I think you are getting a bit carried away with your "powers" there.

You are a topic of conversation amongst crews it has to be said but I won't repeat exactly what I've heard but it is to do with bells. Not the whole bell you understand; just the end. :ok:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I give you the "UK SAR 2013 privatisation ... new thread" quote of the year 2015.


:E


And the runner-up was:

How surprising - back to personal insults when there are no answers:ugh:

Do you really think anyone meaningful from MCA or Bristow is going to pop in here and answer your bitter questions? If you do then you are not as bright as you (sometimes) come across.

You have chipped and chipped away at the new service which remember, you did apply to join, and went silent for a few months while they sifted through the applications and now you are back with the same chip chip attitude.

I'm sure all those people you used to work with in the RAF are proud of you as you keep having a go at them in their new role as civvies.

If you look 90 left and 90 right perhaps you will see where those chips truly are.

P3 - I don't know where you get the idea that I am bitter, or that I have chips on my shoulders.

Yes, I applied for a job - quite natural as an experienced SAR QHI - and I didn't get selected; was I disappointed? yes, but only because I felt I could contribute considerably to the new service.

Do I hold a burning grudge against Bristow? No, in many ways they did me a favour by not letting me take the easy option of continuing in SAR until retirement. I know you won't believe it but I really enjoy what I am doing now - teaching skills and passing on the benefit of my experience was why I became a QHI in the first place.

As to criticising the new service - I am well aware that there are some top lads and lasses who work in it (I even trained some of them) but I wait for the day when what is claimed to be at least an equal SAR service to what we provided actually appears, without aircraft availability issues, fully meeting the contract, with everyone fully trained and competent (not just current) and with full night capability across the fleet.

I and many others worked very hard to maintain and improve the standards of flying ability, knowledge and capability in the military SAR service and I know there will be some within the new service trying to do the same.

Subject change!

Just had my first sight of the new S92 over Helston and Culdrose this morning. Nice looking cab in flight but was surprised at the rotor noise compared to the trusty Seaking and even our Merlins. It was even noiser than the Dutch NH90s that were over here last month. I could understand if it was all 5 bladed heads against the S92 but the NH90 only has 4 also. I know the vibes etc have been discussed previously but just an observation from someone who has been around helicopters a very long time to his first view of the new cab.

cheers now

Yes. Quite noisy, and yes, noise and vibration have had some discussion on here.

Four versus five has been the subject of fairly pointless discussion and rumour in several quarters. It's a modern powerful helicopter. It makes a noise. A solution that moves that amount of air without making a noise will not arrive any time soon. Maybe for our grandchildren.

Way back in 1966 when they were trialling the new Puma there was a lot of sucking of teeth about rotor noise and especially vibration. They tried everything and they were at the point of cutting metal for a five bladed rotor head when some burke dreamt up the barbeque plate.

The four bladed rotor plagued Pumas until the five bladed 225.

Surely everyone can acknowledge that in the past, over many years in fact, military support to the civil power has been utilised. SAR aircraft haven't always been used for under slung loads in the past when military SAR had the watch, SH crews did their bit then just as they are now. Please don't make out that the use of SH in a crisis as we are experiencing now is suddenly new in a civil emergency because SAR is now no longer a military task!

Goodbye "AgustaWestland," hello "Finmeccanica-Helicopters."
 

Finmeccanica launches One Company | Vertical Magazine - The Pulse of the Helicopter Industry


Sent from my iPhone

Buccaneer Bill : They already have a PR Department - but unless the "event" happens on the South Coast they aren't interested.

They don't!!
Their Future Coastguard Project was a "jobs for the boys" exercise and introduced another level of "management". They have also replaced many experienced Coastal Rescue practitioners with displaced Ops Room Staff. Whilst they may be very good in their previous post - they will find life at the coal face a different ball game.Sadly it will be left to the volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers to "carry" these inexperienced "managers" until they get the required experience to become competent.:ugh:

Future? :confused:

Hansard. 1925. The Lords considering a Bill for the transfer of the Coastguard from the Admiralty to the Board of Trade.

"COASTGUARD BILL
LORD ABERCONWAY
... ... Another point which, perhaps, the noble Viscount will explain is this: On what system will appointments be made to the force if this Bill passes? At present appointments, I believe, are confined to naval ratings—petty officers of the Navy. Under this Bill the President of the Board, of Trade could appoint anybody—a superannuated gardener or chauffeur, or anybody without special training. ..."

:ugh:

Something short and snappy that everyone can pronounce perhaps? :ugh:

I see the S-92 got a public airing on TV today (as did those on the end of the line).

From Crab,

"Llamaman - so where are the press releases, the statements of rescues and assistance given? Surely the MCA are not shy about their new service?

Is what used to be called military assistance to the civil community part of the new SAR service?"

In my opinion the MCA press machine hasn't fully embraced the new aeronautical world, maybe that will come in time? Or maybe they can't afford to employ a full-time media comms team akin to the way the Navy and RAF did business.

In answer to your second question; the military isn't the service provider therefore how can 'new' civilian SAR provide military assistance to the civil community? That particular niche capability available on the back of military SAR has been lost. Questions to your MP as to what has filled the gap (don't hold your breath).

Perhaps it is as simple as the MCA press team has reduced manning over the festive period and their focus is on their primary task of alerting people to the dangers of the stormy weather (e.g. people on cliff paths/seaside watching the stormy conditions at sea) rather than tooting their own horn?

Inland rescues by Prestwick and Inverness(?) helicopters are certainly getting plenty of local press and social media coverage in Scotland at the moment where over the past 24 hours rivers levels have and continue to rise quickly.

On a practical level, has there been a significant requirement for rescues in England recently?

Many of the areas in Cumbria seem to have been hit 3 or 4 times now over the past month so those most likely to be immediate danger have long since been flooded out anyway.

Likewise it seemed to be mainly commercial areas that took brunt of the damage in Leeds while both Leeds and York are large urban areas that likely have more than enough council personnel, emergency services and others on hand to effect timely evacuations or carry out boat rescues in what appear relatively mild flood conditions (at least compared to some of the footage of rivers in spate washing away bridges elsewhere).

This is where it's at.

https://twitter.com/mca_media
https://www.facebook.com/MCA/
re-type - httpCOLON//hmcoastguardDOTblogspotDOTco.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/user/officialCoastguard
Bristow News - bristowgroup.com
https://twitter.com/Bristow_Group
https://twitter.com/sotondamo
https://twitter.com/l7stx
https://twitter.com/Coastie_JM
https://twitter.com/UKSARRescue936
https://twitter.com/lf92

https://www.gov.uk/government/organi...stguard-agency

As the curtain closes, a very emotional thank you to military SAR for everything you have done.

Hear hear. Heartfelt thanks to you all.

And good luck and safe flying to the boys and girls in the new SAR service in the New Year and beyond:ok: