Crashondeck,
You said
"Firstly, the ad is titled "We're Headhunting". To me that implies they know who they want - they might even have a list of names. I am certain that everyone (commanders and winchoperators) they employ will have substantial SAR experience. The wording in that advent will have been adjusted to satisfy the law".
They might know who they want, but why have they spent a few thousand £s on an Ad? Perhaps their headhunting has failed.
Is it illegal to say they want competent, experienced SAR commanders?
I agree about the winchmen. They are brave skilled men who deserve to be paid at least as much as the pilots, will exparamedics be any good at night in a force 10? Some might, but do they know what they are letting themselves in for?
With rumours circulating about military SAR being civilianised in the near future, eg Culdrose, will military pilots sell up and move north in the coming months or wait and see?