RAF SAR Demo with RNLI

[Wessex Boy]

Every year for the Aldeburgh Carnival (Suffolk) the RAF does a joint Role Demo with the RNLI:
First they winch the victim onto the Ickle Lifeboat (in sporty conditions):
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p219/atkinsjs/Aldeburgh%202007/Aldeburgh2007047.jpg
Then they put him on the Big one:
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p219/atkinsjs/Aldeburgh%202007/Aldeburgh2007053.jpg
Our Valiant Heroes:
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p219/atkinsjs/Aldeburgh%202007/Aldeburgh2007062.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p219/atkinsjs/Aldeburgh%202007/Aldeburgh2007063.jpg
Excellent bit of PR and a great demo of what the RAF can do, Aldeburgh makes the highest level of RNLI financial contribution in the country
They do this every year on the third Monday in August at 11:00am on the beach by the Lifeboat Station, well worth a Visit!

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

sporty conditions


Eh?

Day VMC, flat calm...

Sporty for a Wessex crew, perhaps?

[Stratia]

Sporty for a What-a-shame crew, perhaps?

[Bob the Doc]

Did they spice it up by flying down the wind or something? I guess the target was smallish!

[Wessex Boy]

It was pretty windy, and the photos don't really show the swell.
It took them longer than usual to drop the guy into the ILB

[shawtarce]

Thanks for that, I've been searching the web looking for decent pics for a SAR presentation. Hope you don't mind if I nick them........

[vecvechookattack]

It was pretty windy, and the photos don't really show the swell.
It took them longer than usual to drop the guy into the ILB

Well they ought to get out and practice more. From those pics the conditions are near perfect. There is little wind and no swell or sea state. That sortie would have been entirely routine for this crew. Something SAR crews do regularly and are experts at.

[Wessex Boy]

Thanks for that, I've been searching the web looking for decent pics for a SAR presentation. Hope you don't mind if I nick them........

No Probs Shawtarce, there are a few more here:
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p219/atkinsjs/Aldeburgh%202007/

PM me if you want higher res versions

[gravity victim]

I can vouch for the wind strength at that time, as I was half a mile away trying to bale out a capsized Wayfarer dinghy with a rather petite bucket!

[SAR Bloke]

The time to get someone into an ILB is entirely dependent on the ILB driver and not really much to do with the SAR crew. This type of transfer requires the ILB to formate on the helicopter and not the other way round.

Then they put him on the Big one:


Which is actually relatively tiny as far as boats go.

[Wessex Boy]

Maybe you are right. After all, I guess if you compare the apparent wind speed as depicted in those photos with Hurricane Dean them maybe yes it does look really rough. As for the sea swell, phew must be all of 3 inches. I bet the Winch had trouble keeping up with it and I am sure the winch op struggled to put the winchman onto he back of the Lifeboat.

You really are a bunch of grumpy bu**ers today aren't you?

We have a good, postive demonstration of RAF capability, something that the public doesn't see very often nowadays, especially on shingle rather than sand(:E), and all you guys can do and criticise the sea state!:ugh:

So which one of you is going to be first to tell me how you managed to get someone onto a smaller boat in a force 12 and 40' swell, whilst munching on a rather tasty cucumber sandwich?

By the way, Aldeburgh contributes around £130k a year to RNLI coffers, I would wager a large part of that is due to this annual demo and the interest it generates

[SirToppamHat]

Well said Wessex Boy!

STH

[Bob the Doc]

Winching from a Hawk onto an inshore lifeboat. Now, I would pay good money to see that!

[shawtarce]

Anyone who thinks that winching someone onto a RNLI RIB is easy, even in absolutely flat calm conditions, should give themselves a good slap.
As always, people who like to slag off the skills required of a SAR crew, are generally the ones who have never done it.

The pictures do show a relatively calm day, but just like an airbrushed picture of Cameron Diaz, they don't always show the full story.

Keep up the good work guys

see you soon

[sarmonkey]

Mmmmmm.....Cameron Diaz..... just off to give myself a good slap....

[snaggletooth]

Surely a simian spanking of some kind would be more appropriate given your moniker?

[Double Zero]

I'm used to aviation & sailing - worked in the former, 35 years in the latter.

I get extremely p'd off with RNLI P.R. making out they are all heroes while everyone else in a boat knows nothing; quiet rescues by civilians don't make the news.

My sailing club has a few RNLI characters who style themselves " ex-special forces " who don't know one end of a boat from the other...

To the real lifeboat & Helo SAR crews, hats off.

[vecvechookattack]

At the end of the day this was a basic, routine sortie conducted in benign conditions. Winching to a RIB is easy peasy. Winching to the lifeboat is trickier. But they are both evolutions the SAR boys do well.

[Hummingfrog]

V-C-A

Have you ever winched onto an inshore lifeboat as by your last post it seems not.

When placing a winchman onto an ILB all the helicopter can do is maintain a constant speed and direction with the winchman just above the level of the ILB. The ILB does all the work by positioning then formating on the helicopter. Once in the correct position the winch op winches out. Trying to chase the ILB is a disaster waiting to happen so all you do is maintain height, direction and speed. The most common error is for the ILB coxswain to relax when the winchman is aboard and forget he has to still formate with the a/c.

So your comment it is easy peasy is only correct if the ILB coxswain is skilled - the SAR crew's level of ability doesn't really have any effect on the outcome.

HF

[vecvechookattack]

A quick check of my log book shows I have conducted 48 winch transfers with Inshore Lifeboats.....

The RN conduct ILB transfers in the same manner. The aircraft trickles forward at a walking pace, the winchman lowers the diver out of the door and the ILB does all the work.....how hard is that? The SAR crews level of ability is an elephant...all the pilot has to do is taxi forward at walking pace and all the crewman has to do is keep the diver at about 5' above the water until the boat comes along and you then plonk the diver into the boat - easy peasy lemon squeezy. However, winching to a bigger lifeboat is a different matter - much more trickier and needing a good con from the crewman and a steady hand from the pilot.

[Fay Deck]

The SOP for winching with an IRB, or any small inflatable, is for it to stop engines and deploy the sea anchor. The IRB formating on the ac is done largely because the aforementioned SOP is boring.

I can't believe the previous poster who slagged off the RNLI, so what if it attracts a few Walter Mittys. This nation should be grateful that we have such an incredible organisation like the RNLI. All volunteer, charity funded, and willing to risk all for nothing more than altruistic reasons.

[detgnome]

I see the brave heroes of C Flt were on 'Moutain' tonight. Yet more grist to the RAF SAR publicity wheel.

[vecvechookattack]

I see the brave heroes of C Flt were on 'Moutain' tonight. Yet more grist to the RAF SAR publicity wheel.

I wish I understood what that meant.

[Bus14]

What a great thread! A little bit of blatent self publicity kicks off a banter fest of love/hate for the SAR boys and the RNLI.

To continue the theme of self-publicity, can I just point out that 20% of the lifeboats around the British coast are provided by independent charities in areas where the RNLI’s pennies won’t stretch.

As a coxswain of one of those independent boats, I work with both the RNLI and the SAR crews, and we all seem to get along just fine. Nevertheless, in our area, the lord of all b**lsh*t has to be a certain ex SAR crewman leader now RNLI ILB helmsman. I’ve told a few stories in my time, but I take my hat off to a true master of the art.

Rumour has it that his own boat broke down recently and, as his local colleagues were out on a shout, he suffered the ignominy of being rescued by an ILB from a neighbouring station.

Anyway keep up the airshows, we all need the publicity and the lifeboats, independent or RNLI, need the money.

[3D CAM]

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff154/3DCAM/VAILB.jpg
Civvies do it in "sporty conditions" too!!:) Albeit a few years ago now!

[Wessex Boy]

I have a friend (Female Chipmunk Pilot) who would love to be winched out of the sea, so if any of you guys need a live 'Dummy' she would swap a trip in the chippy!:ok:

[Kitbag]

AIDU, beat not beet

[Vie sans frontieres]

She's going to have to come up with a better offer than that.:eek:..........:O

[vecvechookattack]

Agree....Most of us will have flown in a chippie and whilst it was fun its not worth arranging a wet winching sortie for.....

Does she have anything else she could offer?

[CityFlyer]

vecvechookattack

I'm happy to relay messages back to said lady. What sort of trade would you be interested in, within the realms of decency? She doesn't read this forum, so she knows none of the personalities or what tickles your fancy. Feel free to make suggestions.