Helicopter over Altrincham

[EGCC Rwy 24]

Probably a question for EGCC Approach!

One of the guys at work has just asked me whether I knew anything about a helicopter (RAF Sea King or similar) orbiting for quite a while over Altrincham about a week ago. Not much to go on there I know, but does anyone remember?

Thanks

Nick
Nick Locke's Reporting Points

PS - Full marks for yesterday evening. Normal traffic on 06L and "calibrater" on 24R at the same time made for some interesting listening - not to mention views out of the window! I bet you could have done without Police 151 turning up too though.

[bagpuss lives]

Are they sure it was a Sea King and in RAF markings?

The National Grid chaps are around and about at the moment doing powerline surveys in various choppers - could it have been one of those?

I bet those people that UKP151 turned up to chase or find could have have done without it turning up even more than the chaps at work

[Flap Speed]

Sea Kings are not uncommon coming into the area and are normally (in my experience) bringing in casualties off the Welsh mountains direct to either the Manchester Royal Infirmary or Withington Hospitals "burns unit". Mostly it is the Royal though and they generally land in Platt Fields Park, Rusholme.

If that was the case why they would be hovering over Altrincham stumps me. From Wales they generally track in along the M62 visually and turn in towards the parks general area when they reach the end of the M602. This was the description of the route I had from the last pilot to land there that I dealt with who had come in from Bangor Hospital having initially come from EGOV.

Quite a sight seeing a Sea King come down in the park in the wee small hours I can tell you

[Spiney Norman]

EGCC Rwy 24.
Are you sure it wasn't three or four weeks ago? The reason I ask is because we did have a Royal Navy Merlin helicopter do quite a prolonged low-level task at Altrincham grammar school. If I recall correctly, it was from a ship in the Mersey and was doing some sort of recruitment demo. I'm pretty certain it didn't land there, but was in the area for about 10-15 minutes. Could this be it?

Spiney

[windsock9]

I live in Cheadle just under approach 24R. I have seen a yellow Sea king a few times recently, but there is also a grey one which has been knocking about around the area too!

[Squadgy]

The RN Merlin has been in the area twice during 2003, TDY to Barton each time, having come up from Culdrose.

The aircraft did demos at Radstock Hall and Mere whilst in the area

[MAN777]

The SAR sea kings can now land at Wythenshawe hospital at a new landing pad next to casualty, Altrincham is a very short distance from this hospital so maybe it was holding to land there ?

[Flap Speed]

MAN 777

Well that's a new one on me!! A heli-pad at Wythenshawe Hospital..

I was going to say something along the lines of what are you talking about??? but instead I got the opportunity whilst driving past at work today to go and have a peek.

Lo and behold there it is in pristine condition

A quick chat with the paramedics got me info that the burns unit at Withington has now moved to Wythenshawe and as such I suspect there will be less arrivals now into Platt Fields park as the condition of the casualty and specialist requirements will determine if they go to Wythenshawe or the MRI. So there could be a few more landers in this area in future.

They also told me of all sorts of "rumours" of a helimed facility being considered at EGCB as this particular area is poorly served by the a/c located at EGNH and one in W Yorks.. don't know where EGNM??

Only time will tell.... anyway seem to have gone off topic a bit but thought it worth a mention

[bagpuss lives]

Just for info - I believe the rumours about a North West Air Ambulance based at EGCB are more than just rumours. It's all dependant on findinfg funding apparently and unsurprisingly.

[Squadgy]

Helimed at EGCB

Not heard anything about this, where/when did you hear about it? We'd have room to fit a helimed op in - probably next to the ASU I would guess

[Flap Speed]

Squadgy,

I only found out from a paramedic crew at Wythenshawe Hospital the other day.

They told me the NW Helimed was well on the cards but the whole thing was to be privately funded... in other words charitable donations etc and that EGCB was where it would be if the project gets off the ground (no pun intended)

I would have thought if it went to EGCB then the premier place to house it would be GMP's facility alongside G-GMPS (151). It at least makes sense to me anyway

[bagpuss lives]

Isn't the current North West Air Ambulance skint at the moment though?

Surely funding for another would sadly be hard to come by?

[MAN777]

One of the main reasons that the current northwest helimed is based in Lancs, is that it can serve a much wider area of land which has poor road access and long transfer times between hospitals. PLacing a helicopter at Barton would not make any sense as there are numerous hospitals with excellent links. GMPs Explorer still has a casivac type capability and short hop lifts are still carried out by them ie off road biker accidents, rough ground to ambulance. Visits by G-GMPS to hospitals are now very rare. Long distance patient transfers are still carried out by the air ambulances and Military sea kings, hence the new facility at Wythenshawe hospital.

[Squadgy]

Yeh, the ASU does have this capacity, but a couple of weeks ago we had the NW Air Ambulance landed on some waste land next to Barton to CASEVAC a motorcycle injury out to a hospital in NE Manchester, AFAIK P151 was servicable....