Search And Rescue Helicopters

RAF Valley
BAe Hawks
SAR Helicopters


Sea King
Griffin
Wessex
Whirlwind

SARTU #1
SARTU #2

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Combat Search and Rescue by Andy Evans

No.22 SAR Squadron 'C' Flight

and

SARTU (The Search And Rescue Training Unit)

No.22 SAR Squadron 'C' Flight and the Search And Rescue Training Unit share the helicopter pads at RAF Valley.

SARTU is a unit of the contractorised Defence Helicopter Flying School and is nothing directly to do with the RAF SAR wing, and hence 22 Sqn. Some (and only some) of the students flying the Griffin at SARTU will go on to fly with the RAF SAR Wing and 22 Squadron, once they have graduated from their main rotary course at RAF Shawbury. However, most students attend a one week SAR 'famil' course that gives them some understanding and experience in the role as part of their overall rotary training package. Most will go on to fly battle field or maritime helicopters, flying in primary roles other than SAR.

SAR Helicopters
Yesterday		Today
Whirlwind	Wessex	Griffin	Sea King

To view an interesting article from the 1999 RAF Yearbook on the operations at SARTU, click here. And another from the 2005 edition, click here.