Next generation UKSAR aircraft fly into service at St Athan
ST ATHAN’S HM Coastguard search and
rescue (SAR) helicopter base has rung the changes with the arrival of two
brand-new Leonardo AW189 helicopters, which flew into service for the first
time yesterday.
The new aircraft replace two
smaller Leonardo AW139 aircraft, which have been a familiar sight in the skies
above South Wales and North Devon since October 2015. Each new £20 million
AW189 helicopter, painted in red and white HM Coastguard colours, is operated
by Bristow Helicopters Limited, on behalf of HM Coastguard.
The Coastguard base at St Athan is
the fourth base in the UK to fly this new model of helicopter for SAR missions,
following Lydd and Lee-on-Solent on the south coast, and Prestwick in Scotland.
The Leonardo AW189 is the latest
generation helicopter in its category and is designed to meet long-range, high
endurance requirements for search and rescue missions in the most demanding
operational and environmental conditions.
St Athan is one of seven purpose-built
sites created since Bristow took responsibility for the UK SAR service. Each
new base represents an investment worth in the region of £7million.
As one of 10 Coastguard bases strategically
located around the UK, St Athan provides vital life-saving support to the
fishing and other marine industries, as well as to land-based incidents including
mountain rescue, missing persons and other medical emergencies.
Bristow
crews are delivering the UK SAR helicopter service on behalf of HM Coastguard
with state-of-the-art helicopters, equipped with the latest search and rescue
technology including night vision, mission management and increased onboard
medical capabilities.
Damien Oliver, Aviation Programme
Director at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said: “In common with the
capability previously delivered to our teams at Prestwick, Lydd and
Lee-on-Solent, these brand new AW189s can work in all weathers, and across the
UK’s most challenging terrain. They represent a significant investment in new
technology, which further underscores the importance with which the MCA views
its lifesaving work.”
Olly Padbury, Chief Pilot at St
Athan, said: “Bringing the new AW189s into service was the final milestone in
our calendar – I know there has been keen interest in their arrival in the
region, to support rescue missions at sea and on-land across the region.
“I flew the final AW139 mission
and, at our daily duty handover, Deputy Chief Pilot, Steve Whalley undertook a
training sortie in the AW189, which was the perfect way to signal the change of
aircraft.
“The aircraft provides us with a
range of technologies and capabilities which support our work in bringing
people home safely from a search and rescue operation. Through year-round
training, using aircraft of this standard gives us the best chance of living up
to the incredibly high standard the UK SAR service is renowned for.”
The St Athan base is operated by a team
of 20, located at the Coastguard SAR base at St Athan Aerospace in South Wales.
Bristow began operating the UK’s SAR helicopter service on behalf of the
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in 2015, after winning the tender in 2013.