WATCH: Inverness Search & Rescue Base Opened

Inverness Search & Rescue Launch from MFR News & Sport on Vimeo.

The launch of the Inverness Search & Rescue service was marked in a special ceremony today.

The new £7M facility at Inverness Airport was officially opened ahead of operations going live on April 1st.

The civilian service takes over from the arrangement at RAF Lossiemouth.

New operator Bristow hosted staff from the Moray airbase, as well as coastguard personnel at the site.

MFR Reporter Derek Ferguson speaks with Chief Pilot John McIntyre ahead of the service going live...

Richard Parkes, Director, Maritime Operations at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “HM Coastguard has been providing search and rescue helicopter services in Northern Scotland for over thirty years.

"Today I am immensely proud to be welcoming our third civilian base in Scotland, at Inverness.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the outstanding work that RAF Lossiemouth has carried out over many decades, both inland and out to sea. We will ensure that their legacy is continued.”

Samantha Willenbacher, Director of UK Search and Rescue at Bristow Helicopters Ltd, said: “It is an honour to have been chosen to deliver this vital service across the UK.

"We know this is a service that people rely on in times of great need and we are committed to continuing the great work of the military.

“We have enormous respect for the dedication that our military colleagues have demonstrated in delivering search and rescue over the past 70 years and we have always understood how vital it is that their knowledge and expertise is maintained.

"We have worked closely with them in preparing for the civilian service to go live and have also welcomed many of them into the new civilian SAR force.

“I would like to thank all of those here in Inverness, from RAF Lossiemouth, and around the UK who are supporting us in our preparations for the service going live.”

The company’s aircraft and crews have been at the Inverness base since January 2015 making preparations for the service going live and conducting a raft of training exercises with local search and rescue partners.

The base is led by local Inverness man Chief Pilot Captain John McIntyre.

Captain McIntyre started in aviation flying fixed wing aircraft from Inverness Airport after being awarded a flying scholarship through the Air Training Corp.

He joined Bristow Helicopters in 1989 and graduated from the company’s cadet training school.

During his career he has flown oil and gas and military support missions in Europe, Africa and the Falkland Islands as well as SAR operations and crew training in the UK, Holland and Libya.

Captain McIntyre said: “Everyone here at the Inverness search and rescue base is very grateful to the local community for making us feel so welcome and we are very much looking forward to delivering a first-class lifesaving service to them.

"Close ties and good working relationships are vital to our success and I am happy to say that we have had nothing but positive support and feedback from our colleagues in the military and other emergency service organisations whilst establishing the base here.

"I also really appreciate the support we’ve had from Highlands and Islands Airports and the Inverness Airport Business Park.”

Inglis Lyon, Managing Director of Inverness Airport operator HIAL said: “We welcome the opening of Bristow’s new search and rescue base at Inverness Airport.

"The new facility represents a significant investment by Bristow, both in terms of its training and operational capability, and Inverness Airport is proud to serve as the Highland base for this vital service.”

David Hastings, Chairman of Inverness Airport Business Park, said: “Bristow’s state of the art search and rescue centre is a significant new addition to Inverness Airport Business Park.

"This facility represents a major investment by Bristow and we are delighted to welcome such an important addition to the business park.

"It is a development which underlines the valuable role Inverness Airport plays as a magnet for investment in the area."