Blimp22
The Coastguard have never been able to speak to their helicopters once out of VHF range as they dont have HF in their MRCCs. Now they can speak to them using the Satphone. So for them it's a welcome addition.
I'm sure it is for the Coastguard who are sat warm and cosy in their ops rooms. But its surely not a welcome addition for the crews if they can't communicate and there the ones who are out in crappy weather. Do they have to phone through a Mayday for example and was this system ever tested or trialled before it went into the Coastguard heli's?