SeaKing Love em or Hate em?
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Great White North
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I know that the Canadian Forces has used the Seaking for years as an asw and SAR platform from it's ships. It has been a stable asset but it has had a rash of accident's and has become somewhat of a maintenance nightmare. Although I know very little about the Canadian Forces variant, it has caused alot of grief for the Department of National Defence. The Canadian Government have just ordered a replacement bird, a Sikorsky model, but they are not due to be sent to the flight crews until 2008. Could any CF pilot's expand on this possibly?
Join Date: Apr 2004
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I’ll never forget my first visit to the Foriegn Training Unit in Culdrose. My old man, who was still lamenting the sudden end of his fixed-wing career at Lossie and cursing Crabs (whom I later found out to be the RAF and NOT an infestation of pubic lice or crustacean – type seafood 
) showed me round a Marinefleiger example. I feel in love with it that very day! Will never forget those days when the Navy flew 24/7 and I would watch them from my bedroom window in Clodgey Way on the Old Admiralty Estate. Excellent Machine and for 1973 – the Mutts Nutts (To a 10 year old lad at least!) and surely the export record of the UK variant must speak volumes for the quality of this machine?
Holidayed in Gunwalloe (3 miles from Culdrose) in September last – Saw the Merlin Flying - Nice Canary but didn’t do it for me
) showed me round a Marinefleiger example. I feel in love with it that very day! Will never forget those days when the Navy flew 24/7 and I would watch them from my bedroom window in Clodgey Way on the Old Admiralty Estate. Excellent Machine and for 1973 – the Mutts Nutts (To a 10 year old lad at least!) and surely the export record of the UK variant must speak volumes for the quality of this machine? Holidayed in Gunwalloe (3 miles from Culdrose) in September last – Saw the Merlin Flying - Nice Canary but didn’t do it for me
In Canada the SKs are a National Scandal
This can't be the same a/c as the one here in Canada where the news organs bill it as a flying deathtrap with 11 maintenance hours / flying hour.
And there's been quite a few impromptu visits to out of the way spots followed by a wait for parts lovingly covered by the media
So why's it still a great a/c on your side of the pond while it's a national scandal over here
And there's been quite a few impromptu visits to out of the way spots followed by a wait for parts lovingly covered by the media
So why's it still a great a/c on your side of the pond while it's a national scandal over here
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Liverpool based Geordie, so calm down, calm down kidda!!
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The SK never really did it for me but I understand why people love it. Remember a lot of people say that the Wessex was the best thing since sliced bread...... 
As a 2500 hr Puma puke, I liked to get to places 30 kts faster and would look down on anything slower. When the junglies started in south armagh, I was totally impressed at the lift capability. They started doing the night USLs and the Puma did the running around by day. Blimey!! It worked!! Horses for courses (or whatever that cliche is). Right to the last, I avoided SAR. I promised never to fly anything yellow.... my EC135 is parked out there now.... I wonder if the police could do all dark blue paint jobs...
As a 2500 hr Puma puke, I liked to get to places 30 kts faster and would look down on anything slower. When the junglies started in south armagh, I was totally impressed at the lift capability. They started doing the night USLs and the Puma did the running around by day. Blimey!! It worked!! Horses for courses (or whatever that cliche is). Right to the last, I avoided SAR. I promised never to fly anything yellow.... my EC135 is parked out there now.... I wonder if the police could do all dark blue paint jobs...
Suspicion breeds confidence
I think Indian or Pakistani SK have been equipped with Exocet. I always thought it was cheaper, faster, safer and better to give our helos a decent ASuW capability. You can plink away all day with Sea Skua but you need a decent weapon to get a kill. Remember in the Malvinas Glasgow's lynx got two hits on a ocean going tug and it still got home.
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Not flown the beast for over 6 years now
I still look up and sigh, get a bulge in my trousers when I see that green beast fly over ... ah we did some great things and had some great fun.
But I think that Jock Spice summed it up perfectly ....
..... We fly for them (Royal & Percy) and not for ourselves!!
I still look up and sigh, get a bulge in my trousers when I see that green beast fly over ... ah we did some great things and had some great fun.
But I think that Jock Spice summed it up perfectly ....
..... We fly for them (Royal & Percy) and not for ourselves!!
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Carson the Sea King and I will fly it to 2040 as is now proposed, although I will be 68ish by that the time.
We don't need no stinking Merlin Mk4. Just think of troops getting out during a ditching.....
"Right - after all violent motion has ceased...orientate. Find your lap strap buckle and place a hand on the seat frame.
"Unstrap. Turn round..yes you may well be upside down and underwater in the dark...but you must now find the seat back release lever and operate, folding the seat back towards you.
"Right you are now ready to release the window and make your exit, are there any questions?"
It may be a crashworthy seat, but it is not a ditch-worthy seat.
We don't need no stinking Merlin Mk4. Just think of troops getting out during a ditching.....
"Right - after all violent motion has ceased...orientate. Find your lap strap buckle and place a hand on the seat frame.
"Unstrap. Turn round..yes you may well be upside down and underwater in the dark...but you must now find the seat back release lever and operate, folding the seat back towards you.
"Right you are now ready to release the window and make your exit, are there any questions?"
It may be a crashworthy seat, but it is not a ditch-worthy seat.
Yes, it was put down to bird ingestion. I've heard of SK's swallowing seaguls before and still going...
Gentleman Aviator
I was always led to believe that it was a bird through the tail rotor. Yes/no?
Join Date: Dec 2000
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Sorry chaps, that crash was eventually put down to pilot error I think you will find.
Barn door's, although fitted to improve icing clearances, also do a wonderful job providing protection from birdstrike - even the biggun's.
I still maintain that the old girl (Brit variety) aint killed anybody...... ever.
Barn door's, although fitted to improve icing clearances, also do a wonderful job providing protection from birdstrike - even the biggun's.
I still maintain that the old girl (Brit variety) aint killed anybody...... ever.
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Lee Jung
I think you'll find that the Merlin is THE easiest cabin to escape from in a ditching.
The brace and orientate position are the same.
Release the harness, and holding onto one of the shoulder straps, follow it back to the top of the seat, which is where the release handle is (covered in PLT) and where the exit is. Oh, and try not to be blinded by the 5 bright white lights around the exit, that are visible from over 15 feet away.
Remove the exit, hold onto the egress handle and collapse the chair and go.
I don't follow your cynicism. Unless, of course, you know better. (which you don't)
I think you'll find that the Merlin is THE easiest cabin to escape from in a ditching.
The brace and orientate position are the same.
Release the harness, and holding onto one of the shoulder straps, follow it back to the top of the seat, which is where the release handle is (covered in PLT) and where the exit is. Oh, and try not to be blinded by the 5 bright white lights around the exit, that are visible from over 15 feet away.
Remove the exit, hold onto the egress handle and collapse the chair and go.
I don't follow your cynicism. Unless, of course, you know better. (which you don't)
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Spur Lash
Is escape from the aircraft going to be as calm and easy as that for 20 troops going for the same window in the back of a Mk3 or are you refering to the ASW version?
Is escape from the aircraft going to be as calm and easy as that for 20 troops going for the same window in the back of a Mk3 or are you refering to the ASW version?
Join Date: Jun 2001
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From what I've heard, the Merlin is a fairly easy cabin to escape from after it's beaten itself to death on the ground....you just unstrap and walk out of the holes that are all around you!
Jesting aside, I may not fly the Merlin, but I'm glad that it's proven its crashworthiness, since there are a couple of guys that I know who are still around because of it. As one of them said after the ditching in Scotland, if they'd been flying a Sea King they would be highly unlikely to have survived the impact.
I still love the mighty King though!!
Jesting aside, I may not fly the Merlin, but I'm glad that it's proven its crashworthiness, since there are a couple of guys that I know who are still around because of it. As one of them said after the ditching in Scotland, if they'd been flying a Sea King they would be highly unlikely to have survived the impact.
I still love the mighty King though!!
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Little colonial airfield in the land of prawns, beer & roos
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SNAFU, if you'd been flying the SK you wouldn't have crashed in the first place!!!!!!! I also had a good old friend on that cab and am really happy all were well, but some of the more recent publications in the helo library have proved to be less than reliable for the lucky (!!!!) few called upon to be the first military aircrew! OK I'm biased after 25 years flying the beast and hope to for years to come!!! However at least it autorotated when entered in to service unlike a certain modern Sea Sprite I could mention, also I don't think it was restricted to non rain flight due to paint problems, or remaining within sight of ATC so that self application of the rotor brake could be advised to the crew!
I am not against progress by any count but we in the military are so often called upon to do the R & D for commercial companies at tax payers (& families) expense that, as stated at my dinning out from my last defence force!!!, it is very much up to aircrew to look out for themselves because the system no longer will!
Back to the original thread the SK is certainly the King of the skies and has marked its place in history! It will be supercede but never forgotten! As already stated by others I would be happy to take her to any corner of the world fully knowing her capabilities & confident that she will operate to that within an ounce!! I know my machine & trust her!!
PS mine was GREY!!!!
I am not against progress by any count but we in the military are so often called upon to do the R & D for commercial companies at tax payers (& families) expense that, as stated at my dinning out from my last defence force!!!, it is very much up to aircrew to look out for themselves because the system no longer will!
Back to the original thread the SK is certainly the King of the skies and has marked its place in history! It will be supercede but never forgotten! As already stated by others I would be happy to take her to any corner of the world fully knowing her capabilities & confident that she will operate to that within an ounce!! I know my machine & trust her!!
PS mine was GREY!!!!
