Maybe the red flag to a bull was waved….?
Sorry to 3D for getting ‘personally’ close to home.
On the ‘professional’ home front however;
With this
Interim contract, new equipment was introduced. So, it turns out that not all your bells & whistles were going to be provided on time or indeed necessarily the ones that you would want. So a LIMSAR cab was introduced, I’m sure no party, neither MCA, nor CHC were overly happy, but it was the beginning of an ‘Interim phase’ and a LIMSAR period with the move towards AWSAR the goal. Not going to happen overnight. Perhaps it was felt the HK and Meridian could speed up the process? Only undoes the years of hard work and excellent service by the crews who have always made good of the limited equipment at their disposal-IMHO
Could not agree more that safety is the number one aim in aviation, albeit you SAR crews are required to risk assess yourselves into dangerous territory to do the job. As a LIMSAR cab with proposed improvements to AWSAR level, was the aircraft given a fair chance in the LIMSAR role? Only you and the crews can answer that. You all spent time online in the past with backup LIMSAR S61 cabs and managed a service. If you had spent the last 10 – 20 years on you ‘current AW139’ and then been given a ‘backup LIMSAR’ S61 as you new cab for example, what would you think to that? No a lot I’m sure….well size does matter, couldn’t agree more!
With new technology, in a short time frame and with limited financial resources, it won’t work to your every wish list! Suffice to say that will always be the case no matter who is running the show, or specifying the fit. Can’t please everyone obviously, I should know as you have to be bloody hard to please me!
New aircraft and ‘old’ crew came on line after a quick honeymoon together. (It was an arranged marriage and you guys don’t want your bride), sorry but Miss S92 was already engaged, a ‘high maintenance’ model and not without her snags either! You know it’s a women thing.
The manufacturer and CHC, obviously both under very tight schedules have commenced the LIMSAR service with outstanding deficiencies to be addressed. You knew this, yet it appears to all outside that you have ‘forced’ a show down in public without allowing time for the belated modifications and upgrades needed for the AWSAR ability. This is the reason for the slapping!
Not a professional move airing dirty laundry in public. But since you have brought it outside for all to see, I’m not surprised that all the crews want to get back to some sort of normality. SAR is a demanding role, in a demanding environment. Yes you don’t want a demanding aircraft. Is the current 139 too demanding for highly trained crews to provide a safe LIMSAR service?? What are the other SAR 139 operators working with? What are they capable of? What is on their wish lists? Since we don’t hear them complaining in public maybe they are getting on with the job, doing the best they can with the tools they have and quietly adding the improvements and procedures needed to provide a SAR service. They probably want your current cabs on their wish list!
ASER: can you help out please???
MOST IMPORTANTLY To all crews concerned; fly safe and lots of love, you do a fantastic job.
Lastly; the rumour that I'm expecting Crab@'s baby is ~#*^
