Irish Coast Guard
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IRISH COAST GUARD IRISH COAST GUARD SIKORSKY CHOPPERS ENHANCE COAST GUARD’S CAPABILITIES Taking a new fleet of Sikorsky S-92A helicopters re-allocated from CHC’s Coast Guard fleet in the UK, were on board and increasing the scope of its services being brought up to the full Irish specification, the final example entering service at Dublin Weston in January 2014. are just two of the main changes made by the Given that the S-61N was designed some 50 years ago and Irish Coast Guard over the last number of years. despite the fact that it carried a considerable amount of updated Guy Warner spends a day with the crew at the avionics, it is not surprising that the S-92A is a much more capable aircraft. Sligo Base to get a closer view of the operations. One of the Sligo-based captains, Ciaran Ferguson, has considerable experience of both types and as much as he liked ince I last reported on the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) in the S-61, which he describes affectionately as ‘the DC-3 of 2011, there have been considerable changes not only to helicopters’, he is full of praise for its successor. the type of helicopter used but also to the scope of the A system check, carried out every 24 hours, is valid for 36 service provided. hours to cover a sudden call-out. In the cockpit a five-panel S Remaining the same are the provision of the aircraft, bases flatscreen multifunction display gives the two pilots a huge and crews by CHC Ireland (under a €500 million, 10-year amount of integrated information which serves to increase vastly contract, awarded in 2010) and also the vital role of the Coast their situational awareness. Guard Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) Dublin and the Marine Rescue Sub Centres (MRSC) at Malin Head and A typical set-up in the cockpit: Valentia Island. 1. Primary Flight Display (PFD). Raw statistics for the Sligo Airport base alone tell a story. 2. EuroNav digital moving map on which the programmed track The record yearly total for missions accomplished up to 2012 is displayed. was 137. In July 2013 the venerable but well-loved S-61N was 3. EICAS, the systems screen giving read outs on engine replaced by a brand-new Sikorsky S-92A. Between that date and performance, fuel state, hydraulics, temperatures and April 2014, a bare 10 months, the task has doubled, with some pressures. 270 missions having been flown. 4. Radar/Nav screen with bearing and track. Notwithstanding the fact the unusually warm summer of 2013 5. PFD with an embedded EGPWS map from the Honeywell brought an increase in leisure-related SAR activity, the reasons I-band Primus 700 Weather Radar used in air-to-ground behind this astonishing increase are primarily twofold and will mapping mode. form the substance of this article. The Sikorsky S-92A EI-ICG, based SMOOTH TRANSITION at Sligo Airport, is part of the Coast The first reason is the Guard’s new fleet of choppers. introduction of a fleet of new helicopters. The first S-92A for the IRCG, EI-ICG, was delivered from the Sikorsky factory at Coatesville, Pennsylvania in early 2012 and spent the next six months at Shannon Airport engaged in training and pilot conversion. The first operational mission was from Shannon in July 2012 and the aircraft transferred to Sligo a year later. The other four helicopters, which had been IRISH COAST GUARD ONBOARD TECHNOLOGY Integration with the winch operator and the winchman is SIKORSKY HELICOPTERS ARE BASED IN THE considerably enhanced by the fact that the picture from the FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: screen on the cabin console can be projected onto one of the cockpit screens. This provides a picture from the Wescam Mx15i Registration C/N Previous Base FLIR, which is of military standard and can be used in high Identity definition/magnification colour video and infra-red modes. EI-ICA 920145 G-SARB Dublin The crewmen’s Toughbook Ordnance Survey and Admiralty Chart based moving map is enslaved to the radar and the FLIR. EI-ICD 920152 G-SARC Shannon Another useful new feature is the tail-mounted camera, which is particularly useful when landing at a non-regular site, as it can EI-ICG 920150 N150AL Sligo monitor anyone on the ground who might be walking into danger or it could also be used in flight to confirm a fire or other hazard. EI-ICR 920151 G-CGOC Dublin The avionics suite also includes EGPWS, TCAS, a dual radar EI-ICU 920034 G-CGMU Waterford Inside the five-screen glass cockpit of the S-92A. altimeter and a very comprehensive radio fit including TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio), satellite communications, VHF, a Wulfsberg FM Marine radio plus a Chelton Direction Finding Homer. The autopilot, a Hamilton Sundstrand dual digital autopilot with dual flight directors, can be programmed for a variety of search patterns and modified for varying wind conditions. It is The S-92A crew station FLIR much more user-friendly than the S-61s and can be used within and linked map screens. considerably tighter parameters in difficult to access locations. Interestingly, when flying in the S-92, despite all the high technology aides available at the touch of a button, the non- handling pilot always had a folded map resting on his knee. Ciaran Ferguson and co-pilot, Chief Pilot Paraic Slattery said that this was done to ensure that basic map reading skills were retained and that crews did not get too reliant on automation. Another human factor that they both consider to be of great importance was that CRM should fully involve the crew of four and not just the two pilots. Additionally, standard drills (SOPs) and calls were believed to be of vital importance to ensure that there was complete understanding between the human parts of the system. LEARNING CURVE The training given when the aircraft was introduced was very thorough, and according to Ciaran it was a huge learning curve to begin with; reading, discussing, understanding and then IRISH COAST GUARD putting this into practice. “It is a phenomenal performance and the systems provide an ongoing challenge as we learn to exploit its potential to the full. The six-monthly eight-hour simulator checks in the highly realistic FAA Cat D facility at Farnborough are invaluable, as they enable us to practise coping with extreme situations.” He regards the S-92 as a very safe helicopter to fly; it feels very robust and gives him a feeling of great security when operating in tricky situations thus reducing the crew’s stress levels, as the pilots can push the capability of the crew and aircraft without going to the extremity of their own flying skills. The Rotor Ice Protection System (RIPS) is an innovation which is greatly appreciated and allows a completely new way of thinking for rotary-wing operations. The main and tail rotors are protected to an extent which permits flying into known icing conditions down to -40c. The twin General Electric CT7-8A 2500 shp turboshafts are another highly ABOUT THE AUTHOR significant factor when considering flight safety. They each offer almost twice the power With a life-long interest in aviation Guy than provided on the S-61 and are also fully FADEC controlled. The S-92 can fly further Warner is the author of more than 20 and faster than its predecessor, cruising at 140 kts. With minimum fuel reserves it can books and booklets on aviation, past fly out into the Atlantic 250-260 nms by day (220 nms by night) and have 30 minutes on and present, and has written a large station. number of articles for magazines in Ireland, the UK and the USA. SAFETY FEATURES He also reviews books for several In the event of mechanical or other failure the helicopter can fly on one engine and publications, gives talks to local history recover to base. Top cover by a fixed-wing aircraft is highly desirable on oceanic tasks, societies, and has appeared on TV and the provision for which has been much reduced since the retirement of the RAF’s radio programmes, discussing aspects Nimrods. of aviation history. If the Irish Air Corps, which has two CASA-235 MPA, is unavailable then a second The retired schoolteacher and S-92, probably from Shannon, could be launched to follow on behind and provide a former civil servant from Carrickfergus, welcome degree of cover. Fuel is carried in two sponsons attached to either side of the Co. Antrim, Warner is a graduate fuselage, which hold 2500 lbs each and in a 1400 auxiliary tank in the cabin. of Leicester University and later The sponsons are designed to break off in the event of a high impact landing and all Stranmillis College, have the same breakaway valve safety feature. The sponsons also contain two 14 man life-rafts with 50% overload capacity, which can be deployed automatically. More life- general accessibility for visual inspection. rafts are stowed above the tail ramp. The bulk of the work is less to do with Another safety feature is the emergency floatation system which is designed to mechanical rectification than monitoring keep the helicopter upright in conditions up to Sea State 6 (20 feet waves). Indeed, key indicators, analysing data and crashworthiness as a whole is a notable design feature of the S-92A. preventing the occurrence of component Duty engineers, Francis Perris (Airframe) and Pat Joyce (Avionics) had many years failures. Information is generated by of experience working on the S-61 and agree that the advent of the S-92 has not the Health and Usage Management necessarily reduced the maintenance task but has certainly changed its nature.