Aircraft For Use By The Maritime And Coastguard Agency

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has fulfilled its contract to deliver seven S-92 helicopters to Bristow Helicopters Ltd. for UK Search and Rescue. There are now 11 S-92 helicopters available for use by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for the UK SAR mission; four began operations as part of the UK Gap SAR contract in June 2013.

S-92 helicopters are certified to meet the stringent safety requirements of EASA. These 11 S-92 helicopters will operate from bases strategically located near areas of high SAR incident rates in the U.K.

The S-92 aircraft are outfitted with state-of-the-art technology including:

• High Definition Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) and thermal image camera technology
• Night vision goggle (NVG) technology including glass cockpit
• Equipped with icing protection system
• Air Speed of 145 knots/166 mph
• Endurance to perform for over four hours without refueling
• Twin hoist
• Comprehensive medical suite

"Delivery of the seventh UK SAR S-92 helicopter marks a significant milestone in our program," said Samantha Willenbacher, Director of UK search and rescue at Bristow Helicopters Ltd. "The S-92 is well proven in both maritime and mountainous environments, and the aircraft's advanced capabilities are being used on a daily basis from our UK SAR bases.  Since April 1, 2015, more than 100 people have been rescued or assisted in the UK by S-92s in the Bristow Helicopters SAR fleet, operated on behalf of HM Coastguard."

(Image provided by Sikorsky)

FMI: www.sikorsky.com