Watch live as HMS Queen Elizabeth taking on her helicopter fleet form RNAS Culdrose

Watch live as the Newlyn fishing webcam is zoomed in on HMS Queen Elizabeth as she takes on board her fleet of helicopters from RNAS Culdrose.

The ship took its quota of Chinook helicopters last week when she was in Portsmouth. The aim of the trials is to work out the conditions that the aircraft can operate in while at sea on the carrier. They will collect data about the landings, take-offs and manoeuvres in different wind and sea conditions, before processing the information and ultimately declaring that the ship can safely operate the aircraft.

These helicopter trials take place before the fixed wing F35 Lightning II trials later this year. Ultimately the carrier will be declared safe to fly Chinook, Merlin Mk2, Merlin Mk3, Merlin Mk4, Wildcat and Apache attack helicopters, as well as the fast jets.

HMS Queen Elizabeth's 700-strong crew will be further bolstered during the trials by more than 70 people from the ship's permanently assigned Naval Air Squadron, 820 NAS from RNAS Culdrose, with two further operational Merlin helicopters providing force protection.

Helicopters have previously landed on HMS Queen Elizabeth to transfer essential stores and personnel, but not for official flying trials.

Falmouth Coastguard to stay in business - 24/7.

SAR services from RNAS Culdrose will continue to be co-ordinated by Falmouth Coastguard.

Round-the-clock coastguard cover in Cornwall has been saved after a Government U-turn.Ministers are expected to announce today that Falmouth coastguard station will operate 24-hours a day under revised plans. It was threatened with only being open during daylight.

However, the South Devon coastguard station that covers a vast sweep of the Westcountry coast is to be closed under the controversial plans.

Shutting the Brixham watch, which covers the coastline from Dodman Point in Cornwall to Topsham in Devon, means campaigners have failed to force a U-turn over the border.

Today's announcement follows a mass public outcry in the wake of modernisation proposals drawn up by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to shut half the UK's stations.

The Westcountry would have been left without 24-hour coastguard cover, leading to fears over the safety of a range of groups, from tourists to fishermen.

But Transport Secretary Philip Hammond will today announce "adapted" plans. He will say seven out of 18 stations in the UK are to close, effectively saving three stations that were originally earmarked for closure.

Brixham is one of those to go, the Western Morning News understands. The 11 stations to remain open, including Falmouth, will all operate 24 hours a day.

Coastguard agency staff and MPs feared lives were being put at risk because of a loss of local knowledge as a result of coastguards being sacked.

The new plans are set to go out for a further six-week consultation, but it will only be on the revisions – dashing remaining hopes Brixham gets an 11th hour reprieve.

Shipping Minister Mike Penning had previously insisted that the original proposals would be changed, but also stressed the status quo was not an option.

Commentators have felt that Brixham was always at greater risk than Falmouth because of Falmouth's expertise in international rescues.

But Brixham supporters claimed this was a misnomer as the Devon station takes over the multi-national operations when Falmouth is down.

But fears for Brixham's future were heightened when Mr Penning described the distance between the two as "ridiculously close" when justifying the need for closures. Campaigners have pointed out there are more road miles between other centres.

Mr Penning also revealed that Falmouth had proposed shutting its "twin" station Brixham in its response to the coastguard consultation.

Under the original proposals, which were commissioned five years ago under the Labour government, three stations would have operated around-the-clock. That would have meant the closest 24-hour station covering the Westcountry would have been in the Portsmouth and Southampton area.

Sheryll Murray, Conservative MP for South East Cornwall, whose constituency is covered by the Brixham station, is among a number of MPs who have called on the Government to go back to the drawing board. Mrs Murray's husband Neil, a fisherman, died at sea in March in waters covered by the Devon station.

She has said the lives of more fishermen would be at risk with Brixham gone.


Article courtesy of the Cornishman.

Crew airlifted from fishing boat Ben My Chree off Land's End.

Gill-netter Ben My Chree leaving Newlyn.

The last recorded AIS position of the Ben My Chree off Land's End before power was lost.

At 00.27 am Falmouth Coastguard received a Mayday distress call from the fishing vessel Ben My Chree with five crew onboard. Their distress call reported that they were taking water and sinking 17 nautical miles East North East of the Isles of Scilly. Falmouth Coastguard immediately broadcast a Mayday relay, and requested the scramble of Rescue Helicopter R193 and St Marys All Weather Lifeboat. Another Newlyn registered fishing vessel CKS responded to the broadcast and proceeded from 7nm away at best speed. The wind was a force 5 from the west south west with a moderate to rough sea.

Once on scene R193 attempted to lower the Coastguard pump down onto the vessel but this proved impossible due to the weather conditions. The water level in the vessel was still rising and the crew were getting very concerned, so R193 winched four, including skipper Steve Hicks off the vessel. Crewman Jamie Vickar was the last to leave and even though he had knocked the engine out of gear when he left the wheel house the vessel continued to proceed in a very erratic manner due to the mizzen sail being set. This meant that R193 could not winch him off so he was taken off onto the St Marys Lifeboat and from there winched to R193. All five crew were then transferred to Culdrose where they were met by a few members of the Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team who transported them back to their homes in Newlyn.

The CKS was released to continue and the St Marys lifeboat stood alongside the Ben My Chree until first light. As the night progressed the Ben My Chree sank lower in the water, the engine stopped, its AIS ceased to transmit and its navigation lights went out. As the vessel was drifting across the Lands End Traffic Separation scheme Falmouth Coastguard made a Security Broadcast to all vessels in the area to be aware and to keep a sharp lookout and a wide berth.

The area between Land's End and the Scillys has a very busy traffic separation scheme in place, at the moment there is a concentration of French trawlers working just to the south of the incident.

Marc Thomas, Watch Manager, Falmouth Coastguard said:

"The crew of the Ben My Chree were calm and professional in a very uncertain situation and the skipper passed all the necessary information to ensure a swift rescue. The crew of R193 tried repeatedly to lower the Coastguard pump onboard but were unable to do so, but they managed to recover four of the crew off the fishing vessel in challenging conditions."

Courtesy of Fred Caygill at the MCA.