L2 - you are quite correct but I haven't said the RAF are the only ones who can do SAR; however, there are very few outfits who can match our level of capability across such a wide range of environments from mountains to sea and everything in between, day or night.
It all comes down to training and very few commercial concerns will cough up for the amount of training we do - this has been a major concern of mine (and many others) because cutting training hours (and therefore costs) is an easy thing to do and doesn't seem to have an immediate impact; experienced crews will suffer slower skill-fade but it will happen eventually. Getting back those training hours from the bean-counters is next to impossible because they say you have been managing so far, why do you need more and where is your justification for the cost? Unless you have some pretty robust arguments or there is an accident which shows lack of adequate training - you are then on the road to reduced capability and people will start scaring themselves doing stuff they were previously very competent at.
The fact you can do a drum or a deck on a nice easy training sortie to tick the training stats box does not replace quality, challenging training as a means to prepare you for SAROPs - it's a bit like only ever doing IF with the stab and holds in in VMC - ticks the box but doesn't really prove any capability.
You don't say if you were SAR when you were in or not but things have changed a great deal in 30 years in mil SAR - I'm not surprised the Whirlwind/Wessex didn't prepare you for offshore work.
Calli - very true about the winchop and they are they guys who seldom get the medals. SAR just wouldn't happen without quality Radops/winchops.
Jacko - the MoD wouldn't have to stump up costs to replace the aircraft - they could rent them, certainly for the short term until the Govts finances are in better order.