Crab,
We do flight as well as ground audits. Each individual pilot will do 2 checks each year... (VFR and IFR). One of those will be in the sim.
They also do a line check with a training captain. The auditors (IAA and IRCG) do sample line checks aswell.
As far as having instructors on board every flight... If I do a poor job on a deck or drum or whatever I wont need any one to tell me. The day I do I'm in trouble. If by chance I do fail to notice I can assure you that the rearcrew will advise me on the debrief!!!
I dont want to jinx the maintenance guys but our servicability levels amaze me. I think the 61 loves the life of low MAUW(most of the time), relatively low hours, constant hangarage and good maintenance.
Our primary role is marine based SAR. We do mountain work as a secondary role. We are not provided with NVG so our night mountain capabilty is limited. If they ask us to, then of course we will. If they ask us to go to 500 miles offshore and pay for the equipment we will go there too.
We dont rest on our laurels and continue to re evaluate the service we provide. However the service we provide is very good....as Im sure is yours. Many of the jobs we do are in conditions no one would routinely train in. So even if we did twice the training I'm not sure it would help all that much.
Most of the pilots here come with lots of experience previously (SAR and otherwise) so that helps. But like I said, In my experience both the duds and good ones come in all colours. Whether the service is provided by the military or a civil operator is irrelevant. The money still comes from the taxpayer. And while I would love a bigger budget, 120 hours of training per month at a ten pilot SAR base sounds OTT to me.
Last edited by Decks; 19th May 2005 at 13:24.