Helicopter Resupply Flights (pre-1974)
All images are courtesy of the PPRuNe website (Professional Pilots Rumour Network) and show helicopter resupply flights made to isolated OPs mostly in the Kyrenia Mountains.
The pictures were taken pre-1968 by a Wessex helicopter pilot from 72Sqn RAF.
The author would like to thank Herod a "Mildly Eccentric Stardriver" for these images and Sid Nanson for his research in locating them.
Sid did a tour with the UN Flight, AAC in 1979/1980.
Several of these OPs are shown in the earlier photo galleries.
A 72 Sqn Wessex at an unspecified OP in the British Zone.
A second view of the same pad in the British Zone.
On approach to Hilltop OP (Finnish UN) with Kyrenia in the background.
The landing pad of the Hilltop OP looking south towards the Nicosia district.
In the centre of the picture is the appropriately named, "Saddle" OP.
A closer view of Saddle OP with St Hilarion Castle in the background.
On the approach to Camp Tjiklo which was a major base for the Danish UN.
The tail of the Wessex by a water bowser at Hanley's Hill......a Canadian OP situated west of Nicosia.
The Wessex at the another Finnish OP in the Kyrenia Mountains.........Stampede Corall.
An unidentified OP located in the Kyrenia Mountains.
The final approach to an isolated OP (the ground can be seen sloping away steeply to the LHS of the picture).
In early 1968, the three Wessex helicopters of 72Sqn were replaced by four Whirlwinds from 203 sqn who were based in Odiham.
The replacement helicopters were flown to Cyprus over a period of four days......the final leg being Athens-Rhodes-Nicosia.
Considering that the cruising speed of a Whirlwind was 90knots, this was a remarkable journey and was used as a navigation and deployment exercise.
The pictures shows three of the Whirlwinds at Nicosia.