Final UK SAR helicopter base joins nationwide contract
Stornoway’s UK Coastguard SAR helicopter base is the 10th and final base to enter the nationwide network operated by Bristow Helicopters.
Stornoway’s Coastguard search and rescue (SAR) helicopter base has officially transferred into the UK SAR contract, becoming the 10th and final base to enter the nationwide Coastguard SAR helicopter network operated by Bristow Helicopters on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
For the past four years, the Stornoway base has been part of the Gap SAR contract, awarded to Bristow in 2012. As part of the transition to UK SAR, Stornoway is now host to two specially configured Sikorsky S-92A aircraft, which replace the two Gap SAR S-92 aircraft.
Chief pilot, Captain Ben Clarke, said: “This is a landmark year for Stornoway – celebrating our 30th anniversary and now formally joining our colleagues as part of the UK’s overarching strategic search and rescue response team provided within the UK SAR contract. The UK SAR service has seen real investment, including new bases in a number of locations across the UK, and we look forward to settling into our upgraded facilities later this year too. The arrival of our new UK SAR S-92A aircraft ensures we have the latest technology available to us when we head out on a mission.”
Clarke added that Stornoway’s remote setting makes it vital for the provision of helicopter support to people living and working in and around the islands: “We are proud to support our North West Coast and Hebridean communities, responding to a wide range of incidents from mountain to western Atlantic and assisting tourist, locals and professional mariners alike.”
In common with its sister sites around the UK, the Stornoway base has a team of 30, including pilots, engineers, winch operators, winchman paramedics and support staff, said Bristow. Located at Stornoway airport, in the northwest of Lewis. Bristow began operating the UK SAR helicopter service on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in 2015, after winning the tender in 2013.