Re: The Tories
 

Helicopters per se have a history of ditching, they are dependent on which set of statistics you consult about twice as likely to crash as fixed wing aircraft.

From the Stornoway Herald:


Bristow Helicopters Ltd has a long history of providing SAR services in the UK, dating back to 1971, when Whirlwind helicopters were replaced by Bristow S55 helicopters at RAF Manston, in Kent, and continuing with the operation of S61 helicopters working at four SAR bases, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Lee-on-Solent and Portland, until 2007. In 2012 the company was awarded the UK Gap SAR contract for Northern Scotland and, working in partnership with the MCA, will operate four SAR helicopters from Sumburgh and Stornoway, starting this summer.
In total Bristow Helicopters Ltd has flown more than 44,000 SAR operational hours in the UK and conducted over 15,000 SAR missions, during which more than 7,000 people have been rescued by the company’s crews and helicopters.
The company has led the industry in introducing new aircraft types and technology to the civil market and SAR equipment* it has developed has become the industry standard, resulting in Bristow Helicopters Ltd being recognised with the Queen’s Award for Innovation for its technical developments.

*The article below shows me that Bristow have the agility to adjust to the challenges this new contract throws at em'
Evening Express - Article - Bristow buys 10 new helicopters after ditching

And let's not forget that the Sea King is/was a Sikorsky variant made under licence from the Home of the Brave Land of the Free

Re: The Tories
 

And there he is ! ;)

Re: The Tories
 

He has no idea of the costs of training flight crew and maintenance crew, but would be very useful for checking fluid levels. There are more Bristow's operational bases than there are military (RAF & Navy), helicopter bases in the UK.

I do have a concern that Bristow's air and ground crews are recruited from military retirees - in the main, yes the services will still train helicopter air & ground crews but they would have to transition from Apaches & Cobras to be qualified on S & R helicopters.:rolleyes:

Re: The Tories
 

Barrie he has no idea about anything really, unless he see's it in the Guardian :rolleyes:

Re: The Tories
 

Why do they have to re-train?
According to him they will all ditch in the North Sea, may as well let it happen without the added expense of retraining surely?
:D

Re: The Tories
 

I've a better idea lets ditch him in the North Sea the further north the better;)

Re: The Tories
 

Some pilots would have to convert from Apaches and Cobras, (Chinook, Merlin and Pumas too) but don't forget there is a pool of RAF S&R pilots flying Sea Kings.
They all have progressed up the ladder some from fixed wing Tucanos even.
Hell some are now flying Reapers out of Creech AFB in Nevada.
They are all well attuned to conversions from one bird to another.

Re: The Tories
 

but they will be putting lifes at risk as they decide not to send helicopters out when they run out of profit. the eastern railway line its been nationalised and gave taxpayers £640 million back plus £40 million on new trains.privatised railways at least minus £50 million and proves its just ideology.

Re: The Tories
 

Further proof that a dipstick is only usefull for measuring fluid levels:rolleyes:

Re: The Tories
 

What are you trying to say?
That eastern Rail should take over and send trains out on search and rescue?
:confused:

Re: The Tories
 

You really are a useless piece of work, think its about time C'mon rode off into the sunset, his mouthwash ain't making it

Re: The Tories
 

What's going to happen they get to September and say "right if we send the helicopter out one more time this year we'll have lost money everyone go home" If you had a brain you'd be dangerous.

Re: The Tories
 

C'mon actually has a valid point here..

There's a current thread where everyone is clicking like to people bemoaning local doctors...yet the NHS is being slowly, sneakily and systematically destroyed..nobody blames politicians..they blame receptionists that doctors have had to employ to filter out those least in need so that they can spend their time on those that are really in need because of cuts..cuts..cuts.....unfortunately nobody can afford to give those receptionists the training needed to make those judgements because of funding cuts..cuts..cuts...they blame nurses who have to do stupid training courses that filter out people who actually want to care for others and encourage the bean counters and status seekers.

Because of tory led privatisation..our railways are owned by French, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Uncle Tom Cobbly and all investors, who have no interest in making trains run on time, comfortable, fast, clean, safe or economical to its customers..they have a captive audience and therefore a licence to print money regardless of quality.

So who is to say that 20 years from now the US owned Bristow company will refuse to send out its brand spanking new state of the art helo on an SAR unless it recieves adequate remuneration from HMG in Westminster, whereas now an ageing westie can slowly plod its way to the rescue zone and costs can be written off against training.

It's just another example of the cuts..cuts..cuts mentality of this government, just because C'mon can't string a coherent argument together, it shouldn't mean he is always wrong

Re: The Tories
 

Presumably by "westie" you refer to Westland helicopters - Whirlwind or Wessex?
I suggest that you check your facts, there does not appear to be any Westland helicopters operated by Bristow's.
They are the largest helicopter operating company in the world and in fact provide training to UK Military Helicopter operations at both RAF Shawbury and RAF Valley, suggest you read a little more.

Re: The Tories
 

I was reading a little about this ... just for the halibut ... and it seems Canada's SAR is undertaken by the Canadian Coast Guard, the RCAF, and various large police forces ... I happened to notice that the decision to privatize SAR in the land of Uk was initially made in 2006 ... seems to me that that was one of those 13 years etc. etc. etc. ....;)