Helicopter Mountain Rescue In Snowdonia

When a female climber slipped and fell while scrambling on the cliffs of Craig Yr Ysfa below Carnedd Llewelyn in Snowdonia, the rescuers who were first on the scene recognized that her leg injuries required immediate treatment. Fortunately for her, help was at hand in the form of RAF 22 Squadron's Sea King helicopter, and she was in hospital in Bangor within the hour.

Snowdonia in North Wales contains some of the best mountain walking and climbing areas in the UK. Besides Snowdon itself, there are several other peaks above the 3000 ft mark, and these are surrounded by steep crags and sheer cliff faces which are often the site of accidents, either as a result of fallen climbers, or walkers who have slipped from a path. When accidents occur, members of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue team are called out, and if they require assistance to move the casualty quickly to hospital, a Sea King Mark 3 SAR (Search and Rescue) helicopter from RAF Valley on the Isle of Anglesey can be on the scene within 20 minutes.

The Sea Kings are operated by C Flight 22 Squadron (C Flt), one of the busiest SAR flights in the UK, carrying out around 300 rescue missions every year, and since the Flight formed at Valley in 1956, over 6000 rescue missions have been flown. Sea Kings have been operated by 22 Squadron since 1997, replacing the Wessex which took over from the Westland Whirlwind in 1976, and provide increased range and load capacity, plus enhanced night and bad weather performance. Helicopters are on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and can be airborne within 15 minutes. Although their main function is to perform search and rescue missions for RAF aircrew, the bulk of their activity is centered on civilian rescues, often assisting mountain rescue teams across the UK.

The Sea King is manufactured by AgustaWestland in the UK, and is powered by two Rolls-Royce H1400 1T turboshaft engines, providing 2,700shp. It has accommodation for a 4-man crew, and up to 19 passengers, or nine stretchers and two medical officers. The Mark 3A is equipped with advanced all-weather radar, navigation and Global Positioning Systems, and when hovering can be controlled by the winch operator, who can position the rescue harness directly above the casualty. The winch operator also controls the hydraulic hoist, rated at 600lb. The Sea King has a range of 280 nautical miles, with a maximum speed of 143 mph at sea level, and helicopters from 22 Squadron, who are based at RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall, carry out rescue operations all around the United Kingdom, as well as mountain rescues in Snowdonia.

The Sea Kings are a familiar sight to hill walkers and climbers, and its a comforting thought to anyone who ventures into the mountains that should the worst happen, the big yellow helicopter will quickly be on the scene.

Simon Kirwan is a photographer with a passion for the outdoors. He spends as much time as possible visiting the mountains and wild places of Britain and the world. After visiting Nepal and photographing the Himalayas in 1999, Simon was named 'Observer Outdoor Photographer of the Year 2000'. He has since travelled overland across East africa visiting Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe; in addition, he has photographed the mountain ranges of Europe including the Spanish Pyrenees, the French and Italian Alps, and the Polish Tatras.

Despite his love of travel and the excitement of visiting new destinations, Simon is equally happy to wander the hills and mountains of Britain's countryside, especially Snowdonia, the Peak District and the Lake District where he can indulge his love of mountain walking and scrambling as well as photographing the ever-changing landscape.

www.aerial-photographer.co.uk Aerial Photography by Simon Kirwan
http://www.the-lightbox.com Travel Photography by Simon Kirwan

Yoga Certification 20

How To Clear Blocked Drains

Blocked drains are potentially messy, disruptive, upsetting and at worst a health hazard. They are usually noticeable by the fact that water is slow to drain away from a sink or water builds up in a toilet when flushing.

If you are installing a kitchen sink it is important to allow at least a 2 inch drop on the waste pipe, the reason for this is that over a period of time if the drop is not sufficient food particles and grease build up in the pipes and eventually reduce the diameter of the waste pipe in the drain causing a blockage.

When replacing a kitchen sink it is important to ensure that the waste pipes are maintained and checked for any blockages and removed as soon as possible failure to do so will result in a foul smell from your drains which can be awful especially in the summer months.

It is important to remember that as an householder it is your responsibility to ensure that a blockage is cleared as soon as possible.In the interests of public health the local council have very strong powers to ensure that blockages are cleared and any repairs are carried out promptly.

If you are planning on installing a bathroom sink it is important to regularly remove hair from the waste trap which can cause severe blockages,which if not spotted early enough will require the need for the entire waste system to be taken apart to remove the blockage.

Most blocked drains are caused by food particles entering the waste system if you are replacing a kitchen sink it may be worthwhile to consider installing a waste disposal system at the same time,these are relatively inexpensive and ensure that all waste food is broken down before it enters the waste system.

Also if your property is situated near a building site you may be experiencing a blocked drain from plaster or cement dust that as entered the system through an open grill.When water comes into contact with the plaster or cement this will cause it to set, narrowing the pipes as it does so.

About the author.

David Lee as Been involved with plumbing for 3 years,and i have helped many people with plumbing problems in there homes,from installing a kitchen sink to changing a tap washer

For further information on replacing a kitchen sink or installing a bathroom sink then please visit http://www.howtoinstallyoursink.com/index.html

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