Sea King stuck in the mountains
 

Here on the BBC

Hope they were wearing something better than the standard issue flying boot!

"Dress for survival, not for the flight deck"........

I hope they did!

16B

Good story but once again this shows why we should keep a military SAR capibility, These fellas stuck their necks on the line in the $hittie$t conditions and all for a bloke with a knackered ankle. I'd like to see the Eric's have a go at that one.

I'd like to meet the cats eyes winchman who noticed ice on the blades but as the journo says, never let the truth get in the way of a good dit.

Good on ya fellas, Good work and I hope the bar was open when you got back home.

This must be the ice sculpture they're talking about:
http://uk.inmagine.com/168nwm/iconot.../icn092060.jpg

http://www.ejectorseats.co.uk/dress.jpg
(C) MOD Graphics. Used with permission.

Excellent work by both the crew and the Mountain Rescue Team in what seems to have been very testing conditions - Not easy to dead lift a person down a mountain :ok:

Southside

I agree with you about keeping the Mil SAR capability, but as an ex navy flyer and a keen wanderer through the hills and mountains myself, I believe that some sort of insurance should be carried by people who venture out. If nothing else, it will put a little money back in the coffers.

The difficulty will be addressing who should take out the insurance - the serious climber/walker with all the right gear (tho they are more likely to be willing to insure themselves agianst rescue), or the muppet who goes onto the mountain in niks and flip flops?

Good on 'em for doing their best. Not often that wx conditions cause a crew to walk home.....

Helicopter crews ARE usually very well clued up on what they need to wear. They are actually out in the weather with the doors open, not sat in a crewroom / HAS and then bussed to a comfy bang seat with aircon and then back again afterwards.... ;)

Southside,
Presumably, the new "Eric" S-92 will have heated blades (RIPS) so the "Erics" might well be able to complete a mission in icing conditions! This is actually a classic example of a reason to re-equip, not a reason to have a go at the civvies (some of whom who might actually be ex-mil in any case).

Do Sea King crews carry parachutes these days :confused: ? :E

Surely the most important thing for a SAR captain is knowing when to say no? Ultimately they were sensible to land and shut down, but to quote this as a case of why we need military SAR is not logical Mr Spock.

The "Erics" at Stornoway do overland SAR in the mountains, but most of the MCA's SAR work is maritime, otherwise the MCA would not be called the MCA - the clue is in the title:ok: .

Southside-Just a broken ankle?
If he can't walk on it in that sort of weather and temprature then it is a life threatening injury. And the number of times I've seen a 60 yr old with a twisted ankle turn out to be a 35 yr old with a broken arm...:confused:

As a matter of interest the SAR crews all qualify for the "Pro-Boots" which are quite good for walking off hills.
Untill recently the front enders also used to be able to get hold of Scarpa mountain boots, which were of course ideal for walking off hills like this. Now though only the chaps in the back get issued them, after all, why would the pilots ever need them?:hmm: :hmm: :hmm:

On the question of people taking out insurance when they go up in the hills, and possibly charging for being rescued, I would have to think that this would be a bad idea. Currently people can call early as soon as they get into trouble. If they think they might be charged, they'll leave it till the last minute when things are really bad, and the rescue becomes that much more difficult.

My point was that these guys risked life and limb for this fellas broken ankle. They launched in $hitty weather, howling gales, snow, sleet,freezing level around their ankles and they did it to save life....not for the glory or the good of their health. Good on ya fellas. Im proud of you even if this lot arn't

Must be reading a different thread to me, Mr Side. (Not the first time I've thought that about one of your posts).

<Doffs hat to SAR crews everywhere>. :ok:

"Good on ya fellas. Im proud of you even if this lot arn't"

Which lot would that be then? Did anyone say that? If so, the post must have been deleted.

Is it just me, or....... :rolleyes:

Good effort guys,

good to see that 'pressonitis' is a condition we are seeing less and less of. :ok:

There's always one!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAR-Seaking_W0...QQcmdZViewItem

V funny.:ok:

Looks like Kinloss MRT managed the rescue with the local civilian team. I guess the MRT also provided the aircraft guard. More strength to the claim that the RAF MRS is the RAF's only all weather rescue service;)

Seriously, good job by everyone involved both MRTs and 202 Sqn :ok:

It's still there, and if the met outside my house this morning is anything to go by it's going to be there for a while.

Today's Braemar Beano (aka The Aberdeen Press & Journal) has a brilliant shot on the front page of the stranded chopper, taken by an intrepid reporter who trekked the two miles from the ski centre car park to the location. Unfortunately the photo's not yet up on their web site, but the link is http://www.thisisaberdeen.co.uk/. Judging by the photo I don't think they are going to be able to de-ice it safely enough to get it serviceable. What bets on a Chinook lifting it out? Would that be feasible? Kinlosss MRT are still on guard, well done to them as it can't be much fun up there in these conditions.

If I remember correctly, the last time a chopper was forced down in this area was early 1977 (Jan/Feb) in similar conditions. The type then was a civvi Jet Ranger and the pilot put down on the only available flat ground. It turned out to be a frozen loch, Loch Avon, approx 2 miles SE of current location. A couple of days later a recovery op was carried out. It was airlifted from the site by, guess what, a Sea King from Lossie! What are the chances of today's stuck chopper being the same airframe from 29 years ago?

Why not send in the Junglies to fix it - after all they are trained to operate and maintain their Seakings in the arctic?

Not a bad plan actually.
Plus it would be a great oportunity for some inter service banter/PR.
The problem is that once the ice is on, its a bugger to get it off.