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Air Corps and Mountain Rescue Joint Exercise

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  • Air Corps and Mountain Rescue Joint Exercise

    Air Corps in joint rescue drills with volunteers

    THE AGUSTA Westland AW139 is the workhorse of the Air Corps. First purchased by the Defence Forces in 2006, these helicopters are capable of all kinds of roles. They can carry 2½ tonnes of equipment and deploy troops.

    They helped put out gorse fires in Donegal last May and also provide an air ambulance service. They even come equipped with an incubator for premature babies.

    On Saturday they were used in a training exercise to familiarise mountain rescue services with their operations.

    Two dozen mountain rescue volunteers from Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim and Mayo gathered on a bitterly cold day in Finner Camp, Co Donegal, for an event in which teams practised getting in and out of the helicopter during the day and at night.

    Finner range, where the Army carries out target practice, provided the dramatic backdrop for crews to be landed in an isolated area at night.

    The exercise was meant to simulate the frequent occurrence of mountain rescue teams having to be deployed in isolated areas after nightfall for climbers who have lost their way in the dark.

    The Air Corps provides back-up for the Irish Coast Guard helicopter and then the Garda helicopter, which are deployed in the first instance in mountain rescue.

    With so many mountain rescue incidents, especially during times of severe weather, the Air Corps frequently finds itself pressed into action, as it was three years ago when two missing snowboarders sparked a huge rescue operation on Lugnaquilla mountain in Co Wicklow.

    The Air Corps helicopters also have an annual date on Reek Sunday, when dozens of pilgrims, many of whom have serious difficulties in making the climb, find themselves stranded on Croagh Patrick.

    The six AW139s are based in Baldonnel Aerodrome. With a cruising speed of 157 knots per hour (290km/h) they can reach even the most isolated parts of the country within an hour.

    They can deploy up to 12 rescuers and eight with a stretcher.

    On Saturday night, pilots Capt Séamus McNamara and Capt Colin Duffy used the most up-to-date night vision equipment to land the helicopter in the dark.

    Though the AW139 has a height of five metres, passengers can be dangerously vulnerable to the rotor blades if the helicopter pitches down at an angle on a mountain.

    The mountain rescue crews also trained on the smaller Eurocopter EC135, which can carry a stretcher and two paramedics. It is the same helicopter that is used by the Garda.

    Donegal mountain rescuer Séamus Bradley, who took part in Saturday’s event, said such exercises were an important part of their training.

    Bradley, who is the chairman of Mountain Rescue Ireland, which co-ordinates activities among all of Ireland’s 12 teams and 350 volunteers, said the Air Corps provided a “very essential back-up service” to rescuers.

    “Going back historically, the Air Corps was the primary search and rescue asset for many years.

    The Air Corps helicopters are very good at moving a lot of people about, while the Coast Guard helicopter has a very specialised paramedic ambulance service.

    The two roles complement each other. The Air Corps is a very professional asset for us,” he said.

    During 2010, which was marked by two particularly cold periods, the mountain rescue service had 76 callouts.

    Air Corps spokesman Capt Brendan O’Dowd said: “Helicopters can be a hazardous environment and the aim is to make everybody aware of our crew procedures and of the safe way to operate the helicopter in the event that we ever have to work with them.”

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...311332164.html
    Also a nice slide show of the training exercise.

  • #2
    'Helicopters can be a hazardous environment' So about a week after a report on a tragic accident, an orginization, which with all due respect, it has to be said has not the best safety record, starts flying a bunch of civvies around, at night, in whats basically a flying fiat. You can call me Mr pickey, but is that altogether wise?

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    • #3
      Considering the amount of flights undertaken and the conditions in which they are taken, I'd say 2 crashes in ten years isn't a bad safety record, compared to other military flying organizations.
      Im Ron Burgendy??

      Comment


      • #4
        Considering the amount of flights undertaken and the conditions in which they are taken, I'd say 2 crashes in ten years isn't a bad safety record
        Have a look at the PC9 thread. That may give you a better understanding of the big picture. Also. I think you may be surprised by the lack of extraordinary conditions these accidents have happened in. Certainly very little to do with military operations or military style flying.

        Just noticed something on the slide show. In all of the night vision photographs the tail pylon of the 139 is a substantially different color. I haven't any idea why as the main part of the aircraft, despite being made of different panels at different angles to the camera are the same color. Any engineers have any ideas?

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        • #5
          Actually, looking at the daylight photos the tail pylon looks a darker color there as well. Has this entire pylon been changed since delivery?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by jack nastyface View Post
            'Helicopters can be a hazardous environment' So about a week after a report on a tragic accident, an orginization, which with all due respect, it has to be said has not the best safety record, starts flying a bunch of civvies around, at night, in whats basically a flying fiat. You can call me Mr pickey, but is that altogether wise?
            Picky is the not the word I would use to describe you for that comment....something along the lines of a loop de loop loo lah might be more appropriate.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by jack nastyface View Post
              'Helicopters can be a hazardous environment' So about a week after a report on a tragic accident, an orginization, which with all due respect, it has to be said has not the best safety record, starts flying a bunch of civvies around, at night, in whats basically a flying fiat. You can call me Mr pickey, but is that altogether wise?
              Go back to P.ie

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by jack nastyface View Post
                'Helicopters can be a hazardous environment' So about a week after a report on a tragic accident, an orginization, which with all due respect, it has to be said has not the best safety record, starts flying a bunch of civvies around, at night, in whats basically a flying fiat. You can call me Mr pickey, but is that altogether wise?
                Flying Fiat:


                How many of these do the AC have?
                Attached Files
                'He died who loved to live,' they'll say,
                'Unselfishly so we might have today!'
                Like hell! He fought because he had to fight;
                He died that's all. It was his unlucky night.
                http://www.salamanderoasis.org/poems...nnis/luck.html

                Comment


                • #9
                  Lazy jouro!!!!

                  Never heard of the Garda helicopter being deployed for mountain rescue (missing persons maybe) - oh and there are 2 Garda helicopters!

                  The AC EC135s are different from the GASU EC135s!
                  Last edited by DeV; 6 February 2012, 19:10.

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                  • #10
                    jesus lads, does no one see this as a good thing?

                    training a mountain rescue team in helicopter operations. You may need them one day and maybe the air corps or coastguard will get them to the scene to save a life.
                    Last edited by balkanhawk; 6 February 2012, 19:07. Reason: Spelling

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                    • #11
                      I have read both accident reports. I would still be happy to take a flight in an air craft flown by an Air Corps Crew.
                      Im Ron Burgendy??

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by balkanhawk View Post
                        jesus lads, does no one see this as a good thing?

                        training a mountain rescue team in helicopter operations. You may need them one day and maybe the air corps or coastguard will get them to the scene to save a life.
                        It happens all the time..... one of the reasons being it was a recommendation of the AAIU report on the Tramore accident as the first rescuers on the scene were not aware of the dangers.

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                        • #13
                          It's more to stop unknowing persons from walking into tail rotors or directing helicopters onto unsafe landing sites or not controlling their personal equipment when they board.

                          regards
                          GttC

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by tonyrdf View Post
                            I have read both accident reports. I would still be happy to take a flight in an air craft flown by an Air Corps Crew.
                            I think you're missing the point, I don't think anyone is saying that the AC and crew's are unsafe. However given the nature of the flying involved the rate of accidents and incidents is higher then equivalent operators. Very little if any of the AC flying bears any resemblance to military flying.

                            Maybe reread the reports and think about the organizational issues that are highlighted or at least mentioned and try and assess how they might affect overall flight safety and you may start to see a pattern.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by sofa View Post
                              Go back to P.ie
                              Why? Does P.ie have thing about the potential for people getting killed, and risk management?

                              Comment

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