Where do search and rescue helicopters go when they're not saving lives? James Ferguson hitches a ride with RAF Lossiemouth to find out.British military helicopters and RNLI lifeboats have been working together for over 50 years, with the crews of both having considerable respect and admiration for the others' skill, courage and determination.

Out of the six UK-based RAF units, the most interesting beat is that of D Flight No.202 squadron based at Lossiemouth on the Moray coast, covering an immense swathe of the North Sea, NE Atlantic Ocean and the Scottish Highlands. The airfield has had a rotary-wing presence since the early 1950s, operating the Sea King HAR Mk3 since 1978.

Squadron Leader Steve Hayward, the flight commander, welcomed me as a guest at Lossiemouth for the day. I was taken on a standard training flight which involved deck winching and highline transfers with an eastbound Russian cargo vessel off Burghead, followed on by a spell on and over the cliffs near Buckie some 10 miles to the east. During the day I asked what search and rescue (SAR) helicopters do when they're not saving lives.

Squadron Leader Hayward explained that, like the five other RAF units, their primary task was to provide assets to resolve any military incidents, but that the vast majority of calls involved civilians in all kinds of distress. Each year they handle over 200 missions, with typically well over 90% of these being to non-service accidents and incidents- He estimated that 66% of these were on land, 5% cliffs, 16% maritime, 13% up to five nautical miles from the coast. In the case of maritime calls, he said that the crews can expect fishing vessels in all sorts of trouble, various oil industry difficulties, recreational sailors who have got caught up in some problem, and commented that 'the potential and the list are equally endless'.

Cover is provided on a 24-hour, 365-day basis.

From Sam to 10pm the crews are 15 minutes' readiness, 45 minutes' at all other times. Each flight has a second aircraft and crew on standby with a 60- minute reaction basis. The flight commander explained that although they are usually away well within these times, with seven minutes being easily attainable, there are occasions where crews will want to look at the problem before taking off. A long haul well out to the west or NW of the Hebrides could very easily see everyone looking at a large number of options with the wind direction and speed playing a major part in the outcome of their deliberations. The Sea King helicopters cruise at about 115 knots and have a radius of some 250nm on an endurance of between five and six hours, depending on theweather. 'So there's no point in flogging all that way out there to find that we do not have enough fuel to pick anyone up.' Squadron Leader Hayward gave an example of this kind of meticulous pre-flight planning. There was an early-February call to a French trawler adrift in very poor weather some 250nm NW of the Butt of Lewis.

The crew took a really long hard preparatory look at this one, the more so as darkness was coming on and, due to the wind direction (WSW) and speed (approx 70 knots), elected to position to Benbecula to await first light. Shortly before dawn and with a Nimrod to provide an accurate position of the casualty - at this kind of range time cannot be spent on a search - Rescue 137 lifted off with a projected time on task of 30 minutes, this to be followed by a diversion to Vagar in the Faeroes.

In the event, and despite 10m seas, the 18 survivors (the skipper had previously been washed overboard and lost) were winched to safety in nine lifts (the last being a triple) in just under 30 minutes. As a result, the flight commander explained, There was just enough extra time for the aircraft to return to fly to Stornoway where it landed with some 180kg of fuel remaining ... so that mission ended with perhaps 15 minutes left. A thoroughly professional effort in every wav by Flight Lieutenant Gear and his team.' The crew have since been awarded The Edward and Masie Lewis Award for an outstanding air/sea rescue, in recognition of their skill and courage.

Squadron Leader Hayward said that the Royal Air Force currently operates a fleet of 25 Sea Kings in the SAR role. Nineteen are Mark 3s dating from the late 1970s/early 1980s, with the remainder being the more recent new-build Mark 3A. Outwardly there is little difference between them, but the latter has a state of the art set of avionics and a new radar as well as various other refinements. The type is due to serve for the next eight or so years, then the remainder of the inventory will also be upgraded in due course in a process costing several million pounds.

He described the relatively small flight manning levels at Lossiemouth: there are five crews, each comprising two pilots, a radar/winch operator and a winchman. A duty shift is of 24 hours' duration, these changing at 9.30am. The duty crew has to remain on the flight for the duration, but the standby are a little more flexible. He added, 'We also have a dedicated, and I do really mean this in every way. team of maintained plus other support people. All in about 11 officers, 20 NCOs and 25 other ranks, all of whom work extremely hard.' The flight commander highlighted that aircrew standards are high, 'Although our pilots are posted to the SAR force, every one of them in my experience likes what they do. All our winch/radar operators and winchmen are volunteers and they achieve the same level of job satisfaction. Traditionally, the RAF's initial training process is pretty demanding as is our own type and role conversion process, with aircraft captaincies not being lightly granted.' However, he stressed, this status can be attained by a young man or woman at the age of 26 or 27 and after some two years' operational experience. In effect, they also have the more or less continuous in-flight SAR training programme, this in addition to the extremely thorough proficiency monitoring organisation run by the parent command. The RAF can and do carry out genuinely nonotice inspections and in any case will come round on a regular basis for a thorough assessment of 'what we do and how we do it'. Add to this a never-ending series of mandatory checks to maintain currency and the like, and the SAR people 'spend relatively little time sitting around and waiting for a scramble'. According to Squadron Leader Hayward, of equal importance, given the kind of flying done, is a fully hands-on knowledge of all the aircraft's systems as well as a total familiarity with its handling characteristics in all weather conditions, and a familiarity with even the most remote parts of the operational area.

He explained that the nature of the SAR task predicated a high level of medical training for the winchman, 'Well into extremely advanced procedures and almost to doctor level, this is very logically a major part of his task and is additional to comprehensive role training. He is the product of a series of increasingly sophisticated accident and emergency medical courses, these once provided by the NHS, but now service-controlled. Not everyone would enjoy hanging on a cable above a ship whose motion defies regularity or prediction or working his way down a crumbling cliff on the end of almost 250ft of 2,000lb breaking strain cable. Then, and once he has actually recovered the casualty from perhaps a pretty horrendous scenario, he has to go on to stabilise the patient during the course of a flight to the nearest suitable hospital. He is assisted by the provision of an extensive range of medical equipment developed as the result of our considerable experience.'The fourth member of the Sea King team is the radar/winch operator. He could be said to have three main skills: operating his dorsal-mounted radar, operating the winch and, if necessary, using his controls to move the aircraft two-dimensionally at up to 11 knots, assisting the winchman with first aid up to EMT (emergency medical technician) standard. A cable/winch operator is an important element of the team, as on many occasions he will be instructing the handling pilot how to position the helicopter over the lifting point and then ensuring it remains in position for as long as may be required.

Squadron Leader Hayward confirmed that a comprehensive multi-agency communications package was vital for the SAR task, 'We are very well equipped indeed as in addition to standard UHF and VHF(AM) aviation equipment we have VHF(FM) and HF to enable us to talk to ships, the Coastguard and other maritime clients.' They can home on almost any frequency they can dial up, plus emergency beacons, and for work in the hills they can communicate with civil and military mountain rescue units. All RAF SeaKings are equipped with night vision goggles, so darkness is no longer a problem. As part of a pending update, they will be getting FLIR (forward looking infra-red).

The flight commander explained that responsibility for calling out the aircraft rested in most cases with the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) at nearby RAF Kinloss. In simple terms, in the event of an incident on land, the police will call them; the Coastguard if at sea. The ARCC will then launch the most relevant SAR helicopter, provide a Nimrod if required and make any other arrangements. If this involves flying into another nation's airspace, then this can be set up in minutes as, by tradition, search and rescue activity does not have any boundaries.

Equally, the Norwegians at Stavanger can request assistance under the sameterms, and Squadron Leader Hayward confirmed that they do liaise closely with foreign counterparts.

On occasion SAR may become aware of a developing incident and can then self-launch, but they would always advise ARCC, the Coastguard or whoever of this. SAR have access to service doctors within a reasonable timescale and hold a stock of airportable pumps which, the flight commander tells me,have saved more than a few sinking fishing vessels.

He concluded by praising the skill and dedication of lifeboat crews, 'I and my colleagues have nothing butgood to say about them. We work with the RNLI almost on a daily basis during searches, medevacs and so on and admire the way in which they go about their voluntary task. It has long been recognised that joint training is of immense benefit to everyone concerned, so when we go off on detachment to the west coast we make a point of passing the word and setting up exercises with the local stations.' A night vision goggles sortie into the Cairngorms had been planned for the late evening but, just before departure, the Sea King was tasked to an incident just south of Aberdeen where a 69 year old man had fallen while rock climbing. They had to put into action all they had practised. The ensuing transit took just under 30 minutes and brought the aircraft into the hover above the locus as both of the city'stwo lifeboats stood by. Recovery of the casualty, albeit with the rotor blades seemingly only a few feet from the cliff face, took but a few minutes and he was then taken to the city's Royal Infirmary helipad for transfer to hospital. Some 40 minutes later Rescue 137 touched down at base for refuelling and the washing of the winch cable to remove any salt deposits, ready for the next task.Squadron Leader Hayward's advice to those in trouble It is far, far better to ask for help too soon than to wait for it all to go horrendously and irretrievably wrong.

Remember that mobile phones do not necessarily work all around the coastline so always carry a radio, flares and so on.

Even the most responsible and best-equipped seafarer can run out of luck, so be prepared and.

if the worst does come to the worst, sing out loud and clear.

When the helicopter arrives, then do exactly as its crew tell you as they are best placed to resolve your problem.

Very importantly, secure any loose gear.

Let the winch cable earth before grabbing it and be aware of the highline procedure which will be used for smaller vessels such as dinghies and also in a heavy sea state. In simple terms, this is a 45m light line bent via a weak link to the end of the winch cable and lowered to the casualty.

The helicopter then moves off to port and descends to a suitable height and as the hook is lowered it is taken in by those on deck.

Never, never EVER secure the highline or the cable to any part of the vessel as this could spoil everyone's day.The author, a one-time Aberdeen inshore and all-weather lifeboat crewman and presently the local station press officer, is an aviation and maritime journalist.

He wishes to acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Squadron Leader Steve H avward and his team and is also most grateful to Mike Mulford, RAF press officer Scotland and Flight Lieutenant Jim Anderson, CRO RAF Lossiemoutn, for making the necessary arrangements..