A CIVILIAN helicopter search and rescue service has replaced the long-standing RAF service that has served with Craven's two volunteer rescue teams for more than 55 years.

The much-loved yellow RAF Sea Kings are being replaced by the red and white helicopters of Bristows, which was awarded the Government contract.

Phill Nelson, from the Grassington-based Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Team, said it was a very sad day and the end of an era.

"The team along with our colleagues from the Cave Rescue Organisation would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the pilots and crew of these amazing machines for their invaluable support over all these years," he said.

"When you are involved in a serious incident out on the fells, there can be no more welcoming sight than the red jackets of the Mountain Rescue team followed by the sound and sight of an arriving RAF Sea King helicopter."

His comments were echoed by Steve Finch from the Cave Rescue Organisation based in Clapham.

He said: "We held a final training session with the Sea King and everyone was very emotional. It is part of our psyche now and I can't think of another helicopter that evokes such a response.

"The RAF Mountain Rescue crews have always been there for us when things have got tight. They are a very, very professional organisation."

Another link has been Prince William - as well as being a RAF Search and Rescue pilot, he is patron of the National Mountain Rescue Service. He has now got a job as an air ambulance pilot across the East of England.

The new helicopters have already started operating in the North East and Northern Scotland, but it will take two years before the RAF and Royal Navy service is completely phased out across the country.

Bristows will work to the same response times and with the same composition as the RAF, with two pilots, a winch operator and a winchman, who is also a paramedic. The helicopter base will move from RAF Leconfield to Humberside Airport

Phill added: "We had such a great rapport with the RAF crews and we are more than pleased to learn that six of the nine pilots based at Humberside Airport are ex-military as are nine of the 10 rear crew. The Sea Kings will be a hard act to follow but we are glad to hear that the Bristows' state-of-the-art helicopters will be faster and more flexible.

"We are informed that the downdraught from the helicopters is more powerful than the Sea Kings which means we will have to be much more careful and will need to wear goggles and ear protectors.’’

The Dales will, in fact, still see yellow helicopters - two MD 902 Explorers are operated by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance service which has also supported the Mountain Rescue teams since its formation 15 years ago.