East Coast Based SAR Helicopter

Indeed it is good news although I understand that RAF Wattisham is set to close, so not sure what's happening up that way.
There was a SAR unit at Manston for years in the days of the Whirlwind and then the Wessex. The area is currently served by the RAF from Wattisham and the CG at Lee-on-Solent, both a long ways away. We've even had incidents locally where the response has had to be provided by Belgian SAR !
 
Memories... Whilst serving on a Ships Wessex Flight we were detached from Portland in the early 70's to Manston to provide SAR cover for a month or so whilst they emptied the ashtrays and pumped up they tyres of the Manston based RAF Helo.
 
Karouise said:
I thought I read somewhere that the SAR contract has gone to an American company from 2016?
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Ferzackerly. The link goes to the blurb about the new Bristow Helicopters Ltd. contracted SAR service

Bristow were originally a UK based company and strictly speaking the Ltd. co that has the contract for UK SAR helicopters from 2016 still is. However, the Bristow Group which wholly owns Bristow Helicopters Ltd. is based in Houston, Texas (and used to be called Offshore Logistics - it was apparently a reverse takeover)

Bristow previously operated the UK Coastguard helicopters until losing the contract to CHC in 2007 and currently provides a significant chunk of the infrastructure, staff and training facilities for SAR crews at RAF Valley

(ack. to Wikipedia for above info)
 
I wonder how far away is 'user pays'. Not that I think that in SAR 'user pays' shouldn't be considered in some cases. Too many people put themselves at risk and then expect someone else to rescue them. Not just sailors but mountaineers as well and sometimes moor walkers. Blondie Hasler for the first OSTAR felt that no one should carry a radio as then if they got into trouble they would not be putting others to the inconvenience of rescuing them. He stated something like they 'should die like gentlemen'.
 
As an ex Bristow Captain I can tell you most of our UK crews are Brits nowadays and its very good SAR service they provide from bases in Shetland last time I heard. They certainly have a lot of experience in depth as a helicopter company and I for one am very pleased it has gone to them and not another company.

Vamoose said:
I see we are going to get a new SAR Helo for our area based at Manston.. I think is good news and hope this provides jobs for our existing FAA & RAF SAR crews and Bristows don't import crews from abroad

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...ster-state-of-the-art-search-and-rescue-fleet
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Glayva said:
I wonder how far away is 'user pays'. Not that I think that in SAR 'user pays' shouldn't be considered in some cases. Too many people put themselves at risk and then expect someone else to rescue them. Not just sailors but mountaineers as well and sometimes moor walkers. Blondie Hasler for the first OSTAR felt that no one should carry a radio as then if they got into trouble they would not be putting others to the inconvenience of rescuing them. He stated something like they 'should die like gentlemen'.
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The user is paying !!! £1.6bn of taxpayers cash for 10 years to be precise !!! And not all taxpayers are seagoing/interested etc. Under the MoD system the cash came from their budget, now the DofT pays - same as.
Cantata is quite correct to say that we have to use Belgian SAR. The East coast/Southern North Sea is a big area. The problem in the future is that the SAR assets will be split between Humber and Manston !!! This dramatically increases "On scene" target times within the busy shipping areas off the East Coast especially as most of the jobs involve medivacs near the Sunk and the odd weekender on any one of our sand bars !!!;)
 
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