RAF Rescue Westland Wessex helicopter 1987

This authentic 1980s colour photograph, captured in 1987, features a Westland Wessex HC.2 search and rescue helicopter operated by the Royal Air Force. The archival image documents the iconic aircraft finished in high-visibility yellow livery with “ROYAL AIR FORCE RESCUE” and the RAF roundel clearly visible on the fuselage. The helicopter is captured mid-air, hovering over a calm blue sea near a coastal vantage point. In the foreground, a gravel car park serves as a viewing area for several bystanders, including a man in a light blue shirt and white shorts. Period-correct vehicles are parked along the railings, including a silver D-registered Ford Sierra Sapphire (D635 TFY) and a dark blue Ford Fiesta (EKR 410Y). The clear, bright conditions of 1987 highlight the functional design of the Wessex, a mainstay of British search and rescue operations during the late 20th century. This factual record preserves a moment of civilian fascination with emergency aviation services along the British coastline during the mid-1980s.