Barshifter,
Sorry but you misunderstood me. The 'one large one', as I put it, was actually one of the SAR Sea Kings from Boulmer (the nearest helicopters to where the microlight crashed), not HM58 which is based so far away.
The fact that HM58 was tasked at all amazes me - why send an aircraft over 40 miles when there are two, each better equipped to handle several casualties, based less than 10 miles from the incident scene? In all, as it turns out, 3 helos from 3 bases were all tied up handling an incident which one (from a fourth base, closer than the other three) could have done - surely a waste of precious assets. And even had HM58 been a suitable asset, did noone notice that the weather was poor before despatching them across the Pennines?
What, I wonder was the rationale behind sending HM58 when Boulmer, Newcastle Airport and Otterburn are all much closer? Presumably there was a delay caused when HM58 got as far as Hexham but then had to turn back, meaning that another helicopter had to be tasked? It seems that 30 seconds rational thought at the outset, by whoever was controlling the incident (North East Ambulance Service?), would have saved many minutes of flying time.
As it turned out, one of the Boulmer Sea Kings successfully made it along the Tyne Valley, soon after Jim & Jon's lucky escape, on the way to an incident in the Lakes, and made it back again late that afternoon.