Long Range SAR ongoing now.

Steyr

Hi all

USAF Pave Hawks and Hercs currently involved in long range SAR in the UKSRR (Search and Rescue region) off the SW of Ireland. ETA was 14:00.

Rescue 51 (RAF Nimrod) airborne. "Rescue 212 Flight" is the callsign for Pave Hawks and Rescue 5828 is the callsign for C-130 tanker. ( same callsign as the last time ).

Steyr

They are working Kinloss on 5680.

Position of the ship is 52 54.6 North 020 28.7 West, approximately 419 nm on a bearing of 280 deg from Shannon Airport.

The UH60s refuelled at Dublin Airport at 0930, departed again at 09.50.

Kinloss have just asked "Rescue 51" to report the estimate of the helicopters for Shannon Airport when they have it with Valentia Radio.

The casualty, who is chief cook on the MV Pascha, will be airlifted to hospital in Limerick. His condition is not known.

Falmouth Coastguard said the decision to mobilise aircraft from the US was taken because their helicopters had a greater range and could refuel in mid air.

CaptainSkidmark

whats valentia radio? i guess ya cant listen online?

Steyr

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

whats valentia radio? i guess ya cant listen online?

It's Valentia Radio Station - callsign EJK - and her sister station at Malinhead provide a continuous service to shipping. Valentia Radio was the last radio station in Ireland to use Morse code. The real purpose of the Radio Station has always been to monitor emergency frequencies in the maritime bands and respond to calls for assistance from vessels getting into difficulties or where medical problems arise. The appropriate emergency services are then activated to deal with the problem. Today, Valentia Radio and it's sister stations at Malinhead and Dublin are THE primary safety link for maritime related casualty incidents around the Irish coast and into the Atlantic.

CaptainSkidmark

Just heard Rescue 51 sumtin or another requesting FL330. Some American talking anyway.

CaptainSkidmark

Rescue 218 & 215 on route to Shannon for re-fuel!

Steyr

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

Just heard Rescue 51 sumtin or another requesting FL330. Some American talking anyway.

Rescue 51 is an RAF Nimrod Aircraft from RAF Kinloss.

Tower Ranger

this entire scenario is a planned exercise, all details known to ATC in advance - unless the americans can see into the future. Impressive all the same

CaptainSkidmark

ya know at one point i heard the controller ask " Is this a exercise? just for our own information"

Steyr

Tower Ranger wrote: »

this entire scenario is a planned exercise, all details known to ATC in advance - unless the americans can see into the future. Impressive all the same

Where you getting this from? This incident happened before too not so long ago. It was reported as a Medivac and not an exercise.

Steyr

Just some more info:

heard at 17:10PM 212 and 215 flying in formation 500 ft apart, 35 mins out from shannon, patient is stable.

http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123156147

Rescue effort at sea

Posted 6/26/2009 Updated 6/26/2009



from 3rd Air Force Public Affairs-United Kingdom

6/26/2009 - RAF MILDENHALL, England -- An international rescue effort is currently en route to a ship in the Atlantic approximately 700 miles off the west coast of Ireland. A crew member on board container ship "Pascha" has fallen seriously ill and needs urgent medical attention.

The ship's distance from land makes it impossible for the traditional sea rescue operations to reach; and the U.K.'s Rescue Coordination Center requested the assistance of the U.S. military forces who are based in England.

An RAF Nimrod maritime surveillance aircraft launching from RAF Kinloss in Scotland will provide coordination for the airborne effort that will include a total of four different aircraft platforms.

Two HH-60G helicopters with Pararescuemen from the U.S. Air Forces in Europe's 56th Rescue Squadron based out of RAF Lakenheath will perform the actual rescue. In order to get to the rescue site, the helicopters will need to refuel en route. The aircraft refueling the helicopters are MC-130P's from Air Force Special Operations Command's 352nd Special Operations Group based at RAF Mildenhall. This is an aircraft specially fitted to refuel helicopters, but its range requires that it refuel mid-flight as well, for this kind of long distance flight.

The 100th Air Refueling Squadron out of RAF Mildenhall is launching a KC-135 to refuel the MC-130P, providing the range that is vital to this mission.

A very similar effort was dispatched employing these same units on December 10th of last year. That mission was successful in retrieving the patient and getting him to medical care in time.

"We're working fast with our U.K. partners to try to get to this sailor in time to help. We have some of the best-trained crews in the air right now who are intent on getting this patient stabilized and to safety," said Colonel Jay Silveria, commander of the 48th Fighter Wing. The 56th Rescue Squadron is a part of the 48th Fighter Wing.

The helicopters will take their patient to a location in Shannon, Ireland, where medical providers will be waiting to take him to a nearby hospital.

highlydebased

Steyr wrote: »

Where you getting this from? This incident happened before too not so long ago. It was reported as a Medivac and not an exercise.

Considering as Tower Ranger is ATC he is well informed as to what happened and the circumstances I think.

Steyr

Neon-Circles wrote: »

Considering as Tower Ranger is ATC he is well informed as to what happened and the circumstances I think.

So some person from the Philippines got a nice ride to a Hospital so...

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0626/rescue.html
Rescue operation off west coast
Friday, 26 June 2009 19:41
A man has been airlifted from a vessel 400 miles off the west coast after complaining of feeling unwell.

The man, who is understood to be in his 30s and from the Philippines, was flown to Shannon airport and transferred to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where his condition is not thought to be serious.

The operation was coordinated by the UK coastguard because of the distance involved.

Two US air force helicopters, two mid-air refuelling planes and the UK Nimrod took part in the rescue operation.

Storm 10

Tower Ranger wrote: »

this entire scenario is a planned exercise, all details known to ATC in advance - unless the americans can see into the future. Impressive all the same

Jez I would not like to be landing in Shannon if Tower Ranger was in charge he might think we were a training flight and go for a cuppa. I heard it on RTE news on Radio while ago the guy is in Hospital in Limerick so not a exercise. Got a friend in that hospital who told me the guy was taken in by US Helicopters from a large ship off the West Coast.

vulcan57

Tower Ranger wrote: »

this entire scenario is a planned exercise, all details known to ATC in advance - unless the americans can see into the future. Impressive all the same

Without letting any secrets out, how long beforehand were ATC informed? I believe this operation started early this morning, and because of the logistics of the operation I would have thought that their intentions would have been known to ATC several hours in advance. Obviously if it was days ago then that is a different matter.

ch252

That info is given to Shannon when the flight plan is being filed, then it's given to the controllers.

Steyr

darragh-k wrote: »

That info is given to Shannon when the flight plan is being filed, then it's given to the controllers.

True but on a SAROP usually that FP is rushed!

Steyr

Just noticed from another forum that A Herc landed at Shannon at approx 17:00 followed by the two Pavehawks at some time between
17:15 and 17:40. Ambulance left the Airport shortly after. Herc departed EINN back to Mildenhall at 18:30 approx.

pclancy

I hope he's got medical insurance. Imagine the bill for fuel for that many aircraft.

Tower Ranger

The info about the mission was known in shannon on Thursday night. The helis left Irish soil - south of Clew bay at around 1100 on Friday.
The info given to ATC was that it was an exercise.There are Naval war games going on, on the high seas around 20W. The Helis were heading for this location. a coincidence? maybe!
That was the information that we had.
I accept that it now appears that it was a planned Medivac - shows you how much we're told!!!

BrianD

Tower Ranger wrote: »

The info about the mission was known in shannon on Thursday night. The helis left Irish soil - south of Clew bay at around 1100 on Friday.
The info given to ATC was that it was an exercise.There are Naval war games going on, on the high seas around 20W. The Helis were heading for this location. a coincidence? maybe!
That was the information that we had.
I accept that it now appears that it was a planned Medivac - shows you how much we're told!!!

So if it was an exercise connected to the wargames are the aircraft allowed to fly through Irish airspace. You post seems to suggest that they did fly over Ireland.

Accepted that if it's a SAR exercise then realistic routes need to be followed but is there a fine line between a military SAR exercise and a civilian one?

Tower Ranger

BrianD wrote: »

So if it was an exercise connected to the wargames are the aircraft allowed to fly through Irish airspace. You post seems to suggest that they did fly over Ireland.

Accepted that if it's a SAR exercise then realistic routes need to be followed but is there a fine line between a military SAR exercise and a civilian one?

They not only overflew, the two H60s departed from the ground in Ireland,
Foreign Military aircraft are only allowed to overfly sovereign Irish Airspace, with the express permission of Minister for Foreign Affairs - this is Diplomatic Clearance Permit.
In this instance the Dip Clearance was in place from Thursday.

NB: In normal SAR operations, the notice to scramble is short, and often the SAR Nimrods from Kinloss have to avoid Sovereign Irish Airspace as no permit has been approved - even during a rescue mission. I kid you not.
Not much about this in the media today. yesterday the sailor was "seriously ill"
According to US Military yesterday
http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123156147
An international rescue effort is currently en route to a ship in the Atlantic approximately 700 miles off the west coast of Ireland. A crew member on board container ship "Pascha" has fallen seriously ill and needs urgent medical attention
According to RTE later on
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0626/rescue.html
The man, who is understood to be in his 30s and from the Philippines, was flown to Shannon airport and transferred to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where his condition is not thought to be serious.

Draw your own conclusions. From seriously ill to condition not too serious. A miracle?

vulcan57

Tower Ranger wrote: »

They not only overflew, the two H60s departed from the ground in Ireland,
Foreign Military aircraft are only allowed to overfly sovereign Irish Airspace, with the express permission of Minister for Foreign Affairs - this is Diplomatic Clearance Permit.
In this instance the Dip Clearance was in place from Thursday.

NB: In normal SAR operations, the notice to scramble is short, and often the SAR Nimrods from Kinloss have to avoid Sovereign Irish Airspace as no permit has been approved - even during a rescue mission. I kid you not.
Not much about this in the media today. yesterday the sailor was "seriously ill"
According to US Military yesterday
http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123156147
An international rescue effort is currently en route to a ship in the Atlantic approximately 700 miles off the west coast of Ireland. A crew member on board container ship "Pascha" has fallen seriously ill and needs urgent medical attention
According to RTE later on
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0626/rescue.html
The man, who is understood to be in his 30s and from the Philippines, was flown to Shannon airport and transferred to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where his condition is not thought to be serious.

Draw your own conclusions. From seriously ill to condition not too serious. A miracle?

Maybe the reason that you were informed on thursday night was that, at that time, the emergency was just unfolding and the vessel was far too far out even for the US Military. Knowing that a medivac was imminant, maybe the flight plans were lodged then and the appropriate permissions applied for. With the medical expertise on a container ship being just the bear esentials, they could of thought that he was more seriously ill than he was, and then, when he got to hospital the true extent of his illness came to light. That could have been the reason for the discrepency in the two reports. I'm know expert on these matters, just adding my bit and stand to be corrected.

Tower Ranger

vulcan57 wrote: »

Maybe the reason that you were informed on thursday night was that, at that time, the emergency was just unfolding and the vessel was far too far out even for the US Military. Knowing that a medivac was imminant, maybe the flight plans were lodged then and the appropriate permissions applied for. With the medical expertise on a container ship being just the bear esentials, they could of thought that he was more seriously ill than he was, and then, when he got to hospital the true extent of his illness came to light. That could have been the reason for the discrepency in the two reports. I'm know expert on these matters, just adding my bit and stand to be corrected.

It's as good a supposition as any.Quite possible
From ATC perspective, given the location of the events, it didn't really matter whether or not it was an exercise.
My initial comments on this were based on info in the ATC centre

Steyr

Just some more:

Saturday 27th 15.15 hrs

"Jolly 11 & 18" working Shannon low 124.700 heading home at the moment F80 towards Dublin VOR and the Liffy.
HH60s from yesterday's operation.


Sat 27th

15.25 hrs

241.375 is the HH60s air to air freq, were working Dublin 126.250.

Sat 27th

15.40 hrs

Started using UHF for A to A

Talked about their fuel burn and how they need to keep an eye on it. Possible divert into Fairford. One is 15 nm behind the other.

_________________________________________________________________

http://aerspace.blogspot.com/2009/06/ai ... annon.html





In an almost text book copy of the air sea rescue which took place on December 10 last, the USAF yesterday airlifted an incapacitated seaman from a container ship off the west coast of Ireland.
On Thursday evening the UK Rescue Coordination Centre requested the assistance of the USAF 56th Rescue Squadron after the crewman, a chef on the Marshall Island registered "Pascha" fell ill with some form of acute internal problem according to Col. Jay Silvera, commander of Lakenheath's 48th Fighter Wing.
Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters of the 56th Rescue squadron were joined by pararescuemen from the 321st Special Tactics Squadron at Mildenhall and departed Lakenheath at approximately 5.00am Friday.
As with December's rescue the target was outside the range of the helicopters so an MC-130P Hercules, serial 69-5828 from the 352nd Special Operations Group at Mildenhall using call sign "RESCUE 5828" was dispatched to refuel the choppers. The first uplift is believed to have taken place in the Irish sea.
The range of the mission was such that even the Hercules couldn't loiter for the duration of the mission, thus requiring the assistance of KC-135 serial 58-0093, call sign "QUID 87" from the 100th Air Refuelling wing at Mildenhall.
A Nimrod from RAF Kinloss provided top cover for the mission.
"The combination of the three frames is what's key", Col. Silvera said of the reason for the Air Forces involvement in Friday's rescue." The C-130 can refuel the helicopters to extend their legs and the KC-135 can refuel the C-130 to extend their time. You can't do it without all three."
The first sign that the mission was nearing a conclusion was when Gulfstream 4 N129MH, relayed a message to Shannon on 124.7 from "QUID 87" that he was at position 52 59N 11 56W heading eastbound.
The Hercules was the first to recover to Shannon arriving at 16:06 utc with the helicopters using call sign 'RESCUE 212 FLIGHT" touching down on taxiway Alpha at 16:32 utc.
Pictured above, at top, MC-130P 69-5828, "RESCUE 5828" touches down on R06 while at bottom 89-26205 and 89-26212, "RESCUE 212 FLIGHT" turn onto Taxiway Alpha to rendezvous with a waiting ambulance on Taxiway 11.
Both the Hercules and HH-60G 89-26205 were involved in the December rescue of a crewman on a Panamanian registered ship off the west coast.

Tabnabs

vulcan57 wrote: »

Maybe the reason that you were informed on thursday night was that, at that time, the emergency was just unfolding and the vessel was far too far out even for the US Military. Knowing that a medivac was imminant, maybe the flight plans were lodged then and the appropriate permissions applied for. With the medical expertise on a container ship being just the bear esentials, they could of thought that he was more seriously ill than he was, and then, when he got to hospital the true extent of his illness came to light. That could have been the reason for the discrepency in the two reports. I'm know expert on these matters, just adding my bit and stand to be corrected.

Having been involved with a medivac of an injured seaman from a ship at sea, what may have happened is that the ship's captain will have examined the seaman and if his condition was serious then phoned Falmouth MRCC who will have put him through to the duty doctor at Queen Alexandria Hospital, Portsmouth.

He/she will have given the appropriate medical advice. The ship would then have been instructed to steam towards the direction of the rescuers, in this case east to Ireland.


The MV Pascha (bulk carrier, not container ship, but the press knows fcuk all about ships... :rolleyes:)

skelliser

how are people finding out about this, scanners? would love to listen in myself

brettmirl

Steyr wrote: »

Two choppers like that, with the "sticky out" bit at the front passed over Ashbourne heading west alright. They were very low over the town. Made a lot of noise!

diverdriver

"Jolly 11 & 18" working Shannon low 124.700 heading home at the moment F80 towards Dublin VOR and the Liffy.
HH60s from yesterday's operation.

I was working Shannon Approach yesterday. I'm pretty sure the callsigns were Charlie 11 and Charlie 12. I was wondering who they were, although it seemed obvious they were US military helicopters from the accents and background heavy turbine noise on the r/t. It was only when one added 'Jolly' to the callsign that I sussed they were HH-60s. They were on their way back to the UK cruising at FL 75 until they asked for FL85 to get above some cloud. At one point they checked with Shannon to see if military 'Romeos' around BAL were active.

I didn't know about the rescue at the time. But earlier I noted the Shannon based Coastguard S61 landing near Lough Derg, obviously on some kind of public relations exercise as they weren't usiing their 'Rescue 115' callsign. Wish I had my camera for that.

Steyr

diverdriver wrote: »

I was working Shannon Approach yesterday. I'm pretty sure the callsigns were Charlie 11 and Charlie 12.

I got an update that it was indeed "Jolly 11 and Jolly 12" and not "Jolly 18".:)

Steyr

skelliser wrote: »

how are people finding out about this, scanners? would love to listen in myself

Scanners and various spotting/Mil Com monitoring sites.

Steyr

mick_irl wrote: »

Two choppers like that, with the "sticky out" bit at the front passed over Ashbourne heading west alright. They were very low over the town. Made a lot of noise!

The "Sticky bit" is a retractable in-flight refueling probe.

Delta Kilo

diverdriver wrote: »

At one point they checked with Shannon to see if military 'Romeos' around BAL were active.

What are military romeos?

highlydebased

Delta Kilo wrote: »

What are military romeos?

Military airspace, The R15/R16, restricted areas. If they are active civilian aircraft cannot enter them...

diverdriver

Actually you can enter, it's just a case of asking permission from the military controller. In fact it's good to talk to them if you're close anyway. I remember being just underneath the zone and seeing a PC-9 going by overhead, quite close. He was on an ILS approach.

Steyr

Some video of the actual rescue including on the ground at EINN.

http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123156540

Photos : http://www.lakenheath.af.mil/news/story_media.asp?id=123156760

56th RQS assist in saving sailor over East Atlantic
by Staff Sgt. Nathan Gallahan
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

6/30/2009 - ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 56th Rescue Squadron finished a two-day mission Saturday, which led them 400 miles off of the west coast of Ireland to save a sailor on a cargo ship who was overcome with severe abdominal pain.

The search and rescue team transloaded the patient, in stable condition, to medical personnel in Shannon, Ireland, Friday before flying home the next day.

The rescue mission started when the United Kingdom's Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre made the call for assistance Thursday, which was routed through the European Command and approved the next morning, prior to takeoff.

The call was made, because United Kingdom search and rescue agencies don't have aerial refueling capability, which was critical to this operation due to ship being hundreds of miles into the East Atlantic.

"This entire operation is about timeliness," said Lt. Col. Mark Ahrens, the rescue-mission commander from the 56th Rescue Squadron. "Although the United Kingdom's search and rescue teams are phenomenal, we have aerial refueling capability, which allows us to travel much farther out into the ocean and get to the patient much faster."

The aerial refueling capability is more complicated than two aircraft connecting in flight and transferring fuel. For this mission, it required three separate aircraft to conduct the refueling and a fourth aircraft, from the United Kingdom, to oversee the entire operation.

A United Kingdom Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft, from RAF Kinloss in Scotland, orbited above the cargo ship and passed real time information to the incoming USAF team, comprised of a KC-135 Stratotanker and MC-130P Combat Shadow from RAF Mildenhall, and the two HH-60G Pave Hawks from here.

"We received unparalleled support from both tankers," said Lt. Col. Ahrens. "Without them we couldn't have gotten out there as quickly as we did."

All three, together, made the six-and-a-half hour flight from the United Kingdom to the ship, but the trip wasn't as smooth sailing as the mission commander hoped.

"The weather was significantly worse than predicted from here to the ship," the colonel said. "We had to fight our way through the weather; sometimes above it, sometimes below it."

After their first refueling, the lead helicopter had an in-flight emergency when the refueling probe on their helicopter wouldn't stop venting.

"It was basically a non-stop fuel leak from the probe," he said. "If we couldn't fix it, we couldn't continue the mission.

"We had to put it down some place, so we landed in Dublin, Ireland," Lt. Col. Ahrens said. "Master Sgt. Kevin Marlatt, the flight engineer, was able to jump out and repair the probe and the mission continued."

They left Dublin and headed to the cargo ship. Thirty to 45 minutes before they arrived, they coordinated with the U.K. Nimrod and had the ship turn into the wind and cruise at 13.5 knots, to keep the ship stable.

"It's safer to be moving into the wind, because you don't have to worry about crosswinds," said Master Sgt. Todd Swartz, a 56th RQS pararescue specialist with 17-years of rescue experience. "The helicopters aren't really hovering, but maintaining a constant, forward movement."

Two pararescue specialists were hoisted down to the ship. The patient was on the main deck, near the back of the ship.

"When we got to the patient he was ambulatory," the sergeant said. "He was pretty much waiting for us. We interviewed him, performed a patient assessment, took his vitals, status of health and then put him in the litter to move him out."

The patient was hoisted aboard the lead helicopter, and the team headed for Shannon.

"Operations and the extraction at the ship went quite smooth," Lt. Col. Ahrens said. "It was the one point of the mission that went as planned."

The team kept the patient in stable condition until they arrived in Ireland, four hours later.

"The success of this mission cannot be attributed to a single aircraft or person, but to the team as a whole," the colonel said. "It comes down to relying and trusting your wingmen and fellow Airmen regardless of what country they're from."

"He was in stable condition, and we were able to transload him to medical personnel around 5:30 p.m. Friday without incident," Lt. Col. Ahrens said.

With a 10.3-hour flight behind them, the aircrew immediately went into crew rest so they could fly home Saturday.

"It was a great feeling finally being able to get out of the helicopter and stretch our legs," said Lt. Col Ahrens said.

The only better feeling, he said, was "knowing this international team was able to pull together and get the job done quickly and save that patient's life."