Coastguard S92's
Yes, it's my New Year's resolution to be more cuddly and 'civilian-friendly'
Might not last though
Might not last though
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couldn't have put it better myself, times and technology are changing and we as SAR Operators have to go with the flow
But to go with the flow because its new and therefore must be better is totally wrong. The Coastguard should have checked the system worked before risking the SAR crews who do the job.
As I understand it, the MCA were offered the satphone option and jumped at it since it was new and, in theory, improved technology. However, the compatability with what presently exists at the ARRCK was either assumed or ignored.
Yes HF is old hat but it is the primary source of comms between the tasking authority and the helicopters - in hindsight it does seem foolish not to have included it in the S92 spec. A modern HF set can still provide very good comms with the ARCC - just a shame only our Mk3As have one.
Yes HF is old hat but it is the primary source of comms between the tasking authority and the helicopters - in hindsight it does seem foolish not to have included it in the S92 spec. A modern HF set can still provide very good comms with the ARCC - just a shame only our Mk3As have one.
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PumaBoy -
Just remember that NOT all media have no clue about helicopters. Some of us do all we can to PROMOTE the industry.
I could turn around and bag ALL puma drivers with the same brush because one was a dick, but we dont. So DONT tar all media with the same brush.
Ned
Media shut the hell up!!!!!!
I could turn around and bag ALL puma drivers with the same brush because one was a dick, but we dont. So DONT tar all media with the same brush.
Ned
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Media
Ned
My apologies
Ok their is one journalist who knows what he is speaking about.
But in general whan you pick up a news paper and some thing small has happend to an a/c the media pick up the incident and write what ever they want and it turns to be a whole different incident to what really happend and this can damage the industry and loose contracts.
It is peoples jobs and lively hoods that are affected.
I don't mind them writting about our industry but please make the story as it happend and listen to the experts who know what they are speaking about instead of making up things that are exaggerated.
Once again many apologies to you Ned
My apologies
Ok their is one journalist who knows what he is speaking about.
But in general whan you pick up a news paper and some thing small has happend to an a/c the media pick up the incident and write what ever they want and it turns to be a whole different incident to what really happend and this can damage the industry and loose contracts.
It is peoples jobs and lively hoods that are affected.
I don't mind them writting about our industry but please make the story as it happend and listen to the experts who know what they are speaking about instead of making up things that are exaggerated.
Once again many apologies to you Ned
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Hands up all those would have failed on more than one occasion has failed to speak to Kinloss on HF,
Skytrac might not be the answer it might have a few shortcomings.
But please do not say that HF is the be all and end all its's NOT.
Justintime80
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Skytrac might not be the answer it might have a few shortcomings.
But please do not say that HF is the be all and end all its's NOT.
Justintime80
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Last edited by Senior Pilot; 12th Jan 2008 at 01:12. Reason: Attempt to name another PPRuNer
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Lost at Sea
The Coastguard have never been able to speak to their helicopters once out of VHF range as they dont have HF in their MRCCs. Now they can speak to them using the Satphone. So for them it's a welcome addition.
The Coastguard have never been able to speak to their helicopters once out of VHF range as they dont have HF in their MRCCs. Now they can speak to them using the Satphone. So for them it's a welcome addition.
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Pumaboy - No problem, just would be nice for us not to be stuck in the same catergory as the mainstream media, who I agree, have very limited, if any, knowledge of the industry.
You will find that most of the time they wont listen to the experts and include their explanations, because that would make sense, would make that "life theatening situation" into a broken fuse on the overhead panel, and hence they wouldnt sell any papers. And for mainstream media thats the purpose, sell papers and dont let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Just my two cents worth.
Ned
You will find that most of the time they wont listen to the experts and include their explanations, because that would make sense, would make that "life theatening situation" into a broken fuse on the overhead panel, and hence they wouldnt sell any papers. And for mainstream media thats the purpose, sell papers and dont let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Just my two cents worth.
Ned
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Blimp22
I'm sure it is for the Coastguard who are sat warm and cosy in their ops rooms. But its surely not a welcome addition for the crews if they can't communicate and there the ones who are out in crappy weather. Do they have to phone through a Mayday for example and was this system ever tested or trialled before it went into the Coastguard heli's?
The Coastguard have never been able to speak to their helicopters once out of VHF range as they dont have HF in their MRCCs. Now they can speak to them using the Satphone. So for them it's a welcome addition.
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Lost at sea
Whoa there. I'm with you, lets have HF as well. It is a welcome addition as the situation has now gone from having no means of communication to having one, thats got to be a good thing, but HF in addition would also be very welcome.
Whoa there. I'm with you, lets have HF as well. It is a welcome addition as the situation has now gone from having no means of communication to having one, thats got to be a good thing, but HF in addition would also be very welcome.
Hadn't you realised that!Join Date: May 2007
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To correct a point the MF equipped MRCC's in the UK do have full HF capability and some MRCC's use it including Stornoway, Shetland and Aberdeen although I believe Shetland use the MF freqs I am aware Aberdeen have used HF in the past on more than several occasions, and yes the ARCC / MRCC staff may sit warm and cosy in their ops rooms but they do a hell of a lot of work in preparation for the job to be carried out...it doesn't just happen.
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It is a welcome addition as the situation has now gone from having no means of communication to having one, thats got to be a good thing
Justintime - I didn't see it but I presume it was my name you were taking in vain. I didn't say the HF was the be all and end all - I said that in the 3A it is a much more user friendly system than the 3. Even so HF works a lot more often than it doesn't.
However, in the next year or so all RAF SAR Sea Kings should be fitted with satphone/sat tracker providing the trials are OK and the funding doesn't disappear. So then we will have Satphone AND HF!! The big difference is that our satphone/tracker will be compatible with the ARCCK system
However, in the next year or so all RAF SAR Sea Kings should be fitted with satphone/sat tracker providing the trials are OK and the funding doesn't disappear. So then we will have Satphone AND HF!! The big difference is that our satphone/tracker will be compatible with the ARCCK system
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Ok....
Comms appear to be an issue, but something i am sure will not be left unresolved considering the hostile conditions in which these guys can work in. I believe the Sumburgh 92's officially go 'on line' this week, and from what i've heard the crews are very happy with the helicopter. Yes there are some bugs to be worked around, same as there were probably bugs to be worked around when the S61's were introduced.
What about the good points? most noticeable for me has been the ability of the S92 being able to keep a good speed on approaches if they are in a sequence, and no doubt this increased speed can only be of a benefit to response times??
Whats the endurance like compared to the S61's? More space down the back so more people can be winched and taken to safety?
Just a few questions to perhaps focus the convo down another avenue from the usual S92 bashing....
enjoy
Comms appear to be an issue, but something i am sure will not be left unresolved considering the hostile conditions in which these guys can work in. I believe the Sumburgh 92's officially go 'on line' this week, and from what i've heard the crews are very happy with the helicopter. Yes there are some bugs to be worked around, same as there were probably bugs to be worked around when the S61's were introduced.
What about the good points? most noticeable for me has been the ability of the S92 being able to keep a good speed on approaches if they are in a sequence, and no doubt this increased speed can only be of a benefit to response times??
Whats the endurance like compared to the S61's? More space down the back so more people can be winched and taken to safety?
Just a few questions to perhaps focus the convo down another avenue from the usual S92 bashing....
enjoy
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Comms
Just as a point of interest, all of the coastguards fixed wing assetts had there HF comms removed and sold off some years ago. There was no replacement in terms of sat comms.
I rather feel that some people at the MCA are going to get there collars felt by either the NAO ( ie; 'wheres the money going?') or the EU ('are you actively trying to get people killed?') in the not too distant future.
I rather feel that some people at the MCA are going to get there collars felt by either the NAO ( ie; 'wheres the money going?') or the EU ('are you actively trying to get people killed?') in the not too distant future.
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Hogmany
Just been catching up on things having been on holiday since just after Hogmany....Navytorque's post on 9th Jan is interesting about the rescue west of shetland on Hogmany....I was the controller along with my watch manager plugged in on Aberdeen Information that evening....good to read about what happened but I must say that ARCC worked very hard ....they were sorting that rescue out along with a casevac from the Forties that had us all working till way gone 0300hrs!! Everyone kept the evening very pleasant!!
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St. Kilda trawler rescue
Quote from BBC News website; "Operators CHC said an operation by Stornoway's S92 to save 14 crew of a trawler on St Kilda had been the machine's biggest challenge so far". Given the tasty conditions at the time in question, will this be enough to silence those who critisised CHC's decision to select the S-92 for Stornoway?
...and those who were prepared to slag off the pilot when she was unable to complete a previous job in the 92. The public slagging didn't happen but I was sent a gypsies warning that if I criticised the crew it would backfire since the pilot was ex-RAF. I wouldn't have critcised the crew anyway but it seemed like there were some queueing up to try and throw some mud.
Another good job completed by a professional crew.
Another good job completed by a professional crew.