Crab
Good morning.
I’m aware of the figures – but the old chestnut still gets dragged out on occasions. Post 2012 it will finally be buried - I hope. I wasn’t being flippant about ejectees who as you are very aware require specialist handling – it’s just that I heard on numerous occasions that his or her needs (hypothetically speaking) would always take priority regardless of who else was in difficulty without any thought being given to who was in greater danger.
Post 2012 the ARCC will not be tasking me to inland jobs because I am keeping my feet firmly on the ground. They will not be tasking MCA helicopters to inland jobs because there will not be any “MCA” helicopters as I understand it. They will be however be tasking UKSAR Helicopters – for lack of a better name at the mo – wherever they are required. That’s fine by me.
Post 2012 ARCC will be still be tasking SAR aircraft – who “co-ordinates” them depends on who is co-ordinating the overall incident. If it is a maritime or coastal job, the chances are that a Coastguard Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre will be co-ordinating the SAR helicopter (along with any other assets – air or surface - that have responded to the incident).
When I talked of the same standard I meant they will all, ultimately, be the same aircraft, same capability, same kit, same training etc as opposed to the set up at the moment where there are 5 different types of helicopter operating around the UK – with different speeds and capabilities. Some have thermal imaging some don’t, some have twin hoist some don’t, some are flown with NVG and some do not, some can multi home on 121.5 MHz and some can’t, etc. Apart from all the other benefits that standardisation brings, it will greatly assist ARCC in SAR helicopter selection in the future.