Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopters

[Telo]

Those MCA problems keep piling up....

According to PCS, the union that represents coastguard staff, it seems that the Search and Rescue helicopters will be contracted to the Irish Coastguard.

The report in today's Herald says;

The Herald has learned that the CHC Helicopter company is committed to relocating the four helicopters, currently under contract to the Coastguard in the UK, to Ireland.

It is due to start a €500 million (£437m) contract for search-and-rescue services for the Irish Coastguard in July next year that will run for 10 years, with an option for a further three years.

The Canadian company based its tender for the Irish contract on using the four helicopters currently under contract to the MCA. These are based at Stornoway (Lewis) and Sumburgh (Shetland) as well as at Solent and Portland Coastguard stations in England.

Sumburgh will be the first to go in July 2012 and the last Portland in April 2013.

[Arghiro]

Hmm, now why would a company choose to sh1t on an existing client like that? Not payed enough, doesn't trust them? Had a bad experience?

Or are they planning to buy a whole new fleet funded by the MCA by next year?

[Nick]

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I really don't understand this. Belfast to the rigs in the East Shetland basin is over 500 miles, outwith the safe range of the S-92 without refuelling. Stopping for refuelling that means a minimum 3 hour response time in that area. Sounds like madness.


SIKORSKY S-92

Max. speed: 190mph
Max. range: 539 nm

[FullCircle]

Years ago, the helicopters on the rigs were SAR equipped to respond in under 2 minutes, for the very reasons you give Nick: Its too far to respond.
Ours were SA365C and SA365N.
The Super Pumas weren't thus equipped if I recall.
Has that practice now ceased?

[FullCircle]

Also, I was based in Ramsgate when the SAR Sea King at RAF Manston was closed down, and we all feared for the service. In actual fact, I am not sure if we ever noticed the difference in performance/reaction

[Rowana]

Years ago, the helicopters on the rigs were SAR equipped to respond in under 2 minutes, for the very reasons you give Nick: Its too far to respond.
Ours were SA365C and SA365N.
The Super Pumas weren't thus equipped if I recall.
Has that practice now ceased?

BP has a couple of these in the north sea -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanburke ... otostream/

[Nick]

Years ago, the helicopters on the rigs were SAR equipped to respond in under 2 minutes, for the very reasons you give Nick: Its too far to respond.
Ours were SA365C and SA365N.
The Super Pumas weren't thus equipped if I recall.
Has that practice now ceased?

BP has a couple of these in the north sea -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanburke ... otostream/

Didn't know about these - a few things have changed since I last went offshore. Do you think BP's provision can cover the loss of both the Stornoway and Sumburgh choppers?

[Telo]

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I really don't understand this. Belfast to the rigs in the East Shetland basin is over 500 miles...

It's the Irish Coastguard, not MCA in Belfast.

[Nick]

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I really don't understand this. Belfast to the rigs in the East Shetland basin is over 500 miles...

It's the Irish Coastguard, not MCA in Belfast.

So where? Dublin? That's another 100 miles.

[Telo]

.
I really don't understand this. Belfast to the rigs in the East Shetland basin is over 500 miles...

It's the Irish Coastguard, not MCA in Belfast.

So where? Dublin? That's another 100 miles.

The Irish Coastguard will not be covering the UK's oil rigs from Dublin.

The helicopters will be covering Irish waters. This means that the UK MCA will will either have to replace them, or make a new contract with another service provider, or not bother.

[Nick]

The helicopters will be covering Irish waters. This means that the UK MCA will will either have to replace them, or make a new contract with another service provider, or not bother.

Of course not

Sorry, suffering from a mental block there - did not read the Herald article carefully enough.

[Rowana]

The way I read it is that the current RN/RAF/CG SAR helicopters were all to go out to a new tender, but that process has been f****d up, so now it's start again. CHC were not, as far as I can make out, to be in this new set-up. In the meanwhile, they (CHC) have got a new contract for their SAR machines with the Irish CG.

The BP Jigsaw helicopters are based offshore, and while they may be used in emergency by other operators, they will not replace the Stornoway/Shetland CG machines, nor would that be a viable alternative, I don't think.

The government need to extract the digit, and get on with sorting out SAR helicopter provision. CHC are just re-employing machines which are coming off contract with the CG.