Flaxton, had you any military experience at all you would know that you can't control the ground without ground patrols - therefore all the helis in the world won't stop the roadside bombs and suicide bombers. I've done ash and trash enough to know it is the most tedious experience in the world - I might not have been to the Stan but S Armagh in the 80s and Beirut still count I think
I think you'd be surprised how many SARboys would go without complaint but that doesn't suit most of the ignorant stereotyping that goes on here.
Lost - I think we establised fairly well that the MCA got what their much vaunted aviation consultant agreed to - the RAF technical advice was mostly ignored. The s92 is supposed to be better than the Sea King, it is after all brand new but seems to have as many technical issues as we do - hardly progress is it? I'm not going to defend our serviceability but those with broken S92's shouldn't gloat when the Sea King is U/S.
Nobody has been let down as no change to the SAR cover is going to happen - the piece is journalistic fabrication. If I thought you knew anything about UKSAR I might argue the pros and cons of mil SAR again but you don't and won't listen anyway.
Bootneck - just as well you're not bitter
3D - careful chap, the ARRCK have it on tape this afternoon from Brixham CG asking for a Sea King to attend a yacht taking on water because Quote' the new CG helicopter (139) isn't any good for this job' unquote - 13 Pob!!!
And we'd have been first on scene but were stood down when the Torbay LB got there.