In reply to marko-99:
> I`m puzzled, the Scottish Ambulance Service announce that they will be getting a new type of aircraft and will be fitting them for the first time with Night Vision Imaging, this is met with full positives, thumbs up!, brilliant!, about time!
> On the other side of the coin, Bristow announce exactly the same for their SAR-H program. This is met with nowhere near the same enthusiasm, and questions about the kit, the value of it, the training given etc,etc.
> Don`t get me wrong, I`m not accusing you Jim, or anyone on here of this aggression towards Bristow, but find it hard to work out as to why there is so many negative comments about Bristow on so many other forums.
Yes. it's a funny old world.
----------------------------------------
It is 62 years and a few days since the Fleet Air Arm and their Dragonflys rescued 840 people across East England and the Netherlands in feats of outstanding flying in tiny rudimentary helicopters. Those feats are still admired today in this age of highly trained specialist crews in large complex and powerful machines. Those events stamped the mark of helicopter search and rescue into the public imagination forever.
It is just under 62 years since the Royal Air Force started the world's first dedicated SAR helicopter squadron. Somebody painted them yellow.
It is about 22 years since an aircraft of the Royal Air Force's SAR Force performed the first UK helicopter rescue accomplished using NVG, in the mountains of the NW Highlands.
It is about 17 years since the National Audit Office highlighted the inadequacies of the Coastguard contracts and noted their reliance on back-up from SAR Force and the Fleet Air Arm. Uh-oh!
It is about 14 years since, quoting the NAO findings, a UK SAR working group wrote the UK SAR helicopter Provision and Coverage Report and noted the lack of DETR/CG data for inland incidents. Also that "both MCA and MoD considered it appropriate to look forward towards replacement aircraft during the coming 5 years". Really?
This year we shall witness the start of the first entirely-planned SAR helicopter service for the UK. It will be the first civilian UK SAR helicopter contract with a requirement for 'low light capability'. An end to British muddling though?
----------------------------------------
Also:
It is 67 years and a couple of days since Mr Alan Edgar BRISTOW, on February 7th, 1948, succeeded in revictualling the keepers of the Wolf Rock lighthouse from the air, in a Westland Sikorsky S-51(Dragonfly), after efforts to send supplies by sea had failed. On the 25th May 1949, he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Royal Aero Club for this feat.
It is 66 years since Mr Alan Edgar BRISTOW succeeded in rescuing four injured French foreign legionnaires from the Vietnamese jungle under fire in a borrowed Hiller 360A running about 100 kilos over-weight. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
It is about 44 years since the first Coastguard helicopter contract with BRISTOW at Manston.
----------------------------------------
The history of air ambulances is quite different. In particular, air ambulances as part of civilian health provision is a far newer concept than helicopter search and rescue. Regardless of funding or branding, aircraft have always been operated by a private helicopter contractor.
The Scottish Ambulance Service Air Wing have the most accomplished and integrated air ambulance service in the UK. Not for the first time, they are about to step up to another level of service. Bond have been the aircraft operator from the start. The service started as a six month trial in 1989 and has been continually developed in the incremental manner that is traditional safe and successful in aviation.
Elsewhere in the UK, air ambulances are run by charities. Some provide a vital service in difficult geography though others operate regardless of true operational need. They are often not well integrated with the rest of the health service. Some air ambulance charities are known more for bitching at each other than life-saving. The helicopter operator keeps his head down and doesn't get involved. Like military SAR, in spite of the chaos, the public perception is always highly positive.
----------------------------------------
This reveals the real difference. If you engage enough in publicity, and journalists don't ask any serious questions, the British public are all yours.
Military SAR are quite open about their operations. At MoD level, SAR Force HQ and locally, they engage well with the media. They get journalists and camera ops out in their aircraft regularly. It's a huge image and communications success.
For the charity air ambulance types, publicity is how they exist. It is the staple of the corporate diet.
Bristow work under the HM Coastguard brand for MCA Aviation. ---- CENSORED ----.
Whatever hype the public have believed about MoD provision over the years and whatever inadequacies of government contracts have strangled effective MCA coverage, the poor contractor is prevented from defending himself and will have to carry the can for all the failings of others.