The future of UK SAR, post SAR-H
Perhaps Bristows promised something simple like paying their corporation tax in UK
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The Sunday Times.
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/...cle1230816.ece
Another hand grenade.
AN AMERICAN helicopter operator is set to win a £3bn contract to take over Britain’s search and rescue service.
Bristow, which is listed in New York and based in Houston, has beaten Bond Aviation, a British rival, to secure the 13-year deal. The Department for Transport may announce the decision as early as next week.
The choice of Bristow brings to an end one of the most protracted and controversial government privatisations. Public sector unions fought the deal, citing concerns about safety and the closure of two bases.
The rescue service is currently run jointly by the RAF, the Royal Navy and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Prince William is one of the pilots, based at RAF Valley on Anglesey.
Opponents are concerned that a commercial operator with civilian staff would be unable to match the specialist skills of military crew.
Bristow, which is listed in New York and based in Houston, has beaten Bond Aviation, a British rival, to secure the 13-year deal. The Department for Transport may announce the decision as early as next week.
The choice of Bristow brings to an end one of the most protracted and controversial government privatisations. Public sector unions fought the deal, citing concerns about safety and the closure of two bases.
The rescue service is currently run jointly by the RAF, the Royal Navy and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Prince William is one of the pilots, based at RAF Valley on Anglesey.
Opponents are concerned that a commercial operator with civilian staff would be unable to match the specialist skills of military crew.
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Bristow Group In The News - bristowgroup.com
Two of the four Sikorsky S-92 helicopters that will service the UK Gap Search and Rescue (SAR) contract for Northern Scotland have now arrived in Scotland and have begun training flights from Inverness Airport.
The new helicopters feature a raft of state-of-the-art technology, some of which has never before been used in commercial search and rescue aircraft, and will enable Bristow to provide unprecedented search and rescue capabilities.
Bristow invested in the latest night vision goggle technology in order to give the Gap SAR crews the very best equipment to be able to operate safely. The latest generation image intensifier tubes used in NVG require an export license agreement with the U.S. State Department.
"Our new S-92 search and rescue aircraft are the first type in Europe to be certified for night vision goggle (NVG) technology," said SAR Commercial Manager Simon Tye. "The technology is essential when responding to night time incidents, particularly in Northern Scotland where winter days are short and operations can extend into the hours of darkness."
In addition to night vision capabilities, other SAR-related features on the S-92 represent the latest and most comprehensive technology available.
“Our new S-92s have improved forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and thermal imaging camera technology for more effective searches,” said Tye, “and high illumination lighting to make winching easier and safer. This will be particularly useful when operating in confined spaces or conducting cliff rescues. The long range fuel tanks will allow us to operate across the vast distances in Scotland we will be servicing.”
The new S-92s are the first aircraft in Europe to be fitted with Trulink® wireless capabilities for communications between the aircraft and crew, while the wireless intercom system now allows winchmen to not only communicate with the aircraft but also to communicate with nearby vessels in the event that they are left behind at the scene. A much improved external public address system will allow the SAR crew to communicate far more clearly with causalities on the ground below.
The medical zone intercom allows the cabin and cockpit to be split into isolated zones, meaning medical teams can work on a patient without the flight crew being distracted. Improved cabin lighting, including emergency white light, will enable advanced medical procedures to be carried out onboard. In addition, the cabins are fitted with 230 volt ac power outlets so that the SAR aircraft can operate advanced medical equipment onboard. Bristow have designed a bespoke cabin layout to accommodate more casualties and medical equipment safely.
Bristow will commence operation of the Gap SAR contract from Sumburgh on 1 June and from Stornoway on 1 July 2013. Two S-92s will be stationed at each base.
The new helicopters feature a raft of state-of-the-art technology, some of which has never before been used in commercial search and rescue aircraft, and will enable Bristow to provide unprecedented search and rescue capabilities.
Bristow invested in the latest night vision goggle technology in order to give the Gap SAR crews the very best equipment to be able to operate safely. The latest generation image intensifier tubes used in NVG require an export license agreement with the U.S. State Department.
"Our new S-92 search and rescue aircraft are the first type in Europe to be certified for night vision goggle (NVG) technology," said SAR Commercial Manager Simon Tye. "The technology is essential when responding to night time incidents, particularly in Northern Scotland where winter days are short and operations can extend into the hours of darkness."
In addition to night vision capabilities, other SAR-related features on the S-92 represent the latest and most comprehensive technology available.
“Our new S-92s have improved forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and thermal imaging camera technology for more effective searches,” said Tye, “and high illumination lighting to make winching easier and safer. This will be particularly useful when operating in confined spaces or conducting cliff rescues. The long range fuel tanks will allow us to operate across the vast distances in Scotland we will be servicing.”
The new S-92s are the first aircraft in Europe to be fitted with Trulink® wireless capabilities for communications between the aircraft and crew, while the wireless intercom system now allows winchmen to not only communicate with the aircraft but also to communicate with nearby vessels in the event that they are left behind at the scene. A much improved external public address system will allow the SAR crew to communicate far more clearly with causalities on the ground below.
The medical zone intercom allows the cabin and cockpit to be split into isolated zones, meaning medical teams can work on a patient without the flight crew being distracted. Improved cabin lighting, including emergency white light, will enable advanced medical procedures to be carried out onboard. In addition, the cabins are fitted with 230 volt ac power outlets so that the SAR aircraft can operate advanced medical equipment onboard. Bristow have designed a bespoke cabin layout to accommodate more casualties and medical equipment safely.
Bristow will commence operation of the Gap SAR contract from Sumburgh on 1 June and from Stornoway on 1 July 2013. Two S-92s will be stationed at each base.
The future of UK SAR, post SAR-H
4thright
Ha ha no not at all. My biggest fault in life is that I cannot see gray. It's black or it's white to me. So grand statements without facts or substance from people who profess to know it and claim that they somehow have more facts than everyone else are just irritating.
Gossip on the other hand is fine. Just don't pretend or state that its fact!?
Ha ha no not at all. My biggest fault in life is that I cannot see gray. It's black or it's white to me. So grand statements without facts or substance from people who profess to know it and claim that they somehow have more facts than everyone else are just irritating.
Gossip on the other hand is fine. Just don't pretend or state that its fact!?
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Its Sunday and I'm feeling lazy...........could someone tell me if 3bn is the value of lot 1 or lot 3? The newspaper article dose not implicitly say Bristow have managed to secure all the work.....though I'm sure its implied.
CHC was reported to be 20% more expensive, which doesn't sound much till you do 20% of £3,000,000,000 eek
(Of course, £3bn is a top-end DfT contract notice estimate. I shall take a wild guess at £1.8bn.)
Last edited by jimf671; 17th Mar 2013 at 20:44.
The future of UK SAR, post SAR-H
I get the feeling you might be a chc fan Jim? One moment they are great because they are more expensive, next moment they are better because because they can do it cheaper? Which solution is the better one? Only one way to find out. FIGHT!
Jim, both bidders signed up to a 'managed path' for military SAR crews to transfer across to the new service - how many actually get taken on is a another matter but the intent is there.
Unfortunately, those of us on Sea King won't be automatically allowed a civvy IR because it has been deemed that the S61 is not an equivalent to the Sea King and the Sea King is not on the EASA list of aircraft. And people wonder why the CAA is sometimes seen as a money-making organisation
Unfortunately, those of us on Sea King won't be automatically allowed a civvy IR because it has been deemed that the S61 is not an equivalent to the Sea King and the Sea King is not on the EASA list of aircraft. And people wonder why the CAA is sometimes seen as a money-making organisation
Yes, I've had a conversation about billing regimes with a man in Gatwick. They are going to make so much money out of Bristow in the next 13 years that you would think they could go easy on old Crabs from Chiv.
And yet there it is in the contract documents about how would the contractor make it possible for a SAR pilot at Chivenor to continue flying SAR at (or in the vicinity of) Chivenor.
I heard in some quarters that 50 to 75% of pilots were expected to come from the military so there must be workable pathways out there. Time to have a chat with old friends and colleagues mate.
And yet there it is in the contract documents about how would the contractor make it possible for a SAR pilot at Chivenor to continue flying SAR at (or in the vicinity of) Chivenor.
I heard in some quarters that 50 to 75% of pilots were expected to come from the military so there must be workable pathways out there. Time to have a chat with old friends and colleagues mate.
Last edited by jimf671; 18th Mar 2013 at 09:51.
Crab
There may be some advantage in trying the legacy route viz S61/Seaking.
In 1990 when I got my ATPL (H) I did the flight test on the Seaking (with the 202 Sqn QHI) and the Tech paper for the S61 as they were then deemed to be equivalent. I never flew a S61 but there it was on my license!
HF
Unfortunately, those of us on Sea King won't be automatically allowed a civvy IR because it has been deemed that the S61 is not an equivalent to the Sea King and the Sea King is not on the EASA list of aircraft.
In 1990 when I got my ATPL (H) I did the flight test on the Seaking (with the 202 Sqn QHI) and the Tech paper for the S61 as they were then deemed to be equivalent. I never flew a S61 but there it was on my license!
HF
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Crab, we all had to do civvy IRs on leaving the mob, whether proceduraly trained or not. Difference in your case is that Bristow will probably fund yours.
Last edited by Macaco Norte; 18th Mar 2013 at 11:36.
Unfortunately, those of us on Sea King won't be automatically allowed a civvy IR because it has been deemed that the S61 is not an equivalent to the Sea King and the Sea King is not on the EASA list of aircraft. And people wonder why the CAA is sometimes seen as a money-making organisation
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With the announcement of the contract winners now a mere formality and the transfer of military personnel to the civilian organisation a probability rather than a possibility, has anyone given any thought to the role of BALPA in the new set up? For example, if the organisation is faced with two candidates for a command position, one ex RAF Sea King driver weighed down with medals and cuttings from newspapers, not to mention Pprune posts and the other a fully qualified S92 captain with limited SAR experience but loads of time on the aircraft and seniority in the company plus membership of BALPA - who gets the nod? I think I know the answer but I would be interested to hear other views.
