupling in roll as you raised the collective, and landings were equally affected.
At one stage a tail rotor driveshaft bearing got a bit wobbly and of course there were no spares, but the FAA Museum came up trumps and we did a straight swap with the museum aircraft.
I used to use the aircraft for fun – going out to the Scillies in very early spring and collecting bunches and bunches of early daffodils which we the sold back at Culdrose to beef up our party fund. The landlord of the pub in St Marys came out to he airfield to collect us, resplendent in our two piece grey goonsuits, and treated us to lunch – but of course no beer………………………….(oh dear, not a good way to start the New Year!). We also used to collect those big orange fishing markers that broke loose in the storms and sell them back to the fishermen at a knock down price for the same reason. As an aside, using a Whirlwind, we found a very smart yacht dinghy floating off Looe Bar in a bit of an onshore gale. I lowered the diver into it on the winch and he tied a line to it and going backwards, as the wind was too strong to turn around in the hover, managed to tow it and surf it up the beach on the back of a big wave. It had a pot of paint and a paintbrush in it but no markings. We reported it to the Coastguard but no one claimed it and it became ours – a big party that year!
Eventually the Dragonfly met a sad end. We foolishly let someone else fly it and it had an oil leak with lots of smoke at Preddannack and an incident signal was raised. All hell was let loose as the Command at Yeovilton did not know the aircraft existed, in a time of big cutbacks, and off it went on a lorry. It ended up believe it or not as a cropsprayer in Cyprus!
Happy days, David.
Está servira para distraerle.
Not nostalgia but perhaps of interest to some of you. My apologies if you have seen it all before. Happy New Year.
Drohnen: Spione am Himmel - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - Wissenschaft
Drohnen: Spione am Himmel - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - Wissenschaft
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: In the shadows
Age: 80
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oddest Forced Landing Site?
This must surely rate as the oddest forced landing site ever for a helicopter - unless you know better....?
On 21 February 1950, whilst flying in Ireland, Royal Navy Sikorsky Hoverfly FT837 suffered a "seized tail rotor". A forced landing was carried out in an open grave in St. Mary's Collegiate churchyard, Youghal, County Cork. Although the helicopter was a write-off it was not the pilot's final resting place as he and his crew were uninjured!
A photo of the crashed aircraft was taken by Mikey Roche at the time and was shown in his photo exhibition in Youghal last year but I have not been able to locate this photo online anywhere.
On 21 February 1950, whilst flying in Ireland, Royal Navy Sikorsky Hoverfly FT837 suffered a "seized tail rotor". A forced landing was carried out in an open grave in St. Mary's Collegiate churchyard, Youghal, County Cork. Although the helicopter was a write-off it was not the pilot's final resting place as he and his crew were uninjured!
A photo of the crashed aircraft was taken by Mikey Roche at the time and was shown in his photo exhibition in Youghal last year but I have not been able to locate this photo online anywhere.
Thread Starter
Bast0n, great stuff as ever! Have always wanted to fly a helicopter with a rotating beacon, you know, one which makes a racket and draws plenty of amps from the battery!
Great fun regarding the Dragonfly! My godfather would tell me of his days at Boscombe Down and how when a new type arrived he and the other drivers would forego any formal type induction and give themselves a 'scare' all by means of keeping themselves on their toes (or so the story goes!). Strange lot those test pilots, lol!
Cheetah, there's probably a UAV thread somewhere (although I'll confess to having not looked for it) but the contraption certainly 'looks the business' being purpose-designed (one assumes) instead of converted from an existing piece of machinery.
C16, it will be interesting to see whether any leads emerge which could eventually uncover this image. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
A Royal Navy Whirlwind from HMS Victorious c. 1963
The route followed by HMS Victorious on her 1963-64 expedition to the Far East
And in today from Mick West ..
Court Line Aviation Bell 206A G-AXMM at Bembridge on 4th July 1971 (Photo: Mick West)
This craft was bought by Freddie Wilcox in July 1969. She was the 10th Bell (as opposed to Agusta-Bell) 206 in the UK. In 1974 she was bought by Appledore Shipbuilders of Devon and in the same year moved on to a Mr 'Walter Holmes' of 'Refuge' House, Bedford Street, Leeds and which can only be 'Wally' Holmes of Heli-Leeds and about which I shall say no more.
AXMM went on to collect a string of owners and flew variously as: G-ROGR, G-RODY, G-OBHH and latterly as G-WLLY.
WLLY met her demise on 21st December 2005 tragically claiming the lives of both her occupants. An excerpt from the accident report reads:
Great fun regarding the Dragonfly! My godfather would tell me of his days at Boscombe Down and how when a new type arrived he and the other drivers would forego any formal type induction and give themselves a 'scare' all by means of keeping themselves on their toes (or so the story goes!). Strange lot those test pilots, lol!
Cheetah, there's probably a UAV thread somewhere (although I'll confess to having not looked for it) but the contraption certainly 'looks the business' being purpose-designed (one assumes) instead of converted from an existing piece of machinery.
C16, it will be interesting to see whether any leads emerge which could eventually uncover this image. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
A Royal Navy Whirlwind from HMS Victorious c. 1963
The route followed by HMS Victorious on her 1963-64 expedition to the Far East
And in today from Mick West ..
Court Line Aviation Bell 206A G-AXMM at Bembridge on 4th July 1971 (Photo: Mick West)
This craft was bought by Freddie Wilcox in July 1969. She was the 10th Bell (as opposed to Agusta-Bell) 206 in the UK. In 1974 she was bought by Appledore Shipbuilders of Devon and in the same year moved on to a Mr 'Walter Holmes' of 'Refuge' House, Bedford Street, Leeds and which can only be 'Wally' Holmes of Heli-Leeds and about which I shall say no more.
AXMM went on to collect a string of owners and flew variously as: G-ROGR, G-RODY, G-OBHH and latterly as G-WLLY.
WLLY met her demise on 21st December 2005 tragically claiming the lives of both her occupants. An excerpt from the accident report reads:
The pilot of the helicopter and an observer were carrying out a pipeline inspection flight between Cumbernauld Airport and Aberdeen.
Approximately 45 minutes after takeoff, the helicopter descended to low level where debris was seen to fall from its aft section. Control of the helicopter was lost and it struck the ground, fatally injuring both occupants. The investigation found that the vertical stabiliser had detached from the tail boom and struck the tail rotor.
This subsequently caused the tail rotor and associated gearbox to become detached from the tail boom, resulting in the helicopter’s centre of gravity moving outside controllable limits.
Approximately 45 minutes after takeoff, the helicopter descended to low level where debris was seen to fall from its aft section. Control of the helicopter was lost and it struck the ground, fatally injuring both occupants. The investigation found that the vertical stabiliser had detached from the tail boom and struck the tail rotor.
This subsequently caused the tail rotor and associated gearbox to become detached from the tail boom, resulting in the helicopter’s centre of gravity moving outside controllable limits.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Somerset
Age: 81
Posts: 635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A new Year Flypast to set the pulses racing to see what other pictures come out of the wood work in 2012.
This is Culdrose Station Flight/SAR plus the WW9 used for senior officers (fixed wing) to rotary - or at least up to solo standard.
David
and the break!!
and a head on for luck!
This is Culdrose Station Flight/SAR plus the WW9 used for senior officers (fixed wing) to rotary - or at least up to solo standard.
David
and the break!!
and a head on for luck!
Thread Starter
Of Culdrose and Whirlwinds ..
Whirlwind HAS 7 helicopters of No. 815 Squadron Fleet Air Arm flying in formation near the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose in Cornwall
And yes, Marines fly too ..
Lt Learoyd at the controls of a Westland Whirlwind during his flying training in Singapore in October 1961
Under a scheme to provide Royal Marine Commandos with a contingent of their own aviators, 24 year old Roger Learoyd of Wallington, Oxfordshire (pictured above), becomes the first Officer of the Corps to specialise as a helicopter pilot.
Bast0n's Badges ..
The badges worn on Bast0n's coveralls in post 1159
Whirlwind HAS 7 helicopters of No. 815 Squadron Fleet Air Arm flying in formation near the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose in Cornwall
And yes, Marines fly too ..
Lt Learoyd at the controls of a Westland Whirlwind during his flying training in Singapore in October 1961
Under a scheme to provide Royal Marine Commandos with a contingent of their own aviators, 24 year old Roger Learoyd of Wallington, Oxfordshire (pictured above), becomes the first Officer of the Corps to specialise as a helicopter pilot.
Bast0n's Badges ..
The badges worn on Bast0n's coveralls in post 1159