OREANDA-NEWS. May 13, 2016. CHC Helicopter (CHC, the "Company"), a global helicopter services provider, announced that its Irish Search-and-Rescue (SAR) operation, which provides services on behalf of the Irish Coastguard, has achieved the significant milestone of reaching 10,000 Sikorsky S92 flight hours.

CHC has been providing these critical services to the Irish people on behalf of the Irish Coastguard for more than two decades. CHC's crew have rescued and assisted many thousands of people throughout Ireland during this time.
 
The company's five new technology Sikorsky S92 aircraft have completed more than 3,100 missions, operating from the company's bases in Sligo, Waterford, Shannon and Dublin since first commencing operations in Ireland in 2012.
 
Peter O'Hagan, base manager for CHC's Irish SAR operation, stated, "10,000 hours is a significant milestone for the highly trained crews who carry people from danger and distress to safety." He added, "We have completed a number of high profile missions, including the rescue of mariners miles out to sea and critically ill people stranded in remote locations, as well as hundreds of individual rescues every year."
 
Chris Hodson, CHC General Operations Manager for SAR, praised the aircrew and engineers at all four bases. "We achieved 10,000 flight hours ahead of initial projections, thanks to the collective dedication of our people, who are putting the advanced capability of these aircraft to operational effect every day, while maintaining the highest levels of safety. With four bases located across Ireland, our crews assist mariners, hill walkers, and those living in rural communities. I'm proud to say that the Search-and-Rescue operation has a record of high efficiency and reliability, maintaining more than 97 percent availability for the people of Ireland and our customer, the Irish Coastguard."
 
Jim O'Neill, CHC Chief Crewman Standards, SAR Ireland added, "Survivability of major trauma and medical emergencies can be greatly increased if the patient can be brought to hospital to receive definitive care within 60 minutes of the incident taking place. This is known as the golden hour. With the help of the SAR crews we are more able than ever to achieve this."
 
With the introduction of the S92, CHC ushered in a step change in operational effectiveness and flight safety. The fleet is equipped with state-of-the-art autopilot functions, auto hover and flight director upgrades. This has led to improved safety and higher levels of aircraft availability.
 
CHC operates the world's largest commercial Search-and-Rescue network. The company delivers services on behalf of the Irish Coastguard from four bases in Ireland, the MCA in the UK, RAAF in Australia and delivers search-and-rescue services to the oil and gas industry in Norway and Australia.
 
ABOUT CHC
CHC Helicopter is a leader in enabling customers to go further, do more and come home safely, including oil and gas companies, government search-and-rescue agencies and organizations requiring helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul services through the Heli-One segment. The Company has a fleet of more than 220 aircraft and operates on six continents.
 
MEDIA
Sue Fay
Director, Communications - EMEA, NECC
+44 (0)7796444762
Sue.fay@chc.ca