UK Coastguard

Height 100 feet, windspeed 60 knots, visibility zero. Snow rushes past the cockpit as we race over the raging sea at 140 knots indicated airspeed. Captain Dirk Geppert relaxes in his seat and watches the weather radar, leaving the brand-new Sikorsky S-92's steering to the highly accurate autopilot. “Another four minutes and we'll be through it.” “Four minutes and ten seconds,” corrects Co-pilot Tricky Dane, mischievously. They have strong nerves up front, arguing over a few seconds, whilst I'm reflecting on how long the impact with the sea would last in such weather, should anything go awry...