The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THE Irish Coast Guard and CHC marked the arrival of a new search-and-rescue helicopter at Shannon this week.
CHC operate services for the Irish Coast Guard. The new helicopter is replacing the S61, which has been in service in Shannon since 1991 and is capable of undertaking a rescue in the region of 300 miles off the coast.
Speaking to The Clare Champion earlier this year, director of the Irish Coast Guard, Chris Reynolds, said the new helicopter is superior to the one it has replaced.
“It can fly faster, go further, find people quicker and the winching system is such that we can get them to safety quicker and the medical assistance on board is such that we can look after them better. We’re going from the model T Ford to a modern car.”
He said there has been a large investment and there will be a few more S92s coming to Ireland. “It takes 30,000 hours to build one of these. A normal helicopter that’s not search-and-rescue takes about 10,000 hours. These are quite expensive. You’re looking at about €35 million.
“We’re going to have five S92s, one brand new and four will come in from the UK, they’re about three or four years old. They’re currently being used by the UK coast guard,” he said at the time.
The brand-new helicopter will be staying in Shannon because of the type of work done from the base. “It’s because of the profile of Shannon,” he explained. “Shannon does the longest-range missions deep into the Atlantic, so when it comes to risk and what this helicopter is suited for, Shannon is the natural base for it.”
