SAROPS Saturday - for Search and Rescue
 

So far, we've had threads such as Maritime Monday - Tornado Tuesday , WIWOL Wednesday and Phantom Phriday.

Following the established theme, how about...

SAROPS SATURDAY

Anything related to military Search and Rescue Operations, whether it's Helicopter, fixed wing, ship, boat or the support on the ground.

That won't last long then.......

Hat

Coat

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_lifeboat.jpg
the Saunders Roe Mk3 airborne lifeboat fitted to a Shackleton MR1.

According to Wikipedia, the Mk3 was fitted with 15hp motorcycle engine with a range of 1250 NM:eek:

I should have thought there would be enough material for it to be "SAROPS Saturday and Sunday"

Wessex week, maritime month, yellow hatter year...

Vulcan
 

How about Tin Triangle Thursday?

ACW

Guernsey Girl II


Wasn't that the Lindholme gear ... boat at one end of a long rope with life jackets etc at intervals along the rope?

Lindholme may have started like that, but I recall it as a multi-seat raft (MS12/26?) in the middle with a goody canister on long lanyards either side. Dropped so as to drift onto the survivors- the wide spread minimising it scooting past and being lost.

CG

What did the a/b lifeboat weigh, kitted and ready to drop? Just that trolley looks well over-engineered for a job a sailing dinghy trolley (eg for a Finn) should cope with, at vastly less cost. Aah, you say, a defence project. that explains it..........hat, coat............

Wonder00,
The airborne lifeboat was designed by Uffa Fox, there appears to be an example at the Classic Boat Museum in Cowes.


There is quite a lot of gen about it on the web along with pictures showing it under a Hudson and Warwick. I had not seen the picture GGII had posted previously.


I am quite interested in this. Lots of years ago the St Ives (Cambridgeshire) Sea Scouts had one. I am not sure where it went. I know there is an ex military boat of sorts made of steel buried under the foundations of the new hut (New to me in 1974 ex Pathfinder HQ Huntingdon). Under the veranda end closest to the church. We also had another aluminium boat which went to Micky Jones boatyard in St Ives. I think this had been a tug for the pontoon bridge sections we used to float the hut over to the island. It had a very thirsty inboard petrol engine and went like hot snot.


I do recall seeing an old flickering cine film of the Airborne boat on the river in St Ives. I would not be surprised if the mast and sails were amongst those in the lockers in the old hut (town side of the swimming pool [dockyard] ) I know there were lots for boats that had long since gone. Most of the people that were involved have long since gone. I was a teenager at the time.


I believe the Lindholme gear was all containerised. Early versions were even dropped from Lysanders from a rack on the undercarriage legs.

This book might interest anyone keen to read more about Airborne Lifeboats;

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/454/18...acd17d9b_z.jpg

First published 1994 - HMSO

ISBN: 0 11 772761X


Message for MODS/Admin - Could the thread title be changed to correct case please - sorry for "shouting".

Done: Splot

There used to be three A/B L/B's in St Andrews SC circa 1985. One in commission and two being 'worked on'. Had the pleasure of sailing the i/c one with the owner and friends - went like the proverbial and hummed like a cello when she planed!

The Uffa Fox weighed 1700lb according to Wikipedia (yes, I know), the Finn weighs about 250 ? No weights given for the Saunders-Roe. If you dropped a 250lb dinghy from an aeroplane would there be anything left apart from floating wreckage ?

Well there you, all explained, many thanks. Interested in the Wyton/Pathfinder stuff as last tour at Wyton 90/93, and was involved in station sailing at Grafham; also involved in the Pathfinder Reunion in 92. seems an odd bit of kit to use as "foundations" though!

Must have taken a long time to transit to the patrol area. 1250nm isn't a great range for an MPA either ;)

Perhaps that's why they put the Vipers on the Phase 3?:)

Image removed

I will be Away tomorrow as well. So...

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...kRoyal9-70.jpg

Image credit: Mad Dan on UKAR at this weblink http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=2152

http://www.22squadronassociation.org.uk/wwjgougy.jpgfrom the 22 Sqn Association Web Site
One of the early Whirlwind Mk 10 rescues resulted in the second award of a George Medal to a 22 Squadron Winchman. On 3 November 1962 Sergeant Eric Smith volunteered to be lowered to the grounded and stricken French fishing vessel, "Jeanne Gougy", to rescue a trawlermen from inside the wheel house. The wheel house was continually being submerged by breaking waves. Having been ordered to remain attached to the winch wire, he entered the vessel's wheel house, continually having to take a deep breath of air and hold his breath while the wheel house was submerged before the waves receded again. Once inside the wheel house he found two survivors, which he rescued separately. A report of a possible third survivor required Eric Smith to enter the wheel house yet again and crawl along a passageway towards the radio room to look for the survivor. None was found, but before being able to return to the helicopter he had to disentangle the winch wire from the hub of the ship's wheel.

I'm sure this photo was the basis of a Ladybird Book picture that I can still almost see nearly 50 years later.

P6 Driver.
What is the tail number of the WW Mk 10? I must have worked on it at St Mawgan in the sixties.