Woodvale - Puma Deployment (Exercise Northern Tempest)

[chrisward123]

12/10/20
Exercise Northern Tempest 12-17 October, based at Woodvale

15:45L - ZJ955/Warlock1 & ZJ956/Warlock2 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Arrival from the SE. Dep 16:15L to NE direction

ZA940/SHF337 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Arrival around 10:30L




https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation ... n-england/

Several Puma helicopters from RAF Benson will be operating at RAF Woodvale from 12-17 October 2020 to conduct essential training for crews during Exercise NORTHERN TEMPEST 20.

They will be flying during the week from 1pm until 1am

The Exercise is part of the pre-deployment training that the Puma Force undertake prior to deployment to Operation TORAL in Afghanistan. Up to three helicopters will be used to train three Puma crews from 33 Squadron operating in rural and urban areas. They will be using a variety of authorised helicopter landing sites in the Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds areas, as well as conducting additional training at Altcar, Spadeadam and Snowdonia. This deployment is not linked to the UK Government’s response to coronavirus and is solely for pre-deployment training.

thanks to David Thompson for info on exercise

[chrisward123]

13/10/20

13:35L - G-MAOL/NOH02 (AW.109 SP/Sloane Helicopters) Arr R.03 from Northolt (Northolt Charter). Dep 16:21L RTB Northolt
13:51L - ZA940/SHF341 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Depart to the NE - returned around 15:30L. Dep @15:58L to Altcar - Unsure of RTB Time
15:48L - ZJ956/Warlock1 & ZJ955/Warlock2 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Depart to areas of Manchester/Warrington and Chester- Unsure of RTB Time

[Yammer]

14.06 VORTEX 341 with London Info will operate low to the NE of Preston

[chrisward123]

14/10/20
14:36L - ZA940/SHF333 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Dep to Liverpool/Birkenhead area. RTB time NA
20:25L - ZA940/SHF365 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Dep to the Liverpool area, then North Wales. RTB time NA

[Ross Forsyth]

ZJ955/X through Dunmail yesterday afternoon as SHF335 I think it was? About 1420...if not 335 it was 355 memory all over the place this morning

[dervish]

[quote=chrisward123 post_id=1235401 time=1602684208 user_id=412]
14/10/20
14:36L - ZA940/SHF333 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Dep to Liverpool/Birkenhead area. RTB time NA
20:25L - ZA940/SHF365 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Dep to the Liverpool area, then North Wales. RTB time NA
[/quote]

Different crews on earch sortie. Both were roughly two hours in Snowdonia with refuel at Llandwrog
(Liverpool radar/London FIS West/Caernarfon Radio and reverse)

[chrisward123]

15/10/20
15:50L? - ZA940/SHF333 (Puma HC.2/33 Sqn) Dep to off coast off Altcar, landing Altcar 16:38L

ZJ955/Warlock1 also up late afternoon - no times

thanks Ross & Dervish for info above

[dervish]

A bit busy today but VORTEX333 was up around 14:20 and as well as pottering up and down the coast it went over to Barton
Approx 15:30 WARLOCK flight out to the East and into the low level corridor turning South (were using low level common). South of Warrington they turned towards Chester and were to route back up the appendix.
16:06 WARLOCK about six minutes out from Woodvale