River Clyde Photography: Sea King Rescue

Wednesday 23 December 2009

Sea King Rescue

The Royal Navys Sea King rescue helicopter is a familiar sight on the Clyde.

Based at Prestwick airport in Southwest Scotland, it provides 24-hour military and civilian search and rescue across a large area of Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland. The flight operates 3 Sea King Mk 5 helicopters and consists of 15 officers, 11 ratings, 28 civil servants and 50 civilian staff. Tasking is varied and ranges from recovering fallen climbers in winter snow to rescuing injured fishermen up to 200 miles offshore. Additionally, Gannet SAR provides an important medical evacuation service to the many island communities on Scotland's West coast.

No comments:

River Clyde Photography

Over half of Scotland’s population lives within a short distance of the River Clyde, from its humble beginnings in South Lanarkshire where it is created by two streams the Patrail Water and the Daer Water, the two streams meet at Watermeetings where the River Clyde starts.

It’s not long before it reaches picturesque Lanark and its famous waterfalls. It eventually finds its way to Glasgow who’s citizens in the 18^th century narrowed and deepened and ultimately industrialised the river making it one of the most famous shipbuilding rivers in the world, Glasgow did indeed make the Clyde and of course the Clyde made Glasgow, at its peak the Clyde shipyards built a fifth of the worlds ships.

During the 2^nd world war Winston Churchill said that “Liverpool and Glasgow were the lungs in which the country breathed through”. Ship building along with heavy industry is all but dead on the Clyde, the majority of our industrial heritage was swept away in the 70s and 80s leaving few traces of the rivers famous past.

Leaving Glasgow, the Clyde broadens as you pass the towns of Dumbarton, Port Glasgow and Greenock, who all played a part in making the Clyde famous through shipbuilding.

At the Tail of the Bank the river broadens once more and becomes the firth with its many sea lochs coastal towns and villages.

CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPHS TO VIEW AT FULL SIZE

My email address is clutha@outlook.com