Historic Helicopters Open Day

I joined the helicopter museum when I was 12, knowing nothing about helicopters. I remember, meeting Steve Whittaker the restoration manager, the rain was absolutely pouring down outside, and he walked into the café, in fisherman’s waterproofs that were bright yellow. He was so welcoming and we sat and chatted over a cup of tea.. it was all very grown up! (seeing as I still had to ask permission to use the toilet at my current year in school).

We hot footed to the hangar, where I was given a tour of the restoration facilities, issued with overalls and allocated a locker. As we went for a walk around the various aircraft the museum was home to, the Wessex was by far the most imposing of all of the hangar queens at rest there. I had so many questions, and since that day I had wanted to be a helicopter pilot. How they flew I knew nothing about to start with, but if whatever black magic it was, could make the Wessex fly, then I wanted a piece of that action.

Fast forward 16 years and I’m sat watching a breathtaking video from the team at Historic Helicopters based at Chard Equestrian in Dorset. It’s the Wessex they have being restoring.. taking to the air for the first time in 30 years. I was jaw dropped, after seeing their Whirlwind take to the skies in the previous years.. I just had to see this machine up close.

It transpires the Historic Helicopters team had an upcoming open day and I wanted to see if I could fly in. It became apparent that many of my colleagues and fellow volunteers from the Helicopter Museum were involved with the team in Chard. Mark Service and I exchanged a few emails, Pilots notes were dispatched and we were ready to fly in.

The wind was atrocious on the morning we left. We would be flying the same route as for the Yeovilton trip the day previous, but we would route between Merryfield and Yeovilton through the Western stub of the MATZ.. (if we could get there!) The ASI showed 85KIAS with the SkyDemon showing our GS as 36KIAS! Joking aside this was a serious issue when it came to fuel endurance, the decision was made to monitor it closely and maybe go to Dunkeswell prior to Chard depending on the fuel situation as we got closer.

As I did the two calls to Yeovilton, (to double check they were closed) we passed under the western stub of the MATZ and the wind had dropped considerably. We punched Chard’s Frequency into the radio and gave them an initial call, we rounded the hill and began the approach, directly into wind and next to the Westland Scout. Blade tie downs were necessary and off we went in for a cup of tea. We later learnt the Allouette II and R44 had cancelled due to the wind.

Seeing the Wessex, Wasp, SeaKing and Whirlwind in the hangar was quite an experience. Especially knowing the Wessex was airworthy.

We spent the morning and afternoon meeting some interesting characters and fellow rotorheads; namely John and Adrian who told of their Saunders Roe Skeeter in Melksham.. we exchanged email addresses and agreed I’d fly in to see the machine during the year.

After a great lunch from the On-site Cafe, I gave Dunkeswell a call before heading off to them for a fuel stop at Devon and Somerset Flight Training. Friendly guys and a windy approach. The return leg was via Taunton, up the beach at Burnham on sea, over the International Helicopter Museum and back to Gloucester following the M5, with another around the tower arrival into Heli South.

3.1 Total

(1.5 Leg 1)

(0.5 Leg 2)

(1.1 Leg 3)