pair of Merlin Mk512s from the Royal
Danish Air Force’s (RDAF’s) Eskadrille
722, based at Karup, were welcome
visitors last year to RAF Valley, Wales, to operate
in the Snowdonia Mountain Flying Training Area
(MFTA). Having flown through the series of valleys
known as the ‘Mach Loop’ on their way to Anglesey,
the Merlins touched down on August 29.
Although Denmark has plenty of hills, none is
more than around 1,312ft (400m) high and they
don’t require extensive crew co-operation to safely
navigate and negotiate. North Wales is well suited
for practising the skills needed for deployments to
mountainous areas – such as northern Afghanistan,
which hosted three RDAF Merlins in 2014 and 2015.
Located in the northern half of the Snowdonia
National Park, the MFTA is divided into five
sections, named Victor through to Zulu. AFMmet one of the Danish crews as they planned
their sortie for the next day and it was decided
we were all to head to section Whiskey.
The area includes an amphitheatre-like valley called
Ffynnon Lloer, between two imposing mountains:
Pen yr Ole Wen and Carnedd Dafydd. It’s ideal
for helicopter crews to train in confined areas.
A bank of cloud surrounded the summit of the
two mountains the next morning, and after around
two hours’ wait came the unmistakable sound of
a Merlin along the ridgeline. The crew dropped in
to perform a quick check and go-around of the
landing area and assess local hazards, including
scree and a lake, and to plan a suitable landing.
In this case they chose a pinnacle landing,
where only one or two sets of landing gear
make contact with the terrain. Such landings
are used for dropping off or picking up groundDanish Merlins
in the mountains
forces in high terrain or for a medical evacuation
in areas with no conventional landing zone.
They might also be used in ‘brownout’ conditions
where pilots and crew struggle to find any visual
reference points due to dust and sand blown
up by the downwash; and they’re practical in
confined areas such as forests and woodlands.
The crew has to work together to ensure safe
operation, as any loss of communication could
spell disaster. The two loadmasters constantly
check for obstacles, persons in the area and other
hazards, relaying the information to the aircraft
commander and the pilots and keeping them updated
on what’s happening in the areas they can’t see.
As the pilots gently lower the aircraft, the
loadmasters call out height references and
any hazards the pilots are unable to see such
as boggy ground or a rock. Known as voice
marshalling, this ensures the whole crew is aware
of the situation in and around the helicopter.
Once the exercise was complete, the Merlin
returned to Valley, and AFM headed down to
a location on the ridgeline of Pen yr Ole Wen,
in the area known as the Ogwen Valley, to
see it later on another training objective.
This time, in the late afternoon, it operated in
Whiskey and – encompassing the mountains
of Tryfan and the Glyders – X-Ray. Steep walls
and corrie bowls provided the environment for
intensive manoeuvres, concluded after around
two hours with a low and expertly flown pass
out of the valley, heading back to Anglesey.
The crews took their Snowdonia experience
back to Karup to teach other personnel some
of the principles of mountain flying. With their
deployment judged a success, Danish Merlins
could become a more familiar sight in the
region in years to come. Tom WilliamsA
Right: RDAF Merlin Mk512
M-517 at low level in one
of the Snowdonia National
Park valleys. A crewman
in the rear-fuselage blister
window provides the pilots
with additional situational
awareness. Tom Williams
Below: Tom WilliamsCrew members have to work together during a
pinnacle landing to ensure safe operation.
Tom Williamshttp://www.airforcesmonthly.com #369 DECEMBER 2018 // 83