Why a Navy helicopter is flying cannons off St Michael’s Mount

If you hear a heavy helicopter thudding back and forth across the bay this morning, there is a good reason for it. Eighteen historic cannons are leaving St Michael’s Mount, and they are going by air.

A Merlin, the Flying Tigers and 18 cannons

From around 10.15am today (Wednesday 14 October), a Royal Navy Merlin helicopter is expected to make repeated flights between St Michael’s Mount and Folly Field. Each run lifts more of the Mount’s historic cannons ashore, 18 in all, so they can go away for specialist restoration.

The aircraft is from Atlantic Flight, part of 814 Naval Air Squadron (known as the Flying Tigers) at RNAS Culdrose. It is a planned Royal Navy training exercise, so the crew gets the practice and the cannons get a lift to the restorers.

Anyone who saw a helicopter around the area last week was watching the rehearsal. Practice flights took place then, and refuelling during today’s operation will be done at Penzance Heliport.

The operation is expected to take several hours, depending on conditions, and there will be some aircraft noise and activity while it runs.

The Mount has admitted the notice is short. The team needed to confirm the operational conditions before sharing the plan, and it has thanked neighbours and local residents for their understanding while the training and conservation work is carried out.

What is closed today

The whole island is closed to visitors for the duration of the operation.

On the mainland, the short-stay slipway car park, the play park, the public toilets and Folly Field have been closed since 8am.

Temporary exclusion zones will also be in place around:

• the cannon lifting area on the Mount
• the flight path
• the helicopter and cannon handling area at Folly Field, including the relevant part of the long-stay car park

Access around the Western Quay and nearby routes will be managed by ground crews while the lifts are under way.

Watching the lifts safely

A Merlin carrying cannons over the water is going to draw a crowd. If you want to watch, the Mount asks that you do it only from areas away from the flight path, stay within those areas and follow instructions from the RNAS ground crew.

And keep your distance. People are asked not to enter restricted areas or approach the aircraft or the equipment at any point.

📷A Royal Navy Merlin helicopter at St Michael's Mount. Credit: St Michael's Mount