The new bases will supplement the existing Coastguard helicopter service. Photo: Bob Smith Photography
Work has begun on construction of the first additional ‘seasonal’ search and rescue helicopter base at Oban.
A second one will be built at Carlisle.
The two extra Coastguard bases will operate from April to September, from 9am to 9pm, when the Coastguard and Maritime Agency says these are the periods when incidents, and the demand for assistance from the search and rescue crews, show an increase.
Both will have one helicopter on site, with a readiness state of 15 minutes.
The original plan was to locate the additional Scottish base at Fort William but the site was ‘no longer viable’ according to the Coastguard.
The Leonardo AW 189 helicopters will be operated by Bristow Helicopters under the second generation search and rescue aviation contract (UKSAR2G) awarded in 2022.
The 10 existing 24-hour bases for Coastguard search and rescue helicopters: Inverness, Lydd, St Athan, Prestwick, Lee-on-the-Solent, Humberside, Caernarfon, Newquay, Sumburgh and Stornoway will continue to provide the main service, but the seasonal sites are closer to the main areas of summer-months demand, the western Scottish Highlands and the English Lake District, where the crews support the volunteer mountain rescue teams.
Paddy O’Callaghan, Chief Coastguard, said: “Our new seasonal bases are a huge step forward in expanding HM Coastguard’s search and rescue capability during those periods when we experience a rise in incidents.
“The additional aircraft will provide greater flexibility in a national network, and most importantly enhance our ability to respond quickly to those in need.”
Steve Bentley, HM Coastguard senior responsible owner for the UKSAR2G programme, said: “We are looking forward to completion of the seasonal bases in both locations.
“People are alive today because a HM Coastguard helicopter came to their aid, and these seasonal bases will improve search and rescue response further still.
“By selecting sites that are near popular areas for outside activity, those in need can be responded to quickly and with the appropriate resources.”
The £1.6bn second-generation contract was awarded to Bristow Helicopters after an 18-month procurement process. Coastguard helicopters were scrambled a total of 20,535 times in the past eight years, of which 3,444 were to mountain incidents.
