Highland Emergency

[pmtts]

If anyone can get Channel 5, A new documentary is on Tuesday 5th August at 7:30pm.

Highland Emergency, is a 30-part documentary series based on unprecedented access to the Emergency services in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

The first programme features the Coastguard Helicopter from Stornoway in the Western Isles and helicopters from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.

The beautiful but inhospitable terrain of the Highlands provides a stunning backdrop for the series which follows the work of the emergency services as they undertake terrifying rescues on land, sea and mountains in all weathers.


Worth a watch!

[Goldie fish]

Lightly connected, I see the MOD are to Cut back on the Helis used for Search and Rescue. Any word what units this entails?

[pmtts]

They are poaching one crew from each respective SAR base rather than the helos.

This will see a reduction from five to four crews at each SAR base.

[Victor]

Does this mean longer shifts or periods of no cover?

Assuming 8 hour shifts, you need about 5.1 crews to cover each duty while allowing for training, time off, weekends, holidays, etc.

[pmtts]

Does this mean longer shifts or periods of no cover?

Not sure on the longer shifts, but when you think about it, the Sea Kings were moved from RAF Manston on the Kent coast to RAF Wattisham. So the nearest SAR on the Dover Straits is The Belgium SAR Sea Kings out of Koksijde Air Base.

Im also not sure if the Naval Pilots from RNAS Culdrose and Prestwick are being poached but on the South Coast the Coastguard helicopters out of Portland & Lee-on-Solent could cover the South but as for long durance missions out to the SW Approaches, that would be a no no.

As for the North, you have the shiny new Coastguard Sikorsky's out of Stornoway & Sumburgh, but they would have to cover a massive area if the crews out of Lossiemouth & Kinloss could not cover.

However, MRCC Falmouth did avail of the services of the USAF CH-53's based at RAF Mildenhall in 1991 to the resuce of a ship some 740km NW of the Donegal coast.

[Test Pilot]

One of the RN Sirkorsky's did a low level, high speed fly over, on one of the pilots I delivered two years ago, off Portland. Having spent a few hours sitting back in near calm seas, the ambient engine noise seemed to take on a different note. As my coleague and I moved forward to check the engine console all hell broke loose when this monster appeared from the rear of the vessel. I still haven't recovered .

Which reminds me, of a story a friend of mine told me once! He was based in a SAR unit in north Wales, on a Wessex, where they had been asked unofficially to get a mail bag to the post office in the local village, to catch the last post for Christmas, just as they were about to take off on a routine flight.

But as such occurances had happened in the past, an order was issued to cease such unapproved landings. As they already had the bag on board, the problem was solved when the winchman was lowered to a post box on the outskirts of the village with instructions not to touch the ground.

The letters made the post!