Well Done D Flt 202

[AllyPally]

Nice to see the boys from 202 doing a good job West of Stornoway. There is nothing like a low fuel state when you have to winch up multiple survivors. Those were the days. Nice one Tony G and his crew.. .AP

[Thomas coupling]

Having done some of that (albeit in dark blue) in the past, I can attest to the fact that it might look good when planning it on paper over a coffee but actually flying it for real and at that extreme range, requires a lot of guts...well done lads <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

[Rescue1]

Makes a change to see them SERVICEABLE !!!!!!

AND on line !!!! <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

[Scattercat]

Got some details of what you're talking about for those of us on the other side of the globe??

Downunder or on top ?? <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

[Cyclic Hotline]

Nice job!

British Fliers Rescue Fishing Crew

By BETH GARDINER, Associated Press Writer

LONDON - British fliers carried off a daring rescue mission Saturday, venturing out over 30-foot seas in high winds to lift 18 sailors from a fishing trawler stranded off the coast of Scotland.. . . .The Royal Air Force said the ship's French captain was missing, believed to have been washed overboard Friday.

The French-registered, Spanish-owned ship Le Perrain, drifting without power about 250 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides islands, sent a distress call at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The ship was tossed by powerful waves and battered by winds of up to 70 mph. Heavy rains and gales have pounded parts of Britain for days, causing severe flooding in some areas.

RAF Nimrod reconnaissance planes kept watch over the ship as helicopters ventured as far from land as they can safely go to winch the crew to safety at 9:30 a.m.

Another fishing vessel had pulled alongside the Perrain earlier, but was unable to get close enough to pull its crew off.

Michael Mulford, a spokesman for the RAF's base in Kinloss, Scotland, said the helicopter crews had only 20 minutes to rescue the sailors before they had to head back to refuel.

"The helicopter was operating at its absolute limits, and had only a very, very short time left before it had to leave the scene," he said.

The rescuers and 18 crew members made it safely to land at Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, he said.

Skipper Yannick Jeog was missing. Two of the rescued crew were being treated for injuries — one suffered bruises on his chest, the other a facial wound.

The name of the Spanish company that owned the ship was not immediately released. The RAF said most of the crew were Spanish.

Earlier Saturday, British Coastguards rescued 16 Russian crew members from a cargo ship off the southwestern coast of England.

The sailors were airlifted off the Kodima, registered in Malta, while two tugs tried to keep the ship from sinking.

The crew had dumped some of the timber cargo into the sea to stop the ship from listing, but the tilt only grew worse.

Off Brighton, on England's south coast, Coastguards called off their hunt for a man swept out to sea from a pier.

The man, who has not been identified, was seen clinging to girders underneath Brighton Pier but was dragged out to sea by ferocious waves, officials said.

Off Porthcawl, in south Wales, rescuers saved a man who was swept off a stone pier while fishing in gale force winds. He was hospitalized in critical condition.

[BHPS]

See you've gone for another long range job to try and get that medal you deserve TG. Congrats to you and all the crew on a good job.

Hope the powers that be recognise the work you all did to allow your winchman to do an excellent job.

[Wunper]

Erratum in this thread here...

"""Earlier Saturday, British Coastguards rescued 16 Russian crew members from a cargo ship off the southwestern coast of England.""""

The "British Coastguards" were actually 771 Sqn SAR from RNAS Culdrose.

Bravo ZULU to all the SAR HELO crews involved be they RAF, RN or Bristow. I take my hat off to all of you you are not paid enough...

<img src="cool.gif" border="0">

[Oh I See]

Was it Coast Guard or 771 that 'rescued' the Bristows winchman from the KODIMA or could it be that his crew just didn't want him back? <img src="tongue.gif" border="0"> :)

[Wunper]

Even the Observer newspaper comes clean about misinformation see below.... . . .A Bristow SAR winchman might have been on a "cross poll" stint if he was involved in the Kodima rescue any 771 members in the know care to clarify?

Wunper <img src="cool.gif" border="0">

""". .A little geographical confusion crept into early editions last week, turning Crickhowell in Powys to Cricklehowell ('Oil spill feared as storms rage'). The same piece repeated news agency reports that the Royal Air Force rescued 16 seamen from the MV Kodima when they were actually saved by a Royal Navy search and rescue team based at Culdrose, Cornwall.

It is our policy to correct errors quickly. Write to Stephen Pritchard, Readers' Editor, The Observer, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER, tel 020 7713 4656 Mon-Fri, fax 020 7713 4279 or email <a href="http://www.observer.co.uk/readerseditor"""" target="_blank">www.observer.co.uk/readerseditor"""</a>

[Jetscream 32]

Why didnt Bristows go from SYY for the western scotland job?

Just a question - sensible answer please!

Ta

<img src="confused.gif" border="0">

[Inspector Lestrade]

The BHL Coastguard helicopter in Stornoway can carry a maximum fuel load of 5200lbs whereas the Sea King can carry 6600lbs (or about that). Basically it was too far out for the S61.

[CAPT VAC]

Sea King carries 6300 lbs of fuel, of which 5900lbs is usuable. The S61 had its long range tanks fitted, so could have done the rescue, but it would have had to go to the Faroes, due to the wind direction. So the question is why didn't the Coastguard Helicopter do the job?

[Inspector Lestrade]

Capt Vac, I'm an Aberdeen based Super Puma pilot. The information I got came from an ex RAF Sea King pilot from Lossiemouth and I was only providing it for interest in reply to the question.

The CG S61 with long range tanks fitted has a fuel load of 5200lbs of which 5100 lbs is useable with no reserves (a normal S61 has 4250lbs, 4150lbs useable). So if you say a Sea King has a useable fuel load of 5900lbs that to me is still 800lbs more fuel than the S61 which seems to be approximately 40-45 mins more fuel. So if the Sea King landed as the papers reported with 20 minutes fuel left seems to make sense.

However since you're a Scottish based Sea King pilot with knowlegue of a route via the Faroes then I take it you are based at Lossiemouth and may have even have been on the rescue. So as to whatever else you're implying then I don't know but I'm beginning to sense that I'm an innocent walking in to a political trap and that people are about to start point scoring! <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

Still good luck with it anyway! I keeping well clear of this one.

Safe flying. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

IL. .PS If you were on the rescue - good job! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[NRDK]

Firstly & more importantly, a job well done, lives where saved.

It was prudent to send the longer range Sea King on this one, given the range, weather and possible time required on scene with 18 sailors. The mission took 4 hours 25 minutes according to the Form R. This time was within the capability of the S61 with a long range tank, it would have landed with about 20 minutes of fuel left & not via the Faeroe’s.

The press no doubt have done the usual ‘dramatic’ additions for the medal’s chuck up. Either that or the RAF Sea King took off with less than a full fuel, which would have been somewhat foolish given the nature of the tasking. The fuel state on landing should have been a comfortable hours flying time? If the press are correct & I’m off the mark with the figures, then perhaps the aircraft Nav/Captain could enlighten me.

[OOPS 78]

I was one of the crew on this Rescue, and we did 5 hours for the job. I did check the form R, and it doesnt' say the time you mentioned. We filled up to 6200lbs (Max fuel) which gave us 5800lbs usuable. The fuel burn was high initially because of the weight, therefore we landed with 400lbs of usuable fuel. We did have the option of going to Faroes, which would have given us an hour on scene, but if possible, it was better to return to Stornoway due to lack of SAR cover in Scotland and incase of a problem for ourselves we could rely on Stornoways Helicopter. I hope that answers your questions.