The Rolls Royce Engineering Efficiency Trophy Awarded To HMS Gannet Prestwick

Air engineers at HMS Gannet have been awarded a prestigious Rolls Royce award for exemplarily work. Mr Colin Green CBE President of Rolls Royce Aerospace presented the award to the Air Engineering Officer Lt Roger Parry. Gannet SAR Flight has provided air rescue services covering one of the largest UK SAR areas extending from Ben Nevis in the north, south to the Isle of Man and the Lake District, east of Edinburgh and west to Northern Ireland and beyond by some 200 miles over the North Atlantic. The flight operates two Sea King Aircraft fitted for the SAR role.

Between 2004 and 2005 Gannet SAR Flight was identified as the busiest UK SAR Unit, having conducted some 245 missions, rescuing 222 persons. Engineering personnel are regularly required to respond rapidly to any problems with the aircraft in order to ensure the continuity of rescue services. Instances have occasionally occurred when aircraft developed faults in the mountains requiring precautionary landings in fields a long way from the home base. Engineers have rapidly responded to such contingencies by relocating to temporary sites and fixing the problem in the field. One such occasion included the recovery of an aircraft from an inaccessible area of Langdale Pike in the Lake District after the rotor tip had struck a cliff face resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. A heavy lift helicopter was used to recover the Sea King and fly it back to Prestwick. In addition engineers are also key members of the rescue teams routine tasking. Over the last year HMS Gannet has hosted in excess of 180 visiting aircraft from all three services including assisting US Forces maintain the presidential helicopters during the recent G8 conference, foreign detachments, major NATO exercises, assisting the regional police, and responding to community projects.

HMS Gannet Search and Rescue team has established itself as a highly efficient reactive force, which owes a great deal to the engineering excellence of committed personnel reflected by the award of the Rolls Royce Engineering Efficiency Trophy for 2004/05.