Bristow Ireland crew have flown to the west coast to give people a first-hand look at the new AW 189 helicopter which it will be flying for the Irish Coast Guard under the new ten-year contract.
Crew dropped in at the Irish Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co-ordination Sub-centres (MRSC) at Malin in north Donegal and Valentia, Co Kerry in recent days.
They also visited the Irish Lights refuelling site landing site at Blacksod, north Mayo, and Castletownbere, west Cork, to give local people and emergency services a first-hand introduction to the aircraft.
The crew spent some time with the Dublin Fire Brigade Marine Incident Response Group (MIRG), practising loading and unloading the special equipment.
“A safe and effective search and rescue network needs different elements to work together in harmony,” said Bristow Ireland director Phillip Bartlett.
“The Dublin Fire Brigade MIRG is one important group who we are looking forward to working alongside for years to come as we start to phase in new technology and new equipment to continuously grow and develop this vital service,” he said.
The transition to the new contract will get underway this autumn, with new aircraft and equipment coming on-line throughout 2025.
The aircraft is one element of a new contract which will see Bristow Ireland provide the Irish Coast Guard with aviation support from four bases – Waterford, Weston, Sligo and Shannon.