HMS Illustrious, Liverpool 23 October 2009

[POL]

Hi all,

As part of the Fly Navy 100 celebrations, a flypast took place over Liverpool on this date. Also in attendance were a few aircraft on the pier itself, and the HMS Illustrious (R06) with - supposedly - six aircraft on board.

From the Birkenhead side of the river, it was possible to see four aircraft on deck, from bow to stern...

_____ Lynx
_____ Harrier (Fly Navy 100 tail)
_____ Lynx (red door and tail)
_____ Merlin

Does anyone have an ID for these four aircraft please?

Thanks!

[MRTT]

I believe, that the Harrier was ZD406 and the Merlin was ZH850.

Unable to help with the other two.

[POL]

Digging through the depths of North West Air News and their convoluted way of reporting things, I have found the answers - posted below for anyone else wondering!

H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS, CRUISE TERMINAL, October 2009

HMS Illustrious called again, 23rd to 27th October, providing a centre piece for the final 'Fly Navy 100' flypast of the Fleet Air Arm's centenary year. The flypast was at 1400 hours on Friday 23rd with 38 aircraft and helicopters involved. Although RAF Shawbury was the launch point, 10 of the helicopters involved had arrived on HMS Illustrious, they flew off on Saturday morning. The greatest Carrier flight deck activity since (probably) 1951 in the Mersey. The vessel was open to the public on the Sunday and Monday. All helicopters were out on the deck, the hangar deck being empty on the Sunday and Monday public open days.

On arrival on Thursday 22nd, Illustrious had the greatest collection of Naval hardware on deck to be seen in the Mersey for many a year, even though most were not part of her regular compliment.

ZH833/85 Merlin HM.1 814 Sqdn (an embarked unit)
ZH834/88
ZH841/82
ZH846/81
ZH850/16 Merlin HM.1 820 Sqdn, home base Culdrose

XV648/818 W.Sea King HAR.5 771 Sqdn gloss grey retro scheme, Ace of Spades badge
XV707/84 W.Sea King AsC.7 849 Sqdn
ZA167/22 W.Sea King HAR.5 771 Sqdn grey/red 'Rescue' scheme, Ace of Spades badge
ZD627/WO W.Sea King HC.4 848 Sqdn
ZE418/86 W.Sea King AsC.7 849 Sqdn

ZD406/-- BAe. Harrier GR.9 Naval Strike Wing, special 'Fly Navy 100' tail colours.

XZ246/434:EE W.Lynx Mk.3ICE 815 Sqdn, HMS Endurance arctic high vis. scheme
XZ612/- W.Lynx AH.7 'Marines' 847 Sqdn
XZ692/642 W.Lynx HMA.8 702 Sqdn (marked as such on the nose).

On the Friday morning 4 x Merlin (those of 814 Sqdn), all 5 x Sea Kings and the Lynx AH.7 departed for Shawbury and took part in the Fly Navy 100 flypast. Only two returned to HMS Illustrious, the Sea King HC.4 and the Marines Lynx AH.7; so making 6 aircraft/helicopters out on deck on the public days.

Squirrel G-XOIL with Prince Andrew was on the deck for several hours on Friday early afternoon (first civilian helicopter on a Carrier deck in the Mersey!). Also after the flypast, two Lynx briefly landed on deck, presumably collecting VIPs.

XZ733/-- W.Lynx HAS.3 702 Sqdn
ZD266/302 W.Lynx HMA.8 702 Sqdn

The four I saw are I've put in bold.

Thanks for looking MRTT, appreciated!