Ireland’s newest helicopter search and rescue (SAR) specialists are getting hands-on with the future as they carry out detailed training on the advanced AW189 aircraft. Ahead of the first brand-new Irish Coast Guard aircraft being delivered in-country, the new and growing Irish team of experienced SAR pilots and technical crew is busy honing their skills alongside counterparts in The Netherlands, where the AW189 helicopter is already regularly called on to deliver life-saving missions.
The seasoned rescue professionals, each highly experienced in working with the AW189, are looking forward to introducing the new aircraft type and supporting people and communities across the country once the new service gets underway in the autumn.
The first AW189, wearing Irish Coast Guard colours, has been pictured flying from the factory in Italy using test registration I-RAIL.
Technical Crew Manager, Mike Beamish, said: “Training with our colleagues in the Netherlands is allowing us to continue developing our skills and the AW189 is the perfect aircraft for SAR operations. We look forward to commencing training on the AW189 in Ireland and to actively engaging with the wider Coast Guard and SAR community.
“The AW189 helicopter is genuinely next-generation. It’s an ultra-modern airframe but has already proved its worth in critical missions all over the globe. It can land and manoeuvre where other aircraft can’t, it carries the very latest mission systems and rescue equipment and is safe, fast and responsive to fly. The team loves it.
“We’ll be ready and we can’t wait to get it in-country and into action.”
For more information about how the AW189 will deliver life-saving SAR in Ireland then check out this webpage: https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/gNQpyaZ0VHsjU
Main photo above: Ireland’s newest SAR specialists pictured in the Netherlands with a Bristow AW189 – Rich Bolton (SAR Commander), Alan Speed (Technical Crew), Mike Beamish (Technical Crew Manager), Craig Thomson (Technical Crew), Kevin Drodge (SAR Commander)
