Old LAE - if quality experience is only available from ex-mil sources, what will happen when there is no more ex-mil. As it is the bidders recognise that without a significant number of mil crews defecting come 2012 and beyond they won't be able to crew the aircraft with the right calibre of pilot/winchman.
Whilst an ex mil pilot may bring many skills to the party, the civilian co-pilot spends his life in the LHS, does a captain's course and then magically becomes an experienced SAR Captain who has probably never done a job form RHS.
Mil Co's get stacks of RHS training, SAREXs and supervised jobs in the RHS before an Op Captaincy check.
I know that the bidders for SARH have included training plans for the future, (many modelled on what the RAF does) that explains why the bids are so expensive and why civSAR is not cheaper than mil when the playing field is level.
It all comes down to training - SAR involves a lot of skillsets which erode without constant practice - the Mil do many more times the amount of training and checks than civ do - you work out which is best.
You can provide SAR on a shoestring but it isn't likely to be very good - unfortunately it is only the difficult jobs where this will show - we train for the worst case so we are not caught out.
Justin - I'm not saying we don't have serviceability problems but Lostatsea's claim that civSAR constantly covers for our unserviceabilities is plainly untrue.
It is Stornoway that needs the long range where there are no rigs.
Lost - Bristows ran a SAR service for 20 years and told the MCA what they wanted to hear. The MCA were unable to get unbiased aviation information from industry (surprise surprise) when the contract was due for renewal which is why the military were involved.
PS you don't have arguments, you have comments on other peoples arguments - not the same thing