A frequent sight over our area for several decades (below) an S&R helicopter of 'A' Flight of 202 Squadron, taken half a mile from my home a couple of days ago.
Sadly, it is soon to be a thing of the past and the familiar sound of the engines of a Sea King from nearby RAF Boulmer will be heard no more.
Search and Rescue helicopters have been operating in the area since the 1960s, firstly with Westland Whirlwinds at RAF Acklington which were replaced by Wessex, then Sea Kings in the 1970s, just about the time that Acklington closed and the flight relocated a few miles to Boulmer where they have operated since.
Boulmer is literally less than two minutes flying time from the Northumberland coast. When you're on the sea you can actually see the stand-by helicopter waiting outside its hangar. Its helicopters have been called out to countless local rescues as well as those further afield, such as rescuing fallen climbers in the Lake District.
It was also 202 Squadron that helped out at the Alexander Keilland tragedy in 1980. A very brave man that I used to play darts with was a winchman in that rescue and was awarded for his actions (as well as having a 'This is Your Life' programme dedicated to him).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_L._Kielland_(platform)
From 2016 the helicopter station will close and any fishermen getting into trouble off the Northumberland coast, instead of having to survive a short while awaiting a helicopter will have to wait about an hour longer for a helicopter from Prestwick, on the west coast of Scotland, 120 miles west of Boulmer, Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth, 170 miles north of Boulmer or from Leconsfield near Hull, about 115 miles to the south. The RAF role of S & R has been farmed out by the government to Bristow's, a private firm.
http://www.northumberlandgazette.co...nd-rescue-set-to-end-at-raf-boulmer-1-5529732
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/raf-boulmer-end-search-rescue-4420695
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-21939039
The government when it announced the closure claimed that these stations could provide cover over the whole area covered with the same average response time as Boulmer. When you're bobbing about in the cold North Sea, it's not the average response time that counts - it's the minimum response time that's crucial, but the accountants don't see it that way.