Crab, Goggles, Experience
Crab..since when has Old time SAR ops been different from Modern SAR ops?
Pre NVGers got in those valleys too, unless there are some modern Valleys out there now? Yes those wires are a bitch and yes goggles would have made a fly away an option! The new contract will bring the goggles into the Civ cockpit at last and not before time.
Experience..well hopefully the respective base Chief Pilots and managers responsible will have a large say in the CV floated by for consideration. It has been the case up to now (mostly). That should enable the selection of the 'suitable'...'will make a good person to spend endless hours with in the crew room for years to come and a few scary moments in the cockpit enjoyable'. None of the SAR bases (Civ/Mil) want low/high time charisma vacuums.
The only option for staffing the future is to take on as many current SAR crews as possible that we know, followed by experienced Offshore pilots who are 'good eggs' and fancy a change, naturally as a co-pilot first.