Following a recent visit to the West Country, Georgette Purches, assistant public relations officer for the RNLI, explains the organisation behind the RAF and Royal Navy helicopter rescue services. She was also in the right place at the right time to witness an exciting and successful cliff rescue.'THIS COUNTRY NOW POSSESSES the most comprehensive maritime and coastal search and rescue service anywhere outside the the United States.' This confident assertion was made by David Mitchell, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport in an answer to a Commons question about HM Coastguard's ten-year modernisation programme which is nearing completion.

As well as reflecting his confidence in the coastguard service, the Under Secretary's statement pays tribute both to the modern efficiency of the RNLI and to the search and rescue work undertaken by the aircraft of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

A growing number of today's successful sea rescues are carried out by lifeboats and helicopters working together, many aspects of which were discussed in the autumn 1984 issue of THE LIFEBOAT, and examples of which appear time and again in this journal's accounts of lifeboat services. The helicopters used for search and rescue around our shores are extremely expensive to run and within the United Kingdom it is largely upon the resources of the Ministry of Defence that lifeboatmen depend for their airborne colleagues.

In the Republic of Ireland the Army Air Corps is responsible for airborne search and rescue and is coordinated through the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Shannon.

The Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy provide rescue facilities primarily for all military and civilian aircraft in distress within United Kingdom airspace. Helicopters, however, also provide assistance to any vessel in difficulty within UK waters and special help in cases of civil distress such as heavy snow, floods, medical emergencies, and cliff or mountain rescues.

Rescue Co-ordination Centres UK air space is divided into two search and rescue regions, each controlled by a Rescue Co-ordination Centre fully equipped with extensive communications.

The country is roughly divided by a line from the Wash to Anglesey with the northern half's RCC at Pitreavie, near Edinburgh, and the southern at Mount Wise, Plymouth. Each RCC liaises with HM Coastguard's Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCC), air traffic control centres, satellite control centres and various overseas centres, within or on the edges of their coverage. Plymouth, for example, liaises with centres in Canada, America, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal as well as UK co-ordination centres.

Each centre is manned 24 hours a day by a team of RAF personnel. The Squadron Leader or Flight Lieutenant and Warrant Officer are specialists, having made their careers in search and rescue. Their difficult task is firstly to decide that a helicopter or aircraft is needed and then to co-ordinate and control its use. Squadron Leader John Murrow, at Plymouth RCC, explains the necessity to question the use of a helicopter in some incidents. Limited resources and high costs mean that a helicopter should only be used in cases of 'immediate life saving', in other words where lives would be endangered or lost without the speed of a helicopter.

If other means, such as lifeboat or cliff rescue teams are available and do not add to the risk because of any time delay, then they should be used.

He dreads the day that a helicopter has to be pulled out of one rescue to attend another because of a greater number of lives involved. It is a difficult, discerning role which sometimes leads to unpopularity with the air crews who are sitting, eager to to be off on a job, but one that is vitally important if a helicopter is to be available fast and in the right place at the right time.

The RCC at Plymouth is also the UK controller of messages from space satellites which detect and locate transmissions from emergency beacons (SARSAT/ COSPAS). The two satellites transmit every 90 minutes to Toulouse which then passes any messages for northern Europe to Plymouth, who, in turn, either take necessary action or pass on the information to a relevant centre.

Occasionally confusion reigns. The man who 'borrowed' a lifejacket, complete with one of these emergency beacons and stowed it away on top of a wardrobe in deepest Midlands, received a rude awakening from his local police, who, themselves, had been reluctant tobelieve hysterical alarms from a piece of technical wizardry miles high in the sky, pinpointing a maritime incident in an area as far from the sea as possible. It took a lot of persuasion, says Squadron Leader Murrow, but eventually the police obtained a confession and the beacon which had been knocked into the 'on' position was switched off.

The RCC's have both Sea King and Wessex helicopters at their disposal, as well as one long range Nimrod aircraft.

They are located at: Northern Area RAF Kinloss RAF Lossiemouth RAF Leuchars RNAS* Prestwick RAF Boulmer RAF Leconfield Nimrod Sea King Wessex Sea King Sea King Wessex Southern Area RAF Valley — Wessex RAF Coltishall — RAF Mansion — RNAS Lee-on-Solent — Sea King Wessex Wessex/ Sea King RNAS Culdrose — Wessex/ Sea KingRAF Chivenor RAF Brawdy "Roval Naval Air Station — Wessex — Sea King The Nimrod can also be located at other bases around the UK and is at one hour's readiness both day and night.

The Sea Kings can be airborne in a maximum of 15 minutes during the day and 45 minutes at night. Wessex do not normally operate at night because of their limited hover capability but are on 15 minutes readiness during the day.

Each station has one helicopter at readiness with another prepared to come to standby if required. Air support is very expensive. One hour's flying time of a Nimrod costs £11,000, a Sea King, £3,800 and a Wessex £3,500.

The Royal Naval SAR helicopters are funded by the Department of Trade and Industry on a charge basis, each time they are called out to a civilian casualty.

Royal Air Force helicopters are budgeted for out of RAF funds.

RAF personnel join SAR flights, specialise in SAR and probably stay in that role for the rest of their careers, possibly ending their time as controllers at an RCC. Royal Navy personnel take their turn at SAR as part of the many tasks carried out by helicopter. The normal appointment is for two years but air crews may carry out many other tasks with a requirement to complete a number of SAR operations or exercises every few weeks. The diver in a Royal Navy SAR crew is special to the Navy because of the possible need for a man to enter the water to carry out rescues to ships or boats.

The difference between the two types of helicopter is also marked; the Sea King is full of electronic gadgetry whichincludes a doppler system enabling it to hover, descend to a pre-set height, and hover again. This allows the pilot to carry out rescues in the worst conditions and total darkness.

The Wessex is a very much more basic, 'seat of the pants' machine but no less remarkable in its activities and renown. Two of the types operated by the Navy are detailed in the table at the bottom of the page.

Profile of an air station: RNAS Culdrose HMS Seahawk was commissioned in 1947 at Culdrose, near Helston on the Lizard peninsula, initially as the Naval Air Fighter School, but in 1953 as the centre for operational anti-submarine and observer training. Today Culdrose has over 3,000 officers and men and is the largest helicopter base and air station in the UK. Culdrose is home for four Sea King Squadrons when they are not at sea, and also contains many naval schools such as the RN School of Meteorology and Oceanography. It is also tasked with search and rescue operations for the south western approaches.

Commander Air ("Wings') is responsible for the air world and is justifiably proud of his pilots and aircrews, particularly in their SAR role.

His pride, competence and professionalism is mirrored by Lt Mike Holloway, the commanding officer of 806 (Sea King) Squadron, who is only too pleased to display the mass of electronics that make the Sea King a deadly hunter in one role and a miraculous life-saver in another. Sea Kings take over at night and are at 90 minutes readiness. During the day they can be made available as necessarv. OneWessex is on 15 minutes readiness from dawn to dusk, 4 am-10.30 pm at the height of summer. Each crew of three is on an eight hour watch.

Behind each of the squadrons is an extensive support system. An operations room is alert to any incident in the air or at sea and the control tower keeps a close watch on the airfield. Radar plotters, radio operators, meteorological observers and officers, fire crews and aircraft handlers make up the operational personnel and there is an immense system of stores, workshops and hangars. In turn, the operators' needs are catered for with galleys, accommodation, administration, sports facilities, medical centres and churches.

Acres of ground and buildings go to make up the base which is a hive of activity at all times.

A rescue for real During my visit to Culdrose I was kitted out in coveralls or the 'goon suit' (complete with rubber feet), helmet and throat microphone, lifejacket and enormous boots and took off with the Wessex SAR crew of the day to do an exercise with Falmouth's 18ft 6in McLachlan class lifeboat. Lt John Miko, on exchange from the US Coastguard was the pilot, R. Thode, on exchange from West Germany, aircrewman and Chief Petty Officer 'Smiler' Grinny of the RN, diver.

Although the back of a Wessex is quitespacious, a stretcher and first aid kit on the floor took up quite a lot of the space. I was attached to a lead from the roof once we had taken off so that I could move about without falling out of the machine. Throat mikes distorted the sound of my own voice and the disembodied voices of the crew and the conversations with Falmouth Coastguard echoing inside the helmet were disorientating.

Only the feet of the pilot could be seen in his eerie above us.

We rendezvoused with the lifeboat and down went the diver 'Smiler' into the McLachlan, making sure that an extra piece of harness hit the lifeboat before anyone could grab it because of the enormous static that builds up. Lifeboatmen have received severe shocks from grabbing hold of a descending aircrewman from a Wessex and Sea Kings also generate quite a high level of electricity.

The helmsman was responsible for keeping the lifeboat under the hovering helicopter and manoeuvring in to meet the descending person.

When exercising with larger lifeboats the helicopter pilot will manoeuvre around the lifeboat.

When my turn came, I sat with some trepidation on the sill of the open door. The aircrewman helped me put my arms through the loop of the strop. I gave him the thumbs up and found myself suddenly swinging gently in space. Surprisingly the strop was most comfortable and the descent was smooth and easy. The McLachlan was almost hidden by my enormous boots and I was unable to control where I would land. 'Smiler', however, knew just what to do and with skill born from long hours of practice grabbed my boots and guided my feet into the tiny well in front of the lifeboat's console. We quickly released the strop and I grabbed the handrails of the fiercely bucking McLachlan. I watched as another crew member was lifted into the helicopter and then returned to the lifeboat.

I thanked the coxswain and crew for their help and moved forward to await the strop. I expected to experience an enormous jerk when pulled aloft again, but once more was surprised how smoothly I was plucked from the lifeboat. Within seconds I was level with the door where Aircrewman Thode turned me round so that I could be sat, once more, on the sill. Up came 'Smiler' and we turned for home. The combined skill of pilot, aircrewman and lifeboat helmsman made the operation seem very simple.

All this time the radio had been tuned to Falmouth Coastguard and we overheard them talking to a coastguard mobile nearNewquay about a man who had fallen over a cliff. Hearing that they were considering requesting a helicopter, the pilot asked 'Smiler' to talk to them and offer assistance.

This he did and seconds later, having cleared our involvement with the RCC at Plymouth and Culdrose, we turned north east at maximum speed. Fifteen minutes later we were skimming along the cliffs of the north coast and saw a cluster of people, a coastguard mobile and an ambulance. The cove into which the man had fallen was narrow and with a 30 knot wind coming straight off the cliff, the turbulence below the cliff was a serious hazard. John Miko hovered about 12 feet above the cliff and the diver, 'Smiler', was lowered with a Neil Robertson stretcher on to the cliff top. He then began to descend the cliff, picking his route down the precipitous and shaley ground with care. An overhang caused some difficulty but otherwise, although it looked terrifying, the descent was straightforward.

The man could be seen lying at the foot of the cliff with two people sensibly leaning over him to protect him from the rock and debris blown down by the rotors.

Releasing the wire, 'Smiler' examined the man and with the help of the other two, gently put him in the stretcher. Now began the hazardous lift. The pilot maintained his height just seaward of the lip of the cliff and lifted the stretcher and 'Smiler' about six feet. He then manoeuvred backwards out over the little beach to the tideline where the turbulence from the cliff was less severe.

Aircrewman Thode gave him a running commentary on the situation below as well as checking on rocks and cliffs behind and on his blind side. The helicopter descended to about 40 feet and then the stretcher and 'Smiler' were winched up and taken aboard.

The man, who was wrapped in towels, had a severely lacerated face, arms and bare feet, a possible broken jaw and, during a gentle examination by 'Smiler', it seemed as if his leg was also broken. 'Smiler' administered first aid to the very shocked man. Five minutes later we landed at Trelisk Hospital and he was transferred to a waiting ambulance.

The two people left at the bottom of the cliff were later to be picked up by Newquay inflatable lifeboat.

Mission accomplished, we returned to Culdrose for a welcome mug of tea and a most comprehensive debrief. It was a very real example of complete teamwork. The pilot's skilful handling of the helicopter, the calm, precise guidance and winch operation of the aircrewman and the brave but matter-of-fact descent and retrieval by the diver. Impressive in execution but shrugged off as 'just another SAR' and it is only one of the dozens to be faced by SAR crews during the summer.Crew Length Weight Range Endurance Max speed Cruise speed Survivors Sea King (HAS 2) 2 pilots, 1 observer 17.01 metres 9,30()kg 600 nautical miles (100 nautical miles search) 4 hours 112 knots 100 knots 12 Wessex (HU 5) 1 pilot, 1 aircrewman, 1 diver 14.14 metres 6,120kg 270 nautical miles (90 nautical miles search) 2.25 hours 132 knots 121 knots 7.