Yeovil (Westland) Sightings Spring 2020

[Malcolm]

Tuesday 28th

ZZ395 Wildcat AH
ZJ - K Merlin MK 3i
2-SEXY A109E

ZZ103 Merlin is also on the ramp.

[Gladio]

WHE04 just gone southbound over Martinstown Dorset pinging 43C7DE ZZ103.

[Malcolm]

Friday 1st May 2020
Visible from the lockdown bedroom window at 10:00 this morning are :

ZZ102 Merlin for Norway - Day-glow starting to look a little faded in places. Departed @ 10:40 as [43C7DD] "WHE01"
ZZ415 Wildcat HMA2 - Departed @ 10:00 eastbound all tooled up as [43C6C7] "WHE03"
? Merlin HC3? Green c/s in the dip - can only see the rotor-head.
"ZH583" has been pinging this morning too, but not actually seen it.
ZH831 Merlin AEW2 - Departed @11:25 eastbound as [43C30B] "WHE04"

Cheers
Malcolm

[mjcmerlin]

Additional for Friday

ZJ126 k outside hangar
ZZ522 wildcat HMA departed with ZZ415
ZZ103 AW101 MK612
ZH831 Merlin mk2a

[mjcmerlin]

Tuesday 5th 1000

ZH831 Merlin MK 2A towed back to hangar from flight line
ZH864 Merlin mk2A
ZZ395 Wildcat AH flew at 1215 as WHE05

[mjcmerlin]

Tuesday 5th 1000

ZH831 Merlin MK 2A towed back to hangar from flight line
ZH864 Merlin mk2A
ZZ395 Wildcat AH flew at 1215 as WHE05

ZZ102 AW101 MK612 flew as WHE06 at 1300

[Judwin71]

Did any one ID a Chinook overflight heading east at approx 1615L

[Malcolm]

18:00L ZZ517 Wildcat HM2 currently running on the ramp, pinging [43C75E] and callsign "WESTLN14".
ZZ415 Also flew this morning, and is currently showing as WHE01

[mjcmerlin]

Wednesday 6th may 1000

ZJ995-AD Merlin MK4A
ZH831 Merlin mk2a
ZZ ?.. AW101 MK612 Wash bay
ZZ395 Wildcat
ZZ ?... Wildcat HMA

[Malcolm]

Thursday 7th May 2020
Had to get some petrol for the car (100.7 @ Morrisons), so a quick look over the fence at 10am revealed :

ZZ102 Merlin for Norway
ZJ995/AD Merlin HC4
ZH831 Merlin AEW2

Cheers
Malcolm

[mjcmerlin]

Monday 11th 1000 ish

ZZ102 AW101 MK612 Flew as WHE01 at 1100
ZZ103 AW101 MK612
ZH831 Merlin AEW2 Towed into hangar
7T-WVD AW101 VV1P Towed into flight Shed
ZZ395 Wildcat AH Flew as WHE04 AT 1156

[Malcolm]

Monday 11th 16:00L

[43C7E4] just departed. I haven't read it off, but this should be ZZ109.

[Tom_J]

I seldom post here much, but keep up the good work, lads.

Does anyone know the status of the Portuguese Lynx? That's on the list of things I'd love to see!

New rescue helicopters in a row outside the factory in Yeovil today, in the photo one of Italy's new AW101 CSAR helicopters together with three Norwegian AW101 SAR helicopters. Status in Yeovil is that four helicopters are ready to be delivered (0265, 0268, 0276 and 0278), helicopter no. 11 (0279) was ground tested last week and will be on trial this week, while helicopters no. 12, 13 and 14 (0280, 0281 and 0282) are being installed at the factory. A total of 16 new Leonardo AW101 helicopters will be delivered to Norway.
https://scontent-mxp1-1.cdninstagram.co ... e=5EC6B554

When you say ‘outside the factory at Yeovil today’ do you mean different aircraft as the photo you posted was taken in December 2019 ;

https://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=85475

What time were they outside - as I passed the airfield twice yesterday and there were no Merlins outside at the times I passed

And when you say ‘ready to be delivered’ could you confirm when 0278 has test flown ?

Could you also confirm when the 11th Norwegian was doing ground runs ?

Freeman

Sorry chaps - that was my image. I was pretty sure to be clear whenever I posted it that it was from December, but you know what the internet is like. Without wishing to open a can of worms, for posterity, the image shows the following:

03/12/2019

ZR362 - HH-101A
ZZ103 - Norwegian
ZZ107 - Norwegian
ZZ108 - Norwegian

Also seen that day (not in the image) were:

ZZ102 - Norwegian
ZZ100 - Norwegian (in primer)
ZZ415 - Wildcat with x20 Martlets
G-XXEC - A109
ZR361 - HH-101A (sans rotors - taken to the wash bay)
ZJ119 "C" - HC4 conversion

(Mods, happy for this to be moved to "December sightings", but I figured as the image/link was posted here, it would be helpful to tie it up here.)

[Malcolm]

Tuesday 12th May 09:30L
Visible from the lockdown bedroom window this morning is...

ZZ109 Merlin for Norway, facing west for a change. They've been fuelling it up, so expect it'll fly.

Sitrep 11:00L
ZZ415 Wildcat departed about 09:45
ZZ___ Wildcat AH1 arrived about 10:00 - either wasn't pinging or wasn't using a WHE callsign. May have been Talon722?
ZZ109 Merlin for Norway still where it was
ZH831 Merlin HM2 AEW flying as [43C30B] "WHE06"
ZH846 Merlin HM2 AEW flying as [43C32A] "WHE04"
(2-SEXY) A-109 flying as [43EBDF] "WHE03" - wee white jobbie

Cheers
Malcolm

[Malcolm]

Does anyone know the status of the Portuguese Lynx? That's on the list of things I'd love to see!

The Portugese Lynx has flown a few times, but not AFAIK for a week or two. However, it was pinging on ADSB/SBS yesterday which would suggest power was applied and some system checks were done. Also pinged last week a couple of times.o I'm fairly confident it's still here.

[mjcmerlin]

Tuesday 12th May 09:30L
Visible from the lockdown bedroom window this morning is...

ZZ109 Merlin for Norway, facing west for a change. They've been fuelling it up, so expect it'll fly.

Sitrep 11:00L
ZZ415 Wildcat departed about 09:45
ZZ___ Wildcat AH1 arrived about 10:00 - either wasn't pinging or wasn't using a WHE callsign. May have been Talon722?
ZZ109 Merlin for Norway still where it was
ZH831 Merlin HM2 AEW flying as [43C30B] "WHE06"
ZH846 Merlin HM2 AEW flying as [43C32A] "WHE04"
(2-SEXY) A-109 flying as [43EBDF] "WHE03" - wee white jobbie
Theers
Malcolm

UPDATE on your post
Wildcat was ZZ532 using WHE14 departed to join up with ZZ415 WHE01
A109 is 2-GIGI ex 2-SEXY
ZZ397 WILDCAT HMA was also towed out for refuelling

Thanks for your post Malcolm

[mjcmerlin]

1600 update for Tuesday

ZJ995-AD Merlin MK4A
-15-14 HH101A towed to the flight line
ZZ109 AW101 MK612 flew as WHE04

WHE01 combine returned ZZ415 and ZZ532 , ZZ532 Departed back to Yeovilton as WHE14

[Malcolm]

Wednesday 13th May 15:30L
Visible from the lockdown bedroom today have been...

ZZ109 Merlin for Norway. Not flown yet today 15:45L flying as [43C7E4] "WHE06"
ZZ___ Merlin for Norway - outside the avionics building
ZH583 Lynx for Portugal, just departed as [43C8FE] "WHE03"
ZH864 Merlin HM2 AEW few AM
ZZ395 Wildcat AH1 arr 12:15L ish
ZZ415 Wildcat HMA2
ZZ532 Wildcat HMA2, showed variously as Talon722 and WHE14.
ZJ995/AD Merlin HC4A departed, didn't show on SBS, haven't seen it come back - delivery to Yeovilton?
(7T-WVD) Merlin White c/s with thin green/orange cheat-lines. Was hidden behind ZZ109, but still can't see enough of it for a confirmed serial.

I saw another Grey merlin depart after ZJ995, but it didn't show on SBS and I was in the wrong place to read it off. Hope it wasn't an Italian on delivery!

Cheers
Malcolm

[mjcmerlin]

ZZ102 Was outside of the avionics building
ZZ397 Wildcat HMA was on the flight line until 1400 ish
7T-WVD was the AW101 VVIP
ZJ995-AD returned at approximately 1415 as WHE02

[Judwin71]

AW101 ZZ103 WHE01 departed at 0945L heading north passing Bath at 1005L maybe delivery??