Crab,
I hope you are right and that future SAR capability is not degraded. But can you put your hand on heart and say that the training budget, crewing, equiping of MCA aircraft will ever match the military? This is not just about capability, it is value for money. If the MOD (or more likely the politicians above) look to the MCA and think that that is the level of training, manning and equiping that is fit for purpose for half of Scotland and the South Coast of England, why not apply that to the eight other bases? With NVG capability, why shouldn't the future of SAR be run on the same lines of the MCA contract?
Cyclic - I don't think there is any secret that we are not winching on training sorties at the moment as a sensible precaution following a hoist malfunction at Chivenor this week. Operational winching for lifesaving is continuing as normal.
I am not going to dig at this one, rather just question the wisdom of posting such an admission. Is it right to use a winch at all if its servicability is suspect?