Quote:
Originally Posted by afterburn 549
Nothing much better than the sound of a turbine and the smell of cooker kerosene!
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I once visited the SAR base close by, for somebody with cancer who got a ride on the Seaking. (she was ex medic in the army and terminal, it was by great exception they did this ride for her.)
I drove her there, and her kid.. figured might get a ride myself, but no dice.
So became official ground ops photographer with her fancy camera..
While they were out, I was free to roam the base, the hangar and climb in the second seaking , visit the ops room with full radar and sea current tracking system for the North Sea Channel. Could follow their flight and winching to a ship in the channel..
They flew the green camo one, while I was on the ground in the Anniversary livery black one..
When they returned on the tarmac and the one thing I hadn't expected was Hair dryer.
I had expected wind, but not the smell and heat coming off the darn thing.. and then when the engine was stopped, within a second the hot air was gone and it was just wind. Very odd thing to notice..
Finished off with coffee and cake in the Mess with all the crews present..
It was a great day
All our Seakings are now replaced by the NH90.. which just isn't as cool if you ask me.. the Seakings here were quite famous, a real workhorse and people were very fond of them.. There even was a TV show called Windkracht 10, (windforce 10)..
Belgian Military has a bit of a poor rep with the public, in part because of underfunding and a bit to much lifers, but mostly poor
PR , undeserved.. But the Seaking squadron was like the opposite, everybody proud of them along with our EOD that takes care of WW1 ammo..
Series then had a movie made out of as well..
bit corny.. But it was fun for me visiting the actual base and then seeing it all in person , would be like visiting Miramar/NFWS after having watched Top Gun the movie
