Gallery: Deck winch training off Anglesey

AS1 Emily Muir records a Jupiter helicopter from 202 Squadron, RAF Valley, Anglesey, practicing deck winching

202 Squadron are specialists in mountain, maritime, and search and rescue training.The crew on the Jupiter (an Airbus H145) from 202 Squadron in RAF Valley train for deck winching during a boat drills exercise with aircrew training workboat Smit Don off the coast of Anglesey in Wales. The training involves winching aircrew down onto the deck of the boat, before collecting them and winching them back onto the aircraft. The Jupiter HT Mk1 has added new digital technology to the helicopter training program, with the latest avionics that provide enhanced safety and situational awareness. 202 Squadron delivers maritime, mountain, and search and rescue training to helicopter aircrew for both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Rescue swimmers, paramedics and other crew often need to be lowered onto the the decks of vessels in distress where there is no area or space to land a helicopter safely. This exercise demonstrates the skill, timing, precision and teamwork required for performing this sort of operation.

Images published in accordance with Open Government Licence v3.0

Jon is the Editor of AirMed&Rescue. He was previously Editor of the Clinical Medicine and Future Healthcare Journal for the Royal College of Physicians before taking over as Editor in November 2022. His favorite helicopter is the Army Air Corps Lynx that he saw his father fly while growing up on Army bases.