Yeovil (Westland) Sightings Spring 2020

[Freeman Lowell]

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

[Malcolm]

The only things that have moved for the past few days are UK stuff - ZJ995/AB, ZH831/AEW and a couple of Wildcats whose serials I forget (don't need any Wildcats) which seem to depart together to the East -possibly for the drone trials. ZZ102 was on the ramp this morning, but still got its Noggie serials covered so not going anywhere yet.

[phila]

CNL post

sorry

Outside of lockdown posts / logs here help with what’s active and make a 600 mile round trip less of a gamble. Hard to understand why you would post someone else’s photo from four months ago and say it was today, along with a string of totally false / made up information.

[Judwin71]

Flying at:
1000L Wildcat ZZ415 WHE04.
1010L AW-101 ZH831 WHE06.
1100L AW-101 ZZ102 WHE01.

[seven]

CNL post

sorry

Outside of lockdown posts / logs here help with what’s active and make a 600 mile round trip less of a gamble. Hard to understand why you would post someone else’s photo from four months ago and say it was today, along with a string of totally false / made up information.

Perhaps they had been given (incorrect) information themselves? And chose to share what they believed to be genuine info with us. It doesn't hurt to point out that something is incorrect, but this post and more so the one below it name calling helps no one. This is why genuine good information doesn't get shared!

7

[phila]

CNL post

sorry

Outside of lockdown posts / logs here help with what’s active and make a 600 mile round trip less of a gamble. Hard to understand why you would post someone else’s photo from four months ago and say it was today, along with a string of totally false / made up information.

Perhaps they had been given (incorrect) information themselves? And chose to share what they believed to be genuine info with us. It doesn't hurt to point out that something is incorrect, but this post and more so the one below it name calling helps no one. This is why genuine good information doesn't get shared!

7

Where’s the name calling ? It started with a polite request for some more detail relating to the original post which of course wasn’t answered
And what doesn’t help is postings of sightings that are made up with a list of detailed information that is totally incorrect or would you disagree ?

[Judwin71]

I think the name calling bit refers to someone who was posting here for the first time, it was very brief rude and offensive. I cannot see the post now so it has been deleted/removed.

[seven]

Where’s the name calling ? It started with a polite request for some more detail relating to the original post which of course wasn’t answered
And what doesn’t help is postings of sightings that are made up with a list of detailed information that is totally incorrect or would you disagree ?
[/quote]

Dave has since removed the offending post, and indeed your original post was fine, but it should have been left at that. There was no need to insinuate blame when it could have been misinterpreted in the first place.

Just my two cents.

7

[Malcolm]

Flying at:
1000L Wildcat ZZ415 WHE04.
1010L AW-101 ZH831 WHE06.
1100L AW-101 ZZ102 WHE01.

1645L AW-101 ZZ107 visible from the bedroom window, still marked as such.

[Widget 01]

Where’s the name calling ? It started with a polite request for some more detail relating to the original post which of course wasn’t answered
And what doesn’t help is postings of sightings that are made up with a list of detailed information that is totally incorrect or would you disagree ?

Dave has since removed the offending post, and indeed your original post was fine, but it should have been left at that. There was no need to insinuate blame when it could have been misinterpreted in the first place.

Just my two cents.

7
[/quote]

Interesting remarks I must admit. By all means sharing information on here is great, but would you share information that is totally wrong / or completely inaccurate? My pennies worth would be your answer is NO. If you were unsure you would state that from ‘a good source’ or something along these lines.

I must admit I looked at the post and was planning a trip down to Yeovil, which for me is an 500 mile round trip, which of-course would have been a completely waisted journey. For those of us that actually go out, report properly, and make the effort to see aircraft - posts like the above ruin the hobby imo. Sitting on a keyboard and making remarks without any intentions to visit any base is what you find a lot of people do. This merely makes their remarks on any post frustratingly irrelevant

[Andy Marden]

I must admit I looked at the post and was planning a trip down to Yeovil, which for me is an 800 mile round trip

Blimey, you must drive a weird way. I live just down the road from you in Bracebridge Heath, from where it's a 490 mile round trip

[seven]

Widget01, the second you say you are planning a '800(500) mile round trip' in the current climate says it all. My point was the OP could have been posting what they believe was genuine information, it is wrong to jump to the conclusion that someone would deliberately set out to mislead others.

7

[Malcolm]

Thursday 23rd April 2020
Visible from the lockdown bedroom window at 10:15 this morning are :

ZH831 Merlin HM2(AEW) rotors running
(ZZ10?) Merlin for Norway
(ZZ10?) Merlin for Norway

Have read ZH831 off twice, now because it seems to be pinging [43C32A], which is the code for ZH864.
Should get the first Noggie if/once ZH831 gets out of the way. Won't get the second one unless it flies.

Cheers
Malcolm

[Judwin71]

Thursday 23rd April 2020
Visible from the lockdown bedroom window at 10:15 this morning are :

ZH831 Merlin HM2(AEW) rotors running
(ZZ10?) Merlin for Norway
(ZZ10?) Merlin for Norway

Have read ZH831 off twice, now because it seems to be pinging [43C32A], which is the code for ZH864.
Should get the first Noggie if/once ZH831 gets out of the way. Won't get the second one unless it flies.

Cheers
Malcolm

RadarBox shows 43C30B WHE03

[Judwin71]

Flying at 1300L AW-101 ZZ102 WHE02

[Malcolm]

Thursday 23rd April 2020
Visible from the lockdown bedroom window at 10:15 this morning are :

ZH831 Merlin HM2(AEW) rotors running
(ZZ10?) Merlin for Norway
(ZZ10?) Merlin for Norway

Have read ZH831 off twice, now because it seems to be pinging [43C32A], which is the code for ZH864.
Should get the first Noggie if/once ZH831 gets out of the way. Won't get the second one unless it flies.

Cheers
Malcolm

Update - ZH831 flew, but there was another bagger on the ramp whilst it was up - which I couldn't read. Suspect that really was ZH864
ZZ102 was the Norwegian behind ZH831
The Other Norwegian never flew and has been put away.

16:50L Wildcat AH1 ZZ396 "WHE06" just departed with another - ZZ512 I think showing as "AZTEC 17"

[Malcolm]

Friday 24th April 2020
Visible from the lockdown bedroom window at 10:15 this morning are :

ZZ415 Wildcat HM2 [43C6C7] flew as WHE02 10:30-11:00
ZZ109 Merlin for Norway [43C7E4] flew as WHE03 11:00-
ZZ103 Merlin for Norway [43C7DE] flew as WHE03 14:00-14:30

Cheers
Malcolm

[Judwin71]

Friday 24th April 2020
Visible from the lockdown bedroom window at 10:15 this morning are :

ZZ103 Merlin for Norway
ZZ415 Wildcat HM2 [43C6C7] flew as WHE02 10:30-11:00
ZZ109 Merlin for Norway [43C7E4] flew as WHE03 11:00-

Cheers
Malcolm

ZZ109 First Flight ??

[mjcmerlin]

Monday 27 April

ZZ103 AW101 MK612 Flew as WHE02
MM8175\15-14 HH101A Wash bay
\K MERLIN MK3 Outside storage for MK4 Conversion
(ZZ376) Wildcat HMA Flew as WHE03 Possible delivery to Yeovilton
2-SEXY A109E

[mjcmerlin]

Tuesday 28th

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