SAR..

[Al R]

One of the first Airfix kits I ever screwed up was yellow.

Maybe politics demanded otherwise in the wider world but how indicative of its low fuss that its very final hours slipped by uncommented upon here. Out of interest, how many SAR awards were made and how many lives were saved?

Anyway, 'good job'.

[mopardave]

What....that's it is it? I never even saw anything on the news.....have I been under a rock for too long? I'm with you Al R......I'd have thought it would have got a mention somewhere? Must be plenty of very, very grateful people out there?
MD

[Wander00]

Just a big thank you to all the military SAR boys and girls for "being there" over the years, and for the many lives you have saved. Thanks too, and a pat on the side, for the Seakings, and aeroplane that did a brilliant job as did the Wessex and Whirlwind in earlier years.

[melmothtw]

So have the RAF/RN now ceased to perform the SAR role?

My understanding was that Bristow would begin its service this year, but not be fully operational until 2017. That implies some level of military SAR cover until then, or have I got that wrong?

[Martin the Martian]

Not gone yet, but the end starts today.

771 will be the last military SAR unit to go, next January.

[Old-Duffer]

As Mark Twain is supposed to have said: 'news of my death is greatly exaggerated' or as a pedant for the split infinitive - exaggerated greatly!

John Sergeant's recent - and totally navalised - tribute to the Sea King on TV might lead one to believe that military SAR is no more but it's still with us.

The transition to new aircraft and base changes this involves, is very much still to happen.

However, I very much hope that the services will make a great song and dance about the sixty plus years of military SAR.

Wander00 refers to Wessex/Whirlwind but don't forget Dragonfly and Sycamore before them. Nor should it be forgotten that the US forces have deployed their assets and to the Brits benefit as well.

There's a story to be told - I hope somebody, who knows what they are talking about, does it justice IDC.

Old Duffer

[bluetail]

It was on the Scottish BBC news this morning that "D Flt" 202 Sqn at Lossiemouth are finished. Saying that Rescue 137 was apparently on a "job" in Glen Coe last night and still this morning (April 1st) I heard it go over my house in Forres about 9.00pm last night.

Professional to the very end...and then some, another classy decision by our so called military friendly politicians

[Oldsarbouy]

Rescue 137 now tucked up in the hangar at Lossie after returning at lunchtime from it's very last job on Ben Nevis. A big well done to everybody concerned, air and ground crews, for all the great work over the years and to those moving to Inverness on the new contract, fly safe and carry on the proud history of Search and Rescue.

[bluetail]

Here Here Bob

[Martin the Martian]

Agree with you on the US contribution Old-Duffer.

I well remember 20-something years ago waking to the news that the USAF had been requested to assist with a casevac at some great distance out in the Western Approaches. While having breakfast I heard an uncommon sound and went out into the garden to see a pair of MH-53s thunder over at rooftop height on their way. A little later they were followed by their Hercules tanker at a more conventional altitude. Spent the rest of the day visualising an MH-53 in RAF SAR yellow.

[[email protected]]

RAF SAR will cease to exist when Chivenor closes at the end of October - this is the end of the handover period as each new Bristow SAR flight is stood up.

As Martin says, the RN hold on until early 2017.

Lossiemouth were denied an end of SAR party, don't know what happened at Leconfield.

Sad days indeed.

[KPax]

A sad day indeed, as someone who spent many years down the 'Pit' at the old RCC I was often in awe when I read the 'R' reports that used to come in. Disgraceful that there isn't a national ceremony especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice trying to save others.

[Genstabler]

Disgraceful that there isn't a national ceremony especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice trying to save others.

There may and should be in due course. Don't have a wake until the corpse is cold.

[Sun Who]

Lossiemouth were denied an end of SAR party, don't know what happened at Leconfield.Crab,

What's the story behind that then? Also, if no official end of SAR party is to be sanctioned, what's the potential for an unofficial bash?

Sun.

[Oldsarbouy]

There are other functions taking place at Lossie for serving personnel to mark the occasion but they have been ordered not to attend the get together at a hostelry in Elgin tomorrow night. I'm sure there will be enough ex-service members and appreciative civilians to ensure a good night will be had by all. If you're in the area do come along and join the party.

[Wander00]

As an outsider to the SAR world, but one who holds them in the highest regard, IMHO the official line on the wind-down of Lossie SAR is a monumental f@ck up. And then to ban service people from happening to be in a particular pub at a particular time seems a monumental failure of leadership somewhere. Beggars belief. Rant over!

[Tankertrashnav]

Funnily enough I have just been talking to my neighbour, ex FAA, now a civvy observer instructor on the King Airs at Culdrose. He is ex 771 and still does some time with them as a reservist, but as you say that will come to an end in Jan 2016.

He did look into the possibility of a job with Bristows at Newquay, but apparently these are like hen's teeth. Strangely enough the same does not apply to jobs at Stornaway!

It will be a great shame when the Sea Kings finally disappear from the skies around here - they seem to have been here for ever.

Even though they aren't yellow!

[Double Hydco]

RAF SAR will cease to exist when Chivenor closes at the end of October - this is the end of the handover period as each new Bristow SAR flight is stood up.

Many happy memories of travelling around the West Country in 1987/88 courtesy of the Yellow Wessex of RAF Chivenor.....

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag21/belfast97/WessexA_zpsmn7650ta.jpg

http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag21/belfast97/SARflt_zpsmxltlzh2.jpg

[StuartP]

Lossiemouth were denied an end of SAR party, don't know what happened at Leconfield.

I don't know whether they had a party but two RAF Seakings, presumably Leaconfield's, flew over York city centre this lunchtime before heading down river. A couple of us watched from the office window until I mentioned to my colleague what the occasion was, then suddenly everybody was at the window watching !

I suspect the general and largely uninformed public holds mil SAR in far higher esteem than politicians even imagine. I know the new aircraft are faster/shinier/newer etc and I wish all involved well, I just hope the grown ups don't completely f*** it up.

I never needed them but thanks anyway.

[johnfairr]

Spent one Friday afternoon as a practice casualty. Whirlwind X from D Flight 202 Squadron dumped me in the Moray Firth, the winchman telling me as I departed the a/c to "Get your SARBE going, we need to do a square search first off!"

And with that all thoughts of a nice quiet afternoon disappeared! Eventually got to Happy Hour having done six different lifts, single strop, double strop, Robertson Stretcher, etc . . .

Nice to get it in the logbook between the F4 and the Shackleton . . . :ok:

Thanks for the experience, guys. Even though it was July 1975, it is still a memorable trip.

[Al R]

84 dropped me and a fairer member of the military off just off Aki in a quite sizeable survival dinghy and left us to it (mid 80s) for an hour or so until they came to look for us. She had no sense of humour but it didn't matter (if you know what I mean); if I was to ever have play my small part (not in the biblical sense) in fostering closer working relationships between 34 Sqn and the station, that would have been it. I bottled it though, completely. F for big fat freddy fail. Some time later, I met her at Benson and after a few drinks, she asked me why I didn't - she said she would have been willing to explore some form of rapprochement.

Gutted. :ugh::ugh:

I suspect the general and largely uninformed public holds mil SAR in far higher esteem than politicians even imagine.

Yup.

[Basil]

Very sad. As one who only used their services on sea survival courses I can barely imagine how welome the sight of a yellow helicopter would be to someone in dire straits.
Lossiemouth were denied an end of SAR party
Ye Gods! I hope they went out and had one anyway.

[Basil]

Let it go, Al.

Buggah!! :E

I'd put it down to you being an innate gentleman ;)

[Could be the last?]

There will be a mil SAR unit after October, albeit not the conventional Yellow Seaking, but the grey of 84Sqn's HAR2 or has that been knocked on the head as well?

[Thrust Augmentation]

Saw 137 doing her thing this morning around the Ben, replaced later in the day by an S-92, G-MCGF I think.


The Lossie & Gannet birds have been a common sight around these parts for many years now, although Stornoway S-92's have been becoming increasingly frequent visitors over the last few years.


The Sea King, particularly the yellow peril's / yellow budgies (or whatever you guys in the know call them) will be missed....


Well done the Sea King!!


Well done the personnel!!

[[email protected]]

The once glorious 84 Sqn has been turned into an SH unit by an ambitious boss - the last chance for a decent overseas tour ruined.

[tucumseh]

ZH540 taken, I'm pretty certain, on her maiden test flight.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc291/exploringtheblue/SeaKingHAR3A2.jpg (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/exploringtheblue/media/SeaKingHAR3A2.jpg.html)

[orgASMic]

Could be the Last? - 84 Sqn will continue to provide SAR cover for BFC.

[email protected] - not much trooping gets done in a small cab that is fragged/roled for SAR. AKT is still a great place to be, but is not the beach holiday that it was in the 80s/90s.

[Oldlae]

Crab, how about a get together of all ex 22 Sqdn at Chivenor in October?

[Sandy Parts]

As someone else already mentioned, a sizable and unclassified record exists of all the SAR efforts over the decades - namely the Form 'R's. Although not all Form Rs involved SAR Helos, I'll bet the majority did. Hopefully one of the many aviation authors out there will grab them for research and produce a worthy book. Good luck to all the crews in their new roles/careers.

[Basil]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Capn_Basil/SAR1%20LR_zpsbjwk9yar.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Capn_Basil/media/SAR1%20LR_zpsbjwk9yar.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Capn_Basil/SAR2%20LR_zpsv6ucyujy.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Capn_Basil/media/SAR2%20LR_zpsv6ucyujy.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Capn_Basil/SAR3%20LR_zpsrothrls9.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Capn_Basil/media/SAR3%20LR_zpsrothrls9.jpg.html)

[Thomas coupling]

Martin / Crab:

Say again the last SAR cab to stand up???? Try March 31st 2016 - Falklands.:ok:

[YellaRednGrey]

I'm not entirely surprised that D Flt was allowed to slip away gracefully without a media fanfare. Media coverage has been allowed to wane for years, probably with the intention of letting mil SAR slip off the public's radar so no one would notice when the axe finally fell. The pre-election purdah period was supposedly the reason for the cancellation of the public party in Elgin, which I'm told went ahead anyway. Purdah didn't stop the official handover of Leuchars to the Army being screened, presumably that could be sold as a good news story, since there was no closure and the Army will still contribute to the local economy. Grrrr! :*

[Saintsman]

As I recall, military requirements took priority over civil.

Now that we have a (mostly) civil operation, who comes first. Joe Pubic or the RAF / Navy / Army?

[Biggus]

The person in greatest need perhaps?

[Dominoe]

Seems to me that a Service of thanksgiving either in St. Paul`s or Westminster Abbey followed by a parade through London for every ex and serving SAR member, followed by a "social" get together in the Guildhall is the way to recognise/celebrate the demise of Military SAR.

Didn`t they do that for the Falklands/Gulf and Afghan wars- why not for an organisation that has saved countless lives over a considerable amount of time? Not sure who could do the fly past though? But there is still a Whirlwind flying!

[Wander00]

D - that is a splendid idea. Not sure I see it happening though

[Biggus]

I found this article via a link on another thread, I haven't read it in detail, but thought it might be of some interest/relevance here:


https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/falkland-islands-sar-contract-awarded/

[[email protected]]

Oldlae - the last 22 Sqn reunion to be held at a SAR flight is in May this year at Chivenor.

There are events planned (or were last time I checked) to mark the closing of RAF UK SAR in October - unless some big cheese puts the kybosh on them.

TC - pedantically correct as ever;):ok:

[Oldlae]

Thanks, Crab. Where would I find details?

[[email protected]]

Oldlae - pm me and I'll let you know. Is it the 22 Association meet or the end of SAR dates you want?

[FODPlod]

An ex-771 NAS SK Mk 5 (XV673) will soon be gate guardian at Culdrose according to the RN website:Life saving Sea King prepares for public display (http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2016/february/19/120219-life-saving-sea-king-to-go-on-public-display)
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/~/media/royal%20navy%20responsive/images/news/where%20we%20are/air%20stations/culdrose/120219%20life%20saving%20sea%20king%20to%20go%20on%20public% 20display/cu160010009.jpg?mh=447&mw=980&thn=0

[Martin the Martian]

'Just inside the fence opposite the cottage hospital'

I would have thought the viewing enclosure would be a better site, or at the 'back gate'.

[Courtney Mil]

'news of my death is greatly exaggerated' or as a pedant for the split infinitive - exaggerated greatly!

'Exaggerated' is a past participle, not an infinitive.

[nyeregis]

BBC Wales reported the parade to mark the formal closure of the RAFSARF at Valley yesterday.

The event featured in today's Telegraph - a photo of the Duchess of Cambridge in her party frock!!!!!!!

[Tankertrashnav]

'Just inside the fence opposite the cottage hospital'

I would have thought the viewing enclosure would be a better site, or at the 'back gate'.

My daughter had a job at the cafe at the viewing enclosure during university vacations. On one occasion the Navy had positioned a Hunter T8 there to give the spotters something to look at. A chap came in to the cafe and asked if they could unlock the gate for him so he could go and have a closer look.

He was quite miffed when they told him they didn't have the key!