Oldlae,
SAR engineering is now done by AW/VT so, unless a cheaper contractor can be found, there are no engineering savinds to be made with full civilianisation of SAR.
Justintime80,
It was the MCA that claimed, in an official press release, that both the AW139 and S92 could fly further than the aircraft they replaced.
MaxCon, Thank you for that rarest of treats on this thread, an informed and unbiased post.
Still some Crab baiting going on because some people don't seem to like some of what he has been saying coming true. Having read Crab's posts, I cannot recall him directly criticising the actual civ crews with his target being the senior management. In the interests of balance he also has a regular pop at the MoD/IPT/RAF.
I can never understand UK civ SAR slagging off the military. It was, after all, the military that recruited, selected and trained the vast majority of those now in civvy street.
hal