Pages 22 to 26 of Edition 34.
Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland

"UK Search And Rescue Helicopter Service - Spring 2014"


Any errors are probably due to the principals of open government not having trickled down to the agency concerned. Grateful for a PM if you find any.

It's a good article Jim, only one glaring error about ages of crews - there are plenty of us more mature types still doing milSAR past our 40s Mid 50s would be the normal limit unless extensions to service are granted.

Frankly, at 60 plus, do you still want to be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to go flying in !!!!!e weather?

Oh, and there is no substitute for experience, regardless of how shiny and new (and capable) the aircraft.

People are often misled by the youthful good looks of we RAF types. Same thing happens in the Regiment.

(A young lady on our team was heard to comment during one exercise "The pilot looks about 12.")



That's certainly one of the points I was trying to get across.

Load of wimps. I was doing typhoon evacuations when I was 68.

FED, your toilet habits are hardly a suitable subject for discussion here............oh that sort of evacuation

Aaa ah.....the old ones are the best. ( Jokes I mean )!

Crab, touché

Have all rear crew positions now been filled?

Thorpey I hope this question isn't related to FEDs evacuation quote

I also understand they haven't, I certainly know of a couple of RAF SAR rearcrew that have been approached in the last couple of weeks, so they are still looking.

There is certainly one not-too-tall, cricket-playing, Yorkshireman who has been overlooked and really shouldn't have been - a top lad and excellent operator who outclasses many of those already taken on.

Didn't know you played cricket

I couldn't possibly say which parts of that description might apply to me but I'm certainly not from Yorkshire old chap

189 material!


Not suitable for Inverness.

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Do You guys have a clue if the Pilots positions have been filled up already??

I notice that Bristow has re advertised all UK SAR opportunities from Captain, through rear crew and into engineering as of 20/6... Maybe the figures didn't stack up first time around or are they waiting for mil guys trapped until 2017?

Theoretically, they should know by now who will be coming through Managed Transition. I suppose it is possible that offers have been rejected.


I am sure there are plenty who want it but what could be holding things back?

- MT offers rejected: trolley dolly wages not good enough for PA Scale seniors
- MT offers rejected: other (eg: promotions, Puma2, carrier jobs, ...)
- Everybody wants the same bases
- T&C causing lifestyle issues
- HR errors
- Problems caused by the Coastguard acting like they are a branch of MI5
- Yanks bouncing folks from ITAR screening


What have I missed?

Surely as the customer, having given their specification in the original tender, it has nothing to do with them.

If anything the blame is with Bristows, no AW189 yet, not enough crews, contractual penalties kicking in, delays with rollouts of bases.... Yada Yada Yada!

Does anybody know what the SAR roster pattern is?

"If anything the blame is with Bristows, no AW189 yet, not enough crews, contractual penalties kicking in, delays with rollouts of bases.... Yada Yada Yada!"

Here we go already. Blaming the operator before the contract has even started.
Not saying that Bristows will get it all right first time around but tell me a company who could pull off such a large undertaking without fault.

Surely the 189 issue is a AW problem? Understandably if they did not bid with it in the first place then they may not have been in this sticky position but remember they were not the only company to include the 189.

When are we going to get the "told you so" quotes? Can't be far away.