Well Written Aerocat!!
Having been down the back on many of your flights what you have said is spot on. Especially about some pilots coming to grips with the fact they are not in charge of the mission its self.
My view from "down the back" of the plane was an eye opener. I saw many very experienced pilots struggle to come to grips with the kind of flying that CW and SAR demand.
Its definitely not everyone's cup of tea and definitely not when your 2 hours off the coast and 3 hours away from the nearest suitable airport and one of those lights start flashing with nothing but a whole lot of blue water around. But when you find that person in distress or are sitting 5000ft above an illegal fishing boat and watching a naval patrol boat of Customs vessel charge in and intercept in real time it has to be the MOST rewarding job I can think of.