R21, have you actually any idea what you are talking about? Rhetorical question because your post shows huge ignorance.
Try keeping 2 aircraft on call every day with 3 Captains and 3 Radops. It's OK for a fews days but after a few weeks it is not sustainable. This is not an uncommon situation for us. We are slightly better off with loadies (4) but I think you would be surprised at the workload. This is not a new problem but has got slightly worse recently. Bear in mind that we have sent more pilots SH than we got back in return over the last few years. Most people that have come to SAR from SH are surprised at how hard they are working.
I have nothing but respect for the boys and girls on the SH force but if you think SAR has it easy you need to get your head out of the sand. Just because we work predominately in the UK (although we have aircrew ops officers in more than one of the worlds hot spots, and don't forget we also hold the only mil rotary asset in the Falklands) does not mean we aren't suffering from the same constraints as everyone else.
For those that keep going on about pipe and slippers, those times have long gone. The vast majority of pilots are first and second tourists working their butts off just like everyone else.
(now removing hook from mouth).