as a slight aside,
something that Wattisham struggles with because of its comedy location inland.
it was a bit of a comedy just getting the Seakings into Wattisham....
the RAF Station had just been 'sold' to the Army and when the MOD asked for one of the existing hangars to use as the SAR unit, the Army told them to 'go away'!
So a new hangar was planned, to be sited on the old QRA dispersal.
To save money someone at MOD decided to use the same building plans as the recent Wessex SAR build at Leuchars. MOD did not bother to send these plans to the Seaking flight at Manston (the unit relocating to Wattisham).
At the subsequent siting board at Wattisham, the MOD and Army reps sat down and spread the plans out on the table.
Almost immediately the senior Army Air Corps officer present pointed out that the proposed hangar doors were not high enough to get a Seaking in.
16 years later, I wonder if it would help if the Army had a look at the SARH plans?