SARREMF
Of course there will always be a solution. The usual suspects in the UK SAR game will find a way of putting bums on seats in the back of the helicopters. And I will be the first to agree that the old fashioned training and selection regimes are in need of change - there is now neither the money or the hours to give guys 5/6 month conversion courses, etc. That said, if you are going to cut corners it is even more important that the right people are selected in the first place.
Sadly, it is often the truth that weaknesses in someone's ability rarely show-up until the pressure is on. Therefore, it is vital that you seek quality training opportunities that allow crews to face realistic situations. This is the balance that Chief Pilots and Crewmen Ldrs have to meet - low risk, challenging training events that benefit the whole crew.
I am a big fan of the Voice Marshalling VR Trainer and have seen it in use at both SARTU and Shawbury. It is an ideal tool to introduce and practice VM for Winch Ops and the latest software upgrade has introduced a pretty good sea model that includes some tricky decks. The use of this kit in harness with a focussed flying training programme will produce good basic Winch Ops. I should add that I don't have shares with VP Defence and have nothing to gain by promoting their kit
