Pilots Sing Protest Song Over Choppers

Reuters ^ | 11-21-2002

[Cagey]

OTTAWA (Reuters) - While their aging helicopters may hover on the verge of calamity, the creative powers of Canada's air force pilots are soaring.

Earlier this month they created fake recruiting posters to protest the government's failure to replace their creaking, 40-year-old Sea King helicopters. Now they have devised a dark ditty to bemoan their fate.

The Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Wednesday that the song -- a parody of the 1970s pop hit "Seasons in the Sun" -- was making the rounds of military bases by e-mail.

The ballad begins with the words, "Goodbye papa, please pray for me/ My helicopter's crashing in the sea," before reaching a chorus of, "We had joy, we had fun, we had Sea Kings in the sun/ but the engines are on fire and the Sea Kings must retire."

Each Sea King requires more than 30 hours of maintenance for every hour it spends in the air. Ottawa purchased 41 Sea Kings in 1961 and since then 12 have crashed, killing eight people.

A spokesman for the main Sea King base in the Atlantic town of Shearwater said the pilots had a good sense of black humor.

Plans to replace the helicopters have floundered amid accusations of dirty tricks and political favoritism, and the Sea Kings are unlikely to be replaced until July 2006 at the earliest.

[Cagey]

Each Sea King requires more than 30 hours of maintenance for every hour it spends in the air.

Sounds like their Health Care system.

[freedomcrusader]

What a mighty force! 41 1960s era technology helicopters that now number only 29. Good thing for Canada that America hasn't tried to take Canada since 1812.

[PAR35]

Somebody might need to check my math, but it looks like if they lost 12 over the 41 years since they were purchased, they are losing about one every 3.4 years. Since they have 29 left, that should be about a 98 year supply of helecopters. It doesn't appear that they need to buy a new set until the year 2100.

[daviddennis]

Except for two things:

• You're assuming that they only need one helicopter. I would assume that they would need at least a few.

• As they wear out, the rate of destruction is no doubt accelerating.

D

[Paul Ross]

Looks like their Health Care system too:

and for the audio file of the song, 'We had Sea Kings in the Sun.' go to the url at http://radio.cbc.ca/programs/comedy/audio/mucksea_kings.ram

[Paul Ross]

Click here for the audio link.

[Paul Ross]

I just love that line, "good by my stingy one..." what a perfect line about the RATs here as well....

[Paul Ross]

Well, assuming your math takes into account the RECENT history or 'experience' rating of the helicopter failures. These aren't strictly average linear relations...as some stingy politicians may ignorantly assert (note, these same shrill Lib pols don't drive old cars...)

[ContentiousObjector]

Isn't Marine One a Sea King?

In any event, the American helicopter situation isn't a great deal better, most of the helicopters in American service today are Vietnam era or older and their replacement the osprey is well, less reliable than some of the 40 yearold helicopters it is supposed to replace

[PAR35]

Given the direction of the duly elected French Canadian government (they have had French PMs for most of the last 40 years or so - or at least so it seems) one should be ample for their military adventures in the late 21st century.

[PAR35]

Yes, my projections are bunk. You have to control by type of crash - pilot error, weather conditions, equipment failure.

I haven't been able to locate a chart showing when and why the aircraft crashed so I could plot the results. They appeared to have only one crash for 2001. On the other hand, they were having problems with flameouts and broken drive shafts in 1999.

If I were speculating, I would guess that they had several crashes on the front end as they were introducing the type, fewer crashes as the pilots became familiar with the type, and then increasing crashes in recent years due to maintenence failure. If they are properly inspecting and maintaining, the operating costs should be going up, but the crash rate should not be increasing that much.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Polybius]

Ottawa purchased 41 Sea Kings in 1961 and since then 12 have crashed, killing eight people.

Canadian Government Bean-counter: "Here I am, trying to some save money, and you people are whining about dead military guys?!? They're in the military! It's their job to die so that I can save a Loony here and there!!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Here's the tune.
I hope it sticks in your head. :)