Helicopters with winches

Culdrose appears to have choppers on instant readiness available to winch-rescue cretinous holidaymakers.
However Helicopters with winches were not available to rescue the posthumous GC winner in Afghanistan. All on standby for the Summer Season at Seahawk presumably.

 

You dont take winches of Willey Nilley :thumright: ps thought you got pulled??? :thumright:

 

We do have more than our share of emmetts (tourists) chucking themselves off cliffs, like lemmings. Picking them up, usually in pieces, shouldn't be a priority.

 

So why is it ? Expensive sophisticated military choppers rescuing OAP's and others foolishly putting to sea astride inflated rubber ducks knowing that all will be well as those Culdrose aircrews have nothing better to do than rescue them.

 

All the choppers that i maintained and flew as aircrew had winches fitted as standard :thumright:

 

Sadly they didn't find their way East in sufficient numbers to rescue our troops

 

Was the chopper that tried to rescue our lads a Chinook, as I do not believe they are fitted with winches?

 

So why are they there? If one is to rescue troops from minefields would not those helicopters enjoying life in peaceful Cornwall be better employed , together with their winches, somewhere closer to the battlefield?

 

Don't mean to sound negative at such a brave act as taking a helo in a hot area, but, if no winch don't they carry a ladder or a long rope to lift at least one injured out of the mine area?
I'm sure if a rope was handy any one of the injured could have tied a bowline around a para to lift out of the mine area.There are probably a dozen reasons why this is a stupid query but it was asked at the boozer for which I had no answer after telling all I'm a seaman and never have set foot in a helo.
Was this a practical question,Cheers

 

A Bowline?
You're not on a Bight?

 

Not a stupid question .
Ropes have been long used to pluck downed aircrew,
Sadly the first experiment off Weymouth resulted in 35 of the volunteer aircrew dying. A Bowline was tied around each of them but they sadly, foolishly failed to understand what the exercise was all about - and died The Chief GI did his best to explain

 

Just a couple of things. The Culdrose Sea Kings are rather useful for attending to CASEVACs for the Home team, should they be required. They also attend real rescues from revenue earning ships in our parish. Apart from the fact it saves lives, it's also good PR for the Andrew and UK PLC. Regading winches on big tandem rotor jobs like Chinooks, the down wash is quite complex and remarkably powerful. Suspending heavy weapons, vehicles, fuel bollocks and CHACON/MINICON/ISO containers is one thing, but even 2 heavyweight but squishy humans are a different consideration.

Bugger! that's 3 things.

 

And a fourth? Out East rescuing our hard-pressed troops? Go and wash your mouth out!!

 

Culdrose get paid by the Department of Trade and Industry for there 24 hour SAR role.

As for Afganistan. Bit of a long haul from Culdrose even for a winch fitted Merlin!! Berhaps Bristows at Lee on Solent could have responded!

Combat SAR in Afganistan is the resposibilty of either the RAF or US helicopters.

 

IIRC 771s don't have the right DAS for theatre (apart from the performance issues). We don't send cabs to the Stan without them. In addition, the number of cabs out there and their tasking is another issue that needs sorting.

I understand some of the junglies are set up for that at the minute and are doing their thing as we spout. Good luck to them and get back safely.

 

845 and 846 have been deployed to Afghan with the Sk4 for months. Their tasking is affected by limitiations imposed on their performance due to the high ambient temperature and the height above sea level they are operating. They have been modified by fitting a high performance new main rotor blade but even with this they cannot do everything they would like. There is nothing a Sk from Culdrose could add to what our boys from 845/846 are already doing.

 

don't forget these are squaddies!they may be able to tie a bowline but a bowline on the bight?never.
Bowline around the shoulders would hve lifted a couple 50 yards to safety,maybe!

 

So dispose of the Culdrose Sk's and lease some suitable High Altitude,
High Temperature capable helicopters for Afghanistan
You mentioned 845 Squadron --I well remember the six weeks I served with them in Malaya on Fleet PR duties. Good lads they were then and will be today. But they are only as good as the equipment Our lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and MOD now, supplied then,
and supply now
I don't recall the Russian choppers suffering from the dust and heat and I further recall their winches operating successfully.
They did suffer from the Recalcitrant Dissident Afghan Tribesmen Skallywags firing at them.
More galling for the Russians -the knowledge that those rebels were firing at them with Russian made SAM's they had sold to them in an earlier incarnation.

 

On leaving the navy I served in the army. A long time ago now but I recall my RASC colleague Officers could tie a bowline on the bight that most of the Culdrose Ship's Company colleagues ,I escaped from, would not have had a clue about.
Turks Head? That's a pub In Falmouth Isn't it Roland?

 

You obviously have strong views on the subject.

Write to your MP - he could take it up for you instead of boring us, (well me)!!! :thumright: