SAR...almost

Finally, I was going to try my hand at some Search and Rescue flying, but it was not to be.

The need was identified, and I was most definitely willing, but today's planned training, starting with hoisting work around the airport, and later, over water, was cancelled due to an unserviceable aircraft.  Maybe I'll get another kick at the can later next week.  I'm anxious to see if my longline background brings any skills to the table.

I did wrangle an opportunity to sit as first officer on a SAR training mission about a year ago.  Fresh on the AW139, my job was basically to keep on eye on aircraft systems, limitations and fuel status, and handle any radio work.  There had been a ground school portion, and we covered what I needed to know, but it's been a year since I've had any exposure. 

This time around, the SarTechs and one of our SAR Training Captains spent the past few days going over everything in detail, with PowerPoint presentations, a fair bit of self study, and some fun exercises conning each other around the room, using the "patter" we'd be using while hoisting.  We covered search patterns and various methods of hoisting and approaching boats and decks and rafts and what-have-you, high lines and emergencies, techniques and variations and procedures, with heavy emphasis on phraseology, as it is critical that everyone on the team is on the same page at all times, but it's all academic until I get to see it in practice.  The wealth of experience in the room, from years, and in some cases, decades, of SAR experience, is readily apparent and much appreciated, and I can't wait to get started.

Search and Rescue has historically been handled, and handled very well, by a specific wing of the military.  As governments cut back more and more responsibility is being handed back to the private sector, and Search and Rescue is increasingly being covered by non-military entities.  Oil and Gas companies, or rather, the underwriters of their insurance companies, as well as offshore employee unions, are demanding comprehensive and dedicated search and rescue coverage for their operations.

While military operations have massive training budgets, and daily training sorties are common place, private sector Search and Rescue has to abide by the laws of commercial supply and demand, or rather, it has to be profitable.  Daily training sorties just aren't going to happen.  So, drawing heavily from the experience and knowledge of ex-military SAR sources, the fledgling industry is struggling to set standards on the amount of required training and proficiency levels, and selling that back to the customer as a product.  Of course companies prefer to draw their crews from ex-military SAR personnel, with their massive background in training sorties and real world experience, but those pools are drying up quickly.  Hence.....my chance to get a kick at the can........