I know very little about the pay and conditions on the various civvy SAR contracts, but what I do know is that most SAR crewmen are not doing the job for money. That said, it is increasingly important that you pay people what they are worth - and in my humble opinion there are few people who have the responsibility and face the dangers that SAR crews do. Therefore, CHC 'et al' are going to have to put their hands in their pockets to attract the right people. Similarly, CHC and whoever gets the SAR(H) contract are going to have to invest flying hours in training their new people. That means writing proper monthly training requirements that give pilots and rear crew sufficient time to maintain proficiency. Let's stop this ridiculous practice of justifying rear crew trg on the back of pilot trg hours.
Furthermore, SAR operators must invest in top quality role equipment and flying clothing. This also has a big impact on the morale of crews; particularly Winchmen.
As ever, job satisfaction is more than just what goes in the pay packet. But when you pay peanuts you get monkeys!
End of Broadcast.
AT