For over a decade I had followed the UK's Sea King fleet until their retirement from the RAF and Royal Navy - convinced it was the end of an era and we would never see the iconic helicopter in our skies again. However the King rose from the ashes and can still be found hard at work today right here in the UK!
When the Royal Navy handed over UK Search and Rescue cover to Bristow on 1st January 2016, it signalled the end of the road for the last remaining variant, the Sea King HU5.
However it wasn’t long before there were signs of the type rising from the ashes when a few Sea King’s began test flying at Fleetlands, Gosport.
In 2016 it was revealed the Pakistan Navy ordered seven of the UK’s Sea Kings. Six were handed over at a ceremony on 25th May 2017:
|
Variant |
Reg |
|
Westland Sea King HC4 |
ZA295 |
|
Westland Sea King HAS5 |
ZE421 |
|
Westland Sea King HC4 |
ZF117 |
|
Westland Sea King HC4 |
ZG821 |
|
Westland Sea King HAR3A |
ZH544 |
|
Westland Sea King HAR3A |
ZH545 |
Westland Sea King HAS3 - XZ597 / G-SKNG - Historic Helicopters
Historic Helicopters
Later on in 2017 Sea King HAR3 XZ597 was delivered to Historic Helicopters near Chard, Somerset with the intention of returning it to flight. In March 2019 it appeared on the UK register as G-SKNG and work began on restoring her. On 20th March 2020 it made it's first flight in civilian hands.
Later that year in August, XZ588 was delivered to Historic Helicopters, registered G-SEAK and conducted it’s post restoration flight on 27th April 2021.
In September 2021 Sea King HU5 XV647 was delivered to Historic Helicopters and became a spares donor.
Westland Sea King HAS3 - XZ597 / G-SKNG - Historic Helicopters
On 17th June 2022 XZ588 / G-SEAK was caught flying in a US Presidential livery, which was eventually revealed to being part of filming for Netflix series ‘The Diplomat’ at Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire. G-SEAK was painted as a fictional Sikorsky VH-3A 156112 of the US Marines HMX-1 Executive Flight Squadron.
Westland Sea King HAS3 - XZ588 / G-SEAK - Historic Helicopters
Following a 0130 - 0930 shift at work, I drove up to Elstree where I guessed it would come in for fuel. A friendly tower controller advised they were lifting in 15 minutes time, much to my excitement. 45 minutes later word came through that it wouldn't start...exhausted and suffering with the heat, it wasn’t the news I wanted to hear!
The engineer worked tirelessly for over 8 hours and everyone at Elstree finished for the day and shut the pumps so I headed home.
Westland Sea King HAS3 - XZ588 / G-SEAK - Historic Helicopters
I had just got to the slip road to the M25 and a message popped up on my phone that they were coming in, in 15 minutes! A very swift but very legal drive back to the airfield and I got there just in time to see it arrive as the sun set where they took on 2000 Litres of fuel for the trip home to Chard the following day...
It was later the star of Historic Helicopter’s night photoshoot where it was run under flood lights for a group of assembled photographers!
G-SEAK was later returned to it’s usual yellow paint scheme, which was easily achieved thanks to the temporary paint the HMX-1 livery was painted with.
Westland Sea King HC4 - ZF122 - Royal Navy
At the same time G-SEAK was being restored Sea King HC4 ZF122 was delivered in December 2017 to Chard to also return to flight. It was registered G-CMFM and on 4th July 2025, operated by Heli-Lift Ltd departed Shoreham on it's way to Cyprus for fire fighting duties. It was seen after the fire season wrapped up in a car park in Cyprus and at the time of writing it's not known if it's still there or has made it back to the UK.
Westland Sea King HC4 - ZA314 - Royal Navy
On 6th January 2020 Historic Helicopters took ownership of another Sea King HC4, this time ZA314. 314 left Commando service in 2010 when it went into storage at Fleetlands. Fortunatly, the Empire Test Pilot School at MoD Boscombe Down received it on loan for it’s courses in 2012 and was a regular sight around Salisbury Plain. On 11th December 2015 after 10184 flying hours she was retired and flown to HMS Sultan for storage. Historic Helicopters purchased her on 6th January 2020 and made it’s first flight with HH on 1st October that year.
Westland Sea King Mk48 - RS-02 + RS-04 - Historic Helicopters
On 21st October 2021 HH took delivery of two ex Belgian Sea King Mk48’s RS-02 and RS-04. RS-02 has since attended Koksjide Open Day in Belgium and the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. RS-04 is thought to now be a spares donor though this hasn’t been officially confirmed.
Westland Sea King Mk48 - RS-02 - Historic Helicopters
Heli Operations
In August 2017 Sea King HU5 XV666 began flying for a new company that had taken over the former coast guard heliport at Portland, Dorset. 666 also known as 'Damian' was later joined by ZA166 'Dara' with the task of fulfilling a contract to train German Navy Sea King Mk41 crews. In December 2023 Sea King HU5 ZA137 was restored to flight to assist with the contract.
Westland Sea King HU5 - XV666 - HeliOps
Heli Operations opened a new site at Somerton, Somerset for maintenance and boasting 14 UK Sea King airframes!
|
Variant |
Reg |
Status |
|
Westland Sea King ASaC7 |
XV656 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King ASaC7 |
XV664 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King HU5 |
XV666 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King HU5 |
XV670 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King ASaC7 |
XV697 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King HAR3 |
XZ586 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King HAR3 |
XZ594 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King HAR3 |
XZ596 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King HAR3 |
ZA105 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King HU5 |
ZA137 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King ASaC7 |
ZE422 |
Stored |
|
Westland Sea King HU5 |
XZ920 |
Ukraine |
|
Westland Sea King HU5 |
ZA134 |
Ukraine |
|
Westland Sea King HU5 |
ZA166 |
Ukraine |
Westland Sea King HU5 - XZ920 - HeliOps
In September 2017 HeliOperations landed an agreement to start training German Navy Sea King crews at Portland, Dorset. Whilst this was anticipated to finish in 2024 when they phased out the Sea King, in November 2024 HeliOps announced they had secured a £141 million contract to continue training German Navy crews for 7 years on the company's new AW139 aircraft, preparing crews to fly the NH90 already in service.
So at the point when it looked like the Sea King’s work in the UK had come to an end once more, yet another opportunity presented itself...
Westland Sea King HU5 - ZA137 - HeliOps
Ukrainian Navy
On 23rd November 2022, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed they had donated three Westland Sea King helicopters to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, having purchased the three Sea Kings back from HeliOperations.
XZ920: ‘Finley’ delivered in November 2022.
ZA166: ‘Dara’ delivered in December 2022.
ZA134: delivered in May 2023 in full Ukrainian markings as UR-H034
Westland Sea King Mk41 - 89+56 - HeliOps
The UK Government has said the Royal Navy had training 10 Ukranian crews and supporting engineers during a six week course before it had transferred the helicopters.
These went on to be operated by the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade of the Ukranian Navy and appeared to be used for Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) duties and battlefield logistics. On 22nd February 2025 one of the three Sea Kings was significantly damaged during a forced landing shortly after departing Kulbakine Air Base in Ukraine injuring the crew. It’s not known which airframe it was and whether it is back in service or not.
Westland Sea King Mk41 - 89+56 - HeliOps
In 2024 Germany retired the last of it’s 22 Sea King Mk41 helicopters and it wasn’t long before they announced they would be sending six of the airframes to Ukraine along with spare parts and training.
These airframes flew to HeliOperation’s maintainance facility in Somerton, Somerset where they were readied to head to Ukraine. As they became available they headed to Portland to support the Ukrainian’s flying training.
Westland Sea King Mk41 - 89+64 - HeliOps
|
Variant |
Reg |
Notes |
|
Sea King Mk41 |
89+56 |
Delivered as 857230PT on 01/09/2026 |
|
Sea King Mk41 |
89+58 |
|
|
Sea King Mk41 |
89+61 |
Delivered as 857235PT |
|
Sea King Mk41 |
89+64 |
|
|
Sea King Mk41 |
89+66 |
|
|
Sea King Mk41 |
89+68 |
|
During the 2026 Farnborough airshow in the UK, Heli Operations exhibited their Sea King HU5 ZA137 fitted with two AGM-114 Hellfire air to surface missiles and three ‘Drone Killer’ UAVs on launchers attached to the sponsons. ZA137 was only there to demonstrate the capabilities and won’t fly in this configuration but Ukraine had previously mentioned it wanted to upgrade and adapt the supplied Sea Kings. A few ex German Sea King Mk41s have been seen flying at Portland with the launchers attached to the sponsons.
Westland Sea King Mk41 - 89+64 - HeliOps
The Future
So with Heli Operations Sea King training well underway for the Ukrainians, it looks like once that is complete in the next year or so, we will only see AW139 traffic down at Portland. That leaves us with just the Historic Helicopters fleet, which continue to fly occasionally to events and filming locations, although unclear if the fleet will reduce over the next few years to maintain their supply of parts.
Westland Sea King HAS3 - XZ588 / G-SEAK - Historic Helicopters
Westland Sea King Mk41 - 89+64 - HeliOps
Westland Sea King HAS3 - XZ597 / G-SKNG - Historic Helicopters
Westland Sea King Mk41 - 89+56 - HeliOps