By: Blonde One
For as many years as I can remember the Ten Tors weekend in May has had as its soundtrack the noise of the Sea King helicopters buzzing overhead, carrying to and fro the necessities for each tor checkpoint. They have enthralled teenagers, team managers and spectators with their 7am fly past at the start line and nearly blown us away when they come into land at the top of Anthony’s Stile in Okehampton. I once, many years ago, had the pleasure of being allowed to fly in one (not actually fly it though!) although it was not over the Ten Tors event but at their base at RNAS Culdrose in Helston. For the last few years at Ten Tors they have been replaced by their newer, younger cousins the Merlin.
For their farewell tour, the Sea Kings went on a three hour trip across Devon and Cornwall, passing landmarks along their published route. Luckily for us at Trinity School, we have friends in high places (literally) and our CCF Contigent Commander secured the school as one of the points that the Sea Kings would fly over. The whole school turned out onto the playground to see and hear the two helicopters fly right over our heads. They were watched closely by a third newer helicopter, who sat further out to sea checking up on and filming proceedings. It was an amazing sight and even those without any connection to Ten Tors, CCF or any other helicopter related thing, couldn’t fail to be impressed by them. We felt duly honoured to be on their list of places to visit, especially so when you realise that we were the furthest East that they flew and we were the only CCF on their route.
Great day at the office for all concerned, I would say!
Many years ago, I worked for a short period in the glass dome of the control tower at RNAS Culdrose. Sea Kings were not around then. We had Wessex, Whirlwind, Hillier and Wasp helicopters and one, even then very old, Dragonfly. Some of the other Wrens went wet winching from Culdrose – they were put in the sea in a little rubber boat and rescued by chopper. We were allowed to go horse riding at Culdrose – for 4s and 6d and hour – and I remember one occasion when a helicopter started up just the other side of the fence as we rode down the grass verge of the main road. It spooked the ponies and caused one or two vehicles to swerve to miss us. But where could you ride a pony for 4s 6d an hour now? Last time I went riding it cost me £24 and that was some years ago!.
(4s 6d ? 22.5 new pence!) At that time you could ride on Dartmoor from the stables at Yelverton for the huge sum of 7s 6d per hour. I’m quite tall, but I took the radio supervisor of my watch out for his first ride one day – all 6 foot 4 inches of him – on a Dartmoor pony! I’m not sure to this day which of them had their feet on the ground.