Whats wrong with Shetland Beef?

[helicrazi]

BBC News - Coastguard helicopter pilot suspended over Orkney butcher trip (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-17785743)

The pilot of a coastguard helicopter in Shetland has been suspended after dropping in on a butcher in Orkney to pick up meat.

The incident came to light after a video of the aircraft landing in a field was posted on YouTube.

It has emerged that the Shetland-based helicopter landed near Craigie's butchers in the east of mainland Orkney to pick up a consignment of meat.

The aircraft's operators, CHC, confirmed the pilot had been suspended.

Mobile phone footage - which has now been removed from YouTube - showed two crew getting out of the helicopter and walking over to a group of butchers, who handed over the bag of Orkney beef.

'High standards'
A CHC spokeswoman: "We can confirm that a pilot has been suspended pending the results of a formal investigation.

"We expect high standards of professionalism from all our employees and, if we find these have not been met, we will take the appropriate action.

"While the aircraft was previously engaged in a training exercise, it was operating a non-revenue flight at the time of the incident in question."

The butcher at the centre of the incident said he was horrified that the pilot had been suspended.

:D

[mad_jock]

Most of Shetlands meat goes up on the Ferry from Aberdeen.

Orkney breeds its own from very established herds which havn't been touch by the various culls which the rest of the UK has.

They also feed the beasts the waste products from Highland Park and Scarpa Distilleries.

The both the Beef and Lamb are really rather special.

That particualar Butcher is pretty well known for his Steak pies. And from first hand experence they are exceptional. His Haggis is cracking as well. And he will deliver to the airport if you give him a call and order a reasonable amount.

We are quite lucky in the North with still having family butchers providing quality products from local produce.

Stornaway black puddings are worth a try as well.

[Bellrider]

Come on guys! It s time to send a application to CHC! 1 Pilot must be replaced!!
I think it´s not fair! It was a training flight, so way don´t exercise confined area landing?!
Hard stuff, a dream came true, a job at CHC and than it´s over, because of such a action....:{

[ShyTorque]

That's given them something to beef about, a real slap round the chops.

[Whirlygig]

CHC really cud have turned a blind eye instead of giving the pilot a roasting; after all the poor chap's livelihood is at steak here.

They may have wanted it to be an example to udder pilots but a warning should suffice.

Cheers

Whirls

[ninja-lewis]

They were only collecting organs for experimental transplant - into the stomachs of the aircrew...

[Epiphany]

That is a rare example of punning there Whirls. I herd that you were good at that sort of thing. The poor guy must be on the horns of a dilemma as it sounds like CHC have served him up on a platter. Perhaps he has a tough hide though and can ride the storm. Well done.

[Fareastdriver]

In the early seventies our squadron at Odiham had a Puma HC1, XV203, which was a nominated CAAP (Componant Advanced Aging Program) aircraft. This helicopter was required to fly 100hrs/month to enable Aerospatial to certify the dynamic componants for civil use.
You could do anything with this helicopter as long as you piled on the hours. Moving kit, job interviews, thrashes at other stations etc. Included was kippers from Machrihanish and lamb and beef from the Orkneys.

[Epiphany]

There were no mobile phones and Youtube in those halcyon days.

[SASless]

For a second there I thought the US Secret Service was involved.

As to the suspended Pilot....was he "meat on the hook" on the way back to the airport? His Butt dangles in the wind it would appear. I guess it just wasn't Kosher!

[ShyTorque]

The tail's probably a load of tripe but it's certainly something to ruminate about.

[birrddog]

after all the poor chap's livelihood is at steak here.
Shirley it was his livestock that was at steak? :p

[nigelh]

If people realised how daft the average pilot was they would never fly again .

[Whirlygig]

So a pilot tries to get his food shopping on the hoof, he shouldn't expect his employer to be watching his every moo-vement. This sort of rumpus could have been sorted easily.

Cheers

Whirls

[XA290]

Nobody has a sense of fun these days and everything has to be taken so seriously :rolleyes:

I remember on a certain SAR flight not too far to the south west of Sumburgh where we used to pick up the Sunday papers on the beach at Ullapool. This was in the day (early 1990s) when there were no ferries or planes onto the island on the Sabbath and the Sunday papers were delivered to the shops on Monday. The We Free’s grip has slackened a bit over the years but not by much.

We used to plan for mountain flying training on the west coast Scottish mainland and nip in for a pre-arranged pick-up at about 1230. It was not a regular thing but I must say it was quite nice to know that as you sat at home on Sunday afternoon, you were the only person with a Mail on Sunday on the Outer Hebrides.

It all stopped I gather when a BBC engineer came up to Ullapool on a Saturday evening and asked at the pub what time the ferry to Stornoway departed on Sunday. He was up to fix the main transmitter I think. He was told “no ferries till Monday but you can hitch a ride with the coastguard when they come in for the papers tomorrow lunchtime”

The engineer then called the SAR flight to arrange pick-up along with the Mirror, Record and Sunday Post etc. only to be told that such things did not take place….. ever……click….brrrrr. :ok:

[Variable Load]

Personally I think the pilot acted like a Jerky

[ShyTorque]

If people realised how daft the average pilot was they would never fly again.

You should see how much dafter the above average ones are.

But let's face it, you either laugh or cry about folk getting their hide tanned for such "crimes".

[Savoia]

We are not a-moo-sed: Coastguard pilot suspended after landing at butcher's shop to collect a cut of beef


The pilot of a coastguard helicopter has been suspended after images were posted online which appeared to show the aircraft stopping on a Scottish island to collect some beef from a butcher.

An investigation has been launched after the Shetland-based helicopter was filmed landing in a field at the back of the shop on Orkney.

Aberdeen-based firm CHC Helicopter provide search and rescue services to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and the company insisted the aircraft had finished a training exercise at the time of the incident.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/20/article-2132877-12B130A9000005DC-962_468x260.jpg

Coastguard pilot suspended after landing at butcher's shop to collect a cut of beef | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2132877/Coastguard-pilot-suspended-landing-butchers-shop-collect-cut-beef.html)

[Richard Taylor]

At least there's not a veal of scerecy over the incident.

[Tarman]

Hmmm . . . I fear that he may "beef hooked "


Tarman

[500e]

Are you sure this is not just another tall tail?

[SASless]

Seems like a raw deal! Hopefully he will not get skinned!

[212man]

you were the only person with a Mail on Sunday on the Outer Hebrides.

I'm assuming the newsagent had sold out of real newspapers then!:E

[Fareastdriver]

212man

I thought that you would have known that in the Outer Hebrides in the old days they used to pull a curtain over the TV set on Sundays.

[mad_jock]

What do you mean the old days?

The bastards in the hotel will still try and take it out your room while you are down at breakfast on sunday if you don't watch out.

And its only on lewis that this bollocks goes on like no pool tables etc. Uist are much more civilised for the none wee free visitor.

[212man]

FED,
Yes, and padlock the swings. I meant the mainland news agent. I think I'd rather return empty handed than buy the 'Mail'....

[SASless]

Prefer the Guardian do you 212Man?

[chopper2004]

Well this certainly beefs up his duty day then :ok:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g209/longranger/index.jpg

Sadly it looked like CHC have enough to spit roast the poor pilot :cool: with the video adding the meat to the bones. Any chances he'll be left off the hook?

[HS2]

Mad Jock,

Strong words mate! Looking forward to us meeting in a crewroom one day. We could always have a chat outside?:ok:

[Epiphany]

Attention! Attention! Wee Free spotted in Aberdeen. What are you doing playing on the internet on a Sunday? Naughty boy.

[HS2]

A wee free? No, just one of the "bastards"

[HS2]

Just back from church!:)

[ShyTorque]

Any updates on the situation? Did the pilot get a good leathering and is he hoofing it?

[helicrazi]

I suspect he may be moo-ving on!

[mad_jock]

What a stupid waste of a very expensive resource if they do.

Your ok HS2 the days of me having to sit in SYY for 5-6 hours are past and I did enjoy my time on the islands both of them infact. And loved the locals when they wern't in Sunday mode. Proper pax with a sense of humour.

And shock horror I also used to smuggle in 10-20 newspapers on a sunday to the airport workers. Made a change from the usual ton and half that we used to take every other day.

Still keep in contact with Gillian, Kerry etc.

[Little cloud]

Shytorque, locals up there are getting behind him:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-the-shetland-coastguards-pilots-job/

Not sure if these things help by extending the publicity and profile in the media. The alternative would be to let media fatigue set in and CHC sort things out without the glare of publicity and normality rapidly resumes after reinstatement. People seem to have run with the idea that 'suspended' actually means 'fired'.

Not first hand but I did hear that the butcher's helipad, sorry field, is about 30 secs flying time from KOI and directly under the route KOI - SUM which they were taking. So, a diversion of zero miles, not 84 as quoted by the Sun!

[212man]

Prefer the Guardian do you 212Man?

The Grauniad? No - more of a 'Telegraph' man myself, thanks for asking :ok:

[SASless]

Anything without Page Three girls....is just not worth reading! If one is to keep abreast of things .....that is!

[Savoia]

Rescuer demoted after his landing helicopter at butcher (http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/scotland/rescuer-demoted-after-his-landing-helicopter-at-butcher-s-becomes-youtube-hit-1-2373040)

A HELICOPTER pilot at the helm of search and rescue operations in Scotland for the past two decades has been demoted by his bosses for dropping in on a butcher to pick up meat while on duty.

Paul Bentley’s working life has been dedicated to Shetland Coastguard’s famous Oscar Charlie aircraft and he has been involved in some of the country’s most daring rescue operations, including searching for survivors of the Piper Alpha disaster.

However, his career crash-landed in April when mobile phone footage was posted on YouTube showing the helicopter, with its distinctive red and white colours, touching down in an Orkney field to allow the crew to collect a consignment of beef.

Bentley and his colleague, pilot Steve Gladstone, were immediately suspended by CHC Helicopters, which runs the search and rescue contract out of Sumburgh Airport. The outcry that followed prompted online campaigns and petitions for their reinstatement.

Now it has emerged that Bentley, who was once the chief pilot for Shetland Coastguard when the contract was operated by Bristow Helicopters, has been demoted from captain to co-pilot by successors CHC.

Gladstone, who was a contract worker, is understood to have been told by CHC that he will not fly with the company for at least one year as punishment. He is believed to be working elsewhere.

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael, who championed the campaign in support of the rescue pilots, said: “I am immensely disappointed by the approach taken by CHC in dealing with these pilots.

“It has been, in my view, disproportionate and heavy-handed and not what the community or even the government, which pays for this service, would have wanted to see.

“I am genuinely worried that this treatment of highly respected pilots could ultimately have an adverse effect on the resilience of the search and rescue service.”

Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat deputy chief whip at Westminster, added: “The current operator is on a temporary contract and it is to be hoped that the permanent contractor will ensure that their employees are not treated in this way.”

Bentley, 58, who lives near Sumburgh where the coastguard helicopter is based, and Gladstone have not previously been revealed as the crew involved in April’s meat pick-up. Carmichael refused to name the pair, referring to them only as “among the best-recognised faces of Oscar Charlie and search and rescue operations”.

He said: “The public sympathy in the Northern Isles is fairly and squarely behind the pilots.

“These are people who are a valued part of our community, and unfair treatment of them is something that will not be left unchallenged.

“There are a number of people in the Northern Isles, and around the world, who owe their lives to the skill, professionalism and bravery of these helicopter crews.”

Footage of the Shetland-based helicopter landing near Craigie’s butchers in the east of mainland Orkney to pick up the meat became an online hit.

Mobile phone footage – which was later removed from YouTube – showed two crew members getting out of the helicopter and walking to the butchers, where they picked up a bag of Orkney beef reported to be worth £400.

After suspending the pilots, a CHC spokeswoman said: “We expect high standards of professionalism from all our employees and, if we find these have not been met, we will take the appropriate action.

“While the aircraft was previously engaged in a training exercise, it was operating a non-revenue flight at the time of the incident in question.”

The company would not comment last week, other than to confirm that its investigations had been completed. Bentley did not wish to comment.

CHC’s actions prompted an immediate outcry in the Northern Isles, with online campaigns supported by more than 7,000 followers.

At the time, Thorfinn Craigie, the butcher who delivered the order, defended the pilots, saying: “I think the whole thing has been totally blown out of proportion.

“The guys are doing a fantastic job. They risk their necks every day of their working lives to save folk. I am absolutely gutted. The guys did absolutely nothing wrong. We are only a matter of miles from the airport and on the flight path.

“They made no detour at all. If anything they were trying to save some money, I would say. It took a minute and a half to land, get the stuff and go. They weren’t wasting time – they were just in, out and away.”

Bentley has been involved in hundreds of rescue operations, flying tens of thousands of miles. He was pilot of Oscar Charlie during the search for survivors of the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988, which claimed 167 lives.

Deeply disappointing and incredibly short-sighted.

I don't mind saying that, on this occasion, my regard for CHC has diminished somewhat.

[toptobottom]

A quiet word and slap on the wrist would have been perfectly adequate. What a load of bullocks.

[bolkow]

I guess if CHC pilots were vegetarians this would never have occurred?

[roundwego]

Does anyone know if any action was taken against the pilots?

[Anthony Supplebottom]

Roundwego - did you in fact read the link in #39?

[farsouth]

Summary of that link - long-term SAR captain demoted to co-pilot, contractor co-pilot told his services not required for at least a year.
Appalling over-reaction by CHC. Hope they are both re-instated when Bristow take over again.

[riverrock83]

Maybe democracy works?

BBC News - 'Meat stop' helicopter pilots flying again (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-19325525)

Two coastguard helicopter pilots suspended for stopping off to pick up meat from a butchers during a training exercise are back flying again.

Paul Bentley was demoted to co-pilot after the Shetland-based search and rescue helicopter landed in an Orkney field in April, but has now been restored as captain.

Steve Gladstone, who was a contract pilot, is also back at work.

A campaign to have them reinstated collected thousands of names.

[farsouth]

:D

I didn't see the campaign to have them reinstated, but glad to hear it has happened. Doesn't alter my view that they shouldn't have had that severity of punishment in the first place though.

[SARowl]

Also CHC suddenly found themselves very short of SAR Captains... The cost of contractual penalties overcame the thirst for vengence.