I will warn you, again, about throwing in your day job. There are quite a few Coastguard contract personel manning a quite a few SAR establishments around the UK. They will, unless they go to another of CHC's operations, be made redundant. However, they are protected by industial law and it is called TUPE.
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) protects employees' terms and conditions of employment when a business is transferred from one owner to another. Employees of the previous owner when the business changes hands automatically become employees of the new employer on the same terms and conditions. It's as if their employment contracts had originally been made with the new employer. Their continuity of service and any other rights are all preserved. Both old and new employers are required to inform and consult employees affected directly or indirectly by the transfer.
I will, however, add that with a civilian employer as long as you are medically fit in normal circumstances you can keep going until you retire at 65, or are made redundant, or for any other reason.
Think about whether it is better to stick with the evil you know.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 28th Mar 2013 at 20:00.