Bristow accepts S-92 helicopter for UK SAR
Above: In 2012, Bristow was awarded the UK Gap SAR contract for Northern Scotland, delivering SAR services on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency from bases at Stornoway and Sumburgh. Operations began from Sumburgh on 1 June 2013 and from Stornoway on 1 July 2013 and continue until 2017 when both bases transition to the UK SAR contract, also to be operated by Bristow Helicopters.
In March 2013, Bristow Helicopters Ltd. was awarded the contract to provide search and rescue helicopter services in the United Kingdom. The contract begins in April 2015 and runs until 2026.
Bristow Helicopters Ltd.'s UK SAR (search and rescue) fleet of 22 aircraft will include 11 Sikorsky S-92 helicopters that are fitted with state-of-the-art technology.
Under the UK SAR contract, Bristow will operate from 10 bases across the UK, strategically located near areas of high SAR incident rates. These include Inverness, Manston, Prestwick, Caernarfon, Humberside, Newquay, St Athan, Lee-on-Solent, Sumburgh and Stornoway.
"We are very excited to receive the first aircraft from Sikorsky for our UK search and rescue fleet," said Jonathan Baliff, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bristow Group Inc. "With more than 60 S-92 helicopters already in our inventory, we have come to know and appreciate the aircraft's mission capabilities."
"At Sikorsky, we stand behind our mission statement: "We pioneer flight solutions that bring people home everywhere…every time," said Carey Bond, President, Sikorsky Commercial Systems & Services.
"Bristow has a long history of search and rescue, and we are proud to support their efforts in the United Kingdom to bring people home. Sikorsky would also like to thank the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Bristow as the operator for their choice of the S-92 helicopter for this very critical mission."
Bristow Helicopters Ltd. has a long history of providing SAR services in the UK, dating back to 1971, when Whirlwind helicopters were replaced by Bristow S-55 helicopters at RAF Manston, in Kent, and continuing with the operation of S-61 helicopters working at four SAR bases, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Lee-on-Solent and Portland, until 2007. In 2012 the company was awarded the UK Gap SAR contract for Northern Scotland and, working in partnership with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, currently operates four SAR helicopters from Sumburgh and Stornoway.
In total Bristow Helicopters Ltd. has flown more than 44,000 SAR operational hours in the UK and conducted over 15,000 SAR missions, during which more than 7,000 people have been rescued by the company's crews and helicopters.
Bristow has led the industry in introducing new aircraft types and technology to the civil market. The SAR equipment it has developed has become the industry standard, resulting in Bristow Helicopters Ltd. being recognised with the Queen's Award for Innovation for its technical developments.
