Wessex Pictures
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Re: Wessex Pictures
Thank you!,
Saw that cab and the old 84Sqn ac when they arrived from Cyprus. I am led to believe that the 84 cabs that were sent to Chile were left on the dock and have rotted??
Anyone have any pics of the bad old days in NI?
Ralph
Saw that cab and the old 84Sqn ac when they arrived from Cyprus. I am led to believe that the 84 cabs that were sent to Chile were left on the dock and have rotted??
Anyone have any pics of the bad old days in NI?
Ralph
You can trawl through my ftp directories, 
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Re: Wessex Pictures
Ralph said:
"Anyone have any pics of the bad old days in NI?"
This one is available as a Limited Edition Print if NI Wessex are your thing.
"Swiftly Slemish" a Wessex of No 72 Sqn passes Slemish Mountain, County Antrim at low level. The Wessex has the distinction of being the longest serving "operational" aircraft in RAF History.
"Anyone have any pics of the bad old days in NI?"
This one is available as a Limited Edition Print if NI Wessex are your thing.
"Swiftly Slemish" a Wessex of No 72 Sqn passes Slemish Mountain, County Antrim at low level. The Wessex has the distinction of being the longest serving "operational" aircraft in RAF History.
Last edited by Tiger_mate; 14th Jan 2006 at 09:29.
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Re: Wessex Pictures
I'm sure 'XR505' Aries is still around.
I know 60(R) have a Wessex in the corner of there hangar at Shawbury with 'Aries' on the door. Well at least it was last year...
I know 60(R) have a Wessex in the corner of there hangar at Shawbury with 'Aries' on the door. Well at least it was last year...
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Re: Wessex Pictures
The "Aries" door now resides upon another host Wessex on the main gate at Shawbury. Sixty have a Wessex that is ex 2FTS repainted to respresent a 60 Sqn machine. This still "serves" as a ground instructional airframe.
The gate guadian is owned by a civilian and loaned to RAF Shawbury, as even the RAF cannot get time expired airframes retained nowadays. Once the F700 is handed in, the MOD beancounters flog it for as much (or little) as they can get. (invariably from the scrapman, who realises that he can resell the cockpit section for more than he has paid for the whole airframe).
Good causes such as ATC Sqns and Air Museums (inc RAFM) either part with competitive money or forget it. But I digress..........
There is also a Wessex on the gate at Aldergrove, and the Ulster Aviation Society have one, though their future in unknown at this time, anybody here know the info?
The gate guadian is owned by a civilian and loaned to RAF Shawbury, as even the RAF cannot get time expired airframes retained nowadays. Once the F700 is handed in, the MOD beancounters flog it for as much (or little) as they can get. (invariably from the scrapman, who realises that he can resell the cockpit section for more than he has paid for the whole airframe).
Good causes such as ATC Sqns and Air Museums (inc RAFM) either part with competitive money or forget it. But I digress..........
There is also a Wessex on the gate at Aldergrove, and the Ulster Aviation Society have one, though their future in unknown at this time, anybody here know the info?
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Re: Wessex Pictures
Originally Posted by Tiger_mate
...there is also a Wessex on the gate at Aldergrove, and the Ulster Aviation Society have one, though their future in unknown at this time, anybody here know the info?
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Re: Wessex Pictures
Well I have some rather unique wessex pics from my fathers collection (he was a keen snapper and served on eagle then county class?) but sadly only b/w prints and no scanner.
They include a wessex ditching and being recovered from the sea (beleive beside a county class destroyer) plus a wessex in flight at some public display, then actually hitting a brick wall with it's tail, mid way.
They include a wessex ditching and being recovered from the sea (beleive beside a county class destroyer) plus a wessex in flight at some public display, then actually hitting a brick wall with it's tail, mid way.
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Sumatra 1972' ish. Tail rotor failure, with an under-slung load which didn't jettison, 44 gallon fuel drums. I watched this machine do several 360s before gravity won. Bits of blades everwhere.
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Originally Posted by Tiger_mate
Ralph said:
"Anyone have any pics of the bad old days in NI?"
This one is available as a Limited Edition Print if NI Wessex are your thing.
"Swiftly Slemish" a Wessex of No 72 Sqn passes Slemish Mountain, County Antrim at low level. The Wessex has the distinction of being the longest serving "operational" aircraft in RAF History.
"Anyone have any pics of the bad old days in NI?"
This one is available as a Limited Edition Print if NI Wessex are your thing.
"Swiftly Slemish" a Wessex of No 72 Sqn passes Slemish Mountain, County Antrim at low level. The Wessex has the distinction of being the longest serving "operational" aircraft in RAF History.
I'll get me anorak
Cheers
Jeff
Gentleman Aviator
I think "operational" in this context means active operations, ie, those for which a medal was issued.
72 first went to NI (with the Wessex) in July or August 1969, and finally stood down in (IIRC) 2002. Whatever you may think of the GSM NI, it was certainly issued throughout those 33 years (OK pedants - it was issued in 1972 but backdated to '69). It says "For Campaign Service" on the back and, as with any medal, only the bloke wearing it really knows what he got it for....
Longest continuous "operational" (in those terms) service of any military flying squadron anywhere in the world .... to put it into context, just a little bit longer than from 1914 to 1945........
I think my anorak's on the hook next to yours....
72 first went to NI (with the Wessex) in July or August 1969, and finally stood down in (IIRC) 2002. Whatever you may think of the GSM NI, it was certainly issued throughout those 33 years (OK pedants - it was issued in 1972 but backdated to '69). It says "For Campaign Service" on the back and, as with any medal, only the bloke wearing it really knows what he got it for....
Longest continuous "operational" (in those terms) service of any military flying squadron anywhere in the world .... to put it into context, just a little bit longer than from 1914 to 1945........
I think my anorak's on the hook next to yours....
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I think you'll find that the Canberra PR9 is the last of a long line of marks that have been in continuous operational use [not just with the RN/RAF]. Still active over current 'war' zones; previously various marks used in conflicts worldwide in Africa, S America, India, Vietnam, etc.
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Wessex? Aberdeen Airport, 1974, courtesy of my old man
I'm back to RAF Cosford next week, the Mech Training School has just taken delivery of a Wessex as an instructional airframe. I'll get a pic or two when I'm down......
I'm back to RAF Cosford next week, the Mech Training School has just taken delivery of a Wessex as an instructional airframe. I'll get a pic or two when I'm down......
Gentleman Aviator
Far too many RN Wessex, so I'll try and redress the balance - these two are from the logbook, I'll have to find some more to scan in. No prizes for the location of the black and white (but make sure you've seen both!), but who can tell me where the colour one was taken???
