Sikorsky Successfully Completes S-92® Helicopter Deliveries to Bristow for Use by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
PARIS AIR SHOW, Paris, June 16, 2015 – Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has fulfilled its contract to deliver seven S-92® helicopters to Bristow Helicopters Ltd. for UK Search and Rescue. There are now 11 S-92 helicopters available for use by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for the UK SAR mission; four began operations as part of the UK Gap SAR contract in June 2013. Bristow Helicopters Ltd. is an affiliate of Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS). Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
S-92® helicopters are certified to meet the stringent safety requirements of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). These 11 S-92 helicopters will operate from bases strategically located near areas of high SAR incident rates in the U.K.
The S-92 aircraft are outfitted with state-of-the-art technology including:
- High Definition Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) and thermal image camera technology
- Night vision goggle (NVG) technology including glass cockpit
- Equipped with icing protection system
- Air Speed of 145 knots/166 mph
- Endurance to perform for over four hours without refueling
- Twin hoist
- Comprehensive medical suite
Samantha Willenbacher, Director of UK search and rescue at Bristow Helicopters Ltd. said, “Delivery of the seventh UK SAR S-92 helicopter marks a significant milestone in our program. The S-92 is well proven in both maritime and mountainous environments, and the aircraft’s advanced capabilities are being used on a daily basis from our UK SAR bases. Since April 1, 2015, more than 100 people have been rescued or assisted in the UK by S-92s in the Bristow Helicopters SAR fleet, operated on behalf of HM Coastguard.”
To date, Sikorsky has delivered more than 250 S-92 helicopters to customers throughout the world. In 2014, Sikorsky celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the S-92 helicopter, which was first delivered in 2004. The fleet has reached more than 800,000 flight hours, with over 90 percent of those hours providing offshore oil and gas worker transportation. In addition to SAR and offshore oil and gas, S-92 helicopters perform heads of state missions and a variety of transportation missions for utility and airline passengers.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Connecticut, is a world leader in aircraft design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit the website at www.utc.com or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.
