Sea Kings bid farewell to Nova Scotia

[jollyjacktar]

The old ladies are retiring from the East Coast after a long career of service.  :cdnsalute:

Full story and photos at link below.

Venerable Sea Kings bid farewell to Nova Scotia in retirement flight
Helicopters bought to hunt Soviet submarines served Canada decades longer than anyone could have guessed
Photos
The Canadian Press

Three geriatric military aircraft flew in formation above Halifax harbour Friday, marking the long-overdue retirement of the 54-year-old East Coast Sea King fleet.

Several journalists were taken for a ride to record the flight, which comes one week before the helicopters end their operational duties on the East Coast at 12 Wing Shearwater.

The Sea Kings operating on the West Coast at Patricia Bay near Victoria will remain in operation until the end of this year as crews from that base are trained to fly the new CH-148 Cyclone, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns.


http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/nova-scotia/venerable-sea-kings-bid-farewell-to-nova-scotia-in-retirement-flight-1.4496007

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Wow! Those journalists are very courageous ... or have life insurance with great benefits for their survivors.  :nod:

Just kidding!

BZ, and thanks for your service Sea King.  :cdnsalute:

 

[Baz]

To be honest it kind of bothered me that the press insisted on calling them geriatric... I spent iver twenty years of my life trying to make them give as much as they could, and comments like that reinforce that I doubt it was worth it.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I took the geriatrics comment more as jab to politicians for screwing up their replacement than as an attack on their capabilities throughout their service life or on the service of those who maintained them in flying condition all these years.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

BZ to what must be a very large MH family after the decades of service to Canada.  Looking forward to seeing the first Cyclone Det;  anyone know if the RCN is participating in Manta 2018 in Feb/Mar and if a Cyclone det will be embarked?

 

[Sub_Guy]

Yes to RCN participation, or at least it is planned.

I’d guess no cyclone det.

Would I be wrong to assume 443 will find themselves out here with their Sea Kings?

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Yes to RCN participation, or at least it is planned.

I’d guess no cyclone det.

Would I be wrong to assume 443 will find themselves out here with their Sea Kings?

Which coast do you mean by "here"?

443 Sqn just embarked what is probably the final Sea King Det at sea on STJ. CHA will disembark her 443 Sqn in Shearwater, shortly. There will be 443 Sqn crews in and out of Shearwater throughout 2018, with Sea Kings, as we milk the final flying hours out of the remaining fleet.

I am not super up to speed on when and where the Cyclone Dets are embarking.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Copy DH and SKT.  I haven't seen the players list yet for Manta this year, only know what our bunch are doing.  I was on Manta last year and did some of the ex with one of our CPFs;  was nice to be ONSTA with a Cdn MH crew sharing the airspace.  We don't do enough co-op trg, considering we're really just down the road from each other on either coast.

 

[Sub_Guy]

Which coast do you mean by "here"?

East.

 

[Sub_Guy]

Copy DH and SKT.  I haven't seen the players list yet for Manta this year, only know what our bunch are doing.  I was on Manta last year and did some of the ex with one of our CPFs;  was nice to be ONSTA with a Cdn MH crew sharing the airspace.  We don't do enough co-op trg, considering we're really just down the road from each other on either coast.

You need a posting to YQQ.  Nothing beats working on the range with our MH comerades.

Surely we can get more creative in our CASEX’s though, there’s nothing saying we can’t both beat up on one of our subs off the NS coast.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

You need a posting to YQQ.  Nothing beats working on the range with our MH comerades.

The CM told me that wouldn't happen...it was one of my posting pref's. 

[

Surely we can get more creative in our CASEX’s though, there’s nothing saying we can’t both beat up on one of our subs off the NS coast.

It has only happened once for me so far.  Now with the 'get well' program ongoing it would be nice to do collective trg without having to be on a TD...

 

[Underway]

Which coast do you mean by "here"?

443 Sqn just embarked what is probably the final Sea King Det at sea on STJ. CHA will disembark her 443 Sqn in Shearwater, shortly. There will be 443 Sqn crews in and out of Shearwater throughout 2018, with Sea Kings, as we milk the final flying hours out of the remaining fleet.

I am not super up to speed on when and where the Cyclone Dets are embarking.

VDQ is supposed to be the first to deploy with a Cyclone det this summer to OP REASSURANCE.  No idea on West Coast.  RIMPAC is this year, perhaps the Cyclone will make an appearance there?

 

[dimsum]

You need a posting to YQQ. 

That about sums it up.  :nod:

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Fantastic pictures from today...these are all really spectacular IMO but the Peggy's Cove one was my favorite.

https://www.facebook.com/RCAF.ARC/photos/pcb.10155029912026237/10155029910966237/?type=3&theater

BZ to everyone from the MH family over the years who proudly served Canada and Canadians in the Sea King (on the East Coast for now...) and looking forward to seeing the first deployed Cyclone on IFF / EO in the future.