[email protected]

Ou, peut etre, les autres ne sont pas les professeurs de vol comme nos deux crabes.

MOSTAFA

De toute évidence.

jimf671

Yesterday, without the aid of a safety net or stab vest, and with limited fire support, Clark Broad gave a presentation to the Scottish Mountain Rescue General Committee, prior to our AGM, on Bristow SAR implementation. Questions from the floor focussed on delays affecting Inverness.

As usual, the contractor is expected to take the blame for decades of DfT shortcomings and MoD aircraft and equipment inadequacies are overlooked.

A more informed approach from some could have advanced collaborative working and the service to the poor soul lying in the snow.

Clever Richard

In order to be more informed I thought I would get the information from the horse's mouth as it were. Can't get much better than this:
SAR Bases | Bristow Search and Rescue
Inverness went live on 1st April 2015 so what is all this talk of delay?

[email protected]

Oh well that's OK then - there must be a completely different reason Wattisham is being extended by a month then.

Jim you appear to have changed your tune somewhat - are you now saying they can do no wrong and nothing is their fault because that is what it sounds like.

jimf671

Yes. D flight went out with a flourish and 951 arrived with a flourish in the form of a hot handover in Lochaber on the morning of the 1st April.

However, a combinations of AW's lateness with the 189, Balfour Beatty's roofing skills and surprises from the regulator, have particularly conspired against Inverness. This has had a significant impact on the training programme for their SAR partners. Some of us have started to catch up by applying a bit of innovation but some of us have not and would rather sound off about it. The second significant impact is on achieving flight-wide NVG currency where, even more shocking than that impact, we are faced with Crab being right. Fortunately, it doesn't get dark here until August.

In a few days, there will be four UK SAR Helicopter Service bases operational. The three nearest the equator will all have NVG capability. One might speculate that since St Athan is the only base working-up during the next quarter, the NVG training load now drops. The catch-up plan should accelerate.

jimf671

The two AW139, G-CIJW and G-CIJX, have been at Lydd for several days and JX has been out and about.


One AW189, G-MCGN, has been out and about around Norwich recently. G-MCGP is at Yeovil and not flying. It looks like G-MCGM is also there. Anyone know more? Final pre-deployment fettling? Modifications?

jimf671

That;s what people were saying around RAF Lossiemouth in March but on the morning of the 1st April, the champagne cork popped and it was all over.

The SAR RC

Both of these statements can't be true.

Perhaps the resources (human and otherwise) available to train incoming aircrew may be something to add to your list.

Down to ground level?

dangermouse

sorry you have some duff gen, no 189s that have been delivered as SAR cabs are in Yeovil or have been returned, GM and GP certainly arent, only the next production ones, G-MCGR & GS.

DM

jimf671

Tracked to Yeovil and not seen returning. No recent tracks.

dangermouse

100% guaranteed, maybe tracked FROM yeovil rather than to?

DM

Bucaneer Bill

I believe there has for some time been a transition period of three months for the new SAR bases to stand up, and when all is well the redundant RAF SAR base to cease operations. Perhaps folk should conserve energy until such time as the three month period has been exceeded.

Jerry Can

SAR RC yes down to ground level.

The SAR RC

All aircrew at all three flights? No fibbing now.

jimf671

It has to be faced that there are two flights out there doing it for real. In the case of Inverness, in spite of their problems, it looks like they will exceed the typical Q2 number of jobs for Lossiemouth. It is perfectly possible that the people of the north of Scotland are simply having more mishaps this year but there is certainly limited ammunition for us to suggest that they are held back by aircraft or aircrew capability.

Let's remember that nobody has done this before. Not the customer, not the contractor and not the regulator. This is helicopter SAR in hostile terrain with a full and challenging specification which as you well know is not simple, not cheap and not easy. Yet the last three months have been a success based on the ultimate measure: OUT THERE DOING IT. When Inverness NVG is complete, Managed Transition aircrew are in place and settled in, and AW189 is operational, it is reasonable to expect lots of really good work.

Jerry Can

I can only speak for my flight RC.

The SAR RC

Well the original sweeping statement told us that the three flights nearest the equator were NVG capable. I've a feeling that was just rebroadcasting what was said at the MRT meeting that was being referred to.

Let's be clear. Being able to fix the goggles to one's helmet only above 500' does not equal an NVG capability. I have no doubt that in the fullness of time, considering the calibre of some of the people that have been recruited, that Bristow's UK SAR operation will have a full NVG capability down to ground level. But despite the contract requirements, that time is not now. So can we stop pretending that it is?

[email protected]

Jim, let's check the veracity of that statement - the milsar HAS been doing this for many, many years and set the bar very high in terms of capability - this is what the process of contractorisation had to emulate or exceed, it was quite clear what needed to be achieved and when, all parties signed up to it and a lot of money is involved.

As to the service up North so far - as you have said several times - it doesn't really get dark in Scotland in summer so it is not really a fair comparison.

Jerry Can

Like I said before. The NVG training is and has been down to ground level, which as far as I know is below 500' and in the dark and everything