Rescue 116 Crash at Blackrock, Co Mayo(Mod note in post 1)

Gadgetman496

Tow wrote: »

Plus it has 2 x 450W landing lights, a pilot controllable 450W searchlight and a Nightsun XP which is a 1600-Watt Xenon searchlight. All of this should be able to cut through fog for a far enough distance to visually land safely.

Surely the more light you throw at fog the less you see?

skallywag

Tow wrote: »

Plus it has 2 x 450W landing lights, a pilot controllable 450W searchlight and a Nightsun XP which is a 1600-Watt Xenon searchlight. All of this should be able to cut through fog for a far enough distance to visually land safely.

Try putting your headlights on next time you drive through fog

faoiarvok

For a great insight into the work of CG heli crews, and how they approach it, former pilot David Courtney's book Nine Lives is great. He trained and flew SAR with the Air Corps before building S-61 hours in the North Sea and returning to Ireland to fly for the Coast Guard

https://www.mercierpress.ie/irish-books/nine_lives/

coillsaille

I really hope the weather cooperates and that they get the crew on Friday and bring those brave lads home. Such a long time for the families to wait, especially when the location has been more or less known for quite a while now.

I found myself thinking today about some of the possible mechanical faults with the S92 that have been discussed here and elsewhere, when I thought about what it must be like for the courageous crews that are still flying the same heli on call outs, and how worried are their families? I'd say they must be waiting anxiously for the recovery of the recorders, as well as the crew obviously.

Irish Steve

coillsaille wrote: »

I really hope the weather cooperates and that they get the crew on Friday and bring those brave lads home. Such a long time for the families to wait, especially when the location has been more or less known for quite a while now.

I found myself thinking today about some of the possible mechanical faults with the S92 that have been discussed here and elsewhere, when I thought about what it must be like for the courageous crews that are still flying the same heli on call outs, and how worried are their families? I'd say they must be waiting anxiously for the recovery of the recorders, as well as the crew obviously.

Fully understand those thoughts, the stress for the crews (and their families) that are continuing to provide the essential cover that has been used on a number of occasions this week will have been significant and unrelenting. We can only hope that when the recovery vessels are able to get on scene again, they are successful in their task, both for the families, and in recovering the data recorders, which will (also hopefully) be readable, as only then will the rest of the Coastguard system be able to take on board and deal with whatever happened to cause this tragedy.

We are hopefully now very close to getting some real news about what happened, and while I do not want to stop discussion, I am going to repeat our request that posters are sensitive to the situation, and refrain from posting speculative or sensationalist items that are not based on news that has been released by approved sources.

siobhan08

Shane_ef wrote: »

I think now is a good moment to post the Volunteers links for just two of the great services working tirelessly to bring home the rest of the crew

RNLI and ICG

Both do great work, as all we here are well aware.

Personally I'm not in a position at the moment but I feel its good for people to be aware of the links

Checked with mods, amend and edit as needed

Thanks for the links. I've always been interested in volunteering with on of the service but unfortunately I live about 50 minutes from the nearest RNLI or CG base. Maybe when I finish college I might move into an area that is local to one and that would give me the opportunity to sign up to volunteer

Coil Kilcrea

siobhan08 wrote: »

Thanks for the links. I've always been interested in volunteering with on of the service but unfortunately I live about 50 minutes from the nearest RNLI or CG base. Maybe when I finish college I might move into an area that is local to one and that would give me the opportunity to sign up to volunteer

Good for you!! RNLI is a tremendous organisation and CG similarly spirited in their efforts.

I think this awfully sad tragedy demands us as citizens and voters to demand that our coastal rescue services are given every possible resource to protect themselves and all of us.

What they do and how they do it is simply beyond words. Not once have I heard complaints, point scoring or whinging. And in every rescue where the local fishermen and community can help, they do so willingly and with enormous good grace. Food, fuel, time and determination to do whatever they can to help, honour and support the recovery efforts. It makes me very proud.

For an island nation, we can and must do better by holding those we vote for accountable to provide the very best to our SAR services. We owe their bravery our courage.

The weather must now be kind and let the recovery and return of the remaining crew of R116 come home to their family. So many are working so hard to make that happen. Admirable and moving in so many ways.

roadmaster

I think I seen a S92 flying over Dublin today (could have being an air corps aw139 as it was cloudy ) if it was the spare S92 going to take up station what call sign will it have ?

billie1b

roadmaster wrote: »

I think I seen a S92 flying over Dublin today (could have being an air corps aw139 as it was cloudy ) if it was the spare S92 going to take up station what call sign will it have ?

It was either the AW139 or the EC135 or both, the money flight arrived today, they were providing the top cover for the escort.

cabledude

siobhan08 wrote: »

Thanks for the links. I've always been interested in volunteering with on of the service but unfortunately I live about 50 minutes from the nearest RNLI or CG base. Maybe when I finish college I might move into an area that is local to one and that would give me the opportunity to sign up to volunteer

Any Civil Defence in your area. I looked at it a few years ago but I allowed work commitments to keep me from doing it. Since this tragedy, I have heard the call again.

Stheno

siobhan08 wrote: »

Thanks for the links. I've always been interested in volunteering with on of the service but unfortunately I live about 50 minutes from the nearest RNLI or CG base. Maybe when I finish college I might move into an area that is local to one and that would give me the opportunity to sign up to volunteer

There are more ways to volunteer than being on a crew, they are always looking for people to help fundraise.

I live in Swords and when they were having a street collection in Malahide last year asked if they wanted volunteers.

They said yes, if you live in Howth you can be on crews, but for fundraising days anyone can volunteer a few hours

siobhan08

cabledude wrote: »

Any Civil Defence in your area. I looked at it a few years ago but I allowed work commitments to keep me from doing it. Since this tragedy, I have heard the call again.

Yeah pretty sure there is a Civil Defence, must look into that

Stheno wrote: »

There are more ways to volunteer than being on a crew, they are always looking for people to help fundraise.

I live in Swords and when they were having a street collection in Malahide last year asked if they wanted volunteers.

They said yes, if you live in Howth you can be on crews, but for fundraising days anyone can volunteer a few hours

Yeah I might contact them when i get home from college for the summer. It's always been the crew I've been interested in so will look into that if the opportunity ever comes up. If it doesn't I'll keep in touch with the bases near me whenever I have free time. Only thing that may come against me is the fact that I wear glasses and would be pretty short sighted

Coil Kilcrea

siobhan08 wrote: »

Yeah pretty sure there is a Civil Defence, must look into that



Yeah I might contact them when i get home from college for the summer. It's always been the crew I've been interested in so will look into that if the opportunity ever comes up. If it doesn't I'll keep in touch with the bases near me whenever I have free time. Only thing that may come against me is the fact that I wear glasses and would be pretty short sighten

RNLI are always needing shore crew as well who do many important jobs and are very much considered part of the team so that might also be an option.

siobhan08

Coil Kilcrea wrote: »

RNLI are always needing shore crew as well who do many important jobs and are very much considered part of the team so that might also be an option.

yeah that could be an option if i ever live in the area of a base and the eye sight prevents me getting on the crew

ted1

roadmaster wrote: »

I think I seen a S92 flying over Dublin today (could have being an air corps aw139 as it was cloudy ) if it was the spare S92 going to take up station what call sign will it have ?

Aer corps covering transports to the mint in sandyford

Nekarsulm

siobhan08 wrote: »

yeah that could be an option if i ever live in the area of a base and the eye sight prevents me getting on the crew

A friend of mine joined the local Civil Defense ten years ago.
Last 18 months or so, he has been getting training up in the Phoenix Park on drone operation.
So even though he's from an inland county, in circumstances like this they are a very important resource.

vicwatson

Forecast is looking good into the short/medium term, i.e. a settled spell is on the horizon. Hopefully this will be more than enough time to raise the wreckage and hopefully find the crew.

The Granuaile is back out there at Blackrock

Gaoth Laidir

Here's a video flight map of R116's whole flight from when it left Dublin.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/live-map-captures-flight-path-of-coast-guard-helicopter-1.3009956?mode=amp

Stovepipe

Replacement S-92s are hard to come by because essentially, they are custom-made for the SAR role and the most common S92 airframe is the oil rig type helibus, which takes a lot of conversion to do the SAR job. It might be temporarily replaced by a heli from another country, until it's replacement is built.

Irish Steve

Stovepipe wrote: »

Replacement S-92s are hard to come by because essentially, they are custom-made for the SAR role and the most common S92 airframe is the oil rig type helibus, which takes a lot of conversion to do the SAR job. It might be temporarily replaced by a heli from another country, until it's replacement is built.

Indeed, I would go as far as to suggest that the cost of buying a low time standard service S92 and retrofitting all of the SAR enhancements and options would probably end up being more expensive than getting a new build airframe, as there is so much that is specific to the SAR role that would not be found on a general aviation fit S92. There would probably be very little difference in the elapsed time either, between the time to get the upgrade parts from the suppliers, and the paperwork mountain required to approve all the changes required for the conversion, it would not be a task for the faint hearted to undertake.

skallywag

Retrofitting is indeed a huge undertaking, we retrofitted 2 61s at IHL for SAR in the 90s, it was a colossal task.

Gadgetman496

LE Samuel Beckett is in Blacksod now along with the LE Eithne.

Dwarf.Shortage

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

LE Samuel Beckett is in Blacksod now along with the LE Eithne.

What are its capabilities? Like what's the significance of it being brought into the frame?

Jmccoy1

Dwarf.Shortage wrote: »

What are its capabilities? Like what's is the significance of it being brought into the frame?

It has been brought in to relieve LE Eithne.

scuby

Granuaile on way back into blacksod, after being on site since 8. Hope the ROV was out doing some work

Irish Steve

The very clear impression from RTE at 1 was that they had been doing an in depth ROV review and survey, and the anticipation was that they would be diving tomorrow once the winds subside.

Gadgetman496

R118 is over Inshkey North now between blackrock and Blacksod but of course it may not be related.

Gadgetman496

R118 is Heading towards the Granuaile now

Gadgetman496

R118 just made a sharp turn west towards Blackrock, then a sharp bank east towards the Granuaile again.

scuby

R118 track seems to show they were completing a shore line search down towards blacksod