One for the SAR boys and girls.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: In England
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One of the stupidities ofthe SAR-H requirement was that a more integrated approach to UK SAR in any bid solution was prohibited. The issue of top cover/comms and long range target aquisition and dinghy dropping and how it might be provided more cost effectively by the chosen SAR-H contractor was an obvious "value for money" issue even if Nimrod 4 had entered service. such an expensive platform available in such small numbers was always going to have other priorites for its ISTAR capabilites - and how we shall miss those. No - there could have been several cost effective ways of substituting such fixed wing capability into the SAR-H programme, along with a truely integrated M/ARCC.....at much cost saving . Shame is we now have the savings but without the integration and fully effective UK (air) SAR service.
Lioncopter
I don't know if there is now a definition of Long Range SAR but in my day it was considered to be anything over 150mls from the coast. This was not a robust definition as 150mls into the N Sea with all the rigs with refuelling facilities is totally different to 150+ miles out from Shannon into the Atlantic.
It was a lonely feeling as the coastal lighting disappeared behind you and only darkness and an inhospitable sea lay ahead. The welcome sound of the Nimrod AEOp giving you top cover and directions to the casualty was comforting especially when fuel was short. Though due to the speed difference they had probably had time to have a big breakfast before scrambling, from Kinloss or St Mawgan to meet us as we coasted out from Shannon
HF
what are we saying is long range sar
It was a lonely feeling as the coastal lighting disappeared behind you and only darkness and an inhospitable sea lay ahead. The welcome sound of the Nimrod AEOp giving you top cover and directions to the casualty was comforting especially when fuel was short. Though due to the speed difference they had probably had time to have a big breakfast before scrambling, from Kinloss or St Mawgan to meet us as we coasted out from Shannon
HF
Thanks hummingfrog, just wondering what diffrent people think a long range job is. I have friends flying in the states that think 70 miles is long range, while I think about 200 miles is long range, to me where fuel planning starts to become important!
Join Date: Aug 2007
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In the long gone days of UK Whirlwind SAR - 50 miles offshore was considered (officially) as long range...and normally not approved at night.
From my own experience anything more than an hour away from a suitable HLS is long range enough......it is very lonely over the water with nothing in sight.....and that's before the weather adds to the flavour of the occasion.
From my own experience anything more than an hour away from a suitable HLS is long range enough......it is very lonely over the water with nothing in sight.....and that's before the weather adds to the flavour of the occasion.
The welcome sound of the Nimrod AEOp giving you top cover and directions to the casualty was comforting especially when fuel was short. Though due to the speed difference they had probably had time to have a big breakfast before scrambling, from Kinloss or St Mawgan to meet us as we coasted out from Shannon
For what it is worth...I now experience the same comfort when I am the only helicopter working a fire miles from anywhere and have the "air attack" platform above me watching my back.
Glad to have been comfort to you....
Gordy....former AEOp....now helicopter fire pilot.....
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Hummingfrog:
We didn't need the breakfast before scrambling - we had a big box of rations (for 26 POB, as I recall, even though a crew was usually 13) down the back of the aircraft which we couldn't wait to get into!
Lioncopter:
Flying SAR in the Falklands, for me, felt like every job was long range, particularly over sea at night. The only other SAR crew within hundreds of miles were usually in the bar.....
Gordy:
Ex-AEOp? On the Air India crash? Guess that makes you ex 201 Sqn, perhaps Crew 7? My memory tells me I was on the second Nimrod out there, with 201/6, so perhaps you were on the first?
they had probably had time to have a big breakfast before scrambling
Lioncopter:
just wondering what different people think a long range job is
Gordy:
Ex-AEOp? On the Air India crash? Guess that makes you ex 201 Sqn, perhaps Crew 7? My memory tells me I was on the second Nimrod out there, with 201/6, so perhaps you were on the first?
Sargs
201/1 followed by NFTC. Started on Mike Verrill's crew then Jerry Kessle's (sp). But as you know, we occasionally swapped crews for a day specially covering SAR... Will check my log book if and when I ever make it back to my base---(been gone since Feb 3, rumor has it I may be back before the end of the month).
Ex-AEOp? On the Air India crash? Guess that makes you ex 201 Sqn, perhaps Crew 7? My memory tells me I was on the second Nimrod out there, with 201/6, so perhaps you were on the first?
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Top Cover
Had a brief from the crew of Cormorant 902 (Canadian Forces 442 Squadron) on their Homathko Glacier rescue, which won the Prince Philip award. Their top cover is Buffalo/Herc and they needed it to fire flares to create enough light for their NVG to work (hovering at max IGE altitude, over snow against the rocks). Who'd be a SAR Tech, winching down knowing what the handling pilot's handling!
Even more impressive is what they mean by long range - colleagues travelled 7,000km a few months ago to pick up a seal hunter whose bit of ice shelf had become an ice berg. That's roughly Montreal to ABZ!
-40C, Fuel from caches - no wonder they tajke a flight engineer to keep it all going ...
N.
Even more impressive is what they mean by long range - colleagues travelled 7,000km a few months ago to pick up a seal hunter whose bit of ice shelf had become an ice berg. That's roughly Montreal to ABZ!
-40C, Fuel from caches - no wonder they tajke a flight engineer to keep it all going ...
N.
I maby should have quantified that statement better, I have friends flying EMS that think 70 miles is long range.
I was just wondering what people feel long range is. It was not a slight on anyone.
;-)
I was just wondering what people feel long range is. It was not a slight on anyone.
;-)
