Shetlander - they have to pay the pilots well because there is competition in the market, not least the N Sea.
The poor, unlicensed rearcrew have no real competition for their considerable skills and whilst organisations keep trying to create SAR rearcrew on the cheap through training up paramedics and the like who are already used to low wages - not much will change.
An extra £10-15K would have enabled many more military SAR rearcrew to take up posts without having to take a big lifestyle/wages hit.
Nice to see that the guys who do all the dangerous and demanding stuff in SAR get paid the least ......go figure
