Oh dear incoming again...
RTS - do you really think anything I said or did influenced the contract award in any way shape or form - shows how little you really do know about the real world. CHC won the contract because they offered the MCA the best package - don't blame me for Bristow's shortcomings, blame them.
Dillon - if nobody knows the true cost then how come so many are convinced that contractorisation will be cheaper?
Justin - why is stating the truth that MCA don't have declared seconds 'slagging them off'? I never said our seconds standby serviceability was great, it goes in peaks and troughs because the aircraft are old and tired. We can all look at the RCS and sometimes it makes for very poor reading. Do you think this might be why the whole idea of contracting out SAR was even considered by the military?
Night Watchman - I'm trying to see what your point is - are you saying that an MCA flight wouldn't go off state if the crew were unfit to fly? Sometimes one flight gets hit hard with a series of jobs and the crew is fatigued. If there was not a second standby crew available then it would have been for a very good reason. I have never criticised the MCA crews or their professionalism - only their employers.