any one have any history of Gazelle XZ 299

[md 600 driver]

any one have any history of Gazelle XZ 299 it was with the AAC and marines or old photos
its nearly back to flying standard and i just wanted any history of it

steve

[Apollo 100]

I flew it a few times in 1992 with the AAC at Middle Wallop according to my log book. Curious to know what happened to it.

[unclenelli]

UKSerials list the following:

f/f 10/09/1976, d/d 29/09/1976, sold, to G-CDXE 29/03/2006, Breighton, East Riding of Yorkshire

and the CAA list it as still flying in Yorkshire.

[airborne_artist]

and the CAA list it as still flying in Yorkshire

Which is not all that surprising, as MD600's location is given as.....Yorkshire

[diginagain]

I may have put some hours on it in '88, but me and the records aren't co-located at the mo. I'll get back to you.

I hope it wasn't one of the ones that got bent on our APC

[md 600 driver]

uncle nelli

the caa list shows it as registered it does not show it as flying [but it will be soon ]

airbourne Correct!

[airborne_artist]

MD600 - have you got an ex-RN one as well, or is that another Ppruner?

[md 600 driver]

i had a rn and a raf one too both gone to ukraine
steve

[airborne_artist]

Ukraine havn't they got plenty of ex-USSR hips and Hinds to play with?

Which was the RN one - ISTR that it was in my logbook.

[SilsoeSid]

22 Aug 1990, Topcliffe to Old Dalby to Topcliffe, with 'Mr Middleton'.
Only time either the aircraft or name appear in my log books.

657 at Oakington/Topcliffe cab pre 1990 I suspect.
Perhaps moved to Topcliffe when Oakington shut down. When 3Flt & 657 moved to Dishforth, she may have then been moved to Wallop.

[unkind43]

Flew her with 5 Regt in 1998, and then again with 5 in 2001.

[icemanuk]

Gazelle XZ 299

This aircraft was manufactured at the Westland Yeovil factory and carried out production flight testing from Yeovil during September 1976

I was flying as a Flight Test Engineer with Westland at the time and carried the "Post Finals" check flight (20/09/76) before delivery of XZ 299 to the AAC. Flight time was 15 minutes and the Captain was "Elmar" Walls.

I note I also flew production flight tests on other Gazelles in production at the time and I would be interested if anyone has history of XZ 337. We had big difficulties clearing this airframe through production tests and I have always wondered how it performed in service.

Any other FTE's from my era please get in touch

[helidriver]

md600,

Steve,

Check your PMs mate.

Regards,

helidriver

[The Helpful Stacker]

I remember XZ299 from a very wet and rainy night at R850 when the lad who was working for me on the Tiswas night shift somehow managed to remove the starboard door as he attempted to close it after a refuel.

"My name is THS and I have a problem, I remember tail numbers long after I really should have forgotten them."

[airborne_artist]

ice - XZ337 still around: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/airnet/...ate24-2007.pdf

[unkind43]

Flew 337 with 3 AAC during TELIC March 28 2003 - FARP B, TEXICO,COMMANDO,DOHA,DIV HQ,FARP B 4.2hrs

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Steve,

XZ299 was indeed at Oakington with 657 Sqn, as Silsoe Sid pointed out earlier. I have umpteen logbook entries from Jan 87 through to April 89, just before I left Cambridgeshire to return to the Crabs.

Most of the tasks I flew were basic pilot and crewman training stuff, but there are one or 2 which stick in the memory:

- 2 weeks flying her during the practical phase of the "Spindle" Helicopter FAC course at Brawdy...

- flying an underslung UN(?) flag along the Thames as a backdrop to Samantha Fox warbling the UK contribution to some Japanese charity telethon. Yes, really...

- Easter Sunday '88 flying some very interesting, professional people...

- Flying a famil with an RAF VR (retd Sqn Ldr) Chipmunk QFI - father of one of the Sqn pilots - who instinctively "flared" on approach (nearly breaking my thumb, positioned to try and prevent what came next) leading to my first-ever "frange"...

- Approaches (pre-NVG) to troops in the middle of a very dark training area, with the LS marked solely by firefly strobe. Stupid, but it probably seemed like a good idea in those days.

I have no photos in the album(s) of 299, unfortunately. Hope you have as much fun in her as we used to!

[SilsoeSid]

Ice,

First flew XZ337 2 Feb 1996 Dishforth to Kelso for FAC Ex.
She appears a couple more times that month, local area Dishforth training (LLMR/US Loads), then thats it.

I suggest she was a 664 cab around that time, as 672 were Lynx9 and if she was 657, I would imagine she should have appeared more often in my log book.

Salut,
SS

[gsa]

Steve

XZ299 was with 3Flt at Topcliffe in Jan and Feb 1985.

7th Jan - local area Low Level map reading 0.7
23rd Jan - Top-Kendel-Darlington-Whitby-Top 1.3
31st Jan - Otterburn FAC 3.1
7th Feb - Local Training 0.8

John

[md 600 driver]

Many thanks to all i now have an insight into the work 299 has been doing

steve

nick read pm thanks steve

its a shame i cant find any original old pictures of her in marines camo