Sea Kings to Ukraine
Discussion
I think there were some airframes at HMS Sultan and at Cosford as engineering training airframes.
No idea whether it is possible (or desirable) to get those back fit to fly!
I do seem to remember that in 1982 the RN formed 848 (?) squadron fair.y quickly to deploy “down south” on Atlantic Conveyor with Wessex Mk5 that were in storage at RNAY Wroughton. Of course, Wroughton has long since closed and doubt we have aircraft in reserve anymore!
No idea whether it is possible (or desirable) to get those back fit to fly!
I do seem to remember that in 1982 the RN formed 848 (?) squadron fair.y quickly to deploy “down south” on Atlantic Conveyor with Wessex Mk5 that were in storage at RNAY Wroughton. Of course, Wroughton has long since closed and doubt we have aircraft in reserve anymore!
V41LEY said:
According to the BBC this morning. Thought they had all been scrapped. No idea there were any still serviceable let alone fit to fly !
HeliOps in Portland have been operating 3 x ex-RN Mk.5's on the military register under a contract to train German aircrews for a good few years, and that contract ended a while ago, but they were contracted by UK Govt to train Ukraine crews as a follow-on, and its these 3 x Sea Kings that are being donated to Ukraine.Heliops have a huge hangar full of Sea-Kings and pretty much the entire store of ex-MOD parts supply for them.
aeropilot said:
HeliOps in Portland have been operating 3 x ex-RN Mk.5's on the military register under a contract to train German aircrews for a good few years, and that contract ended a while ago, but they were contracted by UK Govt to train Ukraine crews as a follow-on, and its these 3 x Sea Kings that are being donated to Ukraine.
Heliops have a huge hangar full of Sea-Kings and pretty much the entire store of ex-MOD parts supply for them.
...Is the only accurate and clearly well-informed answer Heliops have a huge hangar full of Sea-Kings and pretty much the entire store of ex-MOD parts supply for them.

Can posts be stickied on here? No probably not
aeropilot said:
V41LEY said:
According to the BBC this morning. Thought they had all been scrapped. No idea there were any still serviceable let alone fit to fly !
HeliOps in Portland have been operating 3 x ex-RN Mk.5's on the military register under a contract to train German aircrews for a good few years, and that contract ended a while ago, but they were contracted by UK Govt to train Ukraine crews as a follow-on, and its these 3 x Sea Kings that are being donated to Ukraine.Heliops have a huge hangar full of Sea-Kings and pretty much the entire store of ex-MOD parts supply for them.
normalbloke said:
aeropilot said:
V41LEY said:
According to the BBC this morning. Thought they had all been scrapped. No idea there were any still serviceable let alone fit to fly !
HeliOps in Portland have been operating 3 x ex-RN Mk.5's on the military register under a contract to train German aircrews for a good few years, and that contract ended a while ago, but they were contracted by UK Govt to train Ukraine crews as a follow-on, and its these 3 x Sea Kings that are being donated to Ukraine.Heliops have a huge hangar full of Sea-Kings and pretty much the entire store of ex-MOD parts supply for them.
https://www.scramble.nl/military-news/sea-kings-fo...
"UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the United Kingdom is providing three former Royal Navy Sea King helicopters to the Ukraine military. The helicopters, the first one has already arrived, will be used in the Search and Rescue (SAR) role.
Ukrainian crews have been trained in the UK in the last six weeks. This training must have occurred with HeliOperations at the former Royal Naval Air Station Portland.
The company had a fleet of three Westland Sea King HU5 helicopters, XV666, XZ920 and ZA166. These were used for training Marineflieger (German Navy) Sea King crews."
"UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the United Kingdom is providing three former Royal Navy Sea King helicopters to the Ukraine military. The helicopters, the first one has already arrived, will be used in the Search and Rescue (SAR) role.
Ukrainian crews have been trained in the UK in the last six weeks. This training must have occurred with HeliOperations at the former Royal Naval Air Station Portland.
The company had a fleet of three Westland Sea King HU5 helicopters, XV666, XZ920 and ZA166. These were used for training Marineflieger (German Navy) Sea King crews."
V41LEY said:
If we’re in the business of using obsolete assets to help our allies, we may as well send then XH588 along with William and Harry as pilots.
Sadly XH588 is getting disassembled to remove it from Doncaster airport and its never going to fly or taxi againhttps://vulcantothesky.org/news/october-update-fro...
Tony1963 said:
Apaches
Sorry!
Anyway, it’d take a couple of years or more to train them to be of any use with an Apache, and then there’s the maintenance…
Oddly I wouldn’t use an apostrophe there but I just typed apaches again and it didn’t add one so I must have added it.Sorry!
Anyway, it’d take a couple of years or more to train them to be of any use with an Apache, and then there’s the maintenance…
If they had really gone to the hassle of hiding an Apache under there they would have included the pilots and some ammo I would expect?
Caddyshack said:
Oddly I wouldn’t use an apostrophe there but I just typed apaches again and it didn’t add one so I must have added it.
If they had really gone to the hassle of hiding an Apache under there they would have included the pilots and some ammo I would expect?
Crikey! Talk about hypothetical If they had really gone to the hassle of hiding an Apache under there they would have included the pilots and some ammo I would expect?

That would depend on the contract, I suppose. And D or E model?

Tony1963 said:
Caddyshack said:
Oddly I wouldn’t use an apostrophe there but I just typed apaches again and it didn’t add one so I must have added it.
If they had really gone to the hassle of hiding an Apache under there they would have included the pilots and some ammo I would expect?
Crikey! Talk about hypothetical If they had really gone to the hassle of hiding an Apache under there they would have included the pilots and some ammo I would expect?

That would depend on the contract, I suppose. And D or E model?

I don’t know the difference of D or E but I believe the U.K. spec Apaches had much more powerful engines than the US versions…it has been a while since I read the brilliant Apache books.
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff