In short......someone will!
It's a question that keeps being asked! & one day someone will have to take the plunge & start ab-nitio winch crew training! That's kind of inevitable! So...what will they look for in likely candidates!??
Winching experience, medical ability & qualifications, navigation, airmanship....to name but a few! Well....this is going to be ab-nitio training....so we're unlikely to find many applicants with winching experience! But....we may find the medical skills we're looking for! Paramedics, Mountain Rescue Team Personnel & other emrgency services personnel!
These people will have worked in high stress enviroments before & therefore have a good chance of having the right characteristics to work well in the air!
The course will have to be a balance of necessary training vs costs! That's a fact everyone has to face! There are enough experienced people to come to those decisions as & when!
One thing that will have to be taken into account is the work that these guys will have to do! Never belittle a SARcrewman!! Whoever does decide to undertake the training needs to tread carefully!
As for the ever popular discussion of who's who in SAR.....I'm ex-navy! But in all honesty.....when it comes to SAR give me a crewman from the Irish Aer Corps everytime! But with the wealth of experience from all walks of life civilian SAR has.....I'm confident that the training will be comprehensive & professional!
