Merlin latest
 

wots the latest rumour on Merlin, folks? Gags still in place?.. or is it really now a huge success in the south west?

Though it was flying again?

Meanwhile, it had now got a new sensor - according to this.

See this earlier thread too.

Good piece of fishing here!

Obviously Fagin has caught some buzz or another or he wouldn't be asking would he?

Well I am half way through my ground tour a looking forward to going back SW.

Meanwhile I'll recruit them, everyone one else can train 'em.

Lots of looking - no talking!

Must be a real secret.:mad:

We'd love to tell you how good Merlin is at the moment.

but we won't - it's our little secret....:mad:

Oh OK then, we'll tell you (a little bit)

1. When it works it's bl@@dy fantastic
2. problem is, previous point isn't happening quite as often as we'd like - Although this week's Welsh landaway is going swimmingly, apparently.

(..definitely :mad: now)

Well i saw 6 Mk3s flying all at once a few weeks ago so there!

Stateside Sales
 

Guess main drive is to secure the US101 as 'W' next presidential taxi - as Boyzone would say 'No matter what'!

I was at my Mum's in west Oxfordshire and saw 4 of the mighty 101s doing a CAD into a field about 1 km away. It looked pretty good except:

They were flying about as slow as the could, no blade slapping or punchy quick stops!

They almost looked like they were doing a circuit to the field in more airspace then a Vulcan.

They did not sound as good as the mighty wokka, trust me everyone in my Mum's village knows what a CH47 sounds liek.

Before I get a million replies, this is a light hearted bit of banter only!

I don't know if they are actually flying, but I do know plans are in the air for them to lose their place aboard the CVS as these become re-roled in the strikie role. They won't fit the T42s and that leaves T23s and RFAs. If yoiu are talking about the green ones I have no idea.

Any sign of grey ones in the sky over cornwall?? Or, perhaps it is off on early extended christmas leave for the boys in dark blue?

28 managed to get one airborne to do a flypast over Wallingford at 1102 last Sunday.

Well done lads, but could you track about 75 m to the left/West next time, and perhaps reduce the altitude a bit.

I'm very impressed with your "under the HV power cables" trick though that you practice just S of the railway line in Cholsey.

AFCS ???
 

Has anyone heard of the recent incident when a Merlin attempted to fly the aircrew into the ground..?????

My word Fagin is really trying to create a stir that's not there.

There are some detached, there are some flying and there are some doing maintenance check flights (oh and there's one in Canada getting very cold). Sounds familiar in any fleet in the UK Armed Forces.

I don't recall an AFCS on Merlin ever trying to fly anyone into the ground.

Would someone from Culdrose please get the goat out of the weeds.

Is "goat" a journo out there a'fishin'?

Good job he was talking south west and not south east.....;)
As for the flypast, that was a Puma led affair at 1000ft and was pretty pants although I am sure non aviators on remembrance sunday appreciated it.
The green ones are airborne every day....

SB

Check your PMs.

AA

There is a 'grey' one flying from Prestwick, it was involved in the SAR of the Canadian Sub.
Also a few operating from the Type 23s and RFA's lately during FOST i think.

The 'Green' ones are flying every day over the SPTA on what looks like CSAR training.

Razor

CSAR Training?
Thats a bit of a strong term to describe their JPR capabilities!

A "few" on Type 23's..... you'd be ;ucky to find 1 servicable.

also....CSAR over SPTA....WHY ? Not the best of paces to practice CSAR....

The MK 1 LIVES
 

the DIP DADDY lives and flies well in the SW bringing death and destruction to the soap dodging community!..... for exercise of course. THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE WIZARD!