Search and Rescue Training Unit
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Search and Rescue Training Unit
The Search and Rescue Training Unit (SARTU) will be celebrating 50 years of SAR training at RAF Valley in 2012.
As part of the event the Unit is putting together a detailed history from the past 50 years. We would be very grateful for any information or photos anyone on this forum has about SARTU, SARTS or the CFS(H) detachment at RAF Valley which preceded it.
We will update this forum with information about events but first date for diaries is 18 May 12 to include a commemorative dinner in the Officers Mess for all current and past SARTU/SARTS etc staff and any other individuals connected to the Unit.
Feel free to PM for further details or with any questions.
As part of the event the Unit is putting together a detailed history from the past 50 years. We would be very grateful for any information or photos anyone on this forum has about SARTU, SARTS or the CFS(H) detachment at RAF Valley which preceded it.
We will update this forum with information about events but first date for diaries is 18 May 12 to include a commemorative dinner in the Officers Mess for all current and past SARTU/SARTS etc staff and any other individuals connected to the Unit.
Feel free to PM for further details or with any questions.
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Brilliant idea but....... if you want it to be representative of the SARTU of old you will need to do some form of pre selection.
I suggest you have a group of elderly aircrewmen on the door (we could call them the 'rearcrew mafia') and they could deny entry to anyone they dont like.
I suggest you have a group of elderly aircrewmen on the door (we could call them the 'rearcrew mafia') and they could deny entry to anyone they dont like.
Me, I was. Good job too as I went trucky and never looked back including a 4 year tour in Oman. I did not hold any grudge though even though I was not sure why I was chopped.
Gentleman Aviator
Not chopped (see below) but most certainly NOT recommended SAR. 
Can remember one debrief in its entirety:
In was, in truth, an awful trip - computer out drums or some such nonsense - so not only "God Save the Queen" but "Land of my Fathers" played on the RRPM. The walk back into 3 Sqn CFS(H) - as it was then - was kind of quiet.
Taken into one of those tiny "photo booth" type briefing/debriefing cells by Tall Geordie QHI:
TGQ: Well, that wasna quite bad enough to chop yer! It wasna even bad enough to re-fly ......... [long pause] .... but it was f
ing awful!
Whereupon we briefed and auth'd the solo trip that followed! (Computer out not allowed)
Can remember one debrief in its entirety:
In was, in truth, an awful trip - computer out drums or some such nonsense - so not only "God Save the Queen" but "Land of my Fathers" played on the RRPM. The walk back into 3 Sqn CFS(H) - as it was then - was kind of quiet.
Taken into one of those tiny "photo booth" type briefing/debriefing cells by Tall Geordie QHI:
TGQ: Well, that wasna quite bad enough to chop yer! It wasna even bad enough to re-fly ......... [long pause] .... but it was f
ing awful!Whereupon we briefed and auth'd the solo trip that followed! (Computer out not allowed)
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TorqueOfTheDevil "....:SARTU don't do change"
I was on SARTU in the 80s (not "rear-crew mafia, I hasten to add). I was at a Staff Meeting in which a change to some minor detail of "standard patter" was being discussed.
After a seemingly endless debate, a decision was finally taken, some wag suggested that the decision to bomb Hiroshima had probably been reached more easily. His observation went into the line book within minutes!
So I can confirm that SARTU do in fact do DO change - it just takes them a long time
I was on SARTU in the 80s (not "rear-crew mafia, I hasten to add). I was at a Staff Meeting in which a change to some minor detail of "standard patter" was being discussed.
After a seemingly endless debate, a decision was finally taken, some wag suggested that the decision to bomb Hiroshima had probably been reached more easily. His observation went into the line book within minutes!
So I can confirm that SARTU do in fact do DO change - it just takes them a long time
I spent the most miserable time of my entire career at the hands of the ALM mafia at SARTU in the early 80's. Graded as "above average" for the basic phase with just 1 refly with Paul M***en (top bloke). Then on compulsory instructor change for advanced phase I failed every flight thereafter and ran out of refly hours with MALM Karl P***ock and his henchman Sgt Andy B**l. Total tw*ts the pair of them. "Position in door wrong, units wrong, patter wrong, (brevet wrong)". I subsequently discovered that P***ock had NEVER passed a Nav.
I hope they all have a lovely reunion.
I hope they all have a lovely reunion.
Last edited by OKOC; 15th Dec 2011 at 14:30. Reason: Addition
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Well that took longer than I thought.
OKOC, you are wrong, Karl passed me and I was wearing the wrong brevet at the time, as was another guy on my course. But it is OK as you do not really come over as bitter and twisted.
Heads down, look out for the flack
OKOC, you are wrong, Karl passed me and I was wearing the wrong brevet at the time, as was another guy on my course. But it is OK as you do not really come over as bitter and twisted.
Heads down, look out for the flack
But it is OK as you do not really come over as bitter and twisted
What hurts is that I wanted the job soooo much and I know I failed MAINLY because my face/brevet/rank didn't fit or ALM mafia didn't like the way I put my bone dome on or didn't like the way I walked down from the car park and THAT M8 is not really right. Thank god it's changed at SARTU.
You will be pleased to know that this is my last post on this thread as you, Cabe, are right, I am still raw after all these years and I ain't revisiting anymore. Bye.
PS Seriously and honestly, I wish I had made it cos I would have liked to attend the celebrations at Valley. SAR do a great job--shame it's going civi.
Last edited by OKOC; 16th Dec 2011 at 19:00.
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The mid-eighties saw some serious ego`s resident in the rear crew mafia.
For me; day one of the SAR Famil (Halfway through a tour on the plastic pursuit ship) & a black flag day.
DA Question of the day:
"Whats the immediate action to a Hyd 1 failure?"
"T_M" (Not expecting to be asked a Wessex tech question)
"Put the gear down"
Que a bad attitude tag, and I was yet to start the course!
Followed by Mr Ego personified (SE) teaching First Aid and more specifically what to do with a diabetic, insulin reaction.
Complete autocratic Bx followed despite me having seen and done the actions required hundreds of times.
I should have returned to Germany at the end of day one. Happily for everybody, it is a quite different atmosphere at Valley these days. ....and in the interests of fair play; 240 OCU (Puma & Chinook) also had its fair share of knobbers at the time.
My first ever helicopter flight was in XP351, a SAR Whirlwind at Valley in '74. Lasted about :25mins but must have made a good impression, for the RAF have now had my services for over 34 years, most of which as Rotary Rear Crew.
For me; day one of the SAR Famil (Halfway through a tour on the plastic pursuit ship) & a black flag day.
DA Question of the day:
"Whats the immediate action to a Hyd 1 failure?"
"T_M" (Not expecting to be asked a Wessex tech question)
"Put the gear down"
Que a bad attitude tag, and I was yet to start the course!
Followed by Mr Ego personified (SE) teaching First Aid and more specifically what to do with a diabetic, insulin reaction.
Complete autocratic Bx followed despite me having seen and done the actions required hundreds of times.
I should have returned to Germany at the end of day one. Happily for everybody, it is a quite different atmosphere at Valley these days. ....and in the interests of fair play; 240 OCU (Puma & Chinook) also had its fair share of knobbers at the time.
My first ever helicopter flight was in XP351, a SAR Whirlwind at Valley in '74. Lasted about :25mins but must have made a good impression, for the RAF have now had my services for over 34 years, most of which as Rotary Rear Crew.
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Are you all the same as you were 20 years ago? No, neither is SARTU. It is celebrating a significant milestone, and is justified in doing so, regardless of the petty bitterness shown by some here. Every RAF SAR pilot/crewman went through SARTU, and we have a superb SAR force - so they did something right. There were many 'face doesn't fit' staff (mostly rearcrew) - all have gone. Some are dead. Happy?
As for now - think you'll find they do change very well - look at what they're doing now - multicultural and loads of different courses.
Bitterness is painful and wasteful. It hurts all sides. What happened is done, look foward. SARTU is.
As for now - think you'll find they do change very well - look at what they're doing now - multicultural and loads of different courses.
Bitterness is painful and wasteful. It hurts all sides. What happened is done, look foward. SARTU is.
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Are you all the same as you were 20 years ago? No, neither is SARTU.
It is celebrating a significant milestone, and is justified in doing so, regardless of the petty bitterness shown by some here.
To extend your analogy: Is Germany the same as it was 70 years ago? No. It no longer carries out widespread genocide. but this is scarcely a good reason to celebrate. Your "petty bitterness" is someone else's career ending chop decision.
Every RAF SAR pilot/crewman went through SARTU, and we have a superb SAR force - so they did something right.
There were many 'face doesn't fit' staff (mostly rearcrew) - all have gone. Some are dead. Happy?
As for now - think you'll find they do change very well - look at what they're doing now - multicultural and loads of different courses.
Bitterness is painful and wasteful. It hurts all sides. What happened is done, look foward. SARTU is.
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You know fine well I'm not doing that.
I'm pointing out attempts by chopabeefer to REDUCE/DISRUPT/SUPPRESS the many bad things that have happened under the SARTU banner over the years.
I'm pointing out attempts by chopabeefer to REDUCE/DISRUPT/SUPPRESS the many bad things that have happened under the SARTU banner over the years.