IAC Winching Ops - SAR capable?

[Silver]

I came across this footage of an IAC AW139 crew winching from LE Orla. It's the only such footage I have seen to date.

Proves that the IAC is 'SAR capable' if required?

http://irishsar.blogspot.com/2011/01/irish-air-corp-joint-ops-with-le-orla.html

[Tempest]

Within very strict limitations!  To fulfil their growing military role they have to keep reasonably up to speed with basic casevac/sar.  That's a long way off being able to stand in for the civvie sikorsky missions.

[Pink Panther]

You can find more winching footage here if you do a search.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Irish-Air-Corps/148942718466693?v=wall


I think you will find that the IRCG will require winchmen who carry out taskings on their behalf to be at least to PHECC paramedic standard.

[Silver]

Within very strict limitations!  To fulfil their growing military role they have to keep reasonably up to speed with basic casevac/sar.  That's a long way off being able to stand in for the civvie sikorsky missions.

True.
At least they have the capability to assist with SAR in the event of a major incident/disaster on or offshore.
I'm glad they havent totally lost all SAR/Casevac capability...as I thought was the case.  

[Pink Panther]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0207/1224289182601.html?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d4fa72846855b02%2C0

[R.P.Y.]

 "the Coast Guard’s four helicopter bases at Shannon, Cork, Sligo and Dublin" ??
Cork!! Bet that will come as a surprise to the Waterford base, tut, tut Irish Times! 

[Pink Panther]

Well Spotted, maybe the journalist in question know more about the next contract than the boys and girls in Waterford do... I'm joking of course.

By the way, I was reading on another board the stats for helo availability at the IRCG bases for last year. It is broken down per base, per month. The figure for an all base average was 99%. Not bad at all for aircraft of that vintage.