8 July 2015, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales, UK. The Maritime Coastguard Agency officially opened its Search and Rescue service at Caernarfon today, with Sikorsky S92 helicopters operated by Bristow which replace the aged Seakings of RAF Valley's 22 Squadron. Credit: Michael Gibson/Alamy Live News
The Bristow Search and Rescue operation took over responsibility for helicopter rescue in north Wales on 1 July 2015, as the operations of C Flight 22 Squadron at RAF Valley ceased. The new S92 aircraft operate from a specially designed, award winning, facility at Caernarfon airport. The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency awarded Bristow Group a £ contract to operate 11 S-92s (and 11 AW189s) from 10 bases around the UK to provide Search and Rescue services, to replace the Royal Air Force's Sea Kings of 22 and 202 squadrons. The new aircraft is a modern design, replacing a venerable old aircraft with one with electronic displays, radar, night vision equipment and 2 winches as well as a rear access ramp. The helicopter has a much higher speed than the Seaking it replaces, and its modern electronics enable the aircraft to start quickly - overall the rescue team show they can respond quicker to incidents in the mountains of Snowdonia because they are closer and can travel quicker than the older Seakings operated from RAF Valley. Bristow Group previously operated rescue helicopters from 2 UK sites in Scotland, and in 2015 started a steady process of taking over services from the military Sea Kings operated by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. The vast majority of the crews are highly experienced search and rescue pilots and winch men. The new team at Caernarfon had already completed 10 rescue operations in the week prior to the official opening event on 8 July. On the 8th, the official event was delayed by half an hour due to a rescue, bringing the total to 11 rescues in 8 days.
Size: 4066px × 2700px
Location: Caernarfon Airport Caernarfon Gwynedd UK
Photo credit: © Michael Gibson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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