On the subject of getting a job in civvy sar and procedural instrument flight, some on here need to bear in mind that to do that you need to be a pilot. To be a pilot you need a licence, and that includes an instrument rating, and that includes the need to be able to fly a competent procedural IF approach. SAR competence is a bit of icing on that cake, not the be all and end all, and no use without the licence and IR. So if you want to be a civvy pilot, best to remember that there is more to it than dangling someone from a piece of string. But I will grant you that it is not just mil SAR guys that have to be reminded of that!