Perseverance: Some Reflections on 55 Years of the Canadian Sea King

On August 1, 1963, the first two Canadian Sea King helicopters arrived at their new home station, Shearwater, Nova Scotia and joined the Royal Canadian Navy. On Saturday, December 1, 2018, three Canadian Sea King helicopters, now part of the Royal Canadian Air Force, made their final flight over their home station at Patricia Bay, British Columbia. This paper outlines some of the highlights of the intervening 55 years with particular emphasis on procurement and fleet introduction, the helicopter's rapid change of roles from dedicated anti-submarine warfare helicopter to a general-purpose surveillance platform for the First Gulf War and finally, the truly amazing accomplishments of the Canadian Sea Kings in the year 2010. It is worth bearing in mind that although the personnel may have changed and the roles and equipment of the aircraft have been modified, the requirement to provide ‘Wings for the Fleet’ has remained constant over the years.