SAR Merlins?
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SAR Merlins?
With the current problems with the ever ageing Sea King fleet, why don't RAF Merlins cover SAR when they are in the UK as they do very little else?
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Very little else?
As an interested observer of the RAF I find the "little else" statement so far of the mark as to be pure rubbish.
I see guys that I know trying to do two or even three peoples jobs and the pressure is starting to show, guys who four years back wanted to stay in the RAF long term are now looking to get out ASAP and as they leave the pressure just increases on those left in the service.
The whole RAF front line is under staff, under funded and criticly overworked, I suppose apart fron that they might have very little else to do.
I see guys that I know trying to do two or even three peoples jobs and the pressure is starting to show, guys who four years back wanted to stay in the RAF long term are now looking to get out ASAP and as they leave the pressure just increases on those left in the service.
The whole RAF front line is under staff, under funded and criticly overworked, I suppose apart fron that they might have very little else to do.
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Are you suggesting that they 'cover SAR' from Benson (I don't know what the range of the Merlin is but I suspect it might be an issue) or do you propose to detach the helicopters, crews, groundcrews and support personnel to the SAR flilghts around the UK? I am sure the people won't mind because it would relieve the boredom of having nothing to do when they are not away on ops. Presumably anyone can do SAR and no additional training would be required. I thought we were short of support helicopters - a lot of people seem to be saying we need more and need them yesterday - presumably this is not actually the case if they are sitting idle in the UK doing nothing.
The last girl I met from Grimsby actually didnt smell of fish - how bizarre.
The last girl I met from Grimsby actually didnt smell of fish - how bizarre.
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I seem to recall hearing that the Merlin was not ideal for the SAR role as its downwash was liable to blow away any dinghy underneath !
Anyone able to confirm or deny that ?
Anyone able to confirm or deny that ?
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"Are you suggesting that they 'cover SAR' from Benson (I don't know what the range of the Merlin is but I suspect it might be an issue) or do you propose to detach the helicopters, crews, groundcrews and support personnel to the SAR flilghts around the UK? I am sure the people won't mind because it would relieve the boredom of having nothing to do when they are not away on ops. Presumably anyone can do SAR and no additional training would be required. I thought we were short of support helicopters - a lot of people seem to be saying we need more and need them yesterday - presumably this is not actually the case if they are sitting idle in the UK doing nothing."
You would also have to paint them yellow.
You would also have to paint them yellow.
Presumably anyone can do SAR and no additional training would be required
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I'm sure that the RAF Merlins crews would relish the chance to sit idle for a bit. The ones I know are always busy going to Iraq, being in Iraq or coming back from Iraq. Fishing is such a boring sport.
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bgla55
With the civilian counter parts looking at taking on contracts in 2012 there would be no point in spending all the money out. its not a case of go do that your sat around doing nothing. logistics, engineering, re-roling, airframe modifications due to (government know alls/ cost cutters not listening to crews advice on what an aircraft should have), crewing difficulties, merlin SH crews spend enough time away from there families, even when they are uk based they are detached on excercises out in the field. Give the boys some rest please.
BG
BG
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Yes... although it has always struck me that the RN bought 44 Merlins Mk1 so that they could maintain a cold-war sized front-line fleet during the mid-life upgrade to Mk2. Now that isn't happening, and defence policy doesn't see as big a submarine threat (I'm not defending it, I'm just saying), then conceivably there is at least a SAR-force sized fleet of Mk1s sitting around. That would get us over having to buy airframes - although depending on who you get to quote for the "conversion" you will get some quite different answers. In any case, it would involve one Capability Manager giving some of his toys to another....
