Soapbox

 See link here

No doubt this will end up costing more than originally anticipated. Understood the RAF/Navy saw it as excellent training for their guys.

Bet the current service guys (who regularly do outstanding work in difficult conditions) are pleased to see that their replacements will "provide a more reliable service", according to Ms Greening!

Just what you f**king need when you're halfway up a mountain with a broken leg - a bloody helicopter operated for profit by Ryannair or Virgin

This is bad news on so many levels.

interesting to compare the two threads....

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/4/UTN/49028/

Sceptical Bastard wrote (see)

Just what you f**king need when you're halfway up a mountain with a broken leg - a bloody helicopter operated for profit by Ryannair or Virgin

This is bad news on so many levels.

Oh my MR provided by Rya**ir - basic uplift £5.

stretcher wear and tear £10, resuscitation £50, transfer charge to A + E £150.

Priority boarding £20*

* must be booked online 24 hours prior to departure

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.

Of course the service can be cross-subsidised by those people who call up "we're still on top of the hill and we're going to be late for dinner - please send a helicopter for us"....   KERCHING!!

Matt C wrote (see)

Priority boarding £20*

* must be booked online 24 hours prior to departure

.

.

Of course the service can be cross-subsidised by those people who call up "we're still on top of the hill and we're going to be late for dinner - please send a helicopter for us"....   KERCHING!!

Not in inclement weather they wont - elf and safety dontcha no.

ed h wrote (see)

It's tiresome cynicism such as this that gets in the way of improvements to public services.

A few weeks ago, there was a huge operation on Mt-Blanc to try to rescue to climbers stuck at 4000m in atrocious weather conditions. Both the French services (PGMH - Peloton Gendarmerie Haute Montagne) and Italian services (SAV - Soccorso Alpino Valdostano) were involved. Whilst the former is part of the para-military Gendarmerie, the Italian one is part of a civilian service (as far as I could tell from reading info about them). Both performed exceptionnaly in terrible conditions, at huge risk for their own safety. The service in place in Switzerland is also civilian (REGA) and they are not known to shrink away from difficult missions in rather challenging mountain terrain.

Let's give a chance to the new chaps (who likely will mostly made of ex-RAF chaps ) before slagging them off as a bunch of mercenaries that will not rescue you unless you flash your credit card eh...

Just too tired Skip.

Moonlight Shadow wrote (see)

A few weeks ago, there was a huge operation on Mt-Blanc to try to rescue to climbers stuck at 4000m in atrocious weather conditions. Both the French services (PGMH - Peloton Gendarmerie Haute Montagne) and Italian services (SAV - Soccorso Alpino Valdostano) were involved. Whilst the former is part of the para-military Gendarmerie, the Italian one is part of a civilian service (as far as I could tell from reading info about them). Both performed exceptionnaly in terrible conditions, at huge risk for their own safety. The service in place in Switzerland is also civilian (REGA) and they are not known to shrink away from difficult missions in rather challenging mountain terrain.

Let's give a chance to the new chaps (who likely will mostly made of ex-RAF chaps ) before slagging them off as a bunch of mercenaries that will not rescue you unless you flash your credit card eh...

Have no doubts concerning the ability or courage of the guys at the sharp end who as you say will probably be ex RAF/Navy.

As ever its the bean counters in the back office we need to worry about, whose primary concern is profit for shareholders/investors, not the "customer".

Oh good lord this again.....

 Quote from Grough to add to previous missives.....

So just to get this correct, you want to make a e-petition against a service that has been doing the job for almost 3 decades, does it cheaper, has more modern equipment, has no other priority other than SAR.....etc

I think the sevral thousand people that have been help'ed by civie's over the last few years better check there bank balances as we must have swiped there cards while they were not looking and they will have to have a look through there post for there invoice..... no wait that has never happened.

Oh and guess what..... some of the more experianced pilots on the Civi SAR bases are not ex-Military..... Shock Horror!

The original idea of the MIL SAR service was to rescue there own when they reguarly had pilots and crew ejecting out of (or crashing in) unrelible aircraft.... now that is a very rare occurance and the last two times it happend the aircraft that went (guess who) was the Civi Coastguard helicopters.

As for money being important to a private company, of course it is... but where the Mil SAR bases go off state (normaly due to there old seakings breaking down) nothing happens with the Civi SAR base they start getting fined for time they are offline. So if they dont provide the service they are contracted they LOSE MONEY!

As for training the Civi SAR bases never have a issue with not being able to train due to saving money...

I suggest you talk to some people in the north of scotland that actually interact with Civi SAR helicopter crews before you start bemoaning.

And remember again this is nothing new it has been going on for almost 30 years and no one has been charged a penny!