The Sea King - A Fond Farewell

By Peter Mallett, Lookout Newspaper at CFB Esquimalt

When the Royal Canadian Air Force’s remaining Sea King helicopters are phased out, retired Major Paul O’Reilly admits it will be akin to losing a close friend.

That’s because he spent much of his 34-year career flying the Cold War-era, Sikorsky-built twin-engine amphibious helicopter—first acquired by Canada on May 24, 1963—on and off the decks of Royal Canadian Navy warships.

Onboard a ship at sea, a Royal Canadian Air Force CH-124 Sea King helicopter is silhouetted by the sun setting at deck level. PHOTO: Sergeant René Dubreuil

Major O’Reilly, 71, believes saying goodbye to them will be a teary affair. “You can’t help but get a little bit misty-eyed. For any pilot who flies an aircraft,” he says, “you grow attached to it as the years roll by, and you would forever recognize it instantly.”

Today, he spends two days a week volunteering at the Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. He is a military history buff and a founding member of the Vimy Flight group, which, in 2017, took First World War replica planes to the 100th anniversary ceremony in Vimy, France.

His love of history, and living some of it, gives him an interesting perspective on the Sea King.

In 1987, Major O’Reilly was a pilot on board Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Huron as she sailed through the Panama Canal from 12 Wing Shearwater, Nova Scotia, heading to Esquimalt, British Columbia’s harbour with two Sea Kings onboard. They were the first two helicopters to arrive for naval operations on Canada’s West Coast.

“I’m surprised they are still here,” he says. “When I came out to the West Coast with the first Sea Kings, the whole idea was these aircraft would last three or four years and a new, more modern helicopter would show up and we would move to that.”

A hasty replacement for them in Canada did not happen, and so the decades went by.

“One of the reasons why they lasted so long was because with constant technological upgrades over the years they could still do the job. Why would you change and get a new aircraft when the one you are using does everything the Navy wanted it to do?” he asks.

The Sea King’s compact design, combined with fold-up rotor and tail, enabled it to fit neatly in the hangar of a warship after landing on the deck, and its amphibious hull enabled it to conduct water landings in an emergency.

“They got the job done because they handled well,” says Major O’Reilly. “The flight deck on most ships was about 48 by 78 feet [14.6 x 23.8 metres], so the biggest challenge with the Sea King, as with other helicopters of their size, was landing it as the ship bobbed up and down in the water, especially in stormy seas. Your timing had to be perfect so the ship’s company could hook the helicopter in with its Beartrap system.”

The Beartrap haul-down mechanism was developed in Canada. It uses a line and probe lowered from the helicopter to the deck and then attached to the ship; the Beartrap then winches the helicopter down to a solid and safe set-down.

“The Royal Canadian Navy was at the forefront of learning how to put a big helicopter on a small ship,” he continues, “and these helicopters were much more capable than smaller ones because they could travel longer, carry more supplies, and had a more sophisticated suite of detection equipment.”

CH-124 Sea King technicians work on HMCS Iroquois’ embarked Sea Kings in the deck hangar on February 1, 1981. PHOTO: DND Archives, HSC81-74-29

But their usefulness has gradually been eclipsed by new helicopters with modern technology. Today, very few countries still use Sea Kings. That includes the British military, which said farewell to its remaining Sea Kings in 2016, and the U.S. military, which replaced them 12 years ago.

“The main reason the helicopter is being phased out,” says Mr. O’Reilly, “is because nobody makes the engines or replacement parts anymore, making it next to impossible to make repairs.”

2018 marks the replacement of the Sea Kings with CH-148 Cyclones, which are being phased into service. As the future generation of aviators prepares to take to the cockpits of the new Cyclone, Major O’Reilly’s advice to them is “expect the unexpected”, as with any new technology. “But I have a feeling this one may also stand the test of time.”

The final Sea King flight in the RCAF will take place by December 31, 2018. The official retirement ceremony is Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in British Columbia; where a fly past will take place. The Sea King has operated for 55 years in Canadian military service. As part of the celebrations, there will be a fly-past, according to the Canadian Forces.

RCAF Outlines Cyclone Fix for Landing on RCN Fleet

RCAF Press Release 

Back in December the Canadian Press news agency had a story revealing a new series of problems affecting the RCAF’s new maritime helicopter, the CH-148 Cyclone, and its sonar system. The article outlined how the sonar system used by some CH-148 Cyclones must be removed before the helicopters are allowed to land on ships.

Crewmembers onboard Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) MONTREAL conduct vertical replenishment training with the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter during Exercise SPARTAN WARRIOR 16 in the Atlantic Ocean on October 31, 2016.

Photo: MCpl Jennifer Kusche, Canadian Forces Combat Camera 
IS15-2016-0003-042

The RCAF has provided additional information to Defence Watch about what caused the problems and what is being done about those issues:

What is the issue with the sonar equipment on the CH-148 Cyclones?

The HELRAS is a deployable sonar system onboard the CH148 Cyclone. The HELRAS internal reeling machine (used to recover the unit after it has been deployed) on the Block 1 CH-148 was modified (tilted slightly) to improve the hover characteristics of the aircraft while deploying the sonar into the water. The slight “tilt” of the reeling machine results in the sonar protruding slightly from the base of the helicopter once it has been recovered into the helicopter.

The protrusion from the base of the helicopter introduces a risk of the sonar striking the Cyclone – Recovery Assist Secure and Traverse (C-RAST) during a ship landing. Analyses have shown that, in theory, it is possible for the sonar submersible unit to contact the ship mounted assisted recovery system when operating in a high sea state condition. If contact occurred, it would not prevent the safe recovery of the helicopter but it could cause damage the submersible unit.


To prevent damage, the sonar submersible unit is not installed whenever the Block 1 configured Cyclones conduct shipborne operations. The Block 1 aircraft can fly from shore-based locations with the sonar installed.
This has had no impact on flying or training, as maintenance personnel can remove the sonar prior to conducting embarked operations.

How effective is the Cyclone as a maritime helicopter without its sonar system? Without its ship landing system?
Using its Sonobuoy Processing Sub-System (SPSS) to prosecute sub-surface targets by deploying sonobuoys into the water and processing their signals, the CH148 Cyclone is an effective ASW asset. The HELRAS is an additional system that can be used to prosecute sub-surface targets, but it is not the only means of conducting ASW operations. All of the other sensor systems on the CH148 can be used unrestricted (Radar, IR camera, etc.), making it an effective weapons system across the spectrum of operations.
Without the use of C-RAST, the CH148 is limited to a conservative ship motion envelope for takeoff and landing, and cannot be traversed into or out of the hangar. Again, CH148 maintenance personnel can remove the HELRAS system to conduct shipborne landings as required. Helicopter Air Detachments that embark with a Block 1 CH148 include the HELRAS as part of the equipment pack-up onboard ship. In the case of a requirement to use the HELRAS, the CH148 can be disembarked to a shore location where the sonar can be installed and operations conducted from the land based airfield.

What’s being done to fix the issue?

In the Block 2 configuration, the sonar system has been re-positioned so that the submersible unit will be housed completely inside the fuselage when stowed. This redesign eliminates the possibility of contact between any part of the helicopter and the ship mounted assisted recovery system.

The first 6 Block 2 Cyclones are scheduled to be delivered to Canada by June 2018.

Block 1 Cyclones have already begun a phased return for induction into Sikorsky’s Block 2 production line. For example, of the fifteen Block 1 helicopters delivered, seven have been rotated back to the contractor for retrofit and delivery in the Block 2 configuration. All 28 aircraft will be retrofitted, and final delivery is expected to be completed by 2021.

In its final configuration, the CH-148 Cyclone will be capable of a full range of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, search and rescue and utility missions in various environments, making it one of the most capable maritime helicopters in the world.

How much is it costing to fix the issue?

There is no additional cost to the Crown to rectify this issue.

What are the Block 1 Cyclones doing now?

The Cyclones currently in Shearwater are suitable for training and operations for a number of missions including Search and Rescue, utility transport, and surface and sub-surface surveillance, from both ashore, and while embarked on Royal Canadian Navy ships.