Bristow wins Irish SAR
Thread Starter
IIRC, UKSAR2G will have one S-92A at Humberside and two S-92A at Newquay. It is 18 months after the max extension of the Irish contract with CHC before five SAR S-92A are released from the UK fleet, based on the UKSAR2G transition-in programme. Of course, their UKSAR customer has already acquiesced with the removal of three aircraft from the UK fleet to service the Dutch fleet and, strangely, CHC Tromso.
Last edited by jimf671; 6th Jul 2023 at 00:50.
Not sure if this deserves its own thread or not. Bristow have just launched a consultation for a new purpose built SAR training facility at the old Daedalus site (now Solent Airport) Local council are onboard, subject to planning etc.It’s nice to see the airport coming back to life gradually.
They are not alone in that.

https://www.amst.co.at/aerospace-med...hoist-trainer/
https://www.reiser-st.com/rescue-hoi...o-a-new-level/
A more central UK location may have been more sensible but it's easier to suck up to the coasties if you are just along the road.

It's got decent road, rail and air links and will probably be a more popular working location for most guys and girls than their previously planned training location at Inverness, unless you are Jockinese of course

Originally Posted by [email protected]
It's got decent road, rail and air links and will probably be a more popular working location for most guys and girls than their previously planned training location at Inverness, unless you are Jockinese of course 



The location that I had suggested was South Queensferry since it possesses good transport links similar to Lee and already has nearby facilities that would assist one to broaden the type of SAR training provided thus enlarging the potential customer base: air, sea, river, mountain. Thinking big.

Last edited by jimf671; 8th Jul 2023 at 00:50.
The Beinn Narnain incident with Golf Romeo occurred upon the FOURTH attempt to get to an incident location that was in cloud when what the flight crew knew by the time the second attempt was complete should have indicated that Arrochar MRT waiting by the road nearby were the only safe solution.
(A document on air-ground collaboration summarising discussions between CHC and MRT in 2011, and shared many times since, reads: "In conditions that prevent flying at the incident location, MR resources can be deployed by air to a point nearer the incident.")
So yes, regarding R116, clutching at straws.
(A document on air-ground collaboration summarising discussions between CHC and MRT in 2011, and shared many times since, reads: "In conditions that prevent flying at the incident location, MR resources can be deployed by air to a point nearer the incident.")
So yes, regarding R116, clutching at straws.
Thread Starter
The Beinn Narnain incident with Golf Romeo occurred upon the FOURTH attempt to get to an incident location that was in cloud when what the flight crew knew by the time the second attempt was complete should have indicated that Arrochar MRT waiting by the road nearby were the only safe solution.
(A document on air-ground collaboration summarising discussions between CHC and MRT in 2011, and shared many times since, reads: "In conditions that prevent flying at the incident location, MR resources can be deployed by air to a point nearer the incident.")
So yes, regarding R116, clutching at straws.
(A document on air-ground collaboration summarising discussions between CHC and MRT in 2011, and shared many times since, reads: "In conditions that prevent flying at the incident location, MR resources can be deployed by air to a point nearer the incident.")
So yes, regarding R116, clutching at straws.
Sure if you say so!
I did indeed suggest to BHL management a location in Scotland
but it wasn't Inverness in spite of what it has to offer. UK SAR does not have a centroid based on population. It's a mistake made regularly in other spheres, such as for mobile phone coverage where, a bit like SAR, it's not when people are at home that they most need the service!
Of about 2500 jobs per year, maybe 10 are in the major population centres of London and the West Midlands and about 600 are in the Highlands and Islands.
The location that I had suggested was South Queensferry since it possesses good transport links similar to Lee and already has nearby facilities that would assist one to broaden the type of SAR training provided thus enlarging the potential customer base: air, sea, river, mountain. Thinking big.
It is about 300nm from the extreme reaches of the UK (and Ireland!) and a lot nearer the centroid of helicopter SAR activity than the Solent.


The location that I had suggested was South Queensferry since it possesses good transport links similar to Lee and already has nearby facilities that would assist one to broaden the type of SAR training provided thus enlarging the potential customer base: air, sea, river, mountain. Thinking big.

I suppose it is worth pointing out that the contract is not finalised or signed and they are at the preferred bidder stage that the UK were at in early 2011 and yet the UK's SARH25 fell apart and took until spring 2019 before the dust was finally settled on key aspects of the replacement contract. Should BHL be holding their breath? Is it conceivable that this is not over? I think if we look at the last four years and consider the proposed Air Corps involvement, the senate interventions, the number of people associated with Irish aviation who stopped taking calls, and so on, nothing would surprise me. However, I do hope they have it sorted.
Of about 2500 jobs per year, maybe 10 are in the major population centres of London and the West Midlands and about 600 are in the Highlands and Islands.

I was talking about the people who would staff the training empire - mountain flying is a detachment task rather than a major element.
If you want central then reopen Finningley

Nigerian In Law
Has the amalgamation of Bristow and ERA had any effect on the government's thinking ? Bristow has been Amrican for a long time but with ERA as the (apparently) dominant entity it would be no surprise if their corporate identity altered.
NEO
NEO
In Bristow Group's darkest days, you could see from their published results that the regular income from UK SAR was keeping the whole boat afloat. Without it, there is a good chance that there wouldn't be a Bristow now and the whole thing would have been sold off in often barely-viable pieces. (Is there a name for that? Like 'Babcocked'?) The plan now seems to be that, in SAR, BHL will take over the world and the impression is that the ERA people are on-board with that. So far so good. After watching three aircraft poached from the UK SAR fleet, I shall be interested to observe what happens when the time comes to equip a contract needing a substantial fleet of new-builds. Will the American group management learn from the substantial investments of 2014 to 2018 that saved their ar5es or will they completely screw it up?
After watching three aircraft poached from the UK SAR fleet,
Originally Posted by [email protected]
Do tell more Jim...
Then BHL won the Kustwacht contract and needed three AW189: two at Den Helder and one at Midden Zeeland. So that was meant to be one new-build, the 11th spare (G-MCGN from Inverness, I know it well) from the UK SAR fleet, plus G-OENC from Norwich which was their last crew change 189 in the UK. NC went to Dyce and was supposed to re-appear as a SAR aircraft registered as PH-RSQ but in the closing stages that plan changed.
Vergiate new-build s/n89015 was registered as PH-SAR at the end of October and at the same time G-MCGN was changed to Dutch registry as PH-NCG. A few days later, when the collapse of the plan for G-OENC was clear (reasons unknown), G-MCGW, taken from St Athans, came off the UK register on the day the contract started and was seen in Den Helder the following day, soon to appear on the Dutch register as PH-BSR.
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Only three SAR S-92A are needed for UKSAR2G and one might expect five to continue to be required for Ireland. However, there is an 18 month gap before seven SAR S-92A become available ... unless, ... you strip the second aircraft out of each of the five S-92A bases and the AW189s become the back-up and the crews are due to become AW189 and AW139 crews anyway.
Ah, robbing Peter to pay Paul - they must have learned that from the RAFSARF..........
Jim, a very good stab at Jessica Fletcher but not quite there.
There is a bit of rob Peter to pay Paul currently but the drag on aircraft production post COVID is one reason and the timing of contracts is the other. A very fine aircraft management taking place until a few factors iron out.
LZ
There is a bit of rob Peter to pay Paul currently but the drag on aircraft production post COVID is one reason and the timing of contracts is the other. A very fine aircraft management taking place until a few factors iron out.
LZ
Jim, a very good stab at Jessica Fletcher but not quite there.
There is a bit of rob Peter to pay Paul currently but the drag on aircraft production post COVID is one reason and the timing of contracts is the other. A very fine aircraft management taking place until a few factors iron out.
LZ
There is a bit of rob Peter to pay Paul currently but the drag on aircraft production post COVID is one reason and the timing of contracts is the other. A very fine aircraft management taking place until a few factors iron out.
LZ
Thread Starter
Not sure the 92 will make an appearance on the Irish Contract if it gets sorted . Bristow recent investor presentationJune 2023 shows the 189 in Irish Coast Guard livery. Last years Bristow presentation shows the Irish Coast Guard contract requirement as 5 super medium aircraft. So my bet is 5 by 189 with some sort of promise of support from either U.K. or Dutch contract. Wrap 5 189 and a fixed wing op around a 1 year transition plan for 4 bases. Not risky at all.
Thread Starter
The injunction was lifted late last week . An appeal was logged and came before the court yesterday. That court upheld the original decision to lift the injunction and allow the Minister sign the contract with the preferred bidder. I’d say they signed it in the lobby of the court as soon as the decision was read out.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/c...-41193253.html
The original decision to lift the injunction last week released its written judgement earlier this week.
https://www.courts.ie/viewer/pdf/fec.../pdf#view=fitH
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/c...-41193253.html
The original decision to lift the injunction last week released its written judgement earlier this week.
https://www.courts.ie/viewer/pdf/fec.../pdf#view=fitH