AW.139, WG.30, UH-60 at Liverpool Airport (images restored)

[viscount]

Rather than litter this section with helicopter types, I've gathered together medium lift types on one thread, and heavy lift types together on another. Sometime in the future I might add the likes of Bell UH-1, Bell 212/214 and Puma/Tiger - first though some of the types with less visits, but are none-the-less interesting though.

The Agusta Westland AW.139 at Liverpool Airport

2008

The first AW.139 was N915DH which arrived from a 'private landing' site (which was almost certainly Seaforth Docks) at 1721 on Tuesday 6th May. It night stopped at Liverpool before a 0731 departure the next day for Rennes, France and new owners in Portugal.

The next AW.139 to visit Liverpool was on delivery from the USA to Montenegro. 40-HHH became the first aircraft on the new Montenegro register to visit Liverpool when it arrived from Seaforth Docks at 1441 on Tuesday 19th August. It left for Bristol, after re-fueling, at 1552.

Finally Irish owned EI-MLY on Monday 8th September, for reasons only known to the crew, performed an approach and touch and go landing at 2023 while en route Weston, near Dublin to Blackbushe.

2009

The next AW.139 was a military one, again from Ireland. Irish Air Corps 277 arrived on an ambulance flight from Baldonnel at 1441 on Thursday 19th March, returning home to Baldonnel at 1628. There were however, no further AW.139 visits in the year.

2010

Clearly marked with two registrations, the next AW.139 was another on delivery from the USA to new European owners. The former Toy Store N324SH arrived from Seaforth Docks on Tuesday 30th March at 1511. It was noticed while on the GA apron that there was a small leak, so minor attention was provided in the Ravenair hangar, the helicopter leaving for the Isle of Man on delivery, now using the other registration N139MT on Thursday 1st April at 1051. In the same colour scheme as 40-HHH a year and a half earlier.

Next one in, was another noteable one too. On Sunday 27th June DU-139 (once briefly A6-BIH) of Dubai Air Wing called briefly around 1210, landed taxied onto the GA, waited with rotors running while a someone got off, got back on, then taxied out to depart 27 around 10 minutes later. Dark blue with a diagonal slightly curved, broadening rising white bar, with stylised U.A.E. flag on the tail.

2013

After no AW.139s for over two years, two in the same month, with on Sunday 10th February I-AWTE using call-sign 'WHE 28' called late afternoon 1714-1756 routing from a private site to Coningsby, and on Thursday 28th February G-OAWL operated from and to a private site, arriving at 1924 and departing the next day at 0745.

2016

A further two year gap in visits by AW.139's with none during 2014 or 2015. In 2016 AW.139 EI-LIM arrived with horse racing enthusiasts from Shannon on Thursday 7th April, flying across into Aintree Racecourse on Saturday 9th at 1154, with call-sign 'National 81'. Later in 2016 on 9th August, G-CILN of the Coast Guard, calling 'Rescue 187'landed at John Lennon for fuel, arriving from dropping a patient at Aintree Hospital, before returning to Prestwick. On the ground at Liverpool between 1659 and 1738 only.

2018

EI-LIM visited again during the Grand National Meeting, arriving early afternoon on Thursday 12th April and departing to Aintree Racecourse midday on Saturday 14th.

2019

Again in presumably in connection with the Grand National Meeting, Westair's AW.139 EI-LIM used John Lennon. In 2018 it did not stay long, arriving from Shannon on Saturday 6th April at 1409 and immediately returning to Shannon just 21 minutes later - someone must have been in a hurry to get to Aintree for the feature Grand National race (helicopter arrivals at Aintree not permitted from 1315 until after the big race). Later in the year CNC Scotia brought an AW.139 across from Humberside to John Lennon, G-SNSA arrived at 1125 on Saturday 24th August, departing to an oil/gas rig out in the Irish Sea at 1333 with passengers. It returned to Liverpool at 1548 and night stopped, flying out to the rig again Sunday morning at 0658, landing back at Liverpool 0815 and departing home to Humberside 1115.


G-SNSA Agusta Westland AW.139 CHC Scotia by Beemer328i, on Flickr


G-SNSA Agusta Westland AW 139 CHC Scotia by Beemer328i, on Flickr
 

2022

On Friday 10th June 2022 the Amiri Flight, Bahrain used their AW.139 A9C-HIA into Liverpool at 0930, departing onwards to the Isle of Man at 0949. A few weeks later a further AW.139 that had not previously called at Liverpool, G-LAWA, of Castle Air, calling 'CAS 07' arrived from a private location at 1405 and departed for Biggin Hill at 1436. G-DVIO of Executive Air Charter called on 10th July 2022, operating to and from off-airfield sites, it was on the ground here 1444-1526.


A9C-HIA Leonardo AW-139 by Beemer328i, on Flickr

Updated to end of February 2023.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

C/no. Built by/built at Registration history
31029 Agusta, Vergiate. DU-139 12.05; A6-BIH 7.09; DU-139 7.09 Dubai Air Wing
31057 Agusta, Vergiate. N915DH ERA Helicopters 12.06, CS-TGQ Heliportugal 5.08; 5N-BOR
31078 Agusta, Vergiate. 277 IAC 5.07
31123 Agusta, Vergiate. EI-MLY Arkiva Ltd, Dublin 5.08; TC-HYH
31133 Agusta, Vergiate. I-RAIU; (TC-); I-RAIQ; I-AWRH; G-OLYM; I-AWTE; B-7783, Pakistan Army 18-067
31308 Agusta, Vergiate. G-SNSA 9.10; C9-OHM; PR-OOD
31353 Agusta, Vergiate. I-EASW; G-OAWL; I-AWTK; HZ-HC3
31497 Agusta, Vergiate. TC-HEE 7.13; G-VIPG; G-LAWA
31541 Agusta, Vergiate. I-EASY; EI-LIM 4.14
31586 Agusta, Vergiate. G-CILN 3.15; EC-NGO
31822 Agusta, Vergiate. I-PTFR, G-DVIO 9.18
31916 Agusta, Vergiate. I-EASS, A9C-HIA 6.21
41008 AAC, Philadelphia N180AW 2.08, 40-HHH Vektra Avn, Montenegro 8.08; UR-CRB, M-OLJM, RA-01703
41016 AAC, Philadelphia N324SH 6.08, N139MT Abou el Enein Co inc 3.10; TC-HKU

Production info credited to: www.aaa.dgualdo.it/prodlist/prod-aw139-01.htm

[viscount]

The Westland WG.30 at Liverpool Airport

I don't know if I'm alone in this, but an earlier Westland design looks very similar in both size and shape, to the current AW.139(although created by a different design team, despite both having 'Westland' in the designation) and was a not very successful civil varient built around the systems used on the Lynx military helicopter. Anyhow, Beemer will post picture of the two types so you can make your own mind up.

1986

As camera ship for the 1986 Grand National Meeting, spotters at Liverpool were suprised to see a large WG.30 in place of the usual much smaller helicopters normally used on behalf of the BBC (no cable or satellite stations to compete then). Westland WG.30 G-KATE arrived from Beecles at 0922 on Friday 4th April. It departed for Aintree 1206, returning 1301 and flew a local flight over the races later in the afternoon and 4 locals over the Saturday races, before leaving to return to Beecles at 1642. Although apparently owned by Helicopter Hire, it had small stickers stating that it was operated by British Airways Helicopters.

This was to be the only visit to Liverpool by a type that ultimately did not suit any customer's requirements, and many ended up, including the one that visited Liverpool, in the helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare.

G-KATE



G-KATE at Liverpool Airport on 4th April 1986. It was in use by the BBC for aerial camera coverage of the Aintree Grand National Day racing. Apparently being operated by Helicopter Hire, the helicopter has British Airways stickers applied - presumably it had been on sales trials with them.

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The Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk & Seahawk at Liverpool

1984

The first Sikorsky UH-60A Blackhawk to call at Liverpool was 23743 (fiscal year unknown at the time) on Wednesday 25th April from around 0950 to 1050 for fuel, routing from and to Burtonwood. The type had not long been in Europe, entering service in the USA during 1979. Call-sign was that used by medevac extraction units, with a famous Vietman War period prefix, 'Dustof 4'.

1989

Although the UH-1H Iroquois continued to make regular appearances at Liverpool, it would be a few years before the UH-60 Blackhawk made another visit. On Wednesday 15th February another UH-60A called in the form of 23571 (fiscal year quoted alternatively as 81- and 82-). At Liverpool 1622-1756, f&t Burtonwood, again on a Medevac call-sign 'Dustoff 1'.

Later in the year, 78-22991, recorded as a UH-60C called three times within a few days. On Tuesday 5th September 1558-1654, Fri 9th 1419-1450 and Mon 11th 0941-1037. On each occasion calling 'Dust 12' and routing from Burtonwood for fuel and departing to Sculthorpe, where there was presumably an exercise requiring medical participation.

1990

What appeared at the time to be a final U.S.Army UH-60 Blackhawk visit occurred on 20th September when UH-60A 82-23730 called 1235-1316 for fuel, from and to Burtonwood, using call-sign 'Army 23730'. With the withdrawal of the US Army and subsequent closure of RAF Burtonwood, it was not considered likely that the type will be seen at Liverpool Airport again.

2011

21 years on, the statements made in the entry above are rendered invalid as a pair of UH-60A Blackhawks call at Liverpool for fuel on 27th April en route from Edinburgh to Yeovilton. They were 87-24583 calling 'Shape 3' at 1227-1338 and 87-24584 calling 'Shape 4' at 1233-1344, and are operated by SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Forces Europe) Flight Detachment, based at Chievres, Belgium.

2013

The total number of Blackhawk visits more than doubled from 6 to 13 during late morning of Sunday 9th June 2013. Seven US Army UH-60 Blackhawks en route from Mildenhall to Belfast to provide backup to security at the "G8 Conference" dropped in at Liverpool from the 09 end to 'splash-and-dash' refuel on the main apron. We are informed that they were: 82-23757, 86-24538, 86-24551, 87-24643, 87-24647, 88-26019 & 88-26142.

2022

A ten year gap until a somewhat unexpected visit by a US Navy Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk on Saturday 1st October 2022. Operated by Squadron HSM-79 it was serial 168088, coded 726:HG operating from the USS Willian McLean which was operating out in the Irish Sea. The helicopter was on the ground at Liverpool 0856 until 1152.




I reckon 'Dustof', 'Dustoff' and 'Dust' are all variations of the same unit call-sign - just one of the problems when recording US military aviation activity at Liverpool. Another is knowing the correct full fiscal serial, although a little digging around seems to indicate the Blackhawks at Liverpool were all UH-60As, with full fiscal serials: 78-22991, 81-23571, 82-23730 and 82-23743. Apparently 78-22991 later going to the Isreali Air Force as '610' (probably in 1994).

Unless I've missed any, which I don't think I have, the civilian version, the Sikorsky S-70 has not visited Liverpool yet.

[Beemer]

87-24583


87-24583 UH-60 Blackhawk by Beemer328i, on Flickr

87-24584


87-24584 UH-60 Blackhawk by Beemer328i, on Flickr



168088 MH-60R Seahawk US Navy by Beemer328i, on Flickr

[viscount]

SOME FURTHER SHOTS OF AW.139s AT LIVERPOOL

Agusta AW.139 DU-139 on finals for a very brief visit to Liverpool 27th June 2010.





The visit, on delivery to Europe via Seaforth Docks and Liverpool Airport on 20th March 2010 clearly shows two registrations displayed, indeed N324SH was used inbound, and N139MT outbound the following day!





On Saturday 9th April 2016, EI-LIM landing at Aintree Racecourse after a short flight from John Lennon, where the helicopter had been since Thursday 7th having arrived with horse racing enthusiasts from Shannon. EI-LIM has become an annual regular at Aintree, although also used John Lennon in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

[Beemer]

N324SH/N139MT receiving attention to a leaking oleo strut in Ravenair hangar 31-03-2010?


N324SH/N139MT A139 by Beemer328i, on Flickr