RAF SAR Wessex & lifeboats

[Oldstacker]

So this is mostly footage taken on a couple of RNLI lifeboat training exercises a good few years ago before H&S kicked in but it does feature some reasonable footage of a Wessex working with the boats as well, including a winchman being dropped on to the stern of a lifeboat and then recovered. I do know a couple of the RNLI guys involved - some of the stuff would be very much a No No now..... Thing is, in our younger days, didn't we all take similar risks (albeit in different ways)?

Enjoy...Lifeboat & Wessex

 

[busby1971]

Had a Seaking whinching myself when working at a Cornish secret survival school, being put back down on a moving boat was much better than any Roller Coaster Ive ever been on.

 

[vim_fuego]

Got double winched out of the Moray-Firth using the Life-jacket beckets by a Seaking before before deposited onto the rear deck of a Sandown class MH in a stormy sea. First of all it was alarming to use the beckets as these were drill life-jackets and not the nice newish looking ones you flew with. Looking down at it straining as we went up and under the Seaking (never got in it...they just motored over to the vessel with us dangling away) was a worry and when you are double winched you are real close and personal with your winch-buddy and both of us had the same 'oh fcuk' look. It also meant to couldn't look down because we were facing each other blocking each others view of the deck coming up to us. They plonked us down just at the wrong moment, as the deck came up in what were probably 10'+ rollers and without the visual warning we smashed in banging heads (had a helmet on but it was still some clash) and nearly breaking ankles...to be left dazed, rolling around together swearing a lot and trying to undo ourselves on the still taught cable.

Treasured memories.....

 

[Barch]

Went to the Royal College of Defence Studies event at Waddington in 1980 with a Jetstream, a mate from SAR Wing at Finningley was there with a Sea King, he asked me if I fancied sitting in a life raft in the middle of the airfield as part of the display.

Like a tit I said yes, the idea was that I would be dumped in the raft and about 10 minutes later the Sea King would appear and I would set off a mini flare then get winched up into the helicopter.

Everything went to plan until I was strapped into a seat opposite the side door and the pilot started showing off the manoeuvrability of said helicopter and for the next few minutes all I could see was grass from an altitude of 400 feet or so with just a lap belt holding me in.