Big red chopper

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Thu 12 Aug, 2010 8:38 pm

There was a big red helicopter circling over Leeds city centre late yesterday morning. According to mrs ravey it was mainly red with a "white bit near the tail"Anyone know what it was up to? Possibly an air ambulance in those colours, although the two Yorkshire air ambulances are both yellow.

Loiner1960 · Post by **Loiner1960** » Thu 12 Aug, 2010 10:20 pm

Could be HM Coastguard helicopter.

Richard A Thackeray · Thu 12 Aug, 2010 11:03 pm

Isn't the North East (Tees???) Air-Ambo red/orangey coloured??

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Thu 12 Aug, 2010 11:39 pm

raveydavey wrote: There was a big red helicopter circling over Leeds city centre late yesterday morning. Truth is stranger than fiction in this case. This was a Eurocopter operated by Bond Air Services. Will be based near Lowestoft to support a wind farm out at sea. Google the registration, G-GOWF. Supposedly the registration stands for Go Wind Farms.Earlier photos have the lettering "The UK's first wind farm support helicopter" on the doors. I got a poor snap of it, but that lettering has now gone. Good enough to get the registration though.It was doing practise landings at the LGI helipad. There were a few firemen on the helipad, maybe that's usual for practise runs in case it all kicks off.

Richard A Thackeray · Post by **Richard A Thackeray** » Fri 13 Aug, 2010 9:42 am

rikj wrote: It was doing practise landings at the LGI helipad. There were a few firemen on the helipad, maybe that's usual for practise runs in case it all kicks off. LGI has a 'volunteer' fire-force drawn from its staff.They carry pagers, & have (seemingly) 'carte-blanche' to drop whatever they're doing in order to get change into the kit.Obviously, they're drawn from non-medical staff, so (for example) no-one gets left on the Operating Table, whilst the Surgeons, 'Gas-Passers', or Gastrologists tear offWe also have a Heli-pad, but as ours is a 'stand-alone' facility (on an adjacent Field, but still owned by the Trust, our staff only attend, but don't go into full 'Trumpton'Even when our new Hospital is (finally) fully opened, the Heli-Pad will still be on the grass, just on the temporary Estates Yard

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Fri 13 Aug, 2010 10:07 am

I've noticed a lot of army helicopters landing on the infirmary roof over the past year - I can only assume it's taking injured solders from Afghanistan.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Fri 13 Aug, 2010 10:30 am

Leeds Hippo wrote: I've noticed a lot of army helicopters landing on the infirmary roof over the past year - I can only assume it's taking injured solders from Afghanistan. Have you noticed they are a lot less frequent since Chelsy went back to South Africa?

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Fri 13 Aug, 2010 11:01 am

tyke bhoy wrote: Leeds Hippo wrote: I've noticed a lot of army helicopters landing on the infirmary roof over the past year - I can only assume it's taking injured solders from Afghanistan. Have you noticed they are a lot less frequent since Chelsy went back to South Africa? Can you believe that I had to google Chelsy to find out who she was - how out of touch am I!Mind you I reckon helicopters landing on the LGI roof qualifies as one of the most impressive sites in Leeds (maybe a new thread!) - especially if you are near the entrance of the Jubilee wing

Richard A Thackeray · Fri 13 Aug, 2010 11:58 am

Leeds Hippo wrote: I've noticed a lot of army helicopters landing on the infirmary roof over the past year - I can only assume it's taking injured solders from Afghanistan. I've mentioned this before, but one of our Consultants used to work at LGI (when he was a SHO, or a Registrar) & still swears to me that he saw an Apache land on the pad.It certainly altered his perspective for a few minutes to see that armament pointing at himSomehow, though I doubt it was an Apache, there aren't any working this far north are there??Probably a Lynx?

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Fri 13 Aug, 2010 12:09 pm

Leeds Hippo wrote: tyke bhoy wrote: Leeds Hippo wrote: I've noticed a lot of army helicopters landing on the infirmary roof over the past year - I can only assume it's taking injured solders from Afghanistan. Have you noticed they are a lot less frequent since Chelsy went back to South Africa? Can you believe that I had to google Chelsy to find out who she was - how out of touch am I!Mind you I reckon helicopters landing on the LGI roof qualifies as one of the most impressive sites in Leeds (maybe a new thread!) - especially if you are near the entrance of the Jubilee wing It may be an impressive sight for most, but as an ex resident of Marlborough Towers I can tell you that it makes a right old racket too.