I remember a Lynx pilot from 1980, Staff Sgt MacAndrew, he used to fly so low and fast that when we landed there were some times tree branches on the skids, and also washing line! when you are a 19 year old on your first Tour, these are just some of the things that stick in my mind, Much respect to you "Mack" never for a single second did i doubt your skills.
X UDR veteran here. Did all this old school in the early 80s using the Wessex & gazelle plus the lynx to hedge hop around south Armagh. These guys take to long to mount and demount the helicopter. The minute the helicopters wheels or skids hit the ground you were out. We had no helmets or SA80s then only the good old SLR, GPMG, LMG & 9mm browning. Walked for miles in all weather sleeping out night after night in freezing conditions. But you know what? I’d do it all again in a heart beat. Loved it.
Brings back memories. Operating in South Armagh in a covert surveillance unit role was rewarding. We carried out some good jobs. Must admit thou during covert road moves at night crammed in to the back of a small bakers van we always felt somewhat exposed at the possibility of running into an IVCP. Good old days. Distant memories now.
Awesome filming. Thanks for posting this. The sounds of Puma's and Lynx's turbines and transmissions are wonderful. I can smell the jet exhaust!! So good to be able to enjoy this without crap music all over it, or an unnecessary voice over. Excellent.
I served for three years in Omagh West Tyrone area and loved getting picked up by these legends. I flew in them all. Chinooks,Lynx,Wessex and Sea King. Brilliant!
I was stationed at Aldergrove between, 95-98 and got the opportunity to take flights on most of the rotary wing assets in SHFNI. ALso go tthe opportunity to operate the Gimpy on a Lynx at range at Ballykinler, loved the low flying and speed combined with the feeling of sheer power of the aircraft. Brought back some smile worthy memories watching this, could practically smell the mix of instruments, grease and avtur that most helicopters smelt of.
Of all my tours...Omagh sticks out for me being picked up by "Brown boots" a pilot identification made by us squaddies when sat he was sat up high in a wessex and we just got a glimpse of his boots...a quick tap on those and the pilot would thrill us with a fast treetop ride back to base with a few negative G drops thrown in...one so good my GPMG was floating above me 😂😂
Grew up in Newry, had friends in Bessbrook, remember sitting watching them come back in to the Mill after resupply trips with underslung cargo nets to Forkhill, Cross and Camlough Mountain, with Seakings I think. Never laughed as much as when a bunch of squaddies were dropped straight into the bog at the bottom of our lane one night, they were not best pleased at becoming intimately acquainted with the old abandoned flax pits.
Good to see, brings back memories of my tour in S.Armagh 1989, however. This looks a bit like a REMF's jolly for the cameras. Some slack drills, some smirking officer in charge & not wearing helmets? The team/stick/multiple commander or whatever should have a headset to speak to the pilot. He should also be the first man out & last man in. We never put out a patrol of less than 3 teams apart from local patrols around Bessbrook. Not representative of reality. I don't intend to be insulting but what I say is fact. Thanks anyway for posting this!
Opening scene shows a Besbrook Mill that is familiar yet different to the one I deployed to with the RAF on several occasions. I was last there in 1989 and we still refuelled from rubber tanks rather than those metal fuel tanks seen in the corner. Thgere was a pump house too that housed a portable pump and filter, and our crew room was also close by. The back fence looks to have changed as well; I remember the sangar being located mid fence...is that structure to the far right a new(er) lookout post? Wessex still flew back in the late 80s and they were a godsend in winter when refuelling late at night, as the heat from the exhaust kept us warm even in the coldest night. Best memory, my last day when the changeover crew relieved us. Worst memory, scattering pigpiss (urea) on the helipads on cold nights...and our sleeping quarters near to the mess.
9:34 what’s that little thing underside of the hull at the beginning of the tail? Nice quality of sound aswell remember a puma drop in a field behind my primary school in the 90’s. Also worked with a ex para he was in one which something failed in it a crashed after take off.
In my day 87-90 it was Wessex however, as always the RUC were superb, and the pilots knew everything, looking back and comparing it to Afghan it looks easy but the the fear was real and many were affected. As always someone unfortunate pays the price. Having read the comments below - if you know you know - I salute you, keep shtum we are now the enemy.
Why is it helicopters sounded so much BETTER back in the day? Evil tail rotor rasping like an angry wasp on steroids with aggressive turboshaft wailing at the front. These were what made all these army copters sound so intimidating and scary. They sounded like something to run from when they did a U Turn in the air and came back at you with that even more angry sound as they come back at you. I used to think "Oh s&&t run" when they did this. Now you listen to all the modern big ones they all sound like a harmless bumble bee collecting pollen from flowers. A helicopter has to sound a certain way to go with its aggression. These ones definately did it for me!
I once was flown from XMG to BBK in a Lynx in 7 minutes as this was the last shift for the Pilot and Co Pilot ,My machine went down with a blown hydraulic hose and it was holding a very important job up as we were installing new Sangers (Borucki and Alpha Sanger on the Cullaville Rd. Pilot also decided to hedge hop on the same journey so it was a very memorable flight. I was also in a Puma when a pilot decided to got to full ceiling height and initiated a stall test (cut engine) which seen a rather large door gunner do a one handed hand stand with the reduced effect of gravity. Not sure this was strictly legal by AIR Corps standards but fuck me it was a real giggle. As was the MK15 Barrack Buster that landed just behind the fence on Alpha Sanger as we were putting the mesh in for the Concrete foundations. But that’s another story for another time 😉 Incidentally the air lift for that job was the largest air lift in the British Army since the Falklands I gather with over 1100 troops airlifted by Chinooks all day. Dread to think of the cost of that single job because a hydraulic hose costs around £80 at the time 😬 An Ex Sapper 33 Field Sqn
MEMORIES MEMORIES. ACE footage.good old 2 Para. I dont ever remember not wearing a helmet in south armagh. I do remember the ear splitting whine of the heli props and engines. No wonder most blokes have knackered hearing. Not just gun shots yo know.!! I dont understand the rupert not getting a head set once inside and sat down. So he could communicate. Bessbrook pad. Great ls. busiest in europe. I remember the wessex taking off and you wondered if it was going to make it up. \so slow it was unbelievable. Happy days.
It's a shame there is not more videos like this but to be honest back in the day it was not a good idea to point anything at a helicopter it could have been the last thing you ever did.
FN MAG (in chopper) and SA-80, looks like mid to late 90s. Possible newer. I dont think you can get better film quality. It was before they began cutting up those fortifications (sanghars) obviously. They started dismantling those around 2000, but the last or most important ones were only removed in 2005. So, it is possible that it might have been shot as late as 2005. That might explain why theres no evasive manoeuvres, and very visibly ; no helmets. Unless someone else has an explanation why theres no helmets (or berets) , Id suggest it a type of indication that youre not watching an "Security forces in action" but rather some footage for posterity. Because if it was shot as late as 2005, the Army had agreed to cease counter IRA activity, patrolling and intelligence gathering (because that would be a breach of the ceasefire) The only insignia I can see is RAF. I dont think theyre normal squaddies. Perhaps theyre RAF infantry "Regiment" whos job it is to guard RAF installations.
@@olliephelanI can't remember when we removed the ECM and gpmg from the cabs, it was in my time on 230, 03 to 06. We started getting trips to Iraq instead of fobs. May well be 05.
After the good Friday agreement, the troops wore berets to seem less threatening and trusting to locals....I remember reading that in the papers at the time
Bessbrook mill we were on top floor I remember they had a sun bed in middle floor just had to book a slot loved flying about there was a pilot that broke 2 lynxes in 4 months took us vertical till engines cut then dived to the hard deck to land in a field with bulls that charged us probably the ecm 😂😂
Nothing better than flying about hedge hoping at low level. I used to ask the load master to ask the pilots if they would do some aerobatics to the dissatisfaction of my mates. One thing the pilots would do was drop the aircraft out of the sky (simulated engine failure) and the load master would do summersaults due to the zero gravity... think a roller coaster is fun this would definitely leave your stomach in your mouth. Then waiting on your lift after a 12 hour foot patrol and bad weather came in, that would also be a punch to the stomach 🇬🇧🇬🇧 God save the King 🤴
You should read Chickenhawk (if you havnt already). Anything I know about Hellicopters (including how to spell it) came from that book. Why the fitting on a huey is called the "Jesus nut" is an amusing debate. I think, if it fails ,the rotars just spin off and only Jesus can save you. Or that its the nut which holds the cross shape together. Cant understand why it depended on only one single nut, with no safety.
Utter BS, safety belts. Did you see the one guys getting rations with high vis vests on? Bet a sniper couldn't spot em. Spent almost 2 years on and off, early - mid 80s. Good fun but scary at times. Lynx normally on ground for about 30 seconds changeover.
Gives me goosebumps hearing the noise of the inside of a puma for the 1st time in 20 years
yeah but gut wrentching if you was in Crossmaglen etc.
I remember a Lynx pilot from 1980, Staff Sgt MacAndrew, he used to fly so low and fast that when we landed there were some times tree branches on the skids, and also washing line! when you are a 19 year old on your first Tour, these are just some of the things that stick in my mind, Much respect to you "Mack" never for a single second did i doubt your skills.
X UDR veteran here. Did all this old school in the early 80s using the Wessex & gazelle plus the lynx to hedge hop around south Armagh. These guys take to long to mount and demount the helicopter. The minute the helicopters wheels or skids hit the ground you were out. We had no helmets or SA80s then only the good old SLR, GPMG, LMG & 9mm browning. Walked for miles in all weather sleeping out night after night in freezing conditions. But you know what? I’d do it all again in a heart beat. Loved it.
I was in 8 killymeal, the bloody puma was to high to clamber in and out of for me
Genuine question how tough were the boys from South Armagh?
I know exactly how you feel!
Aye they were all "tough boys " from 200 yards..but let's face it the SA80 was a bucket o' shite..
Brings back memories. Operating in South Armagh in a covert surveillance unit role was rewarding. We carried out some good jobs. Must admit thou during covert road moves at night crammed in to the back of a small bakers van we always felt somewhat exposed at the possibility of running into an IVCP. Good old days. Distant memories now.
Awesome filming. Thanks for posting this. The sounds of Puma's and Lynx's turbines and transmissions are wonderful. I can smell the jet exhaust!! So good to be able to enjoy this without crap music all over it, or an unnecessary voice over. Excellent.
I served for three years in Omagh West Tyrone area and loved getting picked up by these legends. I flew in them all. Chinooks,Lynx,Wessex and Sea King. Brilliant!
Far from legends in nationalist areas keeping them awake at night with the noise
@@jackietreehorn5561 Those whiney leftards would sell their own mother to find a reason to be offended.
your a lucky man in many ways.
Even the place sounds hard? West Tyrone. i wonder how many lawyers and educated people come out of West Tyrone.
Sights and sounds that take me back to 99-03 when I was in and out of 'R850' fairly routinely. I can practically smell this video just watching it!!
I just thinking the same thing!!
These troops look fresh and clean,we always got picked up cold,wet muddy,tired and pissed off after 4 days,these seems a walk in the park!!!!
4days 😮how did you cope 😂
They look like REMFs on a trip out!
I did 6 months at Dungannon as Buzzard Y453 That was the most rewarding job I ever did in 24 years service.
I was stationed at Aldergrove between, 95-98 and got the opportunity to take flights on most of the rotary wing assets in SHFNI. ALso go tthe opportunity to operate the Gimpy on a Lynx at range at Ballykinler, loved the low flying and speed combined with the feeling of sheer power of the aircraft. Brought back some smile worthy memories watching this, could practically smell the mix of instruments, grease and avtur that most helicopters smelt of.
Of all my tours...Omagh sticks out for me being picked up by "Brown boots" a pilot identification made by us squaddies when sat he was sat up high in a wessex and we just got a glimpse of his boots...a quick tap on those and the pilot would thrill us with a fast treetop ride back to base with a few negative G drops thrown in...one so good my GPMG was floating above me 😂😂
Grew up in Newry, had friends in Bessbrook, remember sitting watching them come back in to the Mill after resupply trips with underslung cargo nets to Forkhill, Cross and Camlough Mountain, with Seakings I think.
Never laughed as much as when a bunch of squaddies were dropped straight into the bog at the bottom of our lane one night, they were not best pleased at becoming intimately acquainted with the old abandoned flax pits.
Good to see, brings back memories of my tour in S.Armagh 1989, however. This looks a bit like a REMF's jolly for the cameras. Some slack drills, some smirking officer in charge & not wearing helmets? The team/stick/multiple commander or whatever should have a headset to speak to the pilot. He should also be the first man out & last man in. We never put out a patrol of less than 3 teams apart from local patrols around Bessbrook. Not representative of reality. I don't intend to be insulting but what I say is fact. Thanks anyway for posting this!
Yeah your right, not walking around Coss like its a Jolly...Rag Order
Opening scene shows a Besbrook Mill that is familiar yet different to the one I deployed to with the RAF on several occasions. I was last there in 1989 and we still refuelled from rubber tanks rather than those metal fuel tanks seen in the corner. Thgere was a pump house too that housed a portable pump and filter, and our crew room was also close by. The back fence looks to have changed as well; I remember the sangar being located mid fence...is that structure to the far right a new(er) lookout post? Wessex still flew back in the late 80s and they were a godsend in winter when refuelling late at night, as the heat from the exhaust kept us warm even in the coldest night. Best memory, my last day when the changeover crew relieved us. Worst memory, scattering pigpiss (urea) on the helipads on cold nights...and our sleeping quarters near to the mess.
Do you remember patrolling through the village of meigh in south Armagh? I grew up there
I loved watching the helicopters day and night 👌
Would you have remembered patrolling through the village of meigh in south Armagh Darren?
That's where I grew up
Were the rubber tanks not called "bladders" or is than in the aircraft itself ?
Pillow tanks!
Interesting video. Can recall the closing years of Op Banner seeing aircraft like these and Chinooks over Ballykinlar
Takes me back to two tours I did with the Scots guards in the 80,s. Flew in them all but my favourite was the Lynx especially when tree hopping. 😊
Lynx are one of the coolest looking heli’s ever.. especially in the hover
Brings back memories.
I worked on Pumas at Odiham for many years before they left for Benson.
So many memories... I went back to a time that was Good and Bad, I am just glad it all worked out ok?
9:34 what’s that little thing underside of the hull at the beginning of the tail?
Nice quality of sound aswell remember a puma drop in a field behind my primary school in the 90’s. Also worked with a ex para he was in one which something failed in it a crashed after take off.
Nice video of helo ops. Must have been interesting flying especially low and fast with fog and low ceilings.
Not to mention DSHKs
Lived college sq bessbrook 20 years back house was flight area back to base
I'd recognise that noise anywhere, I was posted to Odiham for 4 years, then home of the Puma with tours to Aldergrove.
I got to fly in the puma over Tyrone and fermanagh great pilots. Also loved working with the R.U.C some great people in it. Ex 1 Royal Irish F.A.B
In my day 87-90 it was Wessex however, as always the RUC were superb, and the pilots knew everything, looking back and comparing it to Afghan it looks easy but the the fear was real and many were affected. As always someone unfortunate pays the price. Having read the comments below - if you know you know - I salute you, keep shtum we are now the enemy.
Why is it helicopters sounded so much BETTER back in the day? Evil tail rotor rasping like an angry wasp on steroids with aggressive turboshaft wailing at the front. These were what made all these army copters sound so intimidating and scary. They sounded like something to run from when they did a U Turn in the air and came back at you with that even more angry sound as they come back at you. I used to think "Oh s&&t run" when they did this. Now you listen to all the modern big ones they all sound like a harmless bumble bee collecting pollen from flowers. A helicopter has to sound a certain way to go with its aggression. These ones definately did it for me!
I once was flown from XMG to BBK in a Lynx in 7 minutes as this was the last shift for the Pilot and Co Pilot ,My machine went down with a blown hydraulic hose and it was holding a very important job up as we were installing new Sangers (Borucki and Alpha Sanger on the Cullaville Rd.
Pilot also decided to hedge hop on the same journey so it was a very memorable flight.
I was also in a Puma when a pilot decided to got to full ceiling height and initiated a stall test (cut engine) which seen a rather large door gunner do a one handed hand stand with the reduced effect of gravity.
Not sure this was strictly legal by AIR Corps standards but fuck me it was a real giggle.
As was the MK15 Barrack Buster that landed just behind the fence on Alpha Sanger as we were putting the mesh in for the Concrete foundations.
But that’s another story for another time 😉
Incidentally the air lift for that job was the largest air lift in the British Army since the Falklands I gather with over 1100 troops airlifted by Chinooks all day.
Dread to think of the cost of that single job because a hydraulic hose costs around £80 at the time 😬
An Ex Sapper 33 Field Sqn
Were 1,100 men airlifted just to do the concrete foundations ?
Good morning Mr. Stevens, it's a windy notchy night!
Reminds me of kid growing up in n I
Wow ..like going back on time, so many stories,the good old days eh boys..❤
MEMORIES MEMORIES. ACE footage.good old 2 Para. I dont ever remember not wearing a helmet in south armagh. I do remember the ear splitting whine of the heli props and engines. No wonder most blokes have knackered hearing. Not just gun shots yo know.!!
I dont understand the rupert not getting a head set once inside and sat down. So he could communicate. Bessbrook pad. Great ls. busiest in europe.
I remember the wessex taking off and you wondered if it was going to make it up. \so slow it was unbelievable.
Happy days.
It's a shame there is not more videos like this but to be honest back in the day it was not a good idea to point anything at a helicopter it could have been the last thing you ever did.
brings back memories
Really cool footage, looking at the equipment and weapons, I’m guessing this is towards the end of The Troubles, maybe late ‘90s?
FN MAG (in chopper) and SA-80, looks like mid to late 90s. Possible newer.
I dont think you can get better film quality.
It was before they began cutting up those fortifications (sanghars) obviously.
They started dismantling those around 2000, but the last or most important ones were only removed in 2005.
So, it is possible that it might have been shot as late as 2005.
That might explain why theres no evasive manoeuvres, and very visibly ; no helmets.
Unless someone else has an explanation why theres no helmets (or berets) , Id suggest it a type of indication that youre not watching an "Security forces in action" but rather some footage for posterity.
Because if it was shot as late as 2005, the Army had agreed to cease counter IRA activity, patrolling and intelligence gathering (because that would be a breach of the ceasefire)
The only insignia I can see is RAF.
I dont think theyre normal squaddies.
Perhaps theyre RAF infantry "Regiment" whos job it is to guard RAF installations.
@@olliephelanI think I remember the helmets weren't worn post gfa as a token of non threatening and less aggressive attire
@@olliephelanI can't remember when we removed the ECM and gpmg from the cabs, it was in my time on 230, 03 to 06. We started getting trips to Iraq instead of fobs. May well be 05.
Why dont they have helmets? Or is this PR footage ?
After the good Friday agreement, the troops wore berets to seem less threatening and trusting to locals....I remember reading that in the papers at the time
No helmets in the early days, soft headgear berets/tam o shanters etc, but stashed obviously when rotors turning!
Bessbrook mill we were on top floor I remember they had a sun bed in middle floor just had to book a slot loved flying about there was a pilot that broke 2 lynxes in 4 months took us vertical till engines cut then dived to the hard deck to land in a field with bulls that charged us probably the ecm 😂😂
Was it a lynx? 84/85?
Just read it was lol
Huey 104,from Vietnam.
Nothing better than flying about hedge hoping at low level. I used to ask the load master to ask the pilots if they would do some aerobatics to the dissatisfaction of my mates. One thing the pilots would do was drop the aircraft out of the sky (simulated engine failure) and the load master would do summersaults due to the zero gravity... think a roller coaster is fun this would definitely leave your stomach in your mouth.
Then waiting on your lift after a 12 hour foot patrol and bad weather came in, that would also be a punch to the stomach 🇬🇧🇬🇧 God save the King 🤴
Great times.
We used to do that to wind up the guys who were petrified of flying. Hell of a laugh. :))
2 para 2002 their last tour
Those pilots were the buisness. Had some amazing rides with some right crazy (but extremely skilful) pilots. Great memories.
You should read Chickenhawk (if you havnt already).
Anything I know about Hellicopters (including how to spell it) came from that book.
Why the fitting on a huey is called the "Jesus nut" is an amusing debate.
I think, if it fails ,the rotars just spin off and only Jesus can save you.
Or that its the nut which holds the cross shape together.
Cant understand why it depended on only one single nut, with no safety.
This is and always be the real garden of Ireland
Our 32 countys
Looks about 92 this,sure 2 para where doing an armagh tour then
No Paras in South Armagh in 92. Plus. We were wearing helmets down there in 92.
Always got time for the sound of our helis. Ex RRF.
And spare a thought for anyone living in bessbrook having to put up with the consultant noise of choppers all hours day and night 😢
Bollocks, too long on the ground
Utter BS, safety belts. Did you see the one guys getting rations with high vis vests on? Bet a sniper couldn't spot em. Spent almost 2 years on and off, early - mid 80s. Good fun but scary at times. Lynx normally on ground for about 30 seconds changeover.
XMG 93-94
Now where they at? Doing work in Ukraine ?
Bandit Country
FASTER move faster getting out of choper
Great job!!!