Having heard that the Dutch helicopter deployment to Carlisle had arrived as planned we set off from yet another miserable weather day in Newcastle to arrive in the sunshine at Carlisle. We were met by a 100 Squadron Hawk doing a couple of  low passes by the tower and cut in half by the same bitter wind that we had left behind on the east coast. Two Chinooks and two Apaches were on the ground and on the second day of the deployment the local firemen were being given a briefing on the Apache by the Dutch ground crew. In the late morning the third Chinook arrived to offload a couple of dozen troops and was followed quickly by the other two Apaches and made a pleasing line up of 7 helicopters on the west side ramp occupied also by many tents and vehicles. In the afternoon an Apache two ship taxied out and took off heading in the general direction of Otterburn. The location of Carlisle is well placed for access to Spadeadam for electronics countermeasures work, Warcop for ground troop work and Otterburn for live cannon firing positions. 

The only visitors were a Manx registered Kingair and a Squirrel that lunch stopped for fuel and later in the day transited the Tyne valley at low level heading for Newcastle. An interesting visit and the well wrapped up Husky in the hanger summed up the weather but the star went to the guy on top of the museums Whirlwind doing a spot of painting in the bitter gale!

CH-47D Chinook  R Netherlands AF     D-101, D-662, D-666

AH-64D Apache   R Netherlands AF     Q-14, Q-19, Q-25, Q-30

Kingair                              M-POWR

Husky                                N60UK

Squirrel HT1    Def Helicopter FS    ZJ272                  

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