asked the Minister for Transport (a) if any requests have been made by the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre, or any other agency under the control of his Department, for British aircraft or helicopters, and if so, the number of requests in each of the years 1970 to 1979 inclusive, the date, the type of aircraft/helicopters, the location with a breakdown of the type of mission (i) air-sea rescue, (ii) other rescue missions, (iii) ambulance or other missions, and (b) if charges were made for such aircraft/helicopters, and the total cost in each of the years.
Written Answers. - Marine Rescue Service.
273.
The responsibility of my Department for the operation of the Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre commenced on 17 July 1972, when the centre was transferred from the naval base at Haulbowline to Shannon Airport.
The attached statement gives particulars of direct requests for British aircraft from the period 18 July 1972 to the end of December 1979. No charges were made for the utilisation of the craft.
Nimrod is a fixed-wing search aircraft. The "Sea King" is a long endurance helicopter.
Following is the statement:
|
Date |
Aircraft Type |
Location |
Mission |
|
5/12/72 |
Nimrod (1) |
51.28 N. |
Search and rescue. |
|
06.38 W. |
|||
|
7/2/73 |
Nimrod (1) |
80 miles west of Shannon |
Investigation of flares. |
|
10/2/73 |
Sea King (2) |
51.20 N. |
Search and rescue. |
|
06.03 W. |
|||
|
24/4/73 |
Nimrod (1) |
20 miles east of Wicklow Head |
Search and rescue. |
|
17/5/73 |
Nimrod (1) |
52.58 N.12.30 W. |
Cover for Irish helicopter engaged in lift-off of injured Spanish seaman. |
|
19/7/73 |
Nimrod (1) |
51.10 N. |
Search and rescue. |
|
08.40 W. |
|||
|
31/8/73 |
Nimrod (1) |
50.07 N. |
Search and rescue. |
|
Sea King (1) |
11.09 W. |
||
|
1/9/73 |
Sea King (1) |
Cliffs of Mother |
Search and rescue. |
|
18/9/73 |
Sea King (1) |
8 miles north of Malin Head |
Lift-off of injured seaman. |
|
16/11/73 |
Nimrod (1) |
50.40 N.11.40 W. |
Cover for lift-off by Irish helicopter of injured seaman. |
|
23/3/74 |
Sea King (2) |
Loop Head |
Lift-off of injured seaman. |
|
16/3/74 |
Nimrod (2) |
52.00 N.15.00 W. |
Investigating reports of emergency locator transmission received by civil aircraft. |
|
21/8/74 |
Nimrod (1) |
52.10 N.13.37 W. |
Cover for lift-off of injured seaman by Irish helicopter. |
|
4/9/74 |
Sea King (2) |
49.30 N.08.00 W. |
Lift-off of injured fisherman. |
|
17/2/75 |
Sea King (2) |
49.00 N. |
Lift-off of injured fisherman. |
|
Nimrod (1) |
10.00 W. |
||
|
6/8/75 |
Nimrod (2) |
100 miles west of Shannon |
Search and rescue. |
|
28/10/75 |
Nimrod (1) |
52.48 N.19.00 W. |
Search and rescue. |
|
10/11/75 |
Nimrod (1) |
52.13 N.13.40 W. |
To assist aircraft in difficulties. |
|
16/11/75 |
Nimrod (1) |
25 miles east of Howth |
Search and rescue. |
|
10/12/75 |
Nimrod (1) |
100 miles south-west of Cork |
To assist aircraft in difficulties. |
|
17/4/76 |
Nimrod (1) |
50.10 N.11.50 W. |
Search and rescue. |
|
13/7/76 |
Royal Naval |
49.40 N. |
Search for cargo vessel. |
|
Helicopter |
15.30 W. |
||
|
26/11/76 |
Nimrod (1) |
45 miles south-east of Cork |
Search and rescue. |
|
Sea King (2) |
|||
|
4/3/77 |
Sea King (1) |
60 miles west of Loop Head |
Lift-off of injured seaman. |
|
5/3/77 |
Sea King (1) |
53.11 N. |
Lift-off of injured seaman. |
|
13.52 W. |
|||
|
20/12/77 |
Nimrod (1) |
30 miles east of Rosslare |
Search and rescue. |
|
24/12/77 |
Nimrod (1) |
30 miles east of Rosslare |
Continuation of above. |
|
14/4/78 |
Nimrod (1) |
60 miles west of Galway |
Lift-off of injured seaman and providing top cover for helicopter. |
|
26/6/78 |
Nimrod (2) |
Galway/Clare coast |
Search and rescue. |
|
22/8/78 |
Nimrod (1) |
South-West Irish Coast |
Search and rescue. |
|
20/8/78 |
Sea King (1) |
Irish Sea |
To check emergency transmission location signal. |
|
20/11/78 |
Sea King (2) |
250 miles west of Ireland |
Search and rescue (hoax call). |
|
Nimrod (2) |
|||
|
1/12/78 |
Nimrod (2) |
Irish Sea |
Search and rescue. |
|
7/12/78 |
Sea King (1) |
20 miles east of Wexford |
Search and rescue. |
|
8/1/79 |
Sea King (2) |
Bantry Bay |
Search and rescue. |
|
13/1/79 |
Sea King (1) |
56.20 N. |
Lift-off of injured seaman. |
|
14.58 W. |
|||
|
26/1/79 |
Sea King (1) |
52.06 N. |
Lift-off of injured seaman. |
|
Nimrod (1) |
13.17 W. |
||
|
31/3/79 |
Sea King (1) |
49.18 N. |
Lift-off of injured seaman. |
|
08.53 W. |
|||
|
16/4/79 |
Sea King (1) |
Inishowen area. County Donegal |
Search and rescue. |
|
11/7/79 |
Nimrod (1) |
49.45 N. |
Lift-off of injured seaman. |
|
Sea King (1) |
06.35 W. |
||
|
13-17/8/79 |
Numerous Nimrods and Helicopters. |
Fastnet Area |
Fastnet race (joint English/Irish rescue operation). |
|
1/11/79 |
Sea King (1) |
53.44 N.05.50 W. |
Search and rescue. |
|
05.50 W. |
|||
|
12/12/79 |
Nimrod (1) |
50.30 N. |
Lift-off of injured crewman. |
|
Sea King (1) |
10.30 W. |