Royal Navy Merlin?

Sterling Archer

Hey all a royal navy helo, fly over my house about 20 mins ago, I just west of Shannon, outside the zone boundary ... it looked like a Merlin but I only got a quick look, definitely had the dome fitted on the belly for anti sub warfare ... any idea

punchdrunk

what colour was it?

Sterling Archer

punchdrunk wrote: »

what colour was it?

Grey
the assumption it's royal navy.

Nwm2

Shane_ef wrote: »

Hey all a royal navy helo, fly over my house about 20 mins ago, I just west of Shannon, outside the zone boundary ... it looked like a Merlin but I only got a quick look, definitely had the dome fitted on the belly for anti sub warfare ... any idea

Was it missing a door?

Sterling Archer

Just flew by again, heading west ...

savagecabbages

The Irish Air Corps EC135 doing the air ambulance gig flew over me in the direction of Shannon at roughly the same time. I was between Limerick and Shannon at the time. It seems to be doing a tour of the possible hospital landing sites this week. This may have been what you saw?

Sterling Archer

savagecabbages wrote: »

The Irish Air Corps EC135 doing the air ambulance gig flew over me in the direction of Shannon at roughly the same time. I was between Limerick and Shannon at the time. It seems to be doing a tour of the possible hospital landing sites this week. This may have been what you saw?

No definitely not an ec135 I'm certain it was a Merlin.

punchdrunk

strange because if it was a rescue mission to the UK's area of operations off the west coast,the Merlin wouldn't be used for a long range SAR job,it'd be a Seaking...

A320

I saw the same lifting off at the airport,I'm almost fully sure it was grey too but the rare effect of the sun might have blurred me a bit

byebye

I seen the irish coast guard S92 flying around quite a bit today! and if the sun is behind it could be mistaken for a merlin, also sounds very different from other heli's

A320

byebye wrote: »

I seen the irish coast guard S92 flying around quite a bit today! and if the sun is behind it could be mistaken for a merlin, also sounds very different from other heli's

It definitely wasn't ICG SAR or air corps

byebye

Strange one so! hopfuly someone got a pic!

A320 wrote: »

It definitely wasn't ICG SAR or air corps

savagecabbages

punchdrunk wrote: »

strange because if it was a rescue mission to the UK's area of operations off the west coast,the Merlin wouldn't be used for a long range SAR job,it'd be a Seaking...

Maybe a medevac from an RN ship which it is detached to?
Also the Merlins have air to air refuelling capability which the Sea Kings don't, (not sure how many have it fitted) so it could have been doing a VERY long range SAR. Surely we'd have heard of such a high profile mission???
Strange indeed!

vulcan57

byebye wrote: »

Strange one so! hopfuly someone got a pic!

Picture here.

http://uk.flightaware.com/photos/view/951273-6904e233695d827150495e96d208e0702263d8d7/all/sort/date/page/1/size/fullsize

Not too sure what it was actually doing here though.

b757

vulcan57 wrote: »

Picture here.

http://uk.flightaware.com/photos/view/951273-6904e233695d827150495e96d208e0702263d8d7/all/sort/date/page/1/size/fullsize

Not too sure what it was actually doing here though.

Cool picture.. Is that an aeroflot bird in the backround?

A320

b757 wrote: »

[

Cool picture.. Is that an aeroflot bird in the backround?

Ya its a B767

snowserpeant

vulcan57 wrote: »

Picture here.

http://uk.flightaware.com/photos/view/951273-6904e233695d827150495e96d208e0702263d8d7/all/sort/date/page/1/size/fullsize

Not too sure what it was actually doing here though.

definatly a merlin:)

xflyer

In the background of the picture you can see the S92 parked up. Maybe it was a visit to the SAR people in Shannon?

snowserpeant

xflyer wrote: »

In the background of the picture you can see the S92 parked up. Maybe it was a visit to the SAR people in Shannon?

that would make sense:)

punchdrunk

xflyer wrote: »

In the background of the picture you can see the S92 parked up. Maybe it was a visit to the SAR people in Shannon?

hand delivered C.V's-nice touch

Tenger

byebye wrote: »

.....hopfuly someone got a pic!

Not my pic but lovely a crisp image here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanair/7288425006/

Aircraft flew from HMS St.Albans, which was off the west coast.

xflyer

Must have been running short of rum!