RAF SAR Demo with RNLI
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RAF SAR Demo with RNLI
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):
Then they put him on the Big one:
Our Valiant Heroes:
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!
First they winch the victim onto the Ickle Lifeboat (in sporty conditions):
Then they put him on the Big one:
Our Valiant Heroes:
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!
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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
It took them longer than usual to drop the guy into the ILB
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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........
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p...eburgh%202007/
PM me if you want higher res versions
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.
Which is actually relatively tiny as far as boats go.
Then they put him on the Big one:
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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.
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(
), and all you guys can do and criticise the sea state!
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
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Back one
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
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
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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.
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.
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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.
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
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
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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.
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.