Top-spec Airsearch plane finally on the way

Friday 04 January 2019

More than five years after the Channel Islands Air Search plane was destroyed in a crash, the charity is finally expecting to get its own new aircraft delivered.

CIAS has been trying to get its hands on the new plane ever since the crash, but yesterday announced it had a Britten-Norman Islander assembled and waiting to be painted. It could be in the organisation's possession as soon as next month, according to its Chief Officer.

The new aircraft was initially expected to be in service as early as the start of 2017, but that never came to fruition thanks to a number of delays. In the interim, CIAS have been using an aircraft that is not fully kitted out with the systems it needs to be as effective as possible.

If all goes to plan from here, the new plane - which has all of those needed, more modern, systems - will go to the paintshop for two weeks later this month, then it can be handed over. 

Among the new, improved, systems are quieter propellers, better data collection computers, a more stable thermal imaging camera, with higher resolution and more. All of it will require the crew to undergo an month of training to get up to speed. 

John Fitzgerald, Chief Officer of the CIAS, told Express: "the construction is complete and engine tests have been run. It is due its first flight this week before heading to the paint shop.

"It will then be returned to have the search equipment installed and final certifications made before we take delivery."

This all comes just a day after a new Channel Island group announced plans to fund raise and purchase a helicopter. It wants to operate an emergency helicopter for medivacs and rescue. Mr Fitzgerald said it could work well in conjunction with the CIAS, and would save money in having to bring in a UK based helicopter. 

Pictured: The logo for Air Rescue Channel Islands. 

The helicopter idea has come from a Coastguard and a Firefighter, who have teamed up and try and see it through. 

'Air Rescue Channel Islands' argue that in 2018, the average time taken to deliver a patient to a hospital in the UK was four hours, whereas a locally based helicopter would reduce that journey time to an hour.

The helicopter would aim to be airborne in just 10 minutes during the day and 20 minutes at night after the time of first call, compared to the 90 minutes it takes on average for a UK aircraft.

The new charity hopes to have the helicopter ready for take-off by the summer in order to operate medical transfer routes between the Channel Islands and to the UK, but they need to raise £1.5m. in order to do so.

Pictured top: The new CIAS plane before painting.