Seamus Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Evening all,Last Thursday, I made the trip up to Wiltshire for my first taste of helicopter hunting on Salisbury Plain. Despite the poor weather and relative lack of action, it was an interesting day learning the ins and outs of some of the regularly used training areas, and what we did catch is pretty rare on the plain, so all in all a day very well spent First catch up the day was a Bell 212 in the confines, one of only five the Army operate and the only one that isn't currently in Kenya. Sadly, it was winch training and so didn't lower itself as far into the confines as we'd have liked, and the light was awful, but a fine start nevertheless.Bell 212 ZK067 Army Air Corps SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrBell 212 ZK067 Army Air Corps SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrBell 212 ZK067 Army Air Corps SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrNext, the real highlight, and a rare sight in the confines, a lovely Junglie!Westland Sea King HC4 ZG821/G Royal Navy SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrWestland Sea King HC4 ZG821/G Royal Navy SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrWestland Sea King HC4 ZG821/G Royal Navy SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrWestland Sea King HC4 ZG821/G Royal Navy SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrAs the Junglie departed, we relocated to catch a Chinook at play. The light was once again awful, but it was good to watch the crews having some fun and throwing the thing around like they had stolen it! Interestingly, this is one of the cabs that have recently moved to Benson with 28 Squadron and carries it's new markings on the tail.Boeing Chinook HC4 ZH777 Royal Air Force SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrBoeing Chinook HC4 ZH777 Royal Air Force SPTA 12/11/15 by Shaun Schofield, on FlickrNot a bad haul for a first timer, and a great experience. Thanks for looking, hopefully they were of interest CheersShaun 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Nice shots! Well done & thanks for posting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Delta 210 Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Great set, as ever Shaun. Love the Junglie. How do you know where to go on the Plain? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Great pics and that is the first Chinook from the new 28 Sqn that I have seen,........brilliant! Cheers Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Nice shots - shame the weather didn't behave for you, but there is always the next time! cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 (edited) Thanks all How do you know where to go on the Plain? I had a very good tour guide! shame the weather didn't behave for you, but there is always the next time! Quite right, and there is sure to be several next times, the place is addictive!Cheers, Shaun Edited November 15, 2015 by Seamus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 (edited) Salisbury Plain,...addictive,.....I`ve heard it called a lot of things but not that!!! I won`t say what I`ve heard it called as this s a family forum! I did my back in on a DZ there appropriately called `Breakheart Bottom',......nuff said! Cheers Tony Edited November 15, 2015 by tonyot 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Indeed, addictive. It's the thrill of the chase, and always wanting to get that elusive money shot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Great shots, love the Junglies 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geedubelyer Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Groovy stuff Shaun. The contrasting dayglo markings are a superb eye-catcher on the first 'copter. Cheers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Shaun, WOW !! Lovely shots of the Helos. I bet the colourful helicopter would be amazing to see coming down over you. VERY clean perfect shots.... for the time of the year, AND sometimes given the inclement weather, I think they are Impressive photographs... Thank you muchly for sharing them.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Excellent. Living 15 miles from the main battle training area, I can often see (and hear) night manoeuvres eve this far away - everywhere you drive South from (say) Devizes you drive over so many tank crossings and the like but have no idea of the scale of the place. Even with the wind in the right direction you can hear RA day shoots in Chippenham. When I lived in Devizes, your windows would rattle sometimes! It's been even more intense recently with regular RA night shoots (including lots of star shells) and regularly low-flying C-17 which can not be seen (other than nav lights) but definitely heard (!) on low-level air drops. Google view the area to the NW of Tidworth and that gives a really clear sense of the place as it criss-crossed with AFV tracks - all banned to the general public mostly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevatanus Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 nice shots. I really want to nail helicopter shots, and that seems like the place to do it. Do you know if it operational daily, or is it "luck of the draw"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeronut Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Living as I do on the edge of the SPTA I know when the Apache course is coming to its end at Middle Wallop as the returning low level flights pass overhead my house. Its always midnight give or take a minute or two. I do wish the Apache sounded nicer or flew faster so it didn't wake me up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Great photo,s Sean,still cant get used to seeing a 212 in British colour's! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 It's been even more intense recently with regular RA night shoots (including lots of star shells) and regularly low-flying C-17 which can not be seen (other than nav lights) but definitely heard (!) on low-level air drops. I didn`t know that C-17`s were cleared for air dropping in RAF service but if they were definitely C-17`s then they could have been USAF ones? We did DZ medical cover for the Yanks in the 80`s who would fly over non stop from Fort Bragg in C-141`s and lob into a DZ on the plain,.....sometimes missing the place altogether! We had to call the fire bde once to rescue a lot of them from the trees in a wood and some were taken to RAF Wroughton with pretty bad injuries caused by large branches! Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedy Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I work on those 212's so nice to see them outside of the hangar environment. One of them has been sold and is totally white, so you may see it out and about but not for long.......... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I didn`t know that C-17`s were cleared for air dropping in RAF service but if they were definitely C-17`s then they could have been USAF ones? We did DZ medical cover for the Yanks in the 80`s who would fly over non stop from Fort Bragg in C-141`s and lob into a DZ on the plain,.....sometimes missing the place altogether! We had to call the fire bde once to rescue a lot of them from the trees in a wood and some were taken to RAF Wroughton with pretty bad injuries caused by large branches! Cheers Tony I was out walking the dog last night and there was definitely a C-17 over the Plain near Devizes at about 1-2000ft doing circuits - I have assumed it's dropping something? Otherwise why? Driving home tonight from Chippenham and what looks like right over Devizes there are a loads of what look like floating candles steadily and slowly descending in the distance so there is obviously some sort of prolonged night exercise on at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Thanks for the thread resurrection and additional comments nice shots. I really want to nail helicopter shots, and that seems like the place to do it. Do you know if it operational daily, or is it "luck of the draw"? I think you'd be unlucky not to catch something as it is used most days, but there is a good amount of luck involved in being in the right place at the right time to catch the more interesting types in the more desirable spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeronut Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I was out walking the dog last night and there was definitely a C-17 over the Plain near Devizes at about 1-2000ft doing circuits - I have assumed it's dropping something? Otherwise why? Driving home tonight from Chippenham and what looks like right over Devizes there are a loads of what look like floating candles steadily and slowly descending in the distance so there is obviously some sort of prolonged night exercise on at the moment A friend of mine who lives near Westbury reports the RAF C-17 using RAF Keevil a lot both day and night. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 A friend of mine who lives near Westbury reports the RAF C-17 using RAF Keevil a lot both day and night. Maybe they are just developing the rough field capability of the C-17 for RAF use or training to use a rough airfield abroad? I`ve jumped onto Keevil a few times so it is a DZ too and know that the RAF Herk fleet also use Keevil for rough/austere field training. The floating candles sound more like parachute flares used by the Army for night exercises, they do go quite high and are very bright. I used the parachute for one to get my Para Teddy qualified to wear a set of para wings,...I shouldn`t really have said that should I? In my defence the missus bought it for me as a laugh and I wouldn`t let him wear wings without doing the prescribed 8 jumps,...and one of them was at night too! Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Seems a good explanation. Are those flares shot or dropped? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyverns4 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Maybe they are just developing the rough field capability of the C-17 for RAF use or training to use a rough airfield abroad? I`ve jumped onto Keevil a few times so it is a DZ too and know that the RAF Herk fleet also use Keevil for rough/austere field training. The floating candles sound more like parachute flares used by the Army for night exercises, they do go quite high and are very bright. I used the parachute for one to get my Para Teddy qualified to wear a set of para wings,...I shouldn`t really have said that should I? In my defence the missus bought it for me as a laugh and I wouldn`t let him wear wings without doing the prescribed 8 jumps,...and one of them was at night too! Cheers Tony Well, if you have owned up, then I had better! I also used a flare parachute to qualify my stuffed, (soft toy not taxidermy), hedgehog which was also bought for me, by the ex. Christian, exiled to the dark place and member 1457 of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Seems a good explanation. Are those flares shot or dropped? The flares that I was talking about are fired by a built in rocket from the ground. If you walk around on SPTA you`ll see the disposable plastic tubes on the ground,.....I think that they were brown with white writing? Re my Para Ted mentioned earlier,......here he is during his 8th jump!; He seems to be stuck in twists at the moment and isn`t making much effort to get out of them either! He`s quite a big teddy too,..so it shows how large the cotton flare parachutes are. We did this for my little nephew who was belly laughing with excitement at all of this,.......he`s now an old sweat in the Royal Marine Commando`s (traitor!) and I feel rather old! Cheers Tony Edited January 22, 2016 by tonyot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Gill's bears like that last post too Tony! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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