Have alook at chc.ca in the careers section, there are EOI for future roles as aircrewmen, the position descriptions a fairly intensive fitness test including a swim section, might give you an idea of what they can be required to do.
Thanks for the reply! I checked it out and you were right. You have to pass a fitness test that includes these challenges:
* 8 chin ups non stop
* 50 sit ups in less than 2 minutes
* 40 push ups in less than 2 minutes
* 3 kilometre run in less than 15 minutes
* 700 metre swim in less than 20 minutes, followed by
* Tread water for 10 minutes
* 300 metre fin in less than 10 minutes (Fins to be provided by applicant)
* 3 metre duck dive to retrieve object
* demonstrate single person water rescue technique incorporating 25 metre survivor tow
They must be completed within 2 hours.
There seems to be a rescue swimmer tradition in Norwegian Air Force. The guy I met is Senior Redningsmann/Senior Rescuer on his card yet during conversations (English) he routinely referred to himself and others as rescue swimmers.
I think a lot of this is about what risk profile your organisation and your society accept. Nobody's way is wrong.
Thanks for the reply! I searched a bit and found out that they do have some sort of rescue swimmer tradition in norway. Strange thing, it seems like it that the same company (chc) uses different methods in different countries. Depending on what method that particulair country uses for their government run SAR. That would support you statement about what the society accepts.
I found some videos of SAR in norway in wich you can see rescuers who have fins on. One video (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIHcWpvqmnE) was about CHC sar so I guess they use swimmers in norway.
So my conclusion from all this is that if you want to be a "swimming" winchman, you should get some experience elsewhere, become fit and then try to get into one of the norway bases of CHC.
This helps alot guys keep it coming!