Limpopo - I think you miss the whole point of the privatisation thread - it has never been about 'us being better than them' or vice versa - it is about whether the same capability that the military provide can be procured more cheaply in the civilian sector.
I have been attacked several times for daring to say that the military capability exceeds the civilian but I have only ever been defending our position against those would have us believe that the existing civilian SAR is exactly the same as the existing military SAR only cheaper.
You must admit that the civilian SAR world has relied considerably on ex-military crews (front and rear) and has not had the need to provide a structured progression from co-pilot to captain (and I am not saying there is none, just that there is a lot less). After all there is only a need for a certain number captains on one flight because they get paid more - in the military they get paid the same and everyone is expected to become a captain.
When the 2012 contract is let, there will be a need to poach/recruit military crews to fill many of the slots, to think otherwise is fanciful. Once that surge is over and the military no longer produces SAR crews for itself, all the future crews will have to come from within the new MCA SAR force. I believe this is one area that CHC scored heavily on over Bristows because they were realistic about training requirements.