SAR: Ireland
 

Any truth in the rumour that one of the Irish Search and Rescue Contracts has or is about to change hands?

Yes, apparently CHC are in the process of selling 'Bond Ireland', presumably to OLOG.

So does this mean it will be operated by Bristow Helicopters? They used to have the contract a long time ago. I presume this is the Shannon based contract as the Dublin one is a new contract operated by Bond Helicopters.

SAR @ CHC
 

can anyone shed light on the rumour that CHC are getting a third sar contract in ireland

thanks

Based where??

Scotia were looking for pilots & crew, two weeks ago for that operation, I can't remember where.

The advert in Flight International is for pilots and crewmen for both their Dublin and Shannon Bases, but it does say that they wish to increase their operations in Ireland. Whether that means Dublin and Shannon or possibly starting a new base (Cork?), it doesn't specify.

Just curious about CHC as they stated that they only wanted to be a top flight offshore company and yet they are still expanding their onshore operations.

Don't forget that there is the possibility of BP having 4 offshore and 2 onshore SAR helicopters by 2002? Both Scotia and Bristows are keen to aquire this contract and need to have a SAR division able to produce trained crews as the contract progresses.

i heard the north sea project was cancelled

No it's not been cancelled but I've a feeling it's going to be a long long time before a BP SAR helicopter gets airborne.

I understand that applications to tender for SAR in Waterford have recently been released

Scotia SAR Eire.
 

Has anyone who applied for the vacancies advertised back in January heard anything yet? I meet the requirements and was hopeful, but have heard nothing since my initial application was acknowledged.

They are probobly waiting for Martin McGuiness to ok your army records !
Hope you dont mind
Piston Broke

I am also interested , from what I here they are under going some mamagement personnel changes at the moment and that might be disrupting progress. have you sar experience.

vfrpilotpb,

I hadn't thought about that. Martin McGuinness, if you're reading this I'm very sorry about all the noise I made over your place but they made me do it!

Stikker,

Yes, 8 years SAR captain and 6800 hours total, but no S61 experience. I've got a couple of other options at the moment and will need to make a decision soon. Thought I'd have heard something by now.



[This message has been edited by army427 (edited 16 March 2001).]

[This message has been edited by army427 (edited 17 March 2001).]

you must be a old driver with those hours and sar. from what i been told no s61 is not a problem its the sar time that counts 15 west in a force 11 and 30m waves.

Ayudeme,por favor - Habla usted ingles - molestias de estomago

¡Por favor Señor! 43 is not old! Well.....OK I guess if you are 25 it is.

I was told that SAR Captains need 250 hours S61 to satisfy contract. That is a problem if you have no S61 time.

¿Molestias de estomago? Ir a ver al médico.

i guess you heard from carlos before, the hours on type can be got in a very short period on the line in sola or aberdeen ,3 months tops. i suggest contact with the new director for chc ireland when he/she's appointed in a week or two .what type were you on

Army427 Do you have much night SAR exp as the Irish contracts are 24/7. Scotia has sold all its offshore pax S61s so there is no chance to gain S61 exp with the company on non SAR flying. I believe the company is looking for ex-Seaking or exp S61 SAR drivers for Capt slots but will take less exp for co-pilots.

Stikker,

Thanks for the info. My SAR time is mainly AS365, Bell212 and Bell412.

Ally Pally,

900 hours night. The lack of S61 time does appear to be a problem. As I haven't heard anything from Scotia, I can only assume that they are waiting to hear from Seaking/S61 people.

and they like shuttle time also but as with s61/seaking drivers theres none available other then myself of course. 3 months in sola this summer sounds good

Just heard that the selection procedure is delayed but still 'ongoing' and mine is still in the tray. Hope to see you in Sola.

The Irish parliment gave the go ahead for a third civil sar contract yesterday based in waterford

And Scotia has just given them a 7% pay rise plus an allowances increase in various areas to retain the workforce who kept leaving!

7% pay rise? I work for Scotia and this is news to me. Please tell me more.

Sorry, that's the guys in Ireland who got that I've no idea what they're planning to do elsewhere.

Thanks Rameses, 7% is a step in the right direction but it still isn't going to stop people leaving.

The pay award given to the pilots working in Ireland was part of a national wage agreement, an Irish government effort at controlling public sector pay. Government contract = public sector pay increases, and the union is free doesn’t that make you wonder.

CHC Ireland gets SAR contract
 

from the Irish Times. . Presumably the Irish Times thought their readership wouldn't be interested in the name of their new "one of the most highly-specified marine emergency helicopters in the world" - or perhaps the journo forgot to ask! :) :rolleyes:

Me thinks it will be one of those cutting edge S61 thingies?

[ 14 February 2002: Message edited by: cyclic ]</p>

'Can carry up to 15 survivors' gave a bit of a clue didn't it. :)

Unfortunately there is still a pay problem as the boys in Ireland have not recieved the same pay rise as Aberdeen has, why not? If Jigsaw goes ahead it will be last one out turn off the lights and no SAR coverage for Ireland. Management should get there finger out and forsee this problem as HS and Denmark are striking regards the same problem.

Irish Air Corps cancel S92 order
 

Apparently to save money... and there we all thought that the sale of mil facilities was ringfenced for equipment buys...

Obviously overspent on flash ad campaign - very nice actually - and nothing at all to do with the legals telling the pols that they would probably lose a court challenge to the tender process...

RTE News report

Irish SAR heli deal scrapped
 

:mad:

The Irish minister for defence today pulled the plug on the contractual order of up to five SAR medium lift helis for the Irish Air Corps. In explaining the reason for this outragous decision he cited 'saving money'.

This, three years almost to the day after four aircrew lost their lives on the southern coast of Ireland flying their wholly inadequate Dauphin short range helis.

Promises Promises.............

For those who have any links or interest in Irish aviation this is devastating news for the Irish Air Corps.

Something is rotten in the state of Ireland...................

Absolutely appalling news; one has to wonder about the future of military helicopters in Ireland as a result of this. Of course, it was down to a bungle; the S92 won the contract on foot of the offset deal for FLS, while apparently no other contractor had been allowed a chance for an offset. Political interference was a factor and the current minister (who apparently only kept his cabinet position by the skin of his teeth) was the one who made the decision. Of course, he'll stay on. The Dept. of Finance likes incompetent defence ministers; defence is always an easy target for cost cuts. Civil servants don't bear the responsibility for these cuts and it makes the figures balance.

But what must it do to (what's left of) Air Corps morale? I can only imagine this will be the last straw for many.

A very bad day for Irish aviation; just another kick in the face for the Air Corps(e).

well, they've lost one potential recruit here!:mad: :mad: :mad:

I'll go to the ruddy army!

But, then again, aviation in general is very much un heard of where I am, there's a few pilots alright, but if you want anything professional you need to go overseas....

:mad:

Its a disgraceful decision. RTE should run archive material of Smith interviews after the Tramore crash, and follow them with his pious retort today. Its easy to trounce the Air Corps when you are starting a new five year term in office. That helicopter deal was announced on the back of the deaths of four aircrew on a beach in Waterford. How quickly they choose to forget.

"Carry on Gentlemen" in your outdated, ill equipped short range Dauphin. We know you will because you cant answer back. Stand aside while we sell your asses right out from under you.

Its three years since those four fine guys died in Tramore, almost to the day. I know that the families worked hard, in both printed and aired media to fight for something to show for their sons-brothers-fathers deaths. All of that is now for nothing.

It would not surprise me at all if this whole charade was a set up from the beginning. Tarnish the tender deal with some insider dealing - Endure the suit filings, and finally pull the plug. Its quite frankly, disgusting. It does nothing but sink the morale of the Air Corps even further into the dark ages.

What about Price Waterhouse ???

This Government has danced around the issue of SAR in this country for far too long. Its about simple economics.

EQUIP THE AIR CORPS WITH A SAR FLEET, spend 100m or more doing it, and they will, let me tell you Sir, they will serve for decades. They will repay that initial outlay in spades. In 10 years time, that 100m will seem like pennys for the value this country would receive in a first class SAR service, but no......
Instead, why not just fork out 10-15 million a year to a foriegn company and rent the service instead - ad infinitum, index linked, in fact in 10 years time CHC will probably be charging 100m a year !!
Yep, sounds like common sense economics to me. They are simply not going to do that because 5 years is too short in politics, Joe Public would never forgive them, and Joe has a long memory. They will throw the Air Corps crumbs to subsist, because Joe would not like to see the Corps die either. Let them plod away in the North West in their Dauphin, and sure, wont we give them a nice brand spanking new ministerial jet in the meantime. That should keep them busy !

Apologies - had to vent this frustration somewhere !!!!!

I lost four good friends in Tramore. This decision tells those men and their families that nothing came from their deaths. There was a glimmer, but it has sadly gone.

Thank you minister

"Carry on Gentlemen, carry on into the deep blue yonder"

That's OK then. Ireland (and the rest of the Atlantic seaboard) can continue to rely on the RAF and RN

irish sar
 

i worked in the edinburgh rescue co-ord centre, we reguarly had tasks in irish republic waters. what many people dont know is that there is a treaty between the uk and ireland over defence. ive even known the qra aircraft fly in to irish airspace, mind you there wasnt much the likes of charles haughey could have done to stop them!