I am an outsider looking in and simply asking question and most certainly NOT offering an opinion or making a judgement.
Is the role of Search and Rescue sometimes the very last option when someone's life is on the line and that aircraft is the very last option that might keep us from taking that last walk toward the pearly gates?
With several peoples lives hanging by a thread is it right that an aircraft is grounded just because:
No 4 has been long term u/s due to ambiguos wording/interpretation of the flight test schedule and various peoples reluctance to get off the fence.
I say 'just' but that might be unfair, if the odds are stacked against the aircraft not being safe then so be it but if this is bureaucracy that may or may not be responsible for lives being lost that could otherwise be saved then shame on those fence sitters!
I am not privvy to ANY of the facts regarding ANY specific incident and I am also NOT referring to any incident that has recently occured.
If tonight a military aircraft ditches into the sea and the only aircraft available to rescue the injured crew that are bobbing about in the ocean is No 4 then would that aircraft be grounded just because of
ambiguos wording/interpretation of the flight test schedule