Final flypast for our helicopter heroes
FOR more than 40 years search and rescue crews from HMS Gannet have helped to save thousands of stricken sailors and climbers across Scotland.
But yesterday they took their final flight from their base in Prestwick, Ayrshire, as they said farewell to the country.
It follows the end of military search and rescue north of the Border on January 1 when the Royal Navy handed over responsibility to civilian firm Bristow. Yesterday’s flight, by two Royal Navy search and rescue Sea King helicopters and a third Sea King carrying observers and reporters, took them over the scenes of many of their past missions as they marked the end of the service.
Leaving Prestwick at 10am they headed up Loch Lomond, passing over Tyndrum, Perthshire, and on to Glen Coe and over Ben Nevis. Flying
in formation, they followed the west coast down to Oban, Argyll, before passing locations including Stirling, Edinburgh, Ayr and Troon, finishing at 2.30pm.
HMS Gannet was the UK’s busiest for search and rescue flights last year, with more than 300 rescues on its books.
Prestwick crews broke the record for the most operations in a single year when they carried out 447 rescues in 2009. Their last job, the 313th of the year – was assisting police during an operation in Invergarry, Inverness-shire.
Earlier this week, HMS Gannet’s commanding officer lieutenant commander Charlie Fuller said: ‘Over the years HMS Gannet has enjoyed immense support from communities the length and breadth of Scotland.
‘The flypast is our chance to say farewell and hopefully people will come out to wave goodbye, too.’
Rescue teams in Oban, Arrochar, Lomond, Glencoe and Lochaber stationed themselves along the route.
As the helicopters flew past, members of the Lomond rescue team set off smoke flares on the summit of Conic Hill as a tribute to the crews.
Deputy team leader Jan Miller, who has worked with mountain rescue for 30 years, said the flypast marked the ‘end of an era’.
She added: ‘It’s always been amazing to me how helpful, calm and compassionate the crews of the helicopter have been.
‘It was absolutely superb seeing them in formation like that and being able to speak to them on the radio one last time. They really have done the rescue and the military service proud.’
Bristow, based at Prestwick Airport, will eventually run ten search and rescue helicopter bases in the UK on behalf of HM Coastguard, a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.