Tom Says: “There is no possible way…”
If this wasn’t such a serious issue, it would be a big joke.
I’m beginning to wonder if the most feared phrase in the Canadian military isn’t — “Okay guys, lets see if we can get this Sea King in the air, and if we’re lucky enough, for about an hour…”
As someone who has spent a short time in the Canadian military, three-and-a-half years — which was many years ago — I find the ongoing Sea King helicopter saga as being a story which historians won’t believe when it comes time to write about it fifty years from now. Unless of course, fifty years from now the Canadian military isn’t still equipped with Sea King helicopters.
I really have no idea what they’re used for today other than comic relief.
I’ve come up with a few suggestions as to what we might do with them. Since we use old and outdated naval vessels to make artificial reefs by sinking them in the sea, why not apply the same procedure to old and outdated helicopters? Perhaps there’s a rather large boat around missing an anchor? How about taking them out into the training range and allowing our artillery and perhaps even our pilots to use them for target practice?
What about playgrounds around the country which are missing equipment? Wouldn’t it be great for the kids to play on them?
We could send one to the Smithsonian Aeronautical Museum and label the exhibit — “This is a relic that still flies… sort of…”
Maybe a Sea King can make a guest appearance on the Comedy Network? It would give Canadians a good laugh. Or how about telling taxpayers that Sea Kings actually flew with Sopwith Camels in World War I?
Of course I make jest, but the plain and simple truth is that Canadian service personnel who would be stopped from telling the truth are risking life and limb every time one of these things is forced into the air.
It is serious, serious business — but at the same time — it’s a bad joke.
I’m Tom Young.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
The Canadian public is responsible for the fact we still use sea kings….let me explain.
Back in 93 there was a plan that was committed and signed by the federal government to purchase new helicopters to replace sea kings. History proves that this was a great decision.But there was a federal election shortly after the helicopter project was signed and Canadians not realizing what was good for them put the mediocre liberals back in power knowing they would cancel the deal. So now 15 year later we should remember everytime we laugh at the sea kings we are actually laughing at ourselves because we voted for the sea kings.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:56 am
THE UNION MEMBER NO LONGER KNOW WHAT THEY STAND FOR
Some people say you can’t fight city hall or buck the boss. In a democracy, this isn’t true. You can & this is what unions were initially meant to be for. Nowadays, it’s all about the all mighty dollar and workers who are unionized have become lazy, abusive with their so call union rights and could care less about the fact that every time they walk out to protest what they call unfair treatment by their employers, it cost the other hard working Canadians more tax dollars for their greed.
It makes me laugh when I hear any of our levels of government make election promises to have more money hear more money there, when we all know that a large % of that is to prepare for incoming walkouts by some of these over payed and under work employees.
You can all go on saying the Union is there in case your company or department merges, or is acquired by someone else. New management then moves in and decides you’re through. They want younger employees; it’s the new company policy, or they want more efficient production and are installing some new automated equipment that eliminates the need for your job.
As part of a union, you have all of the following at your disposal, negotiators, lawyers, research specialists, and others who specialize in the arts of collective bargaining. You then try to convince every other hard working Canadian that, it’s all about peace, prosperity, security and dignity but nothing to do with money. For Christ sake, I don’t even think that the NHL Player Association, have that much ammunition at their disposal.
One of your listeners commented on why the goverments of all levels would allow someone from different provinces to make less money doing the same job. What he’s missing here is that, everytime unions end up settling for more money, then it becomes a roller coaster for other members and this creates a bargain chip that eventually gets out of hand.
It’s extremely hard to justify why someone who does the same job as someone who is not part of a union and getting paid 50% more. As an example that’s been used in many radio calling is “A person working at the NSLC who is behind a counter, someone brings them the product, they scan it, put it in a bag, take the money and wishes them a good day VS someone who works at a Grocery store doing the same thing but working 5 times harder gets paid 50% less.
Unions are getting to expensive for the average hard working Canadians to support.
Joseph Gallant
Dartmouth NS
February 15th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I was a Base “Brat” in Shearwater when the Sea Kings first arrived in the RCN/CAF and worked on them myself for almost 20 years so I have a different view of the “Sea King”. I would go anywhere in a Sea King. You show me any other aircraft that can in all weather conditions do the jobs a SeaKing does - well you cannot, there is nothing out there. Do you know anybody that has looked (unbiased) at what a Sea King has done and compared it to say the EH101? What aircraft spends most of the time flying missions to replace the EH101 when it cannot fly. (Even the”new” army “Griffon” has more problems) The Sea King goes about doing its job all around the world every day even doing a few resues along the way without to much coverage, but one little problem and its all over the Press. Part of the Sea Kings problem is not its age but the age and experiance of its Pilots/Wrench turners and the “Press” Because who do the Prss turn to for “Factual” information are former pilots who are hired by companies (Which they do not have to disclose) to sell new equipment including helos to the Canadian Goverment. For you information when you get a minute visit the Canadian Armed Forces Flight Safety Web site to get the “true” picture on what is going on with our aircraft.
Have a Good Day
February 29th, 2008 at 7:18 am
the sea king should be used for transporting our government officials to and from there destinations.