Surely the two very experienced ex-RAF SAR standards chaps will be able to look at it before then.

Hullo happy SARers. After a long lay-off from prune it's great to see that the arguments (both sensible and otherwise) continue to flourish on this subject in such a significant year.
Can anybody please point me towards a definitive list of when military squadrons and bases are handing over to their civvy replacements?

MoD bases

Inverness (replaces Lossiemouth), 3 x Agusta Westland AW189, 1April 2015
Humberside (replaces Leconfield), 2 x Sikorsky S-92, 1 April 2015
Caernarfon (replaces Valley), 2 x Sikorsky S-92, 1 July 2015
Manston (replaces Wattisham), 2 x Agusta Westland AW189, 1 July 2015
Boulmer - MOD service discontinued 30 Sept 2015
St Athan (replaces Chivenor), 2 x Agusta Westland AW189, 1 Oct 2015
Prestwick, 2 x Agusta Westland AW189, 1 Jan 2016
Newquay (replaces Culdrose), 2 x Sikorsky S-92, 1 Jan 2016


MCA bases

Sumburgh, 2 x Sikorsky S-92, 1 April 2017
Lee-on-Solent, 2 x Agusta Westland AW189, 1 April 2017
Portland - MCA service discontinued 30 June 2017
Stornoway, 3 x Sikorsky S-92, 1 July 2017


(Note that this means that although Sumburgh and Stornoway may appear to be part of the same fleet and using the same kit they are actually not on the same contract and not under the same technical requirements until 2017.)


[A new plan for Manston/Wattisham is awaited.]

And the Falklands Jim?

Do you really think that is anything to do with Bristow, TC?

We'll all know in a week or two.

I don't think Ladbrokes are giving odds of Inverness being up to speed with 189s by 1 April;) Well not this year anyway>

Manston might move to Lydd which would therefore make the case for moving Lee on Solent to Portland:E If that happens, don't get into trouble on the East coast as you will have only Humberside between Inverness and Lydd - oh, I forgot, the new helicopters are so fast it will make that all work!

10-base solution my @rse!

My money for the FI would go on BIH TC not Bristow (who have enough problems in this country!)

FI to BIH
 

I heard pre-Christmas that BIH have the FI contract, FWIW - VFR

My understanding was bristow was proving one aircraft for oil and Gas support and a SAR asset as well to support Premier Oils exploration plans down there.

Premier Oil might want to sit on their hands. The Sea Lion prospect is pretty deep and pretty distant. That make it pretty expensive to extract and I'm not convinced $50 a barrel will cover it. (Not that this has anything to do with the proper SAR contract.)

With you on most of that Crab.

Expecting S-92 at Inverness and that will probably be confirmed in a couple of weeks.

Moving the 'vicinity of Wattisham' base even further south would not be clever. The Manston situation should be taken as an opportunity to move north and close the gap between there and Humberside.

I don't see too much wrong with the basic concept of the 10 Base Solution. The Bristow version however has the shortcomings to which you allude.

Unfortunately the amended basing solution will be driven primarily by commercial factors. Don't be surprised if that already uncomfortably large gap on the east coast becomes even larger. Faster cabs will be an improvement but they can only be in one place at one time!

I get the impression that Kent will be the answer.

an argument that no-one wanted to hear when the divvying up of the UK was going on:{

Thought I could hear whining from somewhere so guessed it might be here :O

SAR Coverage
 

What some call whining others would call valid criticism of the basing solution for a very important contract.
The original basing solution was supposed to have been driven by an in depth study of the required helicopter coverage. This begs the question; in moving the base from Manston to Lydd has the necessary re-evaluation been done?
Obviously, as the taxpayer is both funding the contract and the customer then this information will be freely available ... won't it?

Yes, any whining in the background is an APU.

The UK Gov't is due to pay over £1.6bn for this across the next 11 years, so it better be good.

However, redacted is a bit of a theme throughout the available paperwork.

Caernarfon and Manston have the same start date (Jul 15). There has been much publicity regarding the infrastructure work starting at each of the new bases and I believe the new build at caernarfon is well underway to meet the timeline. I guess wherever the Manston solution is relocated to will need a local supplier of temporary hangars and porta-cabins......assuming there will be crews and aircraft to fill them?!

now we are talking proper old-fashioned military SAR:ok: Maybe that was what they meant by no-lesser service (than we had 30 years ago;))

Crab, not just the military! Civvy Portland operated out of a condemned, by the Navy, hangar, and portacabins for getting on ten years. With a two/three month spell with the aircraft getting its TLC from the Engineers out of doors:ok:. Great days.:ok::ok: Pretty much like the early days of BHL in the Falklands.
Off at a tangent... With a purpose built faciilty at Portland only ten years old! Why build another at Lydd? Surely with these new super fast, warp speed, two places at once helicopters, then Lee could stay in place as could Portland??:E Money saving for everyone!!!!!

3D

Quote from a recent Bristow document...

Nice to see the first S92 flying at Humberside yesterday. A friend of mine has had a tour of the new hangar. His words "superb".

SAR partners get to meet them next Saturday.

Some more cabs nearing completion in the States.

Video Link:

HM Coastguard - Sikorsky S92 - Shipping

N235U was the delivery ID of G-MCGI that was registered on the 19th of December 2014 to BHL, Dyce.

G-MCGE currently based at Humberside.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7509/...8e996d_c_d.jpg

I assume it still has the roof on it? Unlike the one at Inverness ;)

Oh please! Does the omission of the word goggles mean they're referring to the FLIR here? Everyone from the cleaner to the Managing Director knows they haven't been using NVG on the gapsar contract. Why the need for such spin?

Don't start me! :ugh:

Balfour Beatty join a long line of visitors to northern Scotland whose efforts have blown away.

There is a meeting at Humberside later today.

Inverness? Your guess is as good as mine now.

'The Daily Mail' now has serious competition from the new 'The Daily Jimf671'. We are all doomed I tell you - all doomed :rolleyes:

Bristow Humberside

Border ITV
Mountain Rescue Team helicopter training | Border - ITV News
New helicopter to replace Sea King - ITV News

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/...46&oe=556B7A64
The ladrador is the only one that has twigged to the great heater in the S-92!



ADS-B
G-MCGE - Bristow Helicopters - Aircraft info and flight history - Flightradar24



Oops, sorry Same Again, that's two in one day. Does that blow your theory?

Nah. You don't fool me. I predict that normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Normal?

On pprune? :confused:

Good to hear "it's got GPS so it can hover very very carefully... and can carry 11 team members". That's nearly as many as a Wessex or Sea King.........but it does have a rear ramp, and is fast and nice and shiney! :ugh:

Yes, fast and nice and shiney. Excellent.

Not sure about the 11th seat. Is the winchman on the belt and standing? The official line appears to be "Capacity: 21 persons as required ..."

You had an official line on Wessex and Sea King didn't you Albert? Tell us about the official line when it's dark and there is nobody about.

'Official Line' ? :confused:

Official Line
 

On the Sea King Mk3/3A there were officially 19 passenger seats as far as I can remember. However, practically, far fewer due to equipment, weight, C of G, temperature/performance, fuel, weather etc. A Wessex had far fewer seats but not sure what the official line was, probably two men and a dog with a small bag.:) When push came the shove you just crammed people in. Most I had in the back of a Sea King was 24 but the majority of them were children.:D

16 in a Wessex but I recall more than twenty in a 72 Sqn cab during the Antrim Princess rescue (not my cab). :ok:

My comment re the S92 was more aimed at the MRT 'Expert' who believes that GPS is a)new and b) anything to do with hovering. I just love 'experts' and journalists! :E

I think there have been three S-92 cabin layouts in service in just the last two years so we should let the guy score a few points for any figure that's close! :)