http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...psf3ynd3dh.jpg

ZH543 from Wattisham on exercise with an RNLI lifeboat in the Thames Estuary January 2007

Oldlea,

XP299 according to this:

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/document...R-10-XP299.pdf

http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib...8/standard.jpg
© IWM (C 3691) Available to share and reuse non commercially.



An airborne lifeboat is parachuted by a Lockheed Hudson of No. 279 Squadron RAF to the crew of a USAAF Boeing B-17 which ditched in the North Sea, 25 July 1943.

Image removed

circle kay

That RAFM record sheet really makes one question their accuracy and validity!
Transferred in 1971 to 22 Sqn at RAF Finningley??
I really don't think so...

If they can have that so wrong, what price the rest of the info?

Bristow Helicopters RAF Manston in the 70's, prior to the return of 22 Squadron RAF.

Rescue 41

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...pse854c197.jpg

Image Credit : Unknown

Also found some cracking colour film (silent) footage of Rescue 41 ...

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/cl...r/query/Rescue

If memory serves me correctly one of the pilots was Captain Tim Carbis (ex RAF).

I seem to remember 22 Sqn coming to Finningley, just as I was posted, in about 1971, the why's and wherefore's I've no idea.

According to Wikipedia the SAR wing was formed in 1976; maybe the a/c I saw was a vanguard element.

XP299 didn't ring any bells with me, I now see why, I left 22 and RAF in 1969.

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...psp8rdpqdu.jpg

A Wattisham cab again, mid 2000s at a guess.

A bit earlier (and just to show yellow birds didn't do it all!):

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/559/18..." height="563"

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/489/18..." height="565"

https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3718/1..." height="566"

Incident was rescue of approx 80 pax from the Kyrenia - Turkish mainland ferry that had had an engine fire. Initially UN assistance requested but Akrotiri cabs called in as well.

Nice to see the photos of Whirlwinds in action!

In that case, here's a couple more

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...pscetbz8p3.jpg

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...psmij9ttjz.jpg

They seemed to winch from a much lower height in those days.

And no bone domes on the lifeboat crew either :ooh:

IIRC the winch cable was only 60 feet long.

Something rings a bell with me that the Whirlwind could be fitted with one of two winch types - one of them called the "Packet Winch".

If correct - and I'm not sure if it is - could each winch type have had a different cable length, so affecting winching heights?

Normal wet winching height for the Whirlwind was 15ft (interesting in a heavy swell!), whilst for the Wessex 25ft, although that crept up a bit in later years, whilst for the Sea King I think they needed oxygen. Fot the Chinook we started at 50ft, but even then the downwash on the water was quite horrendous so we ended up higher still.

In FEAF they developed a type of double cable (I can't remember the name but I'm sure someone else will) to extend the usable cable length so as to get survivors out from under the jungle canopy. If you can find the original (c 1970) RAF Jungle Survival film it can be seen in use with yours truly being 'rescued' - which I believe was one of the very few times it was used for live winching.

202 Sqn - Long gone, but not forgotten in the South East.

Image removed