The new Stornoway Coastguard rescue helicopters will have the latest night vision
goggle technology to allow the aircraft to operate safely in the dark.
Bristow Helicopters - which takes over the search and rescue services in Stornoway
on 1 July - said the image intensifier tubes used in the night equipment requires
a special export license with the US State Department.
Simon Tye, the company’s search and rescue commercial manager, said: “Our new S-92
search and rescue aircraft are the first type in Europe to be certified for night
vision goggle technology.
“The technology is essential when responding to night time incidents, particularly
in northern Scotland where winter days are short and operations can extend into the
hours of darkness.”
In addition, the new Sikorsky S-92 helicopters have an improved infrared and heat-seeking
camera for more effective searches.
High illumination lighting aims to make winching safer when operating in confined
spaces or conducting cliff rescues.
Long range fuel tanks will allow the helicopter to operate across vast distances.
The new S-92s are the first aircraft in Europe to be fitted with special wireless
capabilities for communications between the aircraft and crew.
The wireless intercom system now allows winchmen to speak with nearby vessels in
the event that they are left behind at the scene.
A much improved external public address system will allow the SAR crew to communicate
far more clearly with causalities on the ground below.
The medical zone intercom allows the cabin and cockpit to be split into isolated
zones, meaning medical teams can work on a patient without the flight crew being
distracted.
Improved cabin lighting, including emergency white light, will enable advanced medical
procedures to be carried out onboard.
In addition, the cabins are fitted with 230 volt ac power outlets so that the aircraft
can operate advanced medical equipment onboard.
Bristow have designed a bespoke cabin layout to accommodate more casualties and medical
equipment safely.
The company is taking over from CHC under a stop-gap contract until 2017. The interim
arrangement was required because the initial tender process was abandoned by the
Coalition government amid accusations of irregularities. Police launched a probe
into how a consortium bidder got hold of commercially sensitive information.
The present contract holder, Canadian group CHC Helicopters, has been ditched from
a rerun procurement programme after the other bidders undercut them by 20% cheaper
in the first round thus disqualifying it from proceeding to the next stage.
Aberdeen-based Bond Helicopters and American-owned Bristows are now the two runners
to take over the UK's helicopter search network in 2017.
Bristows previously operated helicopters on behalf of the coastguards at Stornoway.
State-of-the-art technology for rescue helicopter 6/3/13