What is it about the Wessex that makes people so fond of it?
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Sav,
I knew that remark would get a response from bastOn! My comments were exactly the same as bastOn, i.e. 848 & 1964, except I never fell off my Tina scooter.
I knew that remark would get a response from bastOn! My comments were exactly the same as bastOn, i.e. 848 & 1964, except I never fell off my Tina scooter.

Ah well, some healthy tomfoolery going on by the sound of it!
Lol! Is water wet, is the sun hot .. is the Pope Catholic? Of course .. in these 'HAS' (health and safety) been days the only 'fun' one can have is to recall times when freedom was greater so please, tell away!
But .. I am wondering .. just as we have made associations between the Wessex and her crews in pages past .. are we here about to uncover another Wessex crew trait and .. in this case .. could it be one between the Wessex and bad behaviour?

........ Stamford PTA teaching squaddies how to scale a Wessex (Photo: Carl Gavin)
Happy days - do you want to know more?
But .. I am wondering .. just as we have made associations between the Wessex and her crews in pages past .. are we here about to uncover another Wessex crew trait and .. in this case .. could it be one between the Wessex and bad behaviour?


........ Stamford PTA teaching squaddies how to scale a Wessex (Photo: Carl Gavin)
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Well John - all very interesting............
But - Why were there tyre marks across the hall table at the Red House mess......? and indeed upstairs as well..............?
What about what was going on on the billiard table at the mess at Biggin Hill after Battle of Britain Day 1964................? Twice............!
and who ate Freds Crabfatty pie.....................?
Who drove his Tina scooter, sitting on it backwards, across the dispersal as a famous Crab aerobatic team were taxiing out...................?
Armament platforms were just a distraction...............
But - Why were there tyre marks across the hall table at the Red House mess......? and indeed upstairs as well..............?
What about what was going on on the billiard table at the mess at Biggin Hill after Battle of Britain Day 1964................? Twice............!
and who ate Freds Crabfatty pie.....................?
Who drove his Tina scooter, sitting on it backwards, across the dispersal as a famous Crab aerobatic team were taxiing out...................?
Armament platforms were just a distraction...............

Well John - all very interesting............
But - Why were there tyre marks across the hall table at the Red House mess......? and indeed upstairs as well..............?
What about what was going on on the billiard table at the mess at Biggin Hill after Battle of Britain Day 1964................? Twice............!
and who ate Freds Crabfatty pie.....................?
Who drove his Tina scooter, sitting on it backwards, across the dispersal as a famous Crab aerobatic team were taxiing out...................?
Armament platforms were just a distraction...............
But - Why were there tyre marks across the hall table at the Red House mess......? and indeed upstairs as well..............?
What about what was going on on the billiard table at the mess at Biggin Hill after Battle of Britain Day 1964................? Twice............!
and who ate Freds Crabfatty pie.....................?
Who drove his Tina scooter, sitting on it backwards, across the dispersal as a famous Crab aerobatic team were taxiing out...................?
Armament platforms were just a distraction...............

Droll, very droll. But what would we pingers know about such carryings on?

Great stuff John/Bast0n!
Pray tell what is 'Wazing'?
Also .. the Wessex guns seem a little small. What calibre were they please?
From another thread:
What was it about the civilian Wessex which caused it to be grounded and which (apparently) did not affect the military Wessex?
Pray tell what is 'Wazing'?
Also .. the Wessex guns seem a little small. What calibre were they please?
From another thread:
Out of interest - what is the longest that a widely used offshore helicopter has been grounded due to a manufacturer related fault?
The Wessex - it NEVER flew again!
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Ah well Savoia - wazing is just getting up there for the hell of it - no particular task - dare I say going looking for nudists - female in case you are asking - whistling about the world with no task in particular except the sheer enjoyment of the moment. If you can get a lowflying complaint along the way so much the better!!

The Grey Baron coming to see a champagne breakfast on Green Island Vieques during a major exercise - well you do have breakfasts like these don't you?

Looking for sunbathers.............
Oh and one of the 2" RP pointing at an important building............

Cabin guns .'762 and useless, but fun for having a go at pheasants at Castlemartin.


The Grey Baron coming to see a champagne breakfast on Green Island Vieques during a major exercise - well you do have breakfasts like these don't you?

Looking for sunbathers.............

Oh and one of the 2" RP pointing at an important building............

Cabin guns .'762 and useless, but fun for having a go at pheasants at Castlemartin.
Last edited by bast0n; 20th Mar 2013 at 13:39. Reason: Spiilling
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Baston - Photo 1 showing the delights of a Banyan I think you fish-heads called a jolly run ashore when it involved a nice tropical beach and a BBQ
.
Never had the pleasure when cruising Grey Funnel
but maybe I should have joined the FAA not the RAF.
I guess that these must be now a pretty rare event; do they still happen? Can't be very good use of the tax-payers' defence budget I suppose with 250+ matelots having fun on a beach with multi-million ££££ HMS ??? lying at anchor being used as a yacht!
MB

Never had the pleasure when cruising Grey Funnel

I guess that these must be now a pretty rare event; do they still happen? Can't be very good use of the tax-payers' defence budget I suppose with 250+ matelots having fun on a beach with multi-million ££££ HMS ??? lying at anchor being used as a yacht!
MB
Last edited by Madbob; 20th Mar 2013 at 13:52.
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Madbob -
How dare you Sir! We were all aircrew exhausted by the continual round of CTPs and were carrying out training to find out what being close to sea felt like. We could then insult the Pingers with a modicum of knowledge.It was also in the middle of a major UK USA amphibious exercise
PS note my ski boat that I carried on board to help us keep fit in a. starting the Johnson outboard and b. skiing................
and yes- you should have joined the FAA - the gentleman's flying club - well as far as the Junglies were concerned.
Can't be very good use of the tax-payers' defence budget I suppose with 250+ matelots having fun on a beach with multi-million ££££ HMS ??? lying at anchor being used as a yacht!

and yes- you should have joined the FAA - the gentleman's flying club - well as far as the Junglies were concerned.
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Savoia
From my recollection, no authorities grounded the civilian Wessex, the grounding was a voluntary act by the only operator, (Bristow), after the accident to G-ASWI.
From my recollection, no authorities grounded the civilian Wessex, the grounding was a voluntary act by the only operator, (Bristow), after the accident to G-ASWI.
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Old Beefer
I bet you bent over backwards to think of that one.....................
(or perhaps personal experience?)
Matched the personal equipment of the Navy pilots that flew them, I guess!

(or perhaps personal experience?)
Avoid imitations
Can anyone explain why the Wessex Fleet at RAF Shawbury (Advanced Flying Training School) in the 1970s/80s consisted of ex RN Mk 5s, rather than the Mk 2s in RAF operational service?
In certain light conditions, looking down the sides of the fuselages it was still possible to see the "ROYAL NAVY" logo under the paint.
In certain light conditions, looking down the sides of the fuselages it was still possible to see the "ROYAL NAVY" logo under the paint.
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It seems to have been reported that the shaft between the engines and the gearbox failed - I think they mean the shaft from the coupling gearbox and the main rotor gearbox. That is the one that would flail around and cause havoc.
Quite dreadful..............
Quite dreadful..............
Out of the mouths of babes 
Then there were the helicopter gymkhanas, treasure hunts, and other general wazzing around stuff: not entirely unknown to the gentlemen aviators of the rotary pursuit groups
How dull it must be these days to have to be so PC

Then there were the helicopter gymkhanas, treasure hunts, and other general wazzing around stuff: not entirely unknown to the gentlemen aviators of the rotary pursuit groups

How dull it must be these days to have to be so PC

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that crewman was.........
hey soggyboxers! Crabs are acalling!! The crewman who threw himself out of the Wessex was 'Gentleman' John Mayes who now lives in France somewhere. I was on Pumas at the time and had to search for the two parts of the door. We found one of them in a farmer's field - don't know what happened to the other bit though.
Great days eh?
Great days eh?