Sea King Attracts Attention at Wawa Municipal Airport

Written by Brenda Grundt, photos by Marcus Grundt, Superior Image    

Sunday May 9th, 2010

The Wawa Municipal Airport had an uncommon visitor on Saturday afternoon. A CH-124 Sea King dropped by for fuel as it was on it’s way out to Victoria, British Columbia.

With rotors about 29ft long weighing 250 pounds each, the Sea King was guided closer to the pumps by one of it’s six member crew. It was amazing how quick the rotors stopped with it’s dynamic brake. Normally, one watches the rotors spin slower and slower until they stop. With the Sea King, not only does the pilot have the ability to stop them quickly, the rotors fold backwards for storage on a ship.

The Sea King left Saturday morning from Sudbury with 10 cms of snow on the ground, heading to an overnight stay in Thunder Bay that night. They fly at 120 miles per hour, for about 6-8 hours every day. They expected to be on the “road” for another 3-4 days. Their stop in Wawa was for just under an hour. 

Although the front of the machine carries the logo celebrating 100 years of Flight in Canada, this particular machine wasn’t one of the 100 that flew across Canada in July of 2009. 

Although the front of the machine carries the logo celebrating 100 years of Flight in Canada, this particular machine wasn't one of the 100 that flew across Canada in July of 2009.