In reply to Busby:
Just to clarify, when I said I take my hats off to them I was also including the RAF & RN crews who frequently go above and beyond in order to save people.
I also fully agree that the Sea King is an old/obsolete airframe and does need replaced, however I disagree with a private company doing it as it will presumably be profit led and will have to manage with a much more stringent H&S approach, ie. No flying in the kind of weather I witnessed today. People will die due to these changes, and local MRT's will be stretched yet further, however you look at it it doesn't bode well.
I still stand by my other comment RE: The arseholes, though there are a few good ones but too many are able to shamelessly screw the system and the taxpayer for their own ends.