1916 to 2014


united kingdom 78 Squadron

Royal Air Force




Part of BFSAI British Forces South Atlantic Islands









78 Squadron
Formed on 1 Nov 1916, 78 Squadron began its rotary wing career on 7 Jun 1965 at Khormaksar in Aden with nine Wessex HC.2 (delivered by RFA Sir Lancelot). It operated in support of British and South Arabian troops in Aden, developing new capabilities including the fitting of bomb racks and grew to operate 14 Wessex (including a SAR flight) by Jul 1967. As the situation deteriorated in Aden, it eventually withdrew in two waves to Sharjah in the UAE; the first 8 Wessex via HMS Fearless between 17 and 23 Oct 1967 and the second by 6 Wessex, on HMS Intrepid on 29 Nov 1967. On arrival, the SAR Flight detached and moved to RAF Muharraq (eventually to become COMSAR Bahrein) and 78 Squadron continued to operate in hot and sandy conditions. These eventually led to the units Wessex being temporarily repatriated singly to the UK by RAF Belfast freighters from Nov 1968 for a full strip down, clean out and re-assembly. Wessex strength had fallen to six airframes by Mar 1971 and the unit disbanded at RAF Sharjah on 21 Dec 1971 as part of Britains withdrawal from the Gulf.
When 78 Squadron reformed as part of the Falkland Islands Garrison, it amalgamated the Chinook HC.1s from 1310 Flight and the Sea King HAR.3s from 1564 Flight into the new unit.
It reformed at RAF Stanley in the Falkland Islands on 2 May 1986. 78 Squadron operated Chinook HC.2 and Sea King HAR.3As. Until 2004, the Sea Kings wore an overall grey for Combat SAR and utility missions, since then they reverted to the more usual high visibility yellow paint scheme.
From Nov 2007, the Squadron was reformed at RAF Benson as part of the Merlin force to fly the Merlin HC3a.
78 Squadron was reformed at RAF Benson on 3 Dec 2007, from a flight of 28 Squadron (then on detatchment in Iraq) and with the Merlin HC3, which will be supplemented with ex RDAF Merlins from 2008, into a Merlin pool; airframes are to be shared with 28 Squadron. 78 Sq was disbanded on 30 Sep 2014, and its Merlins were handed over to a newly reformed 846 NAS.



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  Locations


YearsLocationICAO/FAA
2007/14RAF BensonEGUB
1986/07 RAF Mount PleasantEGYP
1986 Port StanleySFAL
1967/71AE RAF Sharjah closed 1977
1956/67YE Khormaksar / Aden InternationalOYAA


helicopter   Models


Years Models
2008/14 EH101 Mk.512
2007/14 Merlin HC.3
1995/06 414 - H-47D Chinook
1986/95 CH-47C Chinook
1986/07 Sea King
1965/71 Wessex




78 Squadron List of helicopters


C/N VersionBuiltIn this Org In other Org
wa125 w/o 1979 hc.2 1963 XR500 : 9 Oct 1967, visited newly commissioned RFA Stromness, off Aden while opera+
wa144 hc.2 1964 XR522 : ff 22 Apr 1964, dd 1 May 1964 . 78 Sq/O by 1965, HOCF/BW by Sep 1970, 84 S+
Uruguayan Air Force 071
wa150 hc.2 1964 XR528 : RAF Wessex HC2 ff 04nov64, dd 10dec64; 78 Sq/F, /BZ by Sep 1971
- XR528
wa285 hu.5 1965 XT463 : RAF; 30 pictured as HC type with 78 Sqn on the ramp at RAF Akrotiri, Cypru+
: 1990-1993, worked on her, was not 78 Sqn but 84 Sqn
Royal Navy XT463
- XT463
wa531 hc.2 1966 XT604 : ff 7 Jul 1966, dd 2 Aug 1966 to RAF. Wessex HAR.2; Khormaksar SAR Flt Nov +
- XT604
wa 865 Scrapped har.3 1978 XZ599 : pictured (pic2) as /S in grey cammo at Lydd Airport. One of a number of +
Vector Aerospace XZ599
M.7007 ch-47d 1980 ZA671 : 78 Sq / J by Aug 1999
M.7026 ch-47d ZA711 : pictured (pic1) in the hangar at RAF Mount Pleasant with 78 Sq coded A
M.7013 ch-47d 1981 ZA713 : 78 Sq / EM by Aug 1999
b-848 w/o 1989 ch-47c 1982 ZA717 ET : w/o following gearbox failure in Falklands as 78 Sq /ET; to 9238M Cranwel+
: pictured (pic1) at RAF Mount Pleasant coded C with 78 Sq a few days before+
: pictured (pic2) at RAF Mount Pleasant coded C with 78 Sq a hours after cra+
Boeing Helicopters N37056
- ZA717
b-852 w/o 1987 ch-47c 1982 ZA721 : RAF Chinook HC1; MA033 dd 08jun82 last Chinook RAF first batch, test seria+
EP : w/o RAF Mount Pleasant, Falklands crashed during post servicing air tes+
Boeing Helicopters N37061
50083 hc.3 2000 ZJ120 : 28/78 Sq/D by Oct09. Part of 1st detachment of RAF Merlin to Afghanistan; +
Royal Navy ZJ120
50141 hc.3 2000 ZJ126 : pictured (pic2) with 78 Sq/K markings on std side in the static display a+
Royal Navy ZJ126
50169 hc.3 2001 ZJ130 : 28/78 Sq/O by Oct 2009. Part of 1st detachment of RAF Merlin to Afghanista+
Royal Navy ZJ130
50089 mk512 2003 ZJ990 : HC.3A type pictured (pic2) as 78 Sqn /AA at RIAT air show
AgustaWestland UK ZJ990
Royal Danish Air Force M-501
Royal Navy ZJ990




  78 Squadron Operations


Dates Operation
2013-aug Cougar 13
1966-oct-251966-oct-27 Operation Fate






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