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Showing posts with label Glasgow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glasgow. Show all posts

Tuesday, 26 April 2016

Sea power in the Med. Part-Two.

HDMS Absalon Visits Swansea Bay.

This Danish (Denmark) Command Vessel L-16 came to Swansea Bay southern-Wales, United Kingdom on the Queen Elizabeth's 90th Birthday. She is one of a number of European Warships that are tasked with working in the Mediterranian sea to pick up immigrints fleeing current conflicts in North-Africa and Syria. 

Her other role within the N.A.T.O. and the E.U. Armed forces is to protect International shipping, as it passes through the Gulf of Aden, between the Red Sea and the Arabian sea. 

Shipping here face daily Somali Pirate attacks, mostly for kiddnapping and ransome demands.

The HDMS Absalon is quite a modern vessel with the capability to carry more than two medium transport helicopters and an array of other weaponary, from guns to missiles. She is based at Frederikshavn in Denmark and arrived in Swansea Bay from Glasgow, Alba-Scotland.

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Clutha.

One Year On.

After the sad crash of a Eurocopter, now Aerospastial EC-135 in Glasgow last year, there is still no report published on what was the cause of this crash. Eurocopter has meanwhile changed hands, is this a clue to an ongoing problem with the type or just business.

The EC-135 was the development of the Kawasaki-117, which was a great step foward in helicopter design. 

Meanwhile the helicopter is and will remain an essential kit for the emergency service, search and rescue and the military until the Boeing V-22 Osprey and its succesive types become more popular.

Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Eurocopter EC-135/145.

Most Versatile.

The EC-135 is perhaps one of the most reliable and versatile helicopters ever built. Used by the emergency services, police, air ambulances, line inspections it is fuel officiant and has good seating options for a compact light machine. 

As far as I know military versions are in use in other countries. The helicopter has built up a reputation of being it is easy to operate for the trained pilots and push around.

This was all very true up until the Glasgow, Scotland crash on the Clutha pub. We still do not know the cause of this tragic crash, it has been suggested it ran out of fuel? Normally the most feared failure in a helicopter is the Jesus nut in the rotor area.

It's called the Jesus nut, because when it fails you will be calling on his name.

So we will have to wait and see what the enquiry into this crash finds.

Since the grounding of the EC-135, I have only seen the Wales Air Ambulance G-WASN make two dashes over Swansea City. But I have not seen the Heddlu pronounced (Hethli)/police G-WONN flying.

The EC-145 is a slightly larger version and I expect it uses similar components to the EC-135.

Tuesday 4th March 2014.

 It would seem that the EC-135's are back flying again with the Police and Air Ambulance services.

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Helicopters. Part-Two.

Sea King/S-61 to Eurocopter EC-135/145.

The helicopter in our moder world has become both an essential and invaluable tool. Since last week 9 people were sadly killed, when a EC-135T2 fell out of the skies and hit a pub venue in Glasgow, Scotland. U.K.

But despite this we must not think that helicopters are now dangerous, more people die in the British isles each day in car incidents. They are either at the wheel or are pedestrians, but that does not mean we have to stop driving!

The Eurocopter family were derived from some very succesfull machines such as the Alouette III and the Bolkow BO-105. Both the EC-135 and newer 145 are now widley used across the globe for their versitilty. Police, military, air ambulance, search and rescue, as well as electricity and oil line inspections. 

The Westland Seaking and Sikorsky S-61 soldier on with their long range capability for search and rescue, both at sea and mountains. They have a great ability to operate in severe weather conditions. Yet all machines really operate becuase of the skill of very well trained and astute pilots, who take chances only when needs be. Thank you for them.