CHC Fields First AW139s for U.K. Coast Guard Duty

CHC Helicopter has placed the first AgustaWestland AW139s in the hands of the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Two of the search-and-rescue-configured medium twins will be based at the agency’s Lee-On-The-Solent airfield; the third will be assigned to Portland. The agency has a contract through 2012 with CHC to provide round-the-clock airborne SAR coverage. Like its Sikorsky Aircraft S-92s fielded under that contract, each AW139 is equipped with a Goodrich dual hoist, SkyTrac ISAT-100 communications and flight-following system, Spectrolab SX-16 Nightsun, Wescam MX-15i forward-looking infrared sensor, Chelton 935-11 direction Finder, and Saab R4A SAR AIS transponder. For related news