Originally Posted by
Al-bert
Double Bogey - I'm sensing that maybe you don't like Crab? I've never met Crab, though I know that he exists, since I retired just (I think) before he joined the RAFSAR force, or Wing as I prefer to remember it, but I share his belief that you just don't get it!
During the '70's I flew SH Wessex in Germany (18Sqn) then (72 Sqn) in NI before spending 22 years on 22, 202, and 78 Sqn's flying SAR Wessex and Sea Kings. I was a Flight Commander for 4 years (hence chief authoriser - but all our Captains were self authorising) in Scotland and again Flt Cdr in Wales and Falklands at various times as a Spec Aircrew pilot. We hover taxied in cloud on occasions, sometimes up mountains, sometimes at night too. It's what we did, just like our predecessors on the bloody Whirlind, (which was always safe single engine as they used to boast! That btw was a joke). I know of no aircraft loss due to this practice and the spirit and airmanship that achieved this is what made RAFSAR the best SAR outfit in the world at the time. Only the RN would disagree with that, but they were only amateurs!
So DB, get over it and move on.
Al Bert,
My father was a crewman during your time on the SARF, he was awarded a Royal Human Society testimonial on vellum for one night...shouldn’t have been just for him but all the crew. I grew up around RAF SAR, knowing about the “Jocks Box” and all the illustrious history. In this thread, this is not the point. It wasn’t SAR or HEMS, and I’ll be corrected if it wasn’t anything more than a task to move people.
Best regards
Ralph