On the subject of Ab Initios - has there been any more news on what Bristows position is for guys with no previous Mil/SAR experience getting a chance to train as Winch Operators/Winchmen?
I only ask as I am one of the many WSOp 'holdies' in the training pipeline at the moment; I joined in late 2010 and wont be CR until gone 2018, due to MASSIVE holds at various stages of training, the longest of which is nearly 4 years long. Yes, you read that right, 4 years.
I appreciate that the surplus of pre-trained, experienced SAR guys coming out of the RAF/RN will allow Bristow to avoid the headache of bringing in "new blood" for a few years, that said, surely they will have to look at training guys to do the job without previous SAR experience eventually?