The Sea King HAR 3 has a crew of 4. There are 2 pilots, a radar operator/winch operator and a winchman who has extended paramedic training. The crew follow a 24 hour shift pattern and hold a readiness state of 15 minutes between the hours of 0800 and 2200. Outside of these hours they hold a readiness of 45 minutes and remain within the Flight building overnight. In addition to the crew, the aircraft has seating for up to 18 passengers and can fly for over 5 hours at maximum fuel loading.
The helicopter is routinely operated with Night Vision Goggles (NVG) and is also capable of carrying out an internal radar letdown and flying an automatic transition to the 50ft hover in fog or at night over the water.
The primary role of SAR is the recovery of downed military aviators, but in peacetime its aircraft are available all year round for use in civilian distress incidents. Indeed, since 1973, over 95% of the rescues carried out by 202 Sqn have been civilian incidents. In 2001 D Flt marked its 5000th rescue. This was the recovery of a fallen climber in the Highlands of Scotland who had suffered a dislocated shoulder. It was one of 5 rescues that D Flt had been tasked with on that particular day. The rescues carried out over the years have included a wide variety of incidents involving rescuing casualties from: aircraft, fishing trawlers, ferries, oil rigs, mountainous terrain, cliffs and the waters surrounding Scotland.
The Sqn is also called upon to carry out hospital transfers when other, more traditional, means are not possible due to the remoteness of the casualty or size of incubator and medical equipment.
