Satsuma.

Stop it!
Bristow have been involved in SAR operations around the UK since a WS 55 operation at Manston in the late 60s early 70s. The crews will do a fantastic job as always!

How do you know this? I'm sure they'll try their best but how do you know it will be 'fantastic'? How will this excellence be measured?

It's outrageous for Bristow to claim that they're top dogs after just six weeks of providing the service at just one (and now two) locations. Manston 40 years ago is an irrelevance. SAR has moved on a little since then.

Bristow had the contract for civil UK SAR before CHC won the contract back in i think 2005 ish.

Satsuma. Eight posts so far; all but one slagging some aspect of the successful SAR bid. As previous stated Bristow ran it for some twenty odd years.

Why don't you move on.

Satsuma, I'm with Fareastdriver on this one. Your contribution so far demonstrates a poor grasp of the facts.

The facts are out there. They are waiting for you.

If you need help with that then PM me.

How does that make them the UK's leading SAR provider?

Maybe, because after a fair and transparent bid process, they were selected from all the competition to be exactly that?

There are many qualities that may lead to an operator being respected as "leading", however I don't think being cheapest would be one of them - which is almost certainly why they were selected

I have as many questions as anyone about how this ended up so cheap, particularly with the aircraft numbers being increased in the later stages of the process. However, it is worth remembering that Bristows were cheapest only of the three who made it to the later stages.

If the facts show that Bristow do well, I shall praise them. If the facts show that Bristow screw up, then, unless it's something I know they have been well warned about, I shall give them a second chance. If the facts show that they persistently fail then I shall experience a strong desire to get very vocal but instead I shall probably try to get constructive.

At the moment, they are a few weeks into Gap, they have a decent plan for the Main contract, though a rather vulnerable timetable for the 189.

To be fair, it wasn't all about price and a great deal hinged on demonstrating to the DfT that all the promises could be delivered on and that suitable contingency plans were in place to cover all sorts of eventualities.

What is slightly concerning is that the DfT have been advertising for a SAR transition co-ordinator (a fairly important and crucial job methinks) but, due to civil service blinkers and structures, the salary is £41K. The old saying of pay peanuts and get monkeys comes to mind

https://jobs.civilservice.gov.uk/com...JmMTIzZWRhMzA=

Currently the civil service are undergoing a pay freeze.
I hope for the sake of the industry, that the successful incumbent exercises their priviliges passionately and not because they are only a Level 7 public servant. Good luck with this hugely responsible job.

First time I ever heard anyone call £41,000 a year peanuts!!!!

After tax and NI that is about £30,000; £4,000 above average take home pay. An SAR co-pilot would get more than that.

Eric,

The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring an EU directive is carried out to national standards and ensuring that a military to civilian conversion is not only seamless but fit for purpose. This transition is one of the bigger DfT initiatives of recent times and they are deeming it Level 7 supervisory standard.
For joe public that is Flight Lt level or Aldi manager level.

I don't blame the MCA for this, it's the ones who pull their strings that have attached this little importance to the post. But the MCA will be remembered as the agonists.

Peanuts to Crab and TC though. :-)



However, taking a look at TC's estimation of Flt Lt status, I checked on MoD-DASA website. It says that a Grade 7/Principal Officer/Band 2, is equivalent to OF-5, which is Group Captain. Obviously not Gp Capt wages though.

Crab



Variable load

If you were faced with 2 building quotes (ignoring Bond only because they didn't bid on lot 3), both for work on your house, i.e. the same work. Purporting to deliver the same standard at completion (give or take an extra light here for an extra plug there). Both with proven success in the past, why, oh why would you choose the one that freely admits that the 20% extra it was going to charge was just a boardroom policy to keep profits up. Why are you so bent on cheap equaling poor value?

I bet you never go to Tesco/asda/morrisons (delete as appropriate) for your petrol!!

You're right. I never go to Tesco/Asda/Morrisons for my petrol. They drop out during the pre-selection stages of the procurement process and I go to the cheapest of those remaining.

So the CS officer who is required to:

will be paid less than a Yr 1 co-pilot on the very scheme that he seems to hold overall responsibility for delivery?

Should attract some first class candidates there...

ferzakerly........