Yeovil (Westlands) Sightings Summer/Autumn 2017

[POL]

Short answer is replacement for the Sea King ASaC fleet.

[Freeman Lowell]

Keith,
It's the very long awaited radar AEW facilitation conversion. There won't be any dedicated a/c like the current SK7 rather, the 30 HM1 that were concerted to HM2 will be further modified to receive one of 10 Crowsnest radar sets when needed. Of course, there will only be a 'short' capability gap of AEW surveillance for our new carriers after the SK7 is retired next year.
Freeman

[Judwin71]

Many thanks for the info.
Keith

[Malcolm]

Tuesday 14th Nov 2017
Out on an overcast and chilly ramp at 08:45 were:

ZZ418 Wildcat HMA2 "Royal Navy"
ZH831 Merlin HM2

Cheers
Malcolm

[Judwin71]

Just left Westland Norwegian AW101 heading northeast. Flight id NOW5001, mode S 478126. No other details. Delivery ???

[Malcolm]

Just left Westland Norwegian AW101 heading northeast. Flight id NOW5001, mode S 478126. No other details. Delivery ???

Yes.

[Judwin71]

Hi Malcolm, any idea which one?

[Bertie_Basset]

0268 is the aircraft delivered today. No evidence of UK serial on fuselage.

[Sea_Harrier_FA2]

20/11 nothing out on hangar ramp and all shut up this morning. ZJ120/D out on Western end by rotor rigs following conversion and new grey paint scheme. Bob

[grahamdevizes]

Afternoon all

Was working in Yeovil today and drove past the field several times. There was a grey Merlin parked by the wind sock closest to the road all day, is this ZJ120 as mentioned above please? Many thanks

[paul simmons]

Yes Graham it was. Noted in the same area around 1pm was a Brazilian Lynx ZH962 while on the main ramp was a AW101 in primer which I believe was ZZ101 if someone could confirm

[Freeman Lowell]

Hi Paul,
perhaps not ZZ101, as that is fully painted.
rgds, Freeman

[Malcolm]

Yes Graham it was. Noted in the same area around 1pm was a Brazilian Lynx ZH962 while on the main ramp was a AW101 in primer which I believe was ZZ101 if someone could confirm

The primer merlin out on the ramp on Wednesday morning @ 08:45 was ZZ100. Looked complete and ready for flight.

[Judwin71]

Also flying today were/are Wildcat ZZ408 WHE05 and AW189 G-MCGV.

[bizfreeq]

G-MCGV was WHE 04

[rh226]

WHE04 must have used more than one aircraft, then. It had a Brazilian hex (E48xxx) earlier today.

[bizfreeq]

Noticed that one this afternoon Bob but it was WHE07 by that point according to Planefinder

[rh226]

Must have changed it in flight then, Mark. It was WHE04 on Planeplotter.

[grahamdevizes]

Many thanks for the info guys, most appreciated

[paul simmons]

Yes Graham it was. Noted in the same area around 1pm was a Brazilian Lynx ZH962 while on the main ramp was a AW101 in primer which I believe was ZZ101 if someone could confirm

The primer merlin out on the ramp on Wednesday morning @ 08:45 was ZZ100. Looked complete and ready for flight.

Thank you Malcom, it was a tad 'blowey' so reading off with bins wasn't easy