Trainee crews put newest Merlin through its paces

Years of training are set to pay off for would-be aircrew at a Westcountry naval base as a state-of-the-art helicopter is about to come into service.

The new Merlin Mk2 helicopter is to arrive at RNAS Culdrose, near Helston, this summer and preparations are well under way to get pilots, observers and crew members acquainted with their new aircraft.

The latest batch of students, from 824 Naval Air Squadron, have already done between two and four years of training and instruction both on simulators and on the real thing.

They recently left RNAS Culdrose to join aviation training ship RFA Argus off the Cornish coast.

The ship, which doubles as the Navy's casualty treatment vessel in times of war, offered the crews their first taste of operating the Merlin from a ship at sea.

Commander Gavin Richardson, 824's Commanding Officer, said the drill was the final hurdle for many aircrewmen.

"The embarked period is what the squadron team effort works toward," he said.

"It is the crowning glory of a long and arduous road for our students which provides that opportunity to show the investment was worthwhile and that they have metamorphosed into naval aviators, able to operate and fly from that most demanding environment, the sea."

The first next-generation naval Merlin, the Mk2, arrives in Cornwall this summer.

Outwardly the helicopter is almost identical, but inside the cockpit and command consoles are entirely new.

Lt Cdr Mike Currie, of 824 NAS, who has over 1,800 Merlin flying hours under his belt, said: "There is no comparison with other aircraft out there. It's pretty awesome when it comes to what it can do, especially the variety. Things have moved on since the Mk1."