CHC Contract for Search and Rescue gone to Bristow

xper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120963069#Comment_120963069

In the previous precurement that resulted in the CHC contract, the requirement was for helicopters with the sort of capability of the S92 at all bases. On the west coast, this was required for the range to get out as far as possible to vessels operating in the Atlantic, on the east coast this was required for the capacity with, in particular, the requirement to respond to a passenger vessel emergency in mind. Which is entirely approporiate, you base specs on what are the most demanding but plausible scenarios, not simple bread and butter stuff like air ambulance runs to the islands.

I dont know if, how or why the specified requirements were changed for the new contract. Maybe the AW189 and S92 both met the minimum required but little or no significant scoring was earned by one bid over the other for exceeding the minimum by more (a very common flaw in public sector procurement in my experieince in another field). Whatever the reason, we have clearly opted for lesser capabability now which is regretable.

Psychlops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120963030#Comment_120963030

Did you even read anything of whats being said? Huge differences between AW189 & S92. I was talking to an EX IRCG S92 Pilot, he said "S92 can officially lift 20 casualties (but if situation warranted it could cram more in) & with the reserve fuel tank it had the endurance to give some margin when operating out at 200NM. What is said on paper as capability versus what actually happens when the mission changes, updates." Also was talking to a Crew person on one of the duty S92's "Space inside a helicopter when operating in Ireland is everything especially as we are a combined HEMS & SAR Operation, A full medical team of 3 & associated gear plus a child on an ICU trolley can easily fit & be wheeled up the ramp of the S92, this wont happen with an AW189 where you will be on your knees pulling it across the floor.

5500

Just reading over the press release below and noticed they say Dublin Weston as a base, presuming it's not a typo and they will no longer be based at Dublin airport

https://www.bristowgroup.com/news-media/press-releases/detail/539/bristow-ireland-limited-signs-new-sar-contract-with-irish

moonshy2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021428#Comment_121021428

yeah heard about it a few days ago. Interesting choice considering Weston has so many negatives to its use, lights, approaches, operating hours, local residents issues, local council issues, infrastructure etc etc.

Psychlops

Gas & CHC have a new purpose built hanger in Dublin Intl.

prunudo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021607#Comment_121021607

I'd be more concerned by this than their choice of aircraft. But again is this an operator shortfall or the minister creating and awarding a sub standard tender.

donkey balls

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3688489248

Looks like they are looking for pilots I wonder if they do operate out of EIWT what would CHC do with the hanger at Dub?

EchoIndia

Hangar at DUB is on DAA lands so I doubt CHC have any hold on it if they don't hold SAR contract. DAA would probably be happy to get it back and repurpose area for other uses in immediate or longer term.

sparrowcar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121027910#Comment_121027910

Flatten it for additional temporary parking stands.

L1011

I can almost hear the steam coming out of various Leixlip/Lucan residents ears about there being extensive night time use of Weston

donkey balls

An awful waste of a hanger if it was to be demolished, I take it the DAA own the land on where the hanger is, I wonder why Bristow couldn't use it.

EchoIndia

Why would Bristow want to use a hangar at Dublin if based at Weston?

donkey balls

I just find the whole Weston thing a bit odd, As in why open a base there and as others have said the local residents be up in arms with the noise.

When you have an actual hanger at Dub with all the facilities for heli The last time I was at Weston was 2012 have they built new hangers there since.?

L1011

It'll be less disruptive to ops at DUB, but that isn't the concern of the SAR operator

Sterling Archer

Is it a possibility that they may be using the idea of transfer times from Weston to hospitals as reason also....

Also is the childrens hospital rated for the AWs?

LiamaDelta

Probably using Weston because of hte addition of a fixed-wing craft to the service, so will be easier to operate from there and less disruptive. Also would explain why the CHC hanger might not be of use to them, better to have their own custom set-up.

EchoIndia

The fixed-wing aircraft will be King Air 200s, based at Shannon.

donkey balls

I wonder will they hire current CHC staff for the position below.

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3697639541

xper

Switching to Weston seems odd. While operating from Dublin may be costly, who knows, it would want to be some diffrence to justify the investment cost in setting up in Leixlip istead of taking over the recently purpose-built facility at Dublin. Unless CHC are going to hang on to it for some other purpose which seems unlikely.

Weston does have large modern hangar space but I dont know whether its got sufficient capacity above existing users to accommodate the Bristow aircarft. Then there's the need to provide operating offices and crew accommodation. I note there is planning permission granted last year to expand the existing terminal building but that predates the contract award and its just offices and extra cafe space and there is nothing specific mentioned regarding a SAR operation, only National Flight Centre is mentioned as occupants. They do have plenty of room on the property for any additonal facilities to be built but there is no other relvant recent planning application and you would think it would have to be in at this stage.

Speaking of planning, Weston currently operates in daytime only, primarily due to its lack of lighting on the runway and taxiways. But is there also any planning limit on its hours of operation? Given ongoing events at Dublin and the historical conflicts with some neighbours, expanding to 24/7 operations for SAR could get lively.

As to the aviation aspect of operating SAR form this location, its probably economically feasible to construct a lit helipad and floodlight the adjacent ramp in front of the hangars for much less than kitting out the whole runway and taxiways. And while there are no published instrument approach, there is a VOR/DME on the field which puts it in sort of the same bracket as Sligo with its NDB and GPS-based approaches could also be developed. But in the same way that the AW189 is probably good enough to meet the contract requirements but is not as capable as the outgoing S92s, Weston is never going to offer you the capability of Dublin in marginal conditions.

SAR isnt an activity in which cost cutting should take priority.

Anyway, maybe it was just a typo!

Psychlops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121047138#Comment_121047138

Well said, this is a wrong move with the AW189, to replace what an S92 does & has done with an AW189 is deluded.

moonshy2022

Not entirely sure about planning limits for Weston, but there would be a decent amount of regulatory work to be done to be able to operate from there H24/365.

There is a local agreement with residents about operational hours which I believe includes no lights. So dealing with local residents will be a massive hurdle to surmount. It’s one thing operating out of a traditional H24/365 international airport it’s completely different operating out of an airport whose hours are only H9/10 362/3. Now obviously new noise limitation routes can be created to take the noise over depopulated areas, but you can hear Cessnas running up a kilometre away and a 189 is much much much louder.

Weston is a very strange move and one which the locals are absolutely not going to take sitting down. If you think the Dublin noise issue was bad wait till the Weston locals get up in arms.

xper

Just thinking out loud, ..

I wonder if there is wiggle room in the contract for one of the bases to be daylight hours only? Isee when Bristow used Portland as a SAR base in their UK contract, it was 9am - 9pm only.

or would they be planning to hangar the aircraft at Weston and have an agreement to position it to either Dublin Airport or Baldonnel each evening akin to how the Air Corps position(ed?) their medevac duty AW139 to Athlone each day?

EchoIndia

It would defeat the purpose of relocating to Weston if it was daylight only. In mid-winter there are maybe seven hours of daylight, so a base that wasn't able to support operations after dark wouldn't be a lot of use.

I've heard unofficially that a SAR base at Weston would be built on the south side, where operations were centred before the modern building, ramp and hangars were built. There'll be a need for lighting and other operational arrangements to facilitate H24 operations when the field is otherwise closed. It's all feasible if planning permission is granted and the money's available, but the first hurdle is undoubtedly getting the permission.

prunudo

When does the contract kick in? PP could take years if its brought to aBp.

donkey balls

If the new Dub base is Weston what about the other three bases, Which CHC would have bases there are Bristow going build there own or is it a case that each airport owns the buildings and they are leased out.

donkey balls

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/sligo-helicopter-rescue-crews-concerns-over-transfer-to-new-employer/a226018035.html

It only mentions the Sligo base and not the other three bases, I assume the other bases be in the same situation and members of the union.

Psychlops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121049914#Comment_121049914

Never going to happen, SAR is 24/7/365 otherwise whats the point? Sorry we cant respond after 9pm if someone goes in a river at 3am. And I guarantee you the IAC wont let them base at Baldonnel, can you imagine how big a PR disaster for them it would be as they cant do SAR.

trellheim

Why is this going to Weston ? Are they not just tupeing everyone over and using the existing hangars ?

speedbird777

My understanding of not staying with the s92's is that it has been discontinued. With no current upgrade or future s92's in the pipe line and a 13 year contract, its logical to change airframe now. Pilots, parts, techs, etc will all become fewer and fewer as time goes by.

The move to weston is mostly down to DAA. They want the space, and with the second runway up and running, it's getting harder and harder to route them in and out. The days of routing back over swords onto iowna are not possible now.

It's all eyes now on the crew and tupe. That's the biggest mess this has all created. People losing jobs.....they will cut everything. See massive profits from what is a massive contract. There will be pilots and tech crew arriving here from all corners of the world. Ryan has alot to answer for.

AnRothar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121070277#Comment_121070277

Regarding the age issue. How old were the SK61's when they started and then when they retired. Coupled with when the last SK61 was built.

Age of equipment in aviation is not linear.I

Regarding TUPE, I agree it appears messy.