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SAR Meet 2010 : Koksijde rescue...go ahead !
17 to 21 May 2010
Text & Pictures : Serge Van Heertum & Marc Arys - SBAP ©
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Not only Belgium, with its 40th Squadron Helicopter, but also our neighbouring
countries accomplish similar missions. It is obvious that every country uses its
own means to fulfil those missions.
In this respect the idea originated within the 40th Squadron Helicopter to
invite different nations for a SAR-meet. Because of this professional
competition, ties between the various squadrons are strengthened, directed
towards an exchange
of ideas and working methods.
The SAR-MEET 2010 does not aim at the judgment of the flying capabilities of the
teams but pays attention to the speed and accuracy of the working methods of the
crews.
The thread through this whole happening is to emphasize the importance of the
team spirit. The competition has been arranged in such a way that a successful
result only had a chance in succeeding if the whole team cooperated
professionally.
SAR Meet 2010 participation
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Belgian Air Component | 40 Squadron |
Westland Seaking Mk48 |
Belgian Navy | Navy Heli Flight | Aerospatial SA316B Alouette III |
Italian Air Force | 83 Squadron | Sikorsky HH-3F "Pelicano" |
Spanish Air Force | 801 Squadron | Aerospatial SA-330J Puma |
German Navy | MFG-5 | Westland Seaking Mk41 |
French Air Force | EH 01.67 Pyrénées | Aerospatial SA-330B Puma |
Netherland Air Force | 303 Squadron | Agusta-Bell AB412SP |
Polish Air Force | 2 Transport Squadron |
Mil-Mi 8RL |
Survival competition
On wednesday morning, after the general briefing, the survival competition was
held in the open-air swimming pool of Oostduinkerke not far away from Koksijde
Air Base.
The competition was devided
into three stages:
1- After solving correctly a riddle, four crew member of each country had to
swim together with their life jacket inflated. On the other side of the pool
they had to brace a broken arm of one of the member and get back with him
installed in a survival raft.
2- Two member had to follow a line under water with only 50 seconds of oxygen,
read 5 different letters and give the word to the judge as fast as possible.
3- A speed run with survival raft for all the team members.
Many people walking at the Belgian sea side had the opportunity to see all those
teams in action and it was for them like a summer game festival, but the main
point we could see between the participants was certainly the great team spirit
!
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Survival competition | Broken arm |
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Under water to read the letters | Team spirit first of all |
Winching competition
The winching competition was planned in the afternoon. The teams and their
machine had to complete this exercice also in three stages:
1-
Pick-up
little sand bags
2- Winching out one of the crew as ground guide, then precise winching this
bucket onto a small bracket, afterwards picking up a bucket filled with water
and put it on a special platform. Then winching the crew member back in.
3- Dropping the sand bags on defined target points.
This competition was the occasion to see the eight teams in action and
appreciate their mastery and the helicopters capabilities.
Belgian Air Component
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Belgian Navy
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Italian Air Force
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Spanish Air Force
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German Navy
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French Air Force
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Netherland Air Force
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Polish Air Force
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The SAR Meet remains
a well appreciated exercice, needed to evaluate and compare the different
nations capabilities and procedures.
After the competition, all the crews awaited the results and in an international
spirited manner.
Palmares :
Navigation award
Survival award Sport competition award Home product award Funniest disguisement Team spirit award "No chance" award Winching award |
German Navy Belgian Navy French Air Force Polish Air Force Spanish Air Force Netherland Air Force Italian Air Force Belgian Air Component |
Best Belgian team of the competition : Belgian Air Component 40 Squadron
And the overall international winner
categories : French Air Force team from EH01.67 based at Cazaux.
Congratulations to all the teams and particularly the the "champions" !
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Kolonel B. Havermans Base Commander & Maj H. Heyvaert CO 40 Sqn presenting the award ceremony |
The
SAR Meet 2010 winners Congratulations ! |
SBAP team would like to
thank
Comopsair IPR team, Belgian Navy PR and all the personal of Koksijde Air Base
for all the facilities and their obligigness
during this press day.