A HELICOPTER crew flew into Lyme Regis to team up with RNLI volunteers and land-based coastguard officers.

The crew of Coastguard helicopter 175, based at Lee-On-The-Solent in Hampshire is taking over search and rescue duties from the team based at Portland. The chopper and its crew landed at Woodroffe School's playing field on Sunday in order to give lifeboat and coastguard teams an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new aircraft. The teams also took part in an exercise winching into and out of the Augusta 189 eight-seater aircraft.

Coastguards and the lifeboat crew were given an in-depth tour of the helicopter by the aircraft’s captain Simon Cree, co-pilot Will Warboys, winch operator Ritchie Waterton and winchman Rob Sanches.

Captain Cree, a former Sea King pilot with the RAF, said the £26m coastguard helicopter’s endurance is three and a half hours with a top speed of 130 to 135 knots.

He added: "The visit to Lyme Regis is all about hearts and minds and learning how best we can work together in the future.”

John Broome, volunteer training co-ordinator at Lyme Regis lifeboat station believes the experience will be of benefit to the RNLI crew.

He said: "This exercise was invaluable. We have had a thorough explanation of the capabilities of the new helicopter by its crew.

"We have already exercised with this helicopter at sea, but to get to close quarters with the aircraft and its crew on land is just a very useful bonus and prepares us for any future incidents when we will need to work together as a team.”

From July, the Portland helicopter, which was called out 166 times last year, will no longer be in operation and the the search and rescue helicopter will have to come from Lee-on-Solent.

Two lifeboat crews from Lyme Regis took part in a training exercise at sea during their regular training evening in March.