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

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Florida, The Sunshine State

florida is a low peninsula state of the southeast United States between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. florida was admitted as the 27th state in 1845. It was one of the Confederate states during the Civil War.

The state of florida is bordered by Georgia and Alabama. Tallahassee is the capital and Jacksonville the largest city of florida. FL is the abbreviation of florida.

The nickname of the state of florida is the sunshine state. Juan Ponce de Len discovered and settled on the peninsula on Easter Sunday, March 27, 1513, which is known as Pascua florida in Spanish. Florida is a Spanish adjective that means flowery.

Florida's economy is mainly based on tourism industry. The sunny weather and hundreds of miles of beautiful beach attracts the tourists from all parts of the world. The florida vacation, florida beach vacation, florida golf vacation and florida vacation packages are the most coveted holiday.

The orange blossom state, florida is home of walt disney world, an amusement park near Orlando, and many other theme parks. The Walt Disney world Resort with four theme parks, numerous water parks, exquisite florida hotels, shopping centers are major tourist attractions of the state.

The hotels in florida are known for their luxuries and unspeakable romances. The south beach florida hotels, hotels in key west florida, hotels southbeach miami florida, palm coast florida hotels, destin florida hotels, hotels in miami florida, naples florida hotels, orlando florida hotels and hollywood hotels are the best hotels in America.

The state is also home to the Kennedy Space Center. St. Augustine, located on the coast of Northern florida, is the oldest city in the United States, settled in the sixteenth century by Spain.

Destin, Jacksonville, Key West, Miami, Naples, Tampa, Saint Petersburg, Hialeah, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood are the gem cities of florida.

Destin is commonly known as The World's Luckiest Fishing Village. Jacksonville or J-Ville is dubbed as Where florida Begins. Key West is known as the Southernmost City. Miami is nicknamed as the Magic City. Orlando is widely known as The Imaginary City. Tallahassee is popularly dubbed as Tally-Ho or The Hill and Tampa is nicknamed as The Cigar City.

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Back Pain Relief Tips For Pregnant Women

Back pain relief Tips For Pregnant Women

Back pain is one of the banes that generally go with pregnancy. It is a common complaint. More than 50 % of the pregnant woman population suffers from it.

Back pain during the pregnancy is mainly due to change in the contours of the body of the woman, as baby grows within and puts on additional weight, month after month to the mother. This extra weight causes a change in the center of gravity of the woman's body. Major hormonal changes are also noticed in the early stages of the pregnancy, which is an additional cause of the back pain.

The center of gravity of women's body shifts forward with the growth of the uterus. Her postures and movement style change and this put additional strain on her back, resulting in backache.

In certain cases, urinary infections which are also common during the pregnancy can be the cause of back pain. If the woman has acute back pain during the early stages of pregnancy, the same requires immediate attention of the doctor. Back pain during the pregnancy can be due to a multiplicity of factors which demands immediate attention.

Medication for the sake of medication should be avoided during pregnancy. You are responsible for two lives, so any medication will only be by the advice of the doctor. Exercising is the sure remedy for a pregnant woman. Simple walking is the best exercise. But do not do aggressive walking.

Avoid slouching. Maintain an appropriate posture by using a lumber cushion or pillow. Cultivate by experience good body mechanics. Muscular exercises are a deterrent to back pain.

A pregnant woman is not expected to stand for long periods, say while traveling and for any other reasons. Do not change your sitting position too often. In the early stages of pregnancy proper rest and adequate sleep is necessary.

Avoid high-heeled shoes at all costs. The practice is dangerous as it will put lots of strain on the back. Use a low flat stool for sitting. Avoid kitchen work for longer durations.

Your clothing should also be imaginative. Avoid tight clothing. Even if you are tired, avoid slumping forward. Slumping pushes the rib cage forward and down to the stomach. You can well imagine the resultant problems. While standing, be comfortable and keep your knees soft.

many of your experienced friends and relatives can give you the correct tips for your backache problem. Such tips at times are more useful than the medical advice you get from your family doctor.

www.backpaindetails.com/pain/ & Back Pain Relief provides detailed information on back pain, back pain treatment, back pain cure, back pain relief and more.

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