Canadian CH-149s - 10 May 2003

[POL]

Hi all,

On 10 May 2003 whilst stood on the Queen's Building at Heathrow I saw two Canadian CH-149 Cormorants flying in formation.

I have them as 149913 and 149914. Three questions if I may:

1) Are these serials correct?
2) Does anyone know the callsign of the formation
3) Where were they going from/to, and why? (Pretty sure they were heading south-west when I saw them!)

Thanks!

Chris

[Freeman Lowell]

Hi Chris,
Well, '149913 & '914 were outside at Yeovil on 7.5.03, so the serials are quite likely to be correct.
I recall that they may have headed from Yeovil to Italy after construction, perhaps for some final fettling?
Freeman

[DickFlute]

Hi Guys

Just to add to this thread if I may...

Rather than heading from Yeovil to Italy, it was actually the other way around as the Canadian CH-149s were all built in Italy, and were flown to Canada - sometimes in pairs - on delivery. The two in question - which as Freeman has confirmed were indeed 149913 & 149914 -stopped off at Yeovil while on their delivery flight; arriving there on the 6th May & departing on the 10th.When you saw them Chris it's likely that they were actually heading East, rather than SW as you remember, as they were en-route their next point of call/fuel stop at Newcastle & one presumes they routed from Yeovil towards London & up the East coast.

For info they arrived at Newcastle around 13:35L on the 10th using callsign "CanForce 2491" & after a short stay carried on North.

Hope it helps.

[Freeman Lowell]

Dick,
That makes a lot more sense!
I was wondering why I didn't see more of them than I did, and why one was at the Koksijde show one year.
Thanks,
Freeman