XZ697 Royal Navy Lynx HMA 8 visits Wells Somerset 25.2.09

I often work from home and my morning peace and quiet was interrupted by the sound and welcome sight of a RN Lynx passing very low over my house in the descent.

A quick dash upstairs allowed me to follow the Lynx as it descended towards the Wells Cathedral School grounds.

The Lynx was on a visit the the schools student Combined Cadet Force ( CCF ). I managed to get down to the school in time to have a quick look at the Lynx before it departed back to its home base at RNAS Yeovilton.

The Lynx was serial XZ697 coded "641" of the training unit 702 NAS. It has been modified to HMA 8 standard. This Lynx was built by Westlands at Yeovil as construction number WA 145 and first fly back in January 1980 - so it's now 29 years old.

It appeared in the static park at the Farnborough aviation trade show in September 1988 as a mark HAS 3 coded "602" of 829 NAS. By 1998 it had been converted to HMA 8 standard and was seen operating with 815 NAS coded "308"

This original Lynx will be replaced by the new "Future Lynx" in the next few years.

The crew allowed the school students the opportunity to climb aboard and ask plenty of questions - good PR for the Royal Navy and a good opportunity for the students to learn too.

With thanks to Wells Cathedral School and Royal Navy 702 NAS.

RNAS Yeovilton - Wed 21.1.09

A brief stop at RNAS Yeovilton produced these two images




Royal Navy Sea King HC4 ZF124 "L" of 845 Sqd - the low winter sun really shows off the details in the colour scheme. This Sea King c/n WA974 was delivered new to the Royal Navy in 1987 and initially served with 772 Sqd based at RNAS Portland coded "24.

When RNAS Portland was closed and 772 Sqd disbanded it joined the Commando helicopter fleet at Yeovilton. In recent years 845 Sqd have operated on deployment to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Sea King in the background is the very old XV676, coded "ZE" - this MK6CR aircraft is an old HAS 6 version and still has its float sponsons but has lost all its ASW kit and is now used as a flight trainer for the busy HC4 fleet, taking some of the hours off the frontline HC4 helicopters. XV676 delivered to the RN way back in 1970.



Hawk T1A XX198 is now almost 31 years old having been delivered to the RAF back in April 1978. I first saw it at RAF Valley in August 1981 when it was serving with 63 Sqd of 2 TWU coded "198" painted in green/grey camoflague.

Today it flies with the Royal Navy FRADU based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall - some Royal Navy Hawks used to carry "Royal Navy" titles but these have now gone. It was busy flying circuits this morning using the local call sign "YEOVIL 61". FRADU usually have a couple of RN Hawks detached to Yeovilton and they operate from the old Sea Harrier apron on the south side of the airfield.

N500RK - Hughes 500C visits Somerton, Somerset

Spotted parked in the middle of a football pitch in the Somerset village of Somerton on 11.9.07 Hughes 500C N500RK.

This white/green helicopter is c/n 730502S, built way back in 1973 and was previously N901WJ.

The pilot states that the aircraft is based at a local farm and was being used to give visiting French delegates a quick aerial tour of the region.

Yeovilton Show Sunday Departures 8.7.07

Yeovilton Show Departures - Sunday 8.7.07

The day after Yeovilton airshow is a chance to see some of the visitors depart. This year the French Navy contingent took the opportunity to escape across the Channel in time to be home for Sunday lunch.

Best for me was the old SA 319B Alouette 3 serial 347 c/n 2347 - what a great navy scheme too, Alouette 3s are getting to be a rarity these days.

This year the French Navy also sent a pair of Super Etendards - serial 8 was carrying an inert air launched AM 39 Exocet training round under its starboard wing.

Soon after the Little and Large pair came out - the mighty Super Frelon with his buddy the Lynx alongside, great to them alongside each other.

Liskeard - Schweizer 269D Model 333

Liskeard - Schweizer 269D Model 333


A brief stop at the Castle Air heliport at Liskeard in Cornwall on Wed 11th April 2007 found Schweizer 269D Model 333 G-TAMC getting ready to depart.





This helicopter type is not common in the UK with just 5 examples registered currently. G-TAMC is owned by Total Air Management Services of Sheffield and operates in the dark blue & yellow favoured by emergency services helicopters. This helicopter is used to survey the power grid system across the UK.




The Schweizer 269D Model 333 is powered by an Allison 250-C20W turbine which gives this helicopter a cruise speed of about 105 knots and an endurance of approx 3.5 hours. This particular example is c/n 0054A and was built in 2005. The type remains in production and approx 70 examples have been built to date.


The Model 333 design has also been used as the basic template for the the RQ-8 & MQ-8 Fire Scout helicopter UAV currently in testing for the US armed services.

This link goes to the Schweizer website 269D Model 333 web page