The sailor driving the Clarkette in front of Sea King #10 (8:40 in the video) was Red Henderson. He was later killed towing a McDonnell Banshee down the deck when a 20mm hangup went off and penetrated the back of his seat and through his upper torso. He was taken below to Sick Bay and died soon after. A great guy and a friend to all. (ex flight deck crew, now retired)
Wow that's an incredible memory. Thanks for sharing that with us. Working on these ships must have been nerve wracking sometimes. Losing a friend must be the worst part
So terrible to hear, we tend to forget how often this happens where people lose their lives doing seemingly mundane tasks for the military during peacetime. Thank you for remembering him and not letting him be an unknown face. Gone but not forgotten.
During the final retirement flight of the Seaking in 2018 at Pat Bay, four flew in formation. The Cyclone was supposed to be part of the flight but was down for maintenance.
I have seen one land on a patch of lawn behind a high hedge. The grass clippings in my eyes were unexpected. Stopped me from getting a decent photo. Later a rubber dinghy was set in the middle of a large piece of lawn with spectators around the roped off area. It swooped in, hovered, let down a person on its rope to safely rescue the liferaft and possibly the conservative candidate for a nearby seat. I slept through a genuine rescue just off the coast of the island I was on.
What is wrong with you? I just watched the same video and I saw absolutely nothing amazing and it's hard to even call what is in this video an actual military. Pretty much what I got is Canada has been in a permanent recession for 100 years and instead of just buying equipment from us, you try to manufacture it in Canada and that just takes longer, costs more and the product sucks. The only amazing thing is that your military ranks behind tiny Singapore and being that weak you think you are some kind of ally. Lol
In 1982 I arrived in Shearwater with brand new pilot wings to fly the Sea KIng and was greeted with a welcoming brief ensuring us that we were the leading edge of naval aviation as the Sea King replacement was on it's way.
As a former fed employee and with friends in DND I can tell you the procurement process is still a colossal clusterfuck at the best of times. That said... outstanding vid as always. Better than NFB standards.
Thanks for making this, we appreciate it. It’s hard for us Canadians who care to talk about the Sea King Replacement Debacle without getting frustrated, yet you handled it coolly and factually 👌🏼
Growing up at CFB Shearwater in a Sea King family, i have nothing but the best memories listening to my Dad and hanging around them at the base. The Dec 2018 farewell was a truly emotional and special event for the many who attended.
Not to start a flame war, but *maybe* defense procurement shouldnt be hinged upon campaign promises. Canada's F-35 debacle seemed to be almost as embarrassing as the Sea King replacement.
I'm still trying to figure out what the biggest farce in recent history has been: The Sea King replacement, the Hornet replacement, or the Sidearm replacement.
@@mikemontgomery2654 Good point. Weren't they trying to get a replacement for the Buffalo and Twin Otter with that Spanish design that's been taking forever?
@@GrizzAxxemann they did. They’re called the kingfisher. Already grounded too. Sounds like stress cracks in wing frames. Haven’t heard any updates since that one.
I lived in canada my whole life and am interested in military history yet have never heard or come across the fact that we used to have Canadian aircraft carriers. really awesome, thanks for this.
Where in hell have YOU been? HMS Puncher, HMS Nabob, HMCS Warrior, HMCS Magnificent, HMCS Bonaventure. All Light Fleet Class carriers except the Puncher and Nabob.
@@billfarley9167 Guess I just never dived deep enough! its very cool to know we had them, but also a bit sad they are gone and we went in a very different economical direction military wise. I'd jump at the chance to serve aboard a aircraft carrier for Canada.
Got to see these close up in the hangar up CFB Shearwater with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets! The war veteran heli mechanic touring us around definitely had a bias towards the Sea King when comparing them to the Cyclones which were then in the final stages of procurement lol.
I'll never forget the shock I had back in 2016(?) when I first walked through a Sea King at the airshow in Summerside, PEI. I asked the pilot how often the landed on water, and he replied, "Never. None of the Sea Kings in our fleet are certified to land in water anymore." ....and I was like, "Huh... soo.. none of the Sea Kings are seaworthy anymore?" "Nope." ...and I was dumbfounded. Such a massive aircraft with so much of it designed around being amphibious... just lugging all that now useless reinforced metal and stabilizers around everywhere.
Perhaps the next story could be about the Cormorant? It's a fantastic airframe with quite a story, especially when you consider the contract debacles surrounding the replacement of its predecessor, the Labrador.
Great video, I was in high school when the Chretien cancelled the Sea King replacement program. With all the fuck up in Ottawa over the last 45 concerning military procurement its amazing that anybody in the Canadian Military feels any loyalty to our federal government. And it sure hasn't gotten any better with 8 years of the current regime.
I love our military history but I could not fathom why anyone would want to serve our government. Bunch of power hungry narcissists and Laurentian elites calling the shots while you risk your life for garbage pay, garbage working conditions and garbage equipment.
That’s the thing, they don’t. I know, from very reliable sources, that the current RCAF is in crisis. Not enough morale for the pilots (not much to look forward to, career wise), embarrassing equipment, as compared to NATO allies. The list goes on from there. Much of it the fault of the current fart-sniffer in Ottawa.
@@mikemontgomery2654 That's what I've been hearing, too. I have contacts that used to be in and they're still talking to their friends that are either toughing out the last couple years to get the full pension or have recently released. And it's no surprise to me that the sock puppet is the root cause. His (on paper at least) daddy was no fan of the military either.
I used to work for SEACOR, the parent of Era Helicopters years ago and fondly remember seeing N92EH (20:34 in the video) both in person and in promotional materials.
Outstanding! I have learned so much about Canadian Forces history from your excellent videos! Kudos to you and I hope you plan to continue producing these gems!
These videos are both historically intriguing and educational. As a kid I remember hearing about previous accidents involving the Sea King and arduous procurement of a replacement on the news. Love your videos on Canada's aviation and naval history. Keep them coming!
"I will take my pen and write 'Zero 'elicopters!' - Chretien." That's exactly what Chretien said. And look at what it wrought. Too bad we got out of carriers.
I love this channel it reminds me of why I joined the military.... Seeing a lot of these aircraft at airshows and then later flying in them as well as refueling some of them.. Now being retired it brings me back... Thank you
Thank you for your in-depth explanation. It’s professionally written and very informative. You spent a lot of time on this, I deeply appreciate it. I hope someday you will do a video on the mighty Avro CF-105.
Excellent video as always, well put together and excellent footage. We used to joke when they flew over to duck as there might be parts flying :). Would love to see a video on the Tracker one day.
Fantastic vid. Glad to see you're back sir!! Have you ever considered doing a video about the history of RCN's Fleet Air Arm or how Canadian pilots serve in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service? Just a thought.
"A loose formation of parts flying the same way on the same day". That described a lot of helicopters of the era. Oh yeah, and "if it ain't leakin' it ain't workin'" You just knew that if you didn't see a pink stripe aft of the engines then you better check all the fluid levels very carefully because you probably ran out.
@@philsalvatore3902a lot like the screaming Detroit diesels, they always left their mark where ever you parked them. They didn’t even need a fire hydrant close by.
@@allannantes8583 I used to drive Crown Coach school buses with Detroit 6-71 diesels. Those things used and dripped so much oil and our fleet equipped them all with big Purifiner filters we used to joke we never needed to change the oil, we did a running oil change daily. I was literally adding a gallon a day.
@@avroarchitect1793Maggie just hung around until Bona got up to speed. We actually operated five in total, nabob, puncher in WW2 (lend lease program from USA), next came Warrior (46 to 48), Maggie (48 to 57), Bonaventure from 57 to 70. The Bona was the only one we actually owned as the three previous ones were on lease from the British Royal Navy. The 1st two were on lease to Royal Navy from the U.S. navy and given to the Royal Canadian Navy to operate. The nabob got all shot up to the point of can’t be fixed (off the coast of Norway) then we got Puncher until the end of the war. Next came Warrior for two years but we traded her for the Maggie as warrior was built for a warm climate. The Bona was a steal of a deal for 21 million dollars and when she got completed to modern standards she was state of the art for a light carrier. The liberals of Paul Heller, L.B. Pearson and P. Trudeau were just something else. I think they were born in the USSR. The Bonaventure had just finished a $17 million mid life refit when she was hit with the news of de-commissioning. What a slap in the face.
I always kept up on the story as it was unfolding but to see it packaged up in video presentation like this ...... as a Canadian I feel embarrassed. Holy moly what a story. Thank you for making this excellent video.
I worked on Sea Kings from 1983-1988 and served on two helair detachments during those years. They proved to be very good aircraft. During one NATO deployment in 1987 aboard HMCS Algonquin we had more than 500 flying hours on our Sea Kings, not bad for 24 year old aircraft at the time. It was a great experience for me working with great people serving my country. I also remember that people came onboard in Halifax at the end of that 1987 deployment, to measure the hanger as the ship was going to refit and they wanted to accommodate the new EH-101... They asked what I would want to see added or changed during refit. I suggested a washroom in the hangar....lol
As always, another video that leaves me wondering why you don't have a regular series on the History Channel. Thanks for the hard work Brad, very informative.
Yet another brilliant video, thanks to all at Polyus! Got 4000hrs on the Sea King (made in the UK by a famous wonky garage door manufacturer) and it was a tough old bird! Did other operators have the Frame 290 cracks?
@@mikemontgomery2654 The RAF grounded the SK fleet in 1983 when they discovered some cracks that had propogated. I think they were retired in 2013? so it wasn't exactly a speedy retirement. I saw a stop drilled crack that was quite scarily long.
@@mattrika4874 there you go. I thought it was closer to 2013 that they found the cracks, or there abouts, that they found the cracks. Not surprised they had to wait until later, the Merlins had their share of issues.
It wasn't that much...but it was $900m CAN...the Chretien administration was dire, the later selection of the Cyclone was purely political as well....no way it should have won based on risk alone, as AW-101 was already in service successfully, compared to the paper design of CH-148.....but there was no way for them to re-order AW-101 without looking ridiculous for cancelling it in the first place...mind you at least they didn't pick the NH-90 as that has also turned out to be a pile of crap... The only positive for Canada is that they managed to buy 9 AW-101 from the US for spares/new aircraft for the Cormorant SAR helicopter fleet for a dirt cheap price, because it turned out the US Government was also running an incompetent helicopter procurement programme to replace their SeaKing's....in this case the ones that transport the President from the White House...after completely messing up their AW-101 purchase by changing the requirements so often that eventually it got cancelled....they then purchased the S-92...which is now also delayed and massively over budget... Seems to be a theme with the S-92.... Meanwhile the AW-101 Merlin just keeps on trucking....
As part of the settlement, we bought some for SAR duties (The Coromant). If the Government didn't cancel it, we would have more helicopters for less cost....
@@gryph01 that's not true the cancellation of the NSA/NSH contract, approx $500M outright plus the already $200M of funds expended was completed and completely independent of the Cormorant purchase. I was/am heavily involved in both programs as the Det Cmdr in Westlands in the early 90's when the program was cancelled and have been running the Cormorant program in Comox for the last 23 years. From the inside the government is far far more incompetent that can ever be accurately relayed in this excellent vid!!!
The original single engine UH-2 A & B model Sea Sprites as you state weren't suited for the ASW role. But the twin engine SH-2 D & F models were well suited for the role. I don't know about the Canadian Navy, but the US Navy couldn't operate Sea Kings off the smaller Knox class FF's due to weight limits of the flight deck, but did have plenty of CV's to operate from.
Talked with a pilot aboard HMCS Winnipeg about landing on the deck in a pitching sea. He said there were no flight simulations. His first landing at sea was it.
In the US Navy we had full motion simulators from which we could select different ship classes to land on that even had a simulated LSE waving you aboard, but they do not even begin to recreate the real deal, or the suction your arsehole creates on the seat cushion as you wait for that relatively calm moment to plop her on deck.
I remember watching the final flight of the sea kings in halifax, they flew in formation it was a sad day. Now I watch the replacement fly nearly every day in all kinds of weather... I even have some pictures/video of one being towed down the road back to Shearwater...
@Polyus no, I believe it had mechanical issues and landed at the golf course that is down the road a ways passed shearwater air base... I did find the pictures and video... happened on Tuesday April 13 2021... I was on break at work when they towed it down the road...
The Sea King engineering control was under the authority of the Helicopter & Systems Division of Pratt & Whitney Canada where I worked from 1981 until the work was handed over the IMP in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I worked on airframe engineering upgrades. Thanks for the memories.
I was often impressed with some of the upgrades on Royal Navy Sea Kings. SIx bladed tail rotors, more powerful engines, composite blades, Westland really developed that airframe fully.
Interesting history👍SeaKing were definitely one kind but could never understand why it wasn’t replaced by Seahawks n Canada just like Australia had its problems too. Australia look to Sea Sprite SH2G for OPV n ANZAC class at the same time they had few Seahawks. Nearly billion dollars in operation, delays n cancelled OPV with SH2G finally Australia went with MH60R Seahawks.
I never understood why the Aussies and New Zealand had such a bad experience with the Sea Sprite. I don't recall the SH-2Fs in the US Navy ever giving us anything other than excellent service. The pilots liked them. I had an opportunity to fly one once and it is probably one of the nicest flying helicopters I ever flew.
I worked as an Airframes and Engines mechanic for 10 years in the Royal Navy on Seaking Mk5 and Mk4’s from 1984 onwards. They were fantastic workhorses and when you could clear the service schedule for flying for 24 hours and they stayed serviceable they were great. Our system was probably different to the Canadian Navy and from speaking to US Navy mechanics we were totally different. It all depended on the helicopter to be honest some were hardly in the hanger and others seemed to never leave. I loved working on them all the same.
I was very lucky to visit 443 maritime helicopter squadron on Vancouver island back in 2022 due to me being in air cadets got to see the inside of a ch-148, really interesting stuff
330 Sea Kings were built and nearly a third are still flying. They were the longest operationally active helicopter even produced...53 years. Why was it so popular. Simple. Payload, range, versatility, reliability and it could land and takeoff on water in an emergency. The NH90 was its successor here in Australia, but that was a fail of epic proportions so the upgraded Black Hawk and Sea Hawk have filled the role.
Grandad is STILL upset over unification eh!! If I mention it he goes off on a rampage about it destroying Naval tradition, he's right, but wow does he ever get salty!!!
NICE - I was an SH-60B crewman with the US Navy and got to spend time with the West Coast Canadians in the mid-80s when we were still hunting Soviet Subs. My brothers in the carrier based SH-3 squadrons HATED the SH-60F for it's cramped cabin, but loved the electronic - there WAS discussion of going with the Sikorsky S-92, but the DoD wanted an all "blackhawk" based fleet. REALLY a sad indictment of the Government Contract process in both nations - a potentially GREAT aircraft from a KNOWN builder fizzles into a delayed and less than capable product .
I remember sitting in a parking lot at a grocery store in halifax area, and one of these had to emergency land in the parking lot. I was getting ready to leave the store when i saw it coming in. lol\ Btw - I think you can make a whole youtube channel based on flawed Canadian national defense procurement processes.
Grew up seeing Sea Kings flying over my home town of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. My former employer, Rotor Maxx Support bought the entire fleet of the retired CH-124's. They are THE experts with S-61's.
well done, love the historical dumpster stories of my beloved nation. Sadly our procurement has and always will be bad. Would love a video about how much money the government has wasted in all the different procurements.
A very interesting and well put together history of a great helicopter in the service of your country.. Sadly this kind of failing happens with many governments and lessons are never learned. Often the most expensive replacement.that is already in service is cheaper in the long run.Thanks from an old Brit.
Your videos are amazing! You should do some more on Canadian Forces Naval vessels or Canadian Coast Guard vessels! The Coast Guard has a rich history with some seriously interesting procurements that occured.
Fantastic videos, very well made, glad to see your back. Love the music, it has a Canadian feel. Seriously, you should show your series to the CBC, I'd rather see my federal tax dollars that go to CBC pay for something as quality made as your historical account of our aerospace history. Thank you for an excellent job done. P.S. Congratulations on the new baby.
I thought my computer was on the fritz when I got the notice, happy to have been proven wrong! I love your channel, keep up the great work...., please!
Thanks for including the details about the procurement. I’m looking forward to the follow up video about the F35 procurement. Enough information for that video should be available by 2035. 2040 at the latest!
Its a national shame the way the seeking was handled. Unfortunately most other precurment for the armed forces haven't gone much better. The procurement of the Leopard 2 tanks and the LAV program being the only exceptions IMO.
I would love for Canada to commit to the minimum 2% GDP for NATO membership, but holy crap would we have to gut the current procurement process and start over, or it would be like throwing money down a very deep hole
It was fucked up in the 90s with the Sea King replacement aka NSA and was fucked before that and had been fucked up since then. It can never be fixed. 😢
Its scary how aometimes it feels like RUclips /RUclipsrs read my mind. I was just doing some reaserch on the Sea King/King Stallion helicppters not even 4 hours ago, and now Polyus uploads a video on the exact topic.
A good video on the Seaking I got to know the sound of this bird as I was based at an RAF base which had 202sqn SAR helo's based there... On another note at the time I thought it was crazy that the EH101 was cancelled by Canada then re-ordered in SAR role and a different more expensive airframe and unique to anyone was purchased instead as the EH101 has proven to be a good ASW helo... but hindsight and all that goes with it comes to mind...
You forgot to mention that the Cormorant was meant to replace both the Sea King and the Labrador. That quickly went out the window when it was discovered that the Cormorant was too big for the Canadian frigates, hence the quick order for the Cyclones, with the Cormorant being a direct replacement for the Labrador only (as it should have always been).
Not entirely accurate. The size of the EH101 was a challenge, but the ships were already in the process of being modified to accommodate the new helos when the procurement was scrapped. A couple of ships were nearly finished the modification to set them up for sea trials with the EH101. Many people don't realize how late in the game the cancellation came. Edit to say: and the order for the cyclones was many things, "quick" was never one of them.
at the base i work at we had a cyclone fly through, except they didn't announce that they just said "a cyclone will be landing in 15 minutes" and i understandably got a little worried
Note that with the software issue that took down Stalker 822 in 2021 was a know issue for a while beforehand and is still present in all aircraft. Yet the CF still has to pay Sikorsky for the fix to a problem that killed 5 of our crew…
Completed my CF career in Ottawa supporting the Labrador SAR Helicopter fleet. Got there 1991 until retiring 2001. So 10 years more or less in the support & procurement world of DND. IMO it's not the procurement process that is flawed, rather the political interference by changing governments making election promises & budget constraints. The Directorates responsible for each fleet work tirelessly keeping them operational & those stood up for replacement programs know what is needed. Our SAR Directorate was housed in the same trailers added on to the building on the base at Rockliffe & I worked next to my contemporaries in the MHP Directorate. The number of manhours spent on the procurement process is mind bogglilng. These are experts in their field having almost all served at operational units at one time or another. When all that work is negated by a political decision to cancel an already ordered aircraft, you can imagine the dismay in the Directorate, knowing they are back at square 1. The Labrador replacement was a similar fiasco, cancelling the EH-101 only to end up with essentially the same aircraft years later. Fortunately for the Sea King fleet, when the Labradors were finally gone it freed up a lot of the upgraded T58-100 powerplants for that fleet as this engine was a shared asset.
You make a good point. It's changes in the governments that cause the process to get stopped and restarted again and again. If the procurement people could be left alone to do their job we'd be in a much better position.
hearing Canadian Sea Kings kinda similar to Malaysian Nuri (S-61A4) as well, though later selected smaller leased AW139 as interim solution until next batch of new procurement begins. As for how long the interim heli will be in service is yet to know
The sailor driving the Clarkette in front of Sea King #10 (8:40 in the video) was Red Henderson. He was later killed towing a McDonnell Banshee down the deck when a 20mm hangup went off and penetrated the back of his seat and through his upper torso. He was taken below to Sick Bay and died soon after. A great guy and a friend to all. (ex flight deck crew, now retired)
Wow that's an incredible memory. Thanks for sharing that with us. Working on these ships must have been nerve wracking sometimes. Losing a friend must be the worst part
Wow, rip🙏🏻
Polyus, the story and may others are mentioned in 'Hands to Flying Stations' by Soward.
So terrible to hear, we tend to forget how often this happens where people lose their lives doing seemingly mundane tasks for the military during peacetime.
Thank you for remembering him and not letting him be an unknown face. Gone but not forgotten.
What is a 20mm hangup
During the final retirement flight of the Seaking in 2018 at Pat Bay, four flew in formation. The Cyclone was supposed to be part of the flight but was down for maintenance.
As is tradition.
Hey Andrew how's it going? Your a cyclone boy now.
Your biting sarcasm is not lost on me. I feel your pain, dude.
Here in the UK, Hundreds of people owe their lives to the mighty Sea king, They're truly iconic.
I have seen one land on a patch of lawn behind a high hedge. The grass clippings in my eyes were unexpected. Stopped me from getting a decent photo.
Later a rubber dinghy was set in the middle of a large piece of lawn with spectators around the roped off area.
It swooped in, hovered, let down a person on its rope to safely rescue the liferaft and possibly the conservative candidate for a nearby seat.
I slept through a genuine rescue just off the coast of the island I was on.
Another great video. Thank you for continuing to highlight Canada's amazing history in aviation and our Canadian Forces.
Cheers! It's a labour of love
@@polyus_studiosI’m not even Canadian, but your videos are among my absolute favourites! Keep up the amazing work!
What is wrong with you? I just watched the same video and I saw absolutely nothing amazing and it's hard to even call what is in this video an actual military. Pretty much what I got is Canada has been in a permanent recession for 100 years and instead of just buying equipment from us, you try to manufacture it in Canada and that just takes longer, costs more and the product sucks. The only amazing thing is that your military ranks behind tiny Singapore and being that weak you think you are some kind of ally. Lol
I am guilty of making the joke, " Come join the Canadian Navy's Air Wing. You can fly the same machines your great grandad did."
Also lost a good friend who went down with a SeaKing off Bermuda in 1967. Petty Officer Claire Tully from Carman, MB. RIP dude.
In 1982 I arrived in Shearwater with brand new pilot wings to fly the Sea KIng and was greeted with a welcoming brief ensuring us that we were the leading edge of naval aviation as the Sea King replacement was on it's way.
As a former fed employee and with friends in DND I can tell you the procurement process is still a colossal clusterfuck at the best of times. That said... outstanding vid as always. Better than NFB standards.
Thanks for making this, we appreciate it. It’s hard for us Canadians who care to talk about the Sea King Replacement Debacle without getting frustrated, yet you handled it coolly and factually 👌🏼
Canada seems to be horrible a procurement.
Perhaps one day we will be smart enough to simply give a budget and have procurement done by people who know what they are doing. Great video!
An unexpected surprise to see this video. My mom was an engine tech for sea kings during the late 80s/early 90s aboard HMCS Nipigon.
Great video. Good to see you posting new content again.
Cheers thanks!
Couldn't agree more. Missed you while you were gone!
Growing up at CFB Shearwater in a Sea King family, i have nothing but the best memories listening to my Dad and hanging around them at the base. The Dec 2018 farewell was a truly emotional and special event for the many who attended.
Your dad is a legend in the Sea King community.
Not to start a flame war, but *maybe* defense procurement shouldnt be hinged upon campaign promises. Canada's F-35 debacle seemed to be almost as embarrassing as the Sea King replacement.
I'm still trying to figure out what the biggest farce in recent history has been: The Sea King replacement, the Hornet replacement, or the Sidearm replacement.
@@GrizzAxxemann Any time government gets involved. Even when the Sea Kings were built it was typical government vote-buying in Quebec.
@@GrizzAxxemann you’ve forgotten the Buffalo replacements. That one seems to get more laughable by the day.
@@mikemontgomery2654 Good point. Weren't they trying to get a replacement for the Buffalo and Twin Otter with that Spanish design that's been taking forever?
@@GrizzAxxemann they did. They’re called the kingfisher. Already grounded too. Sounds like stress cracks in wing frames. Haven’t heard any updates since that one.
You've become the MOST Canadian thing on the internet. Thank you.
Great video. Lots of sea kings were at Shearwater in Nova Scotia. Also, Restigouche = "rest ee goosh" haha.
We often called her: Rustyguts 😂
I live in Halifax, we used to watch sea kings fly over our houses every day
I lived in canada my whole life and am interested in military history yet have never heard or come across the fact that we used to have Canadian aircraft carriers. really awesome, thanks for this.
Where in hell have YOU been? HMS Puncher, HMS Nabob, HMCS Warrior, HMCS Magnificent, HMCS Bonaventure. All Light Fleet Class carriers except the Puncher and Nabob.
@@billfarley9167 Guess I just never dived deep enough! its very cool to know we had them, but also a bit sad they are gone and we went in a very different economical direction military wise. I'd jump at the chance to serve aboard a aircraft carrier for Canada.
@@billfarley9167I will give you 98% on your exam, as the nabob came 1st and the puncher came second. Haha just kidding as 98 % is pretty darn good.
Got to see these close up in the hangar up CFB Shearwater with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets!
The war veteran heli mechanic touring us around definitely had a bias towards the Sea King when comparing them to the Cyclones which were then in the final stages of procurement lol.
I'll never forget the shock I had back in 2016(?) when I first walked through a Sea King at the airshow in Summerside, PEI. I asked the pilot how often the landed on water, and he replied, "Never. None of the Sea Kings in our fleet are certified to land in water anymore." ....and I was like, "Huh... soo.. none of the Sea Kings are seaworthy anymore?" "Nope." ...and I was dumbfounded. Such a massive aircraft with so much of it designed around being amphibious... just lugging all that now useless reinforced metal and stabilizers around everywhere.
Perhaps the next story could be about the Cormorant? It's a fantastic airframe with quite a story, especially when you consider the contract debacles surrounding the replacement of its predecessor, the Labrador.
Great video, I was in high school when the Chretien cancelled the Sea King replacement program. With all the fuck up in Ottawa over the last 45 concerning military procurement its amazing that anybody in the Canadian Military feels any loyalty to our federal government. And it sure hasn't gotten any better with 8 years of the current regime.
The problem seems to be the Libs and their culture of bureaucracy.
@@GrizzAxxemann cough cough Harper cutting military cash to "balance" the budget just before the election he lost cough cough
I love our military history but I could not fathom why anyone would want to serve our government. Bunch of power hungry narcissists and Laurentian elites calling the shots while you risk your life for garbage pay, garbage working conditions and garbage equipment.
That’s the thing, they don’t. I know, from very reliable sources, that the current RCAF is in crisis. Not enough morale for the pilots (not much to look forward to, career wise), embarrassing equipment, as compared to NATO allies. The list goes on from there. Much of it the fault of the current fart-sniffer in Ottawa.
@@mikemontgomery2654 That's what I've been hearing, too. I have contacts that used to be in and they're still talking to their friends that are either toughing out the last couple years to get the full pension or have recently released. And it's no surprise to me that the sock puppet is the root cause. His (on paper at least) daddy was no fan of the military either.
Buddy, the quality of this deserves twenty times more subs.
I used to work for SEACOR, the parent of Era Helicopters years ago and fondly remember seeing N92EH (20:34 in the video) both in person and in promotional materials.
Outstanding! I have learned so much about Canadian Forces history from your excellent videos! Kudos to you and I hope you plan to continue producing these gems!
These videos are both historically intriguing and educational. As a kid I remember hearing about previous accidents involving the Sea King and arduous procurement of a replacement on the news. Love your videos on Canada's aviation and naval history. Keep them coming!
New video! I've been looking forward to this; love the channel's production and content!
"I will take my pen and write 'Zero 'elicopters!' - Chretien."
That's exactly what Chretien said. And look at what it wrought.
Too bad we got out of carriers.
unfortunately far to expensive to operate
I love this channel it reminds me of why I joined the military.... Seeing a lot of these aircraft at airshows and then later flying in them as well as refueling some of them.. Now being retired it brings me back... Thank you
Thank you for your in-depth explanation. It’s professionally written and very informative. You spent a lot of time on this, I deeply appreciate it. I hope someday you will do a video on the mighty Avro CF-105.
Welcome to the Canadian military, where far below average or acceptable is the best the government will ever give you.
That's like most of the world military.
It's called "Military Grade".
Lmao
Canada military is always been good.Better than America.
know nothing !
Excellent video as always, well put together and excellent footage. We used to joke when they flew over to duck as there might be parts flying :). Would love to see a video on the Tracker one day.
Well done, you have
the best videos I seen on Canadian military procurement history
Thanks for a great telling of the Sea King in Canadian service.
Fantastic vid. Glad to see you're back sir!! Have you ever considered doing a video about the history of RCN's Fleet Air Arm or how Canadian pilots serve in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service? Just a thought.
Happy I saw this when it was live. great video.
Heh, I remember that we used to call these things "4000 spare parts flying in close formation". Thanks for the video, got me all nostalgic.
That's hilarious!
"A loose formation of parts flying the same way on the same day". That described a lot of helicopters of the era. Oh yeah, and "if it ain't leakin' it ain't workin'" You just knew that if you didn't see a pink stripe aft of the engines then you better check all the fluid levels very carefully because you probably ran out.
@@philsalvatore3902a lot like the screaming Detroit diesels, they always left their mark where ever you parked them. They didn’t even need a fire hydrant close by.
@@allannantes8583 I used to drive Crown Coach school buses with Detroit 6-71 diesels. Those things used and dripped so much oil and our fleet equipped them all with big Purifiner filters we used to joke we never needed to change the oil, we did a running oil change daily. I was literally adding a gallon a day.
Excellent as always!!
Wow! Canadz had an aircraft carrier at one point!? Incredible
They had three at one point
@@shawnmiller4781 well... we had 1 at three separate times, might be more accurate. Warrior was replaced by Magnificent was replaced by Bonaventure.
@@ianyoung8721 We had Maggie and Bonnie at the same time for a while. On for each Fleet.
@@avroarchitect1793Maggie just hung around until Bona got up to speed. We actually operated five in total, nabob, puncher in WW2 (lend lease program from USA), next came Warrior (46 to 48), Maggie (48 to 57), Bonaventure from 57 to 70. The Bona was the only one we actually owned as the three previous ones were on lease from the British Royal Navy. The 1st two were on lease to Royal Navy from the U.S. navy and given to the Royal Canadian Navy to operate. The nabob got all shot up to the point of can’t be fixed (off the coast of Norway) then we got Puncher until the end of the war. Next came Warrior for two years but we traded her for the Maggie as warrior was built for a warm climate. The Bona was a steal of a deal for 21 million dollars and when she got completed to modern standards she was state of the art for a light carrier. The liberals of Paul Heller, L.B. Pearson and P. Trudeau were just something else. I think they were born in the USSR. The Bonaventure had just finished a $17 million mid life refit when she was hit with the news of de-commissioning. What a slap in the face.
I always kept up on the story as it was unfolding but to see it packaged up in video presentation like this ...... as a Canadian I feel embarrassed. Holy moly what a story. Thank you for making this excellent video.
I worked on Sea Kings from 1983-1988 and served on two helair detachments during those years. They proved to be very good aircraft. During one NATO deployment in 1987 aboard HMCS Algonquin we had more than 500 flying hours on our Sea Kings, not bad for 24 year old aircraft at the time. It was a great experience for me working with great people serving my country. I also remember that people came onboard in Halifax at the end of that 1987 deployment, to measure the hanger as the ship was going to refit and they wanted to accommodate the new EH-101... They asked what I would want to see added or changed during refit. I suggested a washroom in the hangar....lol
As always, another video that leaves me wondering why you don't have a regular series on the History Channel. Thanks for the hard work Brad, very informative.
A refusal to do a video on the abduction of Elvies by Nazi UFOs?
Yet another brilliant video, thanks to all at Polyus! Got 4000hrs on the Sea King (made in the UK by a famous wonky garage door manufacturer) and it was a tough old bird!
Did other operators have the Frame 290 cracks?
I think the RAF did but, that only served to speed up their imminent retirement.
I maintained the Australian Mk50 Seaking for 10 years, and yes we had frame 290 cracks.
@@mikemontgomery2654 The RAF grounded the SK fleet in 1983 when they discovered some cracks that had propogated. I think they were retired in 2013? so it wasn't exactly a speedy retirement. I saw a stop drilled crack that was quite scarily long.
@@mattrika4874 there you go. I thought it was closer to 2013 that they found the cracks, or there abouts, that they found the cracks. Not surprised they had to wait until later, the Merlins had their share of issues.
What you don't mention is the cancellation of the eh101 was about 80% the cost of buying the helicopter in the first place
It wasn't that much...but it was $900m CAN...the Chretien administration was dire, the later selection of the Cyclone was purely political as well....no way it should have won based on risk alone, as AW-101 was already in service successfully, compared to the paper design of CH-148.....but there was no way for them to re-order AW-101 without looking ridiculous for cancelling it in the first place...mind you at least they didn't pick the NH-90 as that has also turned out to be a pile of crap...
The only positive for Canada is that they managed to buy 9 AW-101 from the US for spares/new aircraft for the Cormorant SAR helicopter fleet for a dirt cheap price, because it turned out the US Government was also running an incompetent helicopter procurement programme to replace their SeaKing's....in this case the ones that transport the President from the White House...after completely messing up their AW-101 purchase by changing the requirements so often that eventually it got cancelled....they then purchased the S-92...which is now also delayed and massively over budget...
Seems to be a theme with the S-92....
Meanwhile the AW-101 Merlin just keeps on trucking....
As part of the settlement, we bought some for SAR duties (The Coromant).
If the Government didn't cancel it, we would have more helicopters for less cost....
@@gryph01 that's not true the cancellation of the NSA/NSH contract, approx $500M outright plus the already $200M of funds expended was completed and completely independent of the Cormorant purchase. I was/am heavily involved in both programs as the Det Cmdr in Westlands in the early 90's when the program was cancelled and have been running the Cormorant program in Comox for the last 23 years. From the inside the government is far far more incompetent that can ever be accurately relayed in this excellent vid!!!
Andy Giblin. My goodness. I never imagined our paths would cross on a youtube channel.
The original single engine UH-2 A & B model Sea Sprites as you state weren't suited for the ASW role. But the twin engine SH-2 D & F models were well suited for the role. I don't know about the Canadian Navy, but the US Navy couldn't operate Sea Kings off the smaller Knox class FF's due to weight limits of the flight deck, but did have plenty of CV's to operate from.
We couldn't land our CH-46s on a Knox class either but we sure did a lot of HIFRs (Hover In-Flight Refueling) from them.
Very informative and educational. Thank you again for documenting Canadian aviation history!!
Talked with a pilot aboard HMCS Winnipeg about landing on the deck in a pitching sea. He said there were no flight simulations. His first landing at sea was it.
In the US Navy we had full motion simulators from which we could select different ship classes to land on that even had a simulated LSE waving you aboard, but they do not even begin to recreate the real deal, or the suction your arsehole creates on the seat cushion as you wait for that relatively calm moment to plop her on deck.
I remember watching the final flight of the sea kings in halifax, they flew in formation it was a sad day. Now I watch the replacement fly nearly every day in all kinds of weather... I even have some pictures/video of one being towed down the road back to Shearwater...
Ran out of gas? 😂
@Polyus no, I believe it had mechanical issues and landed at the golf course that is down the road a ways passed shearwater air base...
I did find the pictures and video... happened on Tuesday April 13 2021... I was on break at work when they towed it down the road...
@@nabob14 I remember that day! I knew the guys on the tow crew. That was a long shift for them, I was not jealous.
The Sea King engineering control was under the authority of the Helicopter & Systems Division of Pratt & Whitney Canada where I worked from 1981 until the work was handed over the IMP in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I worked on airframe engineering upgrades. Thanks for the memories.
Is this the same IMP as in 'my wages include my pension?'
I was often impressed with some of the upgrades on Royal Navy Sea Kings. SIx bladed tail rotors, more powerful engines, composite blades, Westland really developed that airframe fully.
Ooo new video can't wait
Interesting history👍SeaKing were definitely one kind but could never understand why it wasn’t replaced by Seahawks n Canada just like Australia had its problems too. Australia look to Sea Sprite SH2G for OPV n ANZAC class at the same time they had few Seahawks. Nearly billion dollars in operation, delays n cancelled OPV with SH2G finally Australia went with MH60R Seahawks.
Yup, heaven help you if you buy an airframe that is in large scale service
I never understood why the Aussies and New Zealand had such a bad experience with the Sea Sprite. I don't recall the SH-2Fs in the US Navy ever giving us anything other than excellent service. The pilots liked them. I had an opportunity to fly one once and it is probably one of the nicest flying helicopters I ever flew.
@@philsalvatore3902 If I recall the Seasprites the Aussies got were refurbished airframes
I worked as an Airframes and Engines mechanic for 10 years in the Royal Navy on Seaking Mk5 and Mk4’s from 1984 onwards. They were fantastic workhorses and when you could clear the service schedule for flying for 24 hours and they stayed serviceable they were great. Our system was probably different to the Canadian Navy and from speaking to US Navy mechanics we were totally different. It all depended on the helicopter to be honest some were hardly in the hanger and others seemed to never leave. I loved working on them all the same.
I was very lucky to visit 443 maritime helicopter squadron on Vancouver island back in 2022 due to me being in air cadets got to see the inside of a ch-148, really interesting stuff
330 Sea Kings were built and nearly a third are still flying. They were the longest operationally active helicopter even produced...53 years. Why was it so popular. Simple. Payload, range, versatility, reliability and it could land and takeoff on water in an emergency. The NH90 was its successor here in Australia, but that was a fail of epic proportions so the upgraded Black Hawk and Sea Hawk have filled the role.
Grandad is STILL upset over unification eh!! If I mention it he goes off on a rampage about it destroying Naval tradition, he's right, but wow does he ever get salty!!!
I've never met anyone who was cool with the change!
Sounds pretty reasonable to me, actually.
I love all the attempts at the French. Most wiki articles have a pronunciation guide.
Another fantastic history, thank you!!
Glad to have you back!
I have been fixated with US air power since I was a teen. Thanks to this channel, I am learning about my own country's rich military aviation history.
Amazing Video!
Thanks for another great Video!
Excellent video! I love your content🇨🇦
NICE - I was an SH-60B crewman with the US Navy and got to spend time with the West Coast Canadians in the mid-80s when we were still hunting Soviet Subs. My brothers in the carrier based SH-3 squadrons HATED the SH-60F for it's cramped cabin, but loved the electronic - there WAS discussion of going with the Sikorsky S-92, but the DoD wanted an all "blackhawk" based fleet.
REALLY a sad indictment of the Government Contract process in both nations - a potentially GREAT aircraft from a KNOWN builder fizzles into a delayed and less than capable product .
I remember sitting in a parking lot at a grocery store in halifax area, and one of these had to emergency land in the parking lot. I was getting ready to leave the store when i saw it coming in. lol\
Btw - I think you can make a whole youtube channel based on flawed Canadian national defense procurement processes.
Top class. Thanks for sharing
Great video
Grew up seeing Sea Kings flying over my home town of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. My former employer, Rotor Maxx Support bought the entire fleet of the retired CH-124's. They are THE experts with S-61's.
well done, love the historical dumpster stories of my beloved nation. Sadly our procurement has and always will be bad. Would love a video about how much money the government has wasted in all the different procurements.
Another banger. Thank you so much for continuing with this fantastic series!
A very interesting and well put together history of a great helicopter in the service of your country.. Sadly this kind of failing happens with many governments and lessons are never learned. Often the most expensive replacement.that is already in service is cheaper in the long run.Thanks from an old Brit.
Très Bon! Your BEST video yet. Please give your son a hug and a high-five from us and our love to the family! Good to have you back. Merci!
So happy you’re back at it. Great video!
Great video, thanks!
Your videos are amazing! You should do some more on Canadian Forces Naval vessels or Canadian Coast Guard vessels! The Coast Guard has a rich history with some seriously interesting procurements that occured.
Fantastic videos, very well made, glad to see your back. Love the music, it has a Canadian feel. Seriously, you should show your series to the CBC, I'd rather see my federal tax dollars that go to CBC pay for something as quality made as your historical account of our aerospace history. Thank you for an excellent job done. P.S. Congratulations on the new baby.
Defund the CBC, repeal C-11.
Excellent video sir!
I thought my computer was on the fritz when I got the notice, happy to have been proven wrong! I love your channel, keep up the great work...., please!
Thanks for including the details about the procurement. I’m looking forward to the follow up video about the F35 procurement. Enough information for that video should be available by 2035. 2040 at the latest!
Cool video, love the old footage of those war birds
So many amazing pictures!
I grew up with See Kings growling across the sky's here in Cornwall, i still miss them, but there is one standing gate guard at RNAS Couldrose.
Always wondered about the Seaking story, great video!
There is no one in this world more short sighted than Canadian Politicians.. The peace dividend 😂😂😂😂😂
Its a national shame the way the seeking was handled. Unfortunately most other precurment for the armed forces haven't gone much better. The procurement of the Leopard 2 tanks and the LAV program being the only exceptions IMO.
Another fantastic video
Thanks so much !
Kim Campbell on Signal Hill!
Your channel is simply awesome~
Keep up the great work!
I would love for Canada to commit to the minimum 2% GDP for NATO membership, but holy crap would we have to gut the current procurement process and start over, or it would be like throwing money down a very deep hole
It was fucked up in the 90s with the Sea King replacement aka NSA and was fucked before that and had been fucked up since then. It can never be fixed. 😢
@@swright5690it will get fixed if we elect the Conservatives.
YESSSSSSSS! I have been waiting for this for SO LONG
Its scary how aometimes it feels like RUclips /RUclipsrs read my mind. I was just doing some reaserch on the Sea King/King Stallion helicppters not even 4 hours ago, and now Polyus uploads a video on the exact topic.
We are all mind readers. Comes with the territory :)
Another awesome video on canadian aviation!
A good video on the Seaking I got to know the sound of this bird as I was based at an RAF base which had 202sqn SAR helo's based there... On another note at the time I thought it was crazy that the EH101 was cancelled by Canada then re-ordered in SAR role and a different more expensive airframe and unique to anyone was purchased instead as the EH101 has proven to be a good ASW helo... but hindsight and all that goes with it comes to mind...
You forgot to mention that the Cormorant was meant to replace both the Sea King and the Labrador. That quickly went out the window when it was discovered that the Cormorant was too big for the Canadian frigates, hence the quick order for the Cyclones, with the Cormorant being a direct replacement for the Labrador only (as it should have always been).
Not entirely accurate. The size of the EH101 was a challenge, but the ships were already in the process of being modified to accommodate the new helos when the procurement was scrapped. A couple of ships were nearly finished the modification to set them up for sea trials with the EH101. Many people don't realize how late in the game the cancellation came.
Edit to say: and the order for the cyclones was many things, "quick" was never one of them.
@@ianyoung8721that is the way I remember it as well.
Brilliant video yet again. Always love your content.
Another excellent production, thank you,
Great videos as usual! just wished there was less wait in between videos....cheers
at the base i work at we had a cyclone fly through, except they didn't announce that they just said "a cyclone will be landing in 15 minutes" and i understandably got a little worried
Excellent!
Note that with the software issue that took down Stalker 822 in 2021 was a know issue for a while beforehand and is still present in all aircraft. Yet the CF still has to pay Sikorsky for the fix to a problem that killed 5 of our crew…
What was it. I want to know
Software? On a Sea King? Other than maybe the ASW system ours were resolutely analog and electro-mechanical.
@@philsalvatore3902 the Cyclone, not the Sea King. Stalker 822 was the crash off Italy that lost all crew and the aircraft.
Completed my CF career in Ottawa supporting the Labrador SAR Helicopter fleet. Got there 1991 until retiring 2001. So 10 years more or less in the support & procurement world of DND. IMO it's not the procurement process that is flawed, rather the political interference by changing governments making election promises & budget constraints.
The Directorates responsible for each fleet work tirelessly keeping them operational & those stood up for replacement programs know what is needed. Our SAR Directorate was housed in the same trailers added on to the building on the base at Rockliffe & I worked next to my contemporaries in the MHP Directorate. The number of manhours spent on the procurement process is mind bogglilng. These are experts in their field having almost all served at operational units at one time or another. When all that work is negated by a political decision to cancel an already ordered aircraft, you can imagine the dismay in the Directorate, knowing they are back at square 1.
The Labrador replacement was a similar fiasco, cancelling the EH-101 only to end up with essentially the same aircraft years later. Fortunately for the Sea King fleet, when the Labradors were finally gone it freed up a lot of the upgraded T58-100 powerplants for that fleet as this engine was a shared asset.
You make a good point. It's changes in the governments that cause the process to get stopped and restarted again and again. If the procurement people could be left alone to do their job we'd be in a much better position.
hearing Canadian Sea Kings kinda similar to Malaysian Nuri (S-61A4) as well, though later selected smaller leased AW139 as interim solution until next batch of new procurement begins. As for how long the interim heli will be in service is yet to know