In about 2020 the SAR helicopter service will have consisted entirely of civilian contractors' aircraft for over 4 years and we could be entering the early stages of a contract process for a replacement service to start transition in 2023 through to 2026.
It's interesting to think about how much bitching will be going on then. Let's imagine that the main contract, rather like Gap, will go in 2 lots and lot 1 goes to company B and lot 2 goes to company C.
Will the crews from company B be seen and heard bitching endlessly about the inadequacy of crews at company C? And C bitching about B?
Well, they might. Perhaps some of them will and these are the ones that won't have jobs after 2026. The remainder demonstrate maturity and judgement in their understanding that it's just not that childishly simple and that shortly they could very easily be working for the other lot!