Originally Posted by
OR72a
Reminds me of happy times at Odiham and Aldergrove in the early seventies. I think the first Puma I saw was on the back of a low loader on the A30 returning I think from Stamford PTA where it had suffered a fairly catastrophic tail strike. I seem to remember there was some suggestion that the tail rotor was not revolving when it hit the ground but I believe this was subsequently disproved. Also recall the famous (at the time) incident when a Puma hit the hangar at the Aldergrove SH dispersal when taxiing in. The flying officers union at the time reckoned we could absolve the pilot from blame because there was a flying order that said in strong winds aircraft could be taxied into the hangar! Ultimately the captain was removed from the force and sent to the SAR world which is where he wanted to be anyway.
Great times and great memories of the Wessex/Puma rivalries and the outrageous (by current woke standards) happenings.