Novel combo
 

Just been overflown by a very low (50-75ft) through the valley by a novel helicopter combo....RAF Merlin Mk3 and in close trail behind, Army Air Corps 212 (orange coloured fairing around engines)....never seen that combo flying here before.....fling me in spotters corner if needed....splendid flying and noteworthy low flying...

Coley

No you haven't.

The Griffin belongs to the Defence Helicopter Flying School.

I think there are some 212s based at Middle Wallop, they have the orange covers described in th OP

Happy to be corrected, if true.

DHFS have yellow "bits", don't they?

100% sure it was the AAC Bell 212 as the rotor sound is that of a Chinook... but its a combination thats not been seen by us here. Merlin was the Mk3a. Seems like the Morcombe & Wise of helicopter flight but without Andre Preview at the controls.... :ok:

diginagain,

The orange and black Bells are the ones out of Wallop whilst the yellow and black ones are from the driver training school at Shawbury. The Wallop ones are the ones that came back from Brunei a while back, and listening to them go over on a daily basis is like being in your very own Vietnam movie and frankly sounds louder than a Chinook.

Always a pleasure to hear them, for some reason I start humming Paint it Black or This is the End, much to the confusion of the CS who sits next to me.

Anyway, back to the OP - no idea what they were doing together. Maybe the Merlin, which I always thought to be quite a pretty aircraft, was after a bit of rough ;)

Thank you for taking the time to clarify the situation, Melchett01; I was unaware that the cabs had been brought back.

@ coley chaos - please accept my apology for trying, and failing, to be smart.

Melchett I'm afraid to correct you, but the 'Wallop machines are still firmly camo with orange fairings; google 'ZK206 Bell212' for example

Diginagain,

No appology needed or required....as an avid watcher of all things flying down our green leafy valley, we here in our family support and encourage any low flying that comes our way....If we get the types wrong thats only because we have a common interest in becoming better Aerosexuals in the future!!!

Coley

An unlikely pairing I agree but perhaps the chasps from Boscombe were having a day out?

It was a formation sortie as part of the Merlin pilots CR check.

Thanks DS,

Much appreciated....and if your ever down our valley...enjoy the Dorsetshireland countryside even lower.

Coley

0902?? bit early to be on the sauce cornish old boy? ;)

coley,

I must apologise for the duff steer ref Wallop colours - mea culpa - Wallop 212s are indeed cam / orange. What can I say other than I am clearly starting to take after my name sake and the senility is more advanced and eyesight worse than anyone might have first thought - the next medical should be interesting. Still I don't think I have quite reached the state of my first instructor who had cataracts!

If nothing else an example to the youngsters against taking the confident statements of an old fart at face value. In fact, I would postulate it as Melchett's Law: the accuracy of any statement is inversely proportionate to the confidence with which it was first delivered.

Now then Nurse, where am I and why does it all smell of biscuits round here?

Melchy,

If truth be known im the village idiot around my valley for all the waving and smiling I do from the balcony whenever anything comes within 2 miles even if its below the tree line!! So alay your worries, im quite the Baldric.....

Naaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Coley

You want another one Cornish? I already gave you one...http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...zwkgeF18bdMelw

Some good pics of ZJ969 in camo/orange here
Scroll down to mid-page, also some with USL.

Har de har Har........

As to the sauce - it was still going on from the previous days shenanigans....

Go hardcore or go home early