SAR..
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84 dropped me and a fairer member of the military off just off Aki in a quite sizeable survival dinghy and left us to it (mid 80s) for an hour or so until they came to look for us. She had no sense of humour but it didn't matter (if you know what I mean); if I was to ever have play my small part (not in the biblical sense) in fostering closer working relationships between 34 Sqn and the station, that would have been it. I bottled it though, completely. F for big fat freddy fail. Some time later, I met her at Benson and after a few drinks, she asked me why I didn't - she said she would have been willing to explore some form of rapprochement.
Gutted.
Yup.
Gutted.
I suspect the general and largely uninformed public holds mil SAR in far higher esteem than politicians even imagine.
Very sad. As one who only used their services on sea survival courses I can barely imagine how welome the sight of a yellow helicopter would be to someone in dire straits.
Ye Gods! I hope they went out and had one anyway.
Lossiemouth were denied an end of SAR party
Saw 137 doing her thing this morning around the Ben, replaced later in the day by an S-92, G-MCGF I think.
The Lossie & Gannet birds have been a common sight around these parts for many years now, although Stornoway S-92's have been becoming increasingly frequent visitors over the last few years.
The Sea King, particularly the yellow peril's / yellow budgies (or whatever you guys in the know call them) will be missed....
Well done the Sea King!!
Well done the personnel!!
The Lossie & Gannet birds have been a common sight around these parts for many years now, although Stornoway S-92's have been becoming increasingly frequent visitors over the last few years.
The Sea King, particularly the yellow peril's / yellow budgies (or whatever you guys in the know call them) will be missed....
Well done the Sea King!!
Well done the personnel!!
The once glorious 84 Sqn has been turned into an SH unit by an ambitious boss - the last chance for a decent overseas tour ruined.
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Could be the Last? - 84 Sqn will continue to provide SAR cover for BFC.
[email protected] - not much trooping gets done in a small cab that is fragged/roled for SAR. AKT is still a great place to be, but is not the beach holiday that it was in the 80s/90s.
[email protected] - not much trooping gets done in a small cab that is fragged/roled for SAR. AKT is still a great place to be, but is not the beach holiday that it was in the 80s/90s.
As someone else already mentioned, a sizable and unclassified record exists of all the SAR efforts over the decades - namely the Form 'R's. Although not all Form Rs involved SAR Helos, I'll bet the majority did. Hopefully one of the many aviation authors out there will grab them for research and produce a worthy book. Good luck to all the crews in their new roles/careers.
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I'm not entirely surprised that D Flt was allowed to slip away gracefully without a media fanfare. Media coverage has been allowed to wane for years, probably with the intention of letting mil SAR slip off the public's radar so no one would notice when the axe finally fell. The pre-election purdah period was supposedly the reason for the cancellation of the public party in Elgin, which I'm told went ahead anyway. Purdah didn't stop the official handover of Leuchars to the Army being screened, presumably that could be sold as a good news story, since there was no closure and the Army will still contribute to the local economy. Grrrr! 
End of SAR
Seems to me that a Service of thanksgiving either in St. Paul`s or Westminster Abbey followed by a parade through London for every ex and serving SAR member, followed by a "social" get together in the Guildhall is the way to recognise/celebrate the demise of Military SAR.
Didn`t they do that for the Falklands/Gulf and Afghan wars- why not for an organisation that has saved countless lives over a considerable amount of time? Not sure who could do the fly past though? But there is still a Whirlwind flying!
Didn`t they do that for the Falklands/Gulf and Afghan wars- why not for an organisation that has saved countless lives over a considerable amount of time? Not sure who could do the fly past though? But there is still a Whirlwind flying!
I found this article via a link on another thread, I haven't read it in detail, but thought it might be of some interest/relevance here:
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/falk...tract-awarded/
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/falk...tract-awarded/
Oldlae - the last 22 Sqn reunion to be held at a SAR flight is in May this year at Chivenor.
There are events planned (or were last time I checked) to mark the closing of RAF UK SAR in October - unless some big cheese puts the kybosh on them.
TC - pedantically correct as ever
There are events planned (or were last time I checked) to mark the closing of RAF UK SAR in October - unless some big cheese puts the kybosh on them.
TC - pedantically correct as ever