Helicopter Rescue 600 miles off Ireland.
 

According to the BBC two helicopters from USAF are attempting a rescue 600 miles off Ireland using two helicopters equipped for in-flight refuelling perhaps CH/MH-53?

Very hard to beat the combination of a MH-53 and a MC-130 for getting long range work done. In days to come....as the MH's are replaced by MV-22's....the range capability will be extended yet again.

The USMC did combat troop insertions from just over 400nm's going into Afghanistan using the same combination of Sikorsky helicopters and Lockheed KC-130's.

It is good to see the cooperation between nations to assist an injured seaman.:D

MH-53 Pave Low retired in September, this year, so it only could be a pair of Pave Hawks going out there.

Am I remembering correctly that when last time Pave Hawk was going on a civilian rescue mission so far out, it run out of fuel ? October 1991, during "1991 Halloween Nor'easter" hurricane?

You're probably right....forgot the 53's were out.....supposed to have been replaced by 22's. Why the Hawks instead I wonder?

I wish them well. Furthest we went was 219 nm offshore in a S-76 and that felt like forever (also to get an injured sailor who had fallen into an empty hold on a bulk carrier).

Unless my information is wrong, those are the only ones used for CSAR in USAF right now, so they're the only helicopters in USAF disposal that have in-flight refueling capability. I don't know of any helicopters from 160th SOAR (MH-47 and MH-60K) in Europe right now, and if any US Marines unit with CH-53Es, or US Navy group with MH-53Es is around either, and those are the only one's capable of in-flight refueling that could help here.

I don't know if the RAF Merlins are cleared for this type of flying yet, and if so - if they're equipped for rescue ops.

So only the MH-60G Pave Hawks of 56th Rescue Squadron can do it there.

If I'm correct, Americans use either a combination of USCG cutters and helicopters with HIFR capability, or National Guard using USAF in-flight refueling capable aircrafts for reaching such distances. That kind of "deep water" missions apears to be still left out on the Islands.

According to the BBC article the sailor was winched up 200nm off the coast, not 600 nm.

skadi

An impressive rescue effort by all accounts, two HH-60s, an MC-130, KC-135 and an Nimrod, the MC-130 up for 12 hours and apparently suffered two engine failures before limping home to Mildenhall after 12 hours in the air.

Oh to have 2 engines:ok: to fail.
Job well done though.

Ah, the dreaded two engine approach.... :)

Wonder what that story is? :confused:

They Were 56th Rqs Hh-60g
 

Dear ALL

They were HH-60G from 56th RQS at Lakenheath!! I saw them from my office in Midlands, flying in parallel with HC-130P from Mildenhall yesterday afternoon!!:ok:

Was told once by a Herc pilot.....engine prop wash over the wing produces 25% of the lift....thus more than a power issue alone. But then....aren't they and the P-3 Orion's known to shut down two in order to extend their range at times?

One might have been tempted to put down somewhere closer - Shannon? Dublin? Valley even?

200 not 600
 

I agree, skadi:
The accident happened 600 miles offshore, but:

Where is Crab when you need him?
 

If the rescue was 200 miles from S Ireland then why didn't CHC, Culdrose or Chivenor do the job? Any SARBOYS out there with the full story?

It would help if we knew, where exactly the accident happened, and where the casualty was picked up, plus the timeframe and weather conditions... the usual stuff ;)

200 miles
 

That used to be routine for old Mike Uniform. S92 range nowadays.:rolleyes:

I would imagine that, when the distress call was first put out, the distance from land led to the 'American Option' being considered. Through no-one's fault (their declared readiness is 24 hours!), it took longer for the Yanks to get under way and do the business than first estimated, which is why the casualty wasn't actually lifted till the ship was only 200 miles offshore. I daresay that, had it been known, when the Yanks were first launched, how long the whole thing would take, they would have been stood down and the incident handed to one of the 'usual suspects'. This isn't a dig at the Americans, who very kindly provided their aircraft and people - no doubt they did the job as expeditiously as they safely could.

I remember, though, an incident in early 2002 when the MH-53/Herc combo went out to a large yacht 500nm off the Scillies, and spent nearly 3 hours on scene getting two injured crew off it. An experienced colleague bumped into them when they put into St Mawgan on completion of the job, and heard at length how difficult it had been; when he mentioned how Brits might use a hi-line to ease the process, and offered to explain the principle in case it came in handy in future, he was apparently met with a look of 'how dare anyone suggest that our way of doing business could possibly be improved'! Oh well...

It was 210 nm off the coast and within the range of Chivenor however the USAF did it because they could get there quicker. I believe however, that it took them 2.5 hours on scene to effect the rescue and the casualty made it to hospital only 2 hours quicker than if they had sent Chivenor. I'm not sure just how much deck winching the USAF guys get to practise so they did well to get him off OK.