Sea King low over Coulsdon 2/10

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Walking over Farthing Downs south of Coulsdon yesterday afternoon about 4:45pm with low clag and drizzle dampening proceedings - we could hear a large helicopter manoeuvring south of us and eventually a 22 Sqn Sea King (well, it was yellow) steamed past us up the Brighton Line/A23 valley at 300ft or so before turning left and heading west towards Epsom Downs.

Never seen one around here before and, being terminally curious, wondered what it might have been up to. Perhaps Wills was attending a party locally? :}

One of my companions was winched off a Welsh mountain by a Sea King from Valley several years ago after a friend slipped and suffered an injury. The appearance of the Sea King yesterday was immediately greeted with cries of "Taxi for Bob!"

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Could be visiting a local medical establishment. Not common, but it does happen.

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Hi HD.

Don't think there are any medical facilities in the area immediately south of where I was. I did wonder if there had been a serious accident on the M25/M23 - I imagine the HEMS MD900 may be restricted by poor weather?

Cheers

Treadders

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I don't think a military helicopter would be any more capable than HEMS in poor weather and the time for one to reach the incident would be substantial, unless it was already in the air.

Where's Headley Court relative to where you saw it - could it have been going there??

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Nearest flight is at Wattisham, so I imagine it would take 45 minutes or more to get airborne and down to where we are.

Headley Court is about 7 miles to the west - just to the east of the next gap through the North Downs at Dorking/Leatherhead. It was certainly heading in that direction once it turned west up the Kingswood Valley. Perhaps a transfer from Gatwick...?

[Mike Rosewhich]

HEMS and Mil SAR fly to very different rules, with very different levels of training and currency.

[RedhillPhil]

Headley Court is a mere cough and a spit away from Coulsdon by helichopper but then again so is East Surrey hospital just south of Redhill.

[Satcop]

It was out of Wattisham. Popped out the Gatwick Zone just west of Godstone Station at very low level. Then went up to Banstead to fly the heli-routes.

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Thanks SATCOP.

at very low level

I'll say. More or less at eye level for us on the Downs at 150m; the valley floor at that point is about 100m. He was climbing as he turned and headed west.

Nice to see it, makes a change from the Met's EC145s!

[Tashengurt]

A SAR Sea King clattered past my house near the Tyne mid afternoon yesterday. The weather was hideous so I was impressed to see it at all! I presume it was en-route to Kielder to pick up chilly Air Cadets.
I was cr*pping it just driving my car so hats off!