Watch keeping desk????? err having done both, which seems to be a requirement for you, I think you miss a huge amount. Both sides play important roles. Both have a purpose. Neither is better than the other, simply the skill set is different. Too hard to accept by some, but having done 10 years SF and 7 years SAR, believe me I do have an opinion, and yes I am ex service, come third man with me anytime in Perth and you will start to understand just how good in the Sar world we are in certain areas!
Rant off....

Yes but how is your post office ?

Well done Doris - the post office remark helped the penny drop on who winch control is:)

RN
 

Do the RN take ab-intio pilots out of training and stream them SAR or is it normal practice to expect them to do a tour elsewhere?

If a pilot was SAR and it then went private would you be able to be re-deployed elsewhere in the RN or do you get privatised as well?

Currently applying to the RN and SAR is where I would prefer to go- but not if it means having to enter civi street again after a few years out of training!

Rico - generally the RN see SAR as a rest tour from the frontline-I don't know if they put first tourists there or not.

There is supposed to be some military presence left in SAR post SAR H but the numbers and concept of ops just don't work.

Rico - If you particularly want to be a SAR god then don't join the RN.... (except to learn to fly Helicopters). There are just 2 SAR units in the RN (although ALL RN aircrew are trainined in basic SAR procedures).

And if you want to be a SAR God don't join the RAF either.
We do a job, as well as we can within the resources we are given. Persons with god delusions are not appreciated (especially by those down back if the "gods" are up front)
Sven


PS
To be fair it was VVHA who came up with SAR Gods, not you. If you want a deeply demanding and satisfying career in flying, welcome. Just don't expect it to last forever or for the RAF to take much notice of your preference.

Sven

AgustaWestland Awarded €660 Million (£470 Million) - SKIOS Phase II Contract
Friday, November 30th, 2007

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that Phase II of the Sea King
Integrated Operational Support (SKIOS) contract has now been launched
following the signing of the contract by AgustaWestland and the UK Ministry
of Defence on 29th November 2007. SKIOS Phase II introduces payment by the
flying hour arrangements, emulating the successful IMOS contract for the UK
MoD’s fleet of Merlin helicopters signed in early 2006. SKIOS Phase II also
includes an aircraft availability output responsibility for UK military SAR
aircraft that provide around the clock SAR cover for the UK and Falkland
Islands. The value of the contract for the first five years is € 660 million
(£470 million), with the potential of rising to €1.12 Billion (£800 Million)
over 10 years. The contract is expected to run for the remaining service
life of the Sea King fleet.

Under the contract the UK MoD will transfer responsibility to AgustaWestland
for Sea King Depth Maintenance located at DARA Fleetlands and the Second
Line Workshops activities located at RNAS Yeovilton. AgustaWestland will
also be responsible for providing 1st Line Maintenance Services for the SAR
Sea Kings at eight bases comprising Wattisham Airfield, RAF Lossiemouth, DST
Leconfield, RMB Chivenor, RAF Boulmer, RAF Valley, HMS Gannet and Mount
Pleasant Airfield, Falkland Islands. Transfer of responsibility for the
above activities will take place over the next six months as part of the
SKIOS Phase II transition plan. AgustaWestland will continue to provide
technical and spares support services introduced under Phase I of SKIOS.
Graham Cole, Managing Director – Business at AgustaWestland said “SKIOS
Phase II is another example of Strategic Partnering between AgustaWestland
and the UK Ministry of Defence delivering a contract that will bring
significant benefits to the front line squadrons and at the same time
significant cost savings. The success of the SKIOS Phase I and the IMOS
programme show that AgustaWestland is leading the field in delivering
through life support services to the Ministry of Defence.”
Baroness Taylor, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, said “The
contract represents another deliverable of the Helicopter plans set out in
the Defence Industrial Strategy, strengthens the partnered relationship with
industry, and maintains aircraft availability levels but with reduced
through life costs. Overall it provides better value for money for the
taxpayer.”
The UK MoD’s fleet of Sea King helicopters totals almost 100 aircraft
comprising the Royal Air Force’s Mk.3 and Mk.3A SAR aircraft and the Royal
Navy’s Mk.4 and Mk.6CR amphibious support aircraft, Mk.5 SAR aircraft and
Mk.7 Maritime Surveillance and Control aircraft. The SKIOS Phase II contract
will sustain at least 270 jobs at the SAR bases and create 40 new posts with
AgustaWestland throughout the UK. AgustaWestland has also partnered with a
number of key aerospace and defence companies to deliver SKIOS Phase II
including VT Aerospace, Serco, Thales UK and SELEX S&AS.

Two vaguely SAR-H related questions.

1) It was said that:

"This year marks the start of the first phase of its SAR Harmonization project, with CHC Helicopter taking over the Maritime and Coastguard Agency contract for civil services from Bristow Helicopters after 20-plus years. That five-year contract, which CHC is fulfilling with new SAR-configured Sikorsky Aircraft S-92s and AgustaWestland AW139s, was a wake-up call for operators and manufacturers that the United Kingdom is changing the way it does business."

We've heard a great deal about the first two S-92s, but when will the AW139s enter service in the SAR role, and where will they be based?

2) Six bidders went to four, and then to three.

We know that Bond/AgustaWestland dropped out to leave:

Airknight team (Lockheed Martin/VT/British International Helicopters)

CHC/Thales

UK Air Rescue (Bristow/SERCO/FB Heliservices)

who were bidders 5 and 6?

3) Which bid team is offering which helicopter combination?

a) S-92 and AW139
b) AW101 and AW139
c) EC225 and AW139

and what was the aircraft combination offered by Westland?

Lee on Solent from April 1st.ish with 2xAW139s.:hmm:
Portland from June 1st.ish with 1xAW139.:hmm::hmm:

Hopefully someone else knows the answer to your other questions. I did know at one time but those brain cells have long been destroyed, sorry.
Over to you Crab!;) Please be charitable, it is Christmas afterall!:)

Thanks 3D, most helpful.

Sounds as though the 139 is going as planned?

I heard that Glintek & Evergreen were 5 & 6.

Combinations? Somehow can't see 101 as being a low cost solution and not sure about the others.

Thanks!

Never heard of Glintek.....
:uhoh:

Aircraft Combinations
 

I doubt that the exact combinations proposed by the various consortiums will be revealed on here, Commercial-in-Confidence probably. However, I can say that there are likely to be more aircraft types in the mix than are mentioned in your list.

In Post 112, on 26 October, you, Leopold, said:

"What sort of helicopter?
Depending on the consortium chosen, now down to 3 as Bond/Westlands have withdrawn, the aircraft proposed are: S92 + AW139, EH101 + AW139, EC225 + AW139. Whoever gets the contract it will at least mean modern reliable helicopters, that's got to be a good thing. As for crew training, it certainly wont be the gold plated but arguably wasteful Service standard but the bidders aren't stupid or incompetent and they have been providing a good service for quite a few years (Bristows, CHC), so they are not likely to employ incompetents."

What made you say that, then, and not now?

What made you say that, then, and not now?
 

As Harold Macmillan put it "Events, my dear boy, events":)

Oh come on, stop teasing me and give us all the benefit of your expert analysis.

What's your feeling as to what types are being offered, and by whom?

Types
 

I'm no expert but I have heard that NH90, EC145 and renovated S61s are in the mix, don't know from which consortiums though.

Holy cow! Now that's a puzzler on at least two out of three counts.