'Dreadful' Behaviour by SAR Crew
 

Surprised no one else has picked this non-story up yet:

RAF rescue helicopter makes unexpected beach landing - so pilot can buy ice cream - Telegraph

Mind, I'm surprised that the crew weren't arrested for indecency...
OK, I'm bored and it's late on a Friday afternoon.

Can't see the problem, myself. Perhaps they had been having a long day, were tired and sweaty, and opted for a cool refreshment. They didn't land anywhere risky, it would appear, so good on them! :ok:

Yep, definitely a case of 'Nothing to see, now move along...'

Can the ice creams go on expenses? Hope someone carried an imprest (sp).

3 Magnum Classics and one white chocolate Magnum.

Good choice.

Now wait for a massive overreaction from the publicity shy and risk averse RAF chain of command. Or am I being bitter and cynical?

Perhaps sackcloth needs to be issued for new flying suits.

I stand to be corrected, but I think an 84 pilot got clobbered for showing off to a load of sun worshippers in Cyprus, when the AOC was also grabbing some beams on the beach (Ray Offard, who died last year).

In fact, thinking about it, his wife won a new Honda in the 1984 Families Day Draw.. she drew the ticket too! I'm sure there would be a public enquiry and all manner of anti-corruption paperwork to be completed these days..

To quote King James III - "Nothing of importance happened today."

Great photo of Layla and Romany waving at the crew - a good news story.


S4G

Mickey Ds at Penzance Heliport waiting for the fog to lift at Culdrose
and Fish and Chips at Fort William Car Park - Good times.
On both occaisions we never had to put our hand in our pockets.
Some hot food, a Chat with the natives with a quick tour of the Cab does wonders for Crew morale after a ****ty day.
If it was training flight and they ticked off a Beach landing stat - crack on.

I do hope the Capt and Co had different choices and ate them 90 mins apart.

How PC of them :E

The only person who appears to think there is an issue here is the OP.
Please just delete the thread

White chocolate magnum- must have been a girl in the crew!
"Would you like crushed nuts with that sir?" "No thanks, bloody seats uncomfortable enough as it is" :}

Lynn Mills, from Dereham, said:"....... it was very nice to see."
That sums that up then, especially the picture of the beaming look on the kids faces with their barely eaten classic & white chocolate magnum in their hands - did the crew buy them?
Good on yer guys.:ok:

Hopefully the crew concerned will be getting a goody-box from a certain ice cream manufacturer for the free publicity, and a pat on the back from the powers that be... :ok:

Wait out...:E

There, but for the grace of God, goes pretty much every military helicopter aviator I have ever met, myself included.

If this incident was correctly reported (and in the UK press that is normally a very big IF!!!) then the real issue here is the massive error of judgement by two officers and two SNCOs. I guarantee that crew will have known about the recent high profile incident of a SAR helicopter dropping in to collect some meat from the butchers. They may even know the pilot who was suspended as a result.

The UK is broke, people are eating at food banks and the RAF are using tax payers helicopters to go for ice cream. That's how the public will perceive this and 10 seconds of thought beforehand could have prevented it.

Message from SAR Force Commander to Helicopter Crew. Message reads: "sharpen up". Stronger message to follow? :=

I am outraged in advance! I bet it was the enlisted s**t rope a dope who was excluded from the superior confectionary, and forced to mumble, "Oi knows me playce Guv." Disgraceful.

CG

I'm betting it was one of the hofficers that went for white chocolate.

We need to be told.

I would HAVE to be a girly co-pilot who had the white choccy! Betcha ;)

Al

Re-read that!:D

CG

The captain will henceforth be known as "Iceman". :}

Nanny State syndrome! Yep, have to keep sucking the fun out of the job :ugh:

Not that long ago we landed a Huey in front of a pub on the beach in west Oz, crewie jumps out and strides into the pub with helmet still on. Short time later out he comes with a carton of beer on his shoulder and jumps in....happy times:ok:

Still, probably get in the sh$%t for that these days here in Oz as well!

Cheers

IT, I meant IT - missed me t, it often happens on SAR! :\

I am sure they briefed the mission and put it all in the auth sheets before they launched so all should be OK?

If not then they are stupid!

Is this really much different than say a police patrol pulling into a McDonalds 'drive thru' whilst out and about to get something to eat?

I'm sure that the SAR crew didn't leave base just to buy ice creams, it was just something they could do whilst on task.

A nothing story, well unless the press is going to start hounding the other emergency services who stop somewhere to get a bite to eat whilst in their work vehicle.:ugh:

To quote King James III - "Nothing of importance happened today."


I thought that quote was attributed to George III?

Harley, the OP was merely drawing the attention to the Torygraph. It will be in the Mail tomorrow if not yesterday.

Don't shoot the messager nor close a thread that is perfect for a bit of innocent banter.

AlR, 84 also used to drop off a 'survivor' at some inaccessible spot off the cliff. He would spend the day fishing and another crew would go find him. That theymight have seen some skinny dipping or sunbathing was entirely unconnected.

Vampiredave,

I stand corrected - thank you.


S4G

Good on them, nice bit of PR for the RAF SAR crews too.

Nail - Head! As long as it wasn't ouright abuse - ie - they decided to use the Cab purely for an Ice cream run, then whats the problem? Good PR. Only thing that I can think of is if the cab had went u/s due to the landing - eg - FOD. then I dare say the story and the future careers of the Aircrew would have taken a turn for the worse!

PN,

I once was 'it' with the delightful Debbie from PBX - alas no skinny dipping.

No other immersion drills either, sad to say.

What the story doesn't say is that somebody was probably in desperate need of a loo stop. It would have been impolite to use the cafe's facilities without making a purchase.

The look of delight on the faces of the two girls in photo 2 says it all - excellent PR into the bargain.

This week, that crew could have picked up an injured sailor, the body of a drowned kid and an ice-cream that they paid for out of their own pockets. What's the issue ?

The good lady and I chose our kids school having been influenced in part by the arrival of a Lynx on a goodwill visit from Yeovilton. Close ties with the Military and the opportunity to participate if they so choose are a wonderful opportunity that in hindsight, I wish I had.

I know this is boring but this action by the crew doesn't pass the Daily Mail test. It cannot be part of a publicly funded mission to use one of HM's helos to stop and buy an ice cream. What would be the reaction if a Tonka crew diverted to a civvie airport for a Big Mac (unauth'd)?

Killjoy maybe, but that's how it is.

The real 'Daily Mail test' is if you are one of the stupid f@@kwits that reads it........

(not aimed at the previous poster, I meant DM readers!)

Years ago, the training flight down the London Helilane always included a "tea with no fee" stop at Battersea. I guess nowadays they might be too busy.

Many summers ago whilst moving troops around a Southern county in Northern Ireland, we spotted an ice cream van in a layby next to a beauty spot. There was still 4 minutes to pick-up time so we landed and sent the crewman for 3 '99s'. Armed to the teeth, I might add. The vendor listened to his order then told him to "F*** Off you Brit Bas***d!"
My departure didn't half rattle his van...............

Brilliant! Story put me in a right good mood for the weekend! :ok:

4015

Lighten up Max Contingency, as the story says the pilots were debriefing and one of the rear crew went for some ice creams - no bad PR here. Sounds like laudable initiative and opportunism by the SNCO to me.

If they'd charged the ice creams to the Queen's account then that would be a different matter....!

Ice cream on the beach
 

Been there, done that - West Beach Lossiemouth a few years ago, and no harm done. Mind you, many moons ago I remember landing on the grass verge beside the A303 on Salisbury Plain for a punnet of strawberries, which was probably pushing it a bit. Now if we could could combine the two exercises and have strawberries and ice cream...! There's a challenge!