Cyclic,
having just left the HAR3 I can say with a degree of confiednce that every line pilot can and does a double PLB homing and letdown in sim IMC. The kit ain't great and more often than not you have to use one of your main radios to acheive a satisfactory homing. Not great but workable - don't denigrate the abilities of RAF SAR aircrew.
Crab,
just because the more modern SAR cabs don't have a 360(or 330 - not including the rear blindarc) radar doesn't mean that they can't let down to the land or ships etc. They will just do it differently. In fact they can probably point at or just away from the target, which may make things easier. Like the HAR 3 and 3As they'll have to do some manouvering to ensure that they will remain clear of shipping etc but essentially they will let down using their kit quite safely.
Please guys get over yourselves. You fly your aircraft to it's capabilities and then work round the deficincies. Crab - a future SAR service as capable as the one we have now doesn't meant that the aircraft must have a 360 radar - it means that people can be rescued in IMC.
Enough already - I'm off to an Oil Rig.
