Tac Blaze

[Geoff Carlisle]

AAC966 was parked on main apron in front of control tower as opposed to the remote parking. Confirmed XZ645 from photos.


Geoff Mackay
Carlisle

[Geoff Carlisle]

Hi Chaps,

Can anyone give me some serials for the choppers on the ground.

We where there at 08:30 ish light fading

3 x AH 64 Dutch Couldn't id these
3 x CH47 Dutch D662,D101 +1
2x CH47 RAF Couldn't id these
2x AH64 RAF Could'nt id these

1X Sea King coded D which as been id'd
2x SA342 French which have been id
2x SA330 French which have been id

Yours,
Dave

Dave, Dutch Chinooks are 101,662,666

RAF chinook ZA714
Apaches ZJ188 / ZJ229
Sea King ZA299/D

HTH
Geoff Mackay

[johnhowe]

Message for Stewart, Geoff, Kieron, There are some new Dutch Helicopters on Exercise at Edingham, Dumfries, they are supposed to be going to Nesscliffe, in Shropshire, could somebody have a chat with our friendly Dutch
and find out if they are going to visit Carlisle on there way to Nesscliff. Frank.

[RADS]

Cheers Geoff,

Anything on the Dutch Apaches please?

Dave

[Skoshi]

Yup still there parked up at 12:15...two left to Warcup range, just as Grizzy 1,2 returned. 5 Ch-47's on the deck...v'nice French also still there around 1 pm .

[RADS]

Hi Skoshi,

Could you give me the serials of the Dutch please,or any other serials of a/c down

Cheers,
Dave

[Geoff Carlisle]

Dutch Apaches Dave are:-

Q-14,19,25,30



Geoff Mackay
Carlisle

[Durranhill]

A bit of info on what's going on at Carlisle , as of 20.10 this eve the only heli's left on the ground are the Dutch & they will be leaving 1st thing Fri 8am ?? although one of the Chinooks was in bits with gearbox or rota problems .
The AAC Apaches who departed for West Freugh about 20.00 told the tower they did not think that they ( the Apaches ) would be returning to Carlisle , the French are all at West Freugh for the Night together with all the Lynx, Chinooks & the Commando .
I was told by somebody that works at the airport that it will be busy again tomorrow afternoon & night , I hope so as I've just taken another day off work .

Forgot to add that the French will be night stopping at Middle Wallop on Sunday, this info from the middle Wallop thread .


Stewart

P.S sorry Frank have just read your post but have not heard anything on the Dutch at Dumfries although if they are there they may call into Carlisle fri/sat on the way south .

[RADS]

Cheers Geoff,

Actually,what I meant was the serials of the 3 Dutch AH64's on wednesday night, we where there 8:30 ish going a tad dark, so confirmation of the Dutch apaches then would be nice please.

Also reading the reports we have 3 serials for 2 RAF CH47's ZH902,ZA714 and one coded HJ,so again confirmation of what was there at 8:30 would be nice please, there was only 2 there at that time.

If you can, or any one else

Cheers

Dave

[Durranhill]

Morning all , Grizzly formation have left Carlisle & departed east towards Newcastle sq 3750 .

Stewart .

[Durranhill]

The Dutch Apaches using the Redskin callsign have now departed Carlisle , Redskin 52 departed east after putting on a show of force , Redskin 51 & 53 did the same then departed south towards Penrith .
Stewart .

[toom317]

Cheers Geoff,

Actually,what I meant was the serials of the 3 Dutch AH64's on wednesday night, we where there 8:30 ish going a tad dark, so confirmation of the Dutch apaches then would be nice please.

Also reading the reports we have 3 serials for 2 RAF CH47's ZH902,ZA714 and one coded HJ,so again confirmation of what was there at 8:30 would be nice please, there was only 2 there at that time.

If you can, or any one else

Cheers

Dave

Right first off Q-19 departed on Monday so there were only 3 Dutch Apaches at Carlisle on Wed.

Chinook ZH902 was using the callsign Vortex 1 and was at the airport on Wed/Thurs as was ZH898 using Vortex 2. These were HC4's and were parked along from the Dutch Chinooks, so were probably the ones you saw. Also in was ZA704 Vortex 3, but I only saw this on Thursday so I don't know when it arrived, but it was parked down on the FARP when I got there Thurs PM. On Wed I also have a pic of HJ/ZH895, but I didn't see this airframe again. I think this went back to Odiham. ZA714 was also in on Wed and departed south and was heading for Stafford? Both these departed mid afternoon.

The Sea King was ZA299/D

Lynx That I saw on Wed were XZ177-Marines ZD274 and XZ678, both Army. These were using Vanguard callsigns. Also in was a Lynx XZ645-Army which refuelled then departed South

All correct from photos, hope that is of help to you and anybody else into the numbers.

Danny

[Durranhill]

Hi Danny ,
I was told yesterday that it would be busy pm & eve so went down again just before 13.30 & left just after 16.00 as nothing was moving & not a peep out of the scanner ,the place is empty but the faulty Dutch Chinook is still there , they started the APU for a few minutes then shut it down again & now it's all locked with covers on the engines / rotors tied down .
British Army troops have gone from the woods & most of the vehicles have gone , only one big fuel tanker left which is to the right of the woods & everything is being loaded up - looks like the shows over for another year .
A guy in an Audi parked next to me had been given the same info as myself by the same man & he was waiting for the French to come back, another days holiday wasted .

Stewart .

[Durranhill]

There may yet be some extra activity at Carlisle tonight , The tower on 123.6 has just told a private pilot that as they are closing at 20.00 there can be no out of hours flying due to military helicopters in the area .
The only movement since 13.30 has been Vanguard 1 a Lynx who came in from West Freugh about 17.30 picked up passengers & then dep back to West Freugh .

Stewart .

[Durranhill]

19.55 Navy Commando a 2 ship of Seakings has just called up on 123.6 & is inbound from the NW with 20 miles to run to collect packs .
Stewart .

[Durranhill]

20.09 The 2 ship of Seakings landed & are going to pick up troops & packs at the top end of runway 19 .

20.27 Tower is asking Navy Commando what's going on as I think they want to close the tower .

20.30 Tower asked Navy Commando to taxi & wait on the apron .

20.33 The Tower have had to inform Navy Commando that they are shutting down as staff are out of hours ,Looks like a big **** up by the Military as nobody knows what's going on , they are waiting to pick up packs which nobody knows anything about , looks like there's a few jobs worth's doing nothing .
Tower have informed Navy Commando that he has the freedom of the airfield .

Stewart .

[Durranhill]

20.58 , have just missed a broadcast on 123.6 , before shutting down the tower asked Navy Commando to call out his routing & intentions on the Carlisle freq of 123.6 so it sounds like they are airborne again as I could not hear him on the ground at Carlisle .

[toom317]

Glad I didn't head down today there today. Wonder if they'll get anything tomorrow. Have the refuellers and Farps gone?

[Durranhill]

First thing Danny , what's a Farp or is it forward air refuelling point ?? .

Do not have any info on what's happening tomorrow but the French will have to head south at some point as they are going into Middle Wallop on Sunday & hopefully the Chinooks will call in as well .

There seem to be no Fighter Control members in Southwest Scotland as nothing has been mentioned or reported about West Freugh / Luce Bay or even Joint Warrior & here we are discussing it on the Tac Blaze thread .
.
Weather was awful today with nice blue skies then heavy rain & hailstone showers & even worse after taking another days holiday and after getting there at 13.30 nothing turned up or departed except me .

All the tents in the woods have gone together with most of the vehicles , at the southwest side of the woods in a clearing near the road was the only Oshkosh tanker on the airfield , the south side refuellers have gone & there is nothing on the apron in front of the tower .

A bit of a farce tonight on the airfield through no fault of the airport staff or Commando pilots , somebody has a BIG communication problem, good job it's not a REAL WAR .

Stewart .

[Geoff Carlisle]

Stewart, I spotted what was probably the last Oshkosh tanker pulling into Kingmoor Park at 22:10 last night. Wonder if thats were there parking then walking across to the Travelodge?

Thanks for some great reports during the past couple of weeks.

Regards
Geoff Mackay
Carlisle