Out With The Old, In With The New.

Aircraft Of The Month

This week I have decided to dedicate the entire post to the aircraft of the month, because in order to best describe why I have chosen it as a worthy candidate, we need to look at its role and why, only recently, it has come to light as an important aircraft. 

I am talking of course about the

AugustaWestland AW139 and Westland WS-61 Sea King. 

"Hold on a second?!" I hear you cry. "There's two aircraft there!" and yes, yes there are. The reason for which will hopefully become apparent. You see, here at Lydd the most recent development for the airport has been the arrival of Bristow Search And Rescue which is the civilian company that has been awarded the UK search and rescue (SAR) contract until 2026. 

But first, I would very much like to talk about what Brstow is replacing. For decades, the role of Search and Rescue in the UK fell on the military. Specifically the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy. Although both services have used many different aircraft in the past, one of the most successful and beloved has been the Westland WS-61 SeaKing 

Specifically for me, S-125 (Pictured left) Formerly Rescue-125 this SeaKing has provided most of the South East and West of England with swift and reliable air sea rescue for a great many years. 

Based at RAF Wattisham (EGUW) in East Anglia. S-125 was one of two SeaKings operated by 22(B)Sqn (the other being S-127) from 1993, just after the airfield was handed over to the Army Air Corps. On standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year the crews of 22(B) were ready at a moments notice to respond to any emergency that required the unique capabilities, offered only by a helicopter. 

Being a member of the RNLI at Littlestone, machines such as S-125 serve an invaluable role in the protection of people out at sea. An experience I was able to witness first hand during an exercise between Littlestone Lifeboat and S-125 that allowed me to understand what exactly goes into a coordinated rescue between a vessel and an aircraft. 

 

As you can in the picture to the right. The assisting Lifeboat can provide on the water support to a stricken vessel, person in the water or even sinking ships! However, where it is unsafe to to transport casualties by water to the nearest help, the air sea rescue helicopter steps in to provide a smooth, stable and fast transport platform back to safety. 

It is the overall teamwork of the crews on board the helicopter and Lifeboats that ensure a safe transition from sea to air. But, sometimes the helicopter might be tasked with conducting a rescue without the aid of a Lifeboat. 

In this case, it becomes the very unique and challenging task of fulfilling the 'Search' aspect of Search and Rescue when it is necessary for the helicopter crew to work together and fly a search pattern near where there is someone in need of their help. Once found it is then the difficult job of the pilot to keep the helicopter in a stable hover over the casualty and the equally growling task of the aircrew to deploy the winch man down the winch to the aid of someone below. 

Often though, these challenges become close to the impossible, when the casualty maybe on the deck of a moving ship and there for the speed must be matched by the helicopter, or the weather may be nothing like it is in the photos, but windy, rainy and dark. As you can see in the picture to the above, as the lifeboat is departing, the sea spray being violently blown by the down wash of the helicopter shows yet another variable that needs to be taken into consideration when operating at low level like these crews do. And it is for these reasons that S-125 and her crews are my aircraft of the month as now sadly, S-125 flew for the last time from Wattisham to Fleetland where she has been scrapped, but graciously giving one very fortunate apprentice one last flypast. 

Moving on however, it is with a heavy heart that we must say farewell to S-125. As of friday the 14th of August, SAR operations for the South-East have been officially handed over to Bristow, who bring with them two Agustawestland 139 helicopters G-CIJW (Below) and G-CIJX 

 and although I cannot tell you much about these aircraft, I look forward to perhaps one day being able to approach the crew and ask them myself to which I shall then pass on the information here. 

All I can tell you is, that unlike the SeaKing these aircraft are bristling with high-tech equipment, such as thermal imaging cameras and inferred sensors to help detect more quickly objects or people in the water.

 What I can say for sure is though, I look very much forward to learning more about these helicopters, and how they live up to their predecessors. Also, to maybe one day work with them on the lifeboat. and even, in the not so distant future, applying myself to becoming a search and rescue pilot which for a long time now has been my ultimate goal.













Writing about these aircraft is all well and good and I really do hope that you have enjoyed reading about them. However, some of you may have heard of the horrific crash at Shoreham airshow on Saturday, involving a Hawker Hunter jet. That, while attempting a loop, collided with the ground on A27 and killing at least 7 and leaving dozens more critically injured. With the death toll expected to rise I would like to send my sincere condolences to the families affected by this tragedy and wish the speediest recovery to Mr Andy Hill who is fighting for his life after surviving the crash.

Many thanks to you all, and please join me again next week.