ALBERT do not think for one minute I do not have enormous respect for MIL SAROPS because I do. 3 years of HEMS, day and night (yes before JAR-OPS), in an unstabilsed, let alone coupled, AS355, risking all for often nothing. I know the efforts and the risks you take or have taken.
I am going out on a limb here and say do not judge others by your standards. What I mean by this is Mil SAR crew selection and training produces a very different product than Offshore selection. It has too given the nature of the job.
The success story of military SAROPS is down almost entirely to the skills and qualities of the front and rear crews. It surely was not down to the quality of the kit you had even though we love the old Seaking/S61!
DB