Royal Navy chopper '˜Sea King' swoops in for visit with Cookstown school children

The visit, which was organised by Cookstown PS principal Neil Downing, also gave children at neighbouring Cookstown High School, Cookstown Nursery, and Holy Trinity College and Primary and Phoenix Integrated the chance to look around one of the first Westland Sea King helicopters.

Built in 1969, the chopper is still in operation with the Navy today.

Mr Downing told the Mail the 650 youngsters who got to look around the impressive machine “were absolutely mesmerised by the whole thing”.

All many of them have done since is draw pictures of helicopters, talk about flying and Mr Downing said his P7s also think they would like to be pilots when they grow up.

Asked how the visit came about, he said the observer of the 849 Royal Naval Air Squadron, got in touch to see if the school would like a visit from the Cornwall based crew.

And that obviously the school jumped at the chance, but had to keep it hush, hush as there was a chance it could be called away on a mission at the last minute.

“It came about because some of the crew were from Northern Ireland,” Mr Downing said.

“I taught one of the crew and we were asked if we would be interested in a visit.”

As for how it went, he said the visit gave the children “a great insight” into what happens outside of Northern Ireland.

As well as speaking about their time with the navy, sailing the seas, he said the crew also spoke about science, technology, the humanitarian work they do.

Some officers from the PSNI’s local Neighbourhood Policing Team also went along to see the helicopter in action.

They thanked the schools, flight crew and the Sean King for having them over.