THE MEMBERS of Arbroath’s lifeboat crew were involved in a joint training exercise yesterday with members of the RAF.

A crew from 27 Squadron, which is based at RAF Odium in Hampshire, travelled to Arbroath to take part in the sea rescue training exercise.

The RAF personnel are taking part in a five-day exercise at Leuchars in Fife, and made the journey to Arbroath in a Chinook CH47.

Lifeboat mechanic Alan Russell said, “We are going to be doing winching training and they are going to be dropping people down on to our boat.

“They don’t actually do search and rescue winching so it’s just something for them to try out and it might continue into tomorrow.”

It is the second time in a matter of weeks that the Arbroath crew have been involved in international exercise after they were visited by a group of Dutch lifeboat service personnel.

On that occasion, both local boats were launched and the crews undertook an exercise in the area of the cliffs.