Oscar Charlie
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If you are looking for the band, please see Oscar Charlie
G-BDOC
The Coastguard Rescue helicopter, callsign G-BDOC, better known as Oscar Charlie was operated by Bristow Helicopters and was one of 2 Sikorsky S61N helicopters based at Sumburgh Airport, on the south tip of the Shetland Mainland.
Oscar Charlie first arrived at Sumburgh Airport on 3rd April 1985, and became operational the following day. The normal operational flight range is 150 miles, but by refuelling on offshore platform that range can be greatly expanded.
In early 2005 Bristow Helicopters performed their 10,000 mission, in the UK for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at which point over 6,500 people had been rescued by the Bristow Helicopters aircraft.
Oscar Charlie was equipped with an Auto-Hover Flight Control System, Search Radar, FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red), and Night Vision goggles.
Oscar Charlie holds the record for the most people saved on one mission. 56 crew rescued from the Latvian klondyker Lunokhods which grounded on Bressay on 9th November 1993. The winchman on this mission, Friedie Manson, was awarded the Queens Award for Gallantry.
Photograph courtesy of, Ian McLuskie
After 22 years service, Oscar Charlie left Sumburgh Airport on 1st October 2007 when the contract passed to the new operators CHC Scotia, who will eventually be operating 2 new Sikorsky S92 on the MCA contract, and one of these aircraft will hold the registration G-CGOC, hence the name Oscar Charlie will live on in Shetland.
The 2nd aircraft on the Sumburgh MCA contract, G-BCLC, Lima Charlie, although less well known has been involved in many rescue missions. One of the most notable was the wreck of the reefer Green Lily, on the back of Bressay, on the 19th November 1997. On this mission the winchman Bill Deacon, after ensuring the last crewmen were winched to safety, was swept off the wreck and drowned. Bill Deacon was posthumously awarded the George Medal for bravery. Both Oscar Charlie and Lima Charlie now have new positions,operating for Bristow Helicopters in Den Helder in the Netherlands
G-CGOC
Carrying on the name Oscar Charlie, the new Sikorsky S92A MCA Rescue Helicopter, callsign G-CGOC, operational callsign Rescue 102, officially entered service for operators CHC Scotia at Sumburgh Airport on 10th January 2008.
Her first call out was on the 28th of January, when a sick crewman was airlifted from an oil platform.
The second S92A on the new MCA contract has the callsign G-SARC, operational callsign Rescue 103.
