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http://skr18.ca/
https://ml-fd.caf-fac.ca/en/2018/09/19537
Farewell to the longest serving aircraft in the Canadian Armed Forces
The Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Armed Forces, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Canada
will say farewell to the workhorse of the air force,
the CH-124 Sea King helicopter in late November/early December 2018.
This versatile ship-borne maritime helicopter has been in operation serving Canada since 1963.
In honour of this historic finale,
the Royal Canadian Air Force is inviting current and former military members,
their families, and government dignitaries to join them in Victoria, BC,
for a two-day retirement event.
The celebration starts with a Friday 30th November ‘Meet and Greet’ at CFB Esquimalt’s Wardroom;
followed the next day by a Sea King Retirement Parade at 443 MH Squadron and Sea King Ceremonial Fly Past
on the 443 MH Squadron Flightline in Pat Bay, and;
in the 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron’s new hangar Arundel Castle.
On Saturday morning, a parade and final flypast will be conducted at the 443 Squadron Hangar.
Guests are to be seated by 09:45 and the parade will commence at 10:00.
The CO of 443 Squadron LCol Travis Chapman documented the painting of CH12417 in the original NAVY colours.
Click here for the article.
followed the next day by a Sea King Retirement Parade at 443 MH Squadron and Sea King Ceremonial Fly Past...more thruFarewell to the King!
By Wing Commander (retired) Ian Lightbody
This year will see the retirement of the longest-serving Canadian combat aircraft, the CH-124 Sea King helicopter.
Originally delivered in August 1963 to then HMCS Shearwater, just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia,
it will finish its service to Canada at the end of this year
in Patricia Bay, just outside Victoria, British Columbia.
Over its 55 years of employment in Canada, the Sea King has been used by multiple services,
and has changed significantly from its initial 1963 configuration.
Originally procured by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)
to operate from aircraft carrier Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Bonaventure in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) roles,
it was on the leading edge of rotary wing technology at the time,
with two turbine engines and the then revolutionary capability to automatically transition to a hover with the push of a button.
This allowed a great leap in night and all-weather operations,
permitting anti-submarine searches with an active dipping sonar.
Additionally, the automatic transition equipment permitted search and rescue operations in bad weather.
The Sea King initially flew from the aircraft carrier.
At the same time, work had begun on a highly innovative marriage of a medium-sized helicopter with an escort-sized warship.
The development of the Helicopter Haul-down and Rapid Securing Device, otherwise known as the Beartrap,
allowed the Sea King to continue on the front lines of the Cold War
as one of the principal Canadian contributions to alliance ASW efforts at sea
after the retirement of Bonaventure.
https://ml-fd.caf-fac.ca/en/2018/09/19537