After a decade of supporting our UKCS aerial surveillance subscribers, we are retiring our primary aircraft, G-UKCS (GUX).
We will continue to deliver a high-level service to our members using an alternative aircraft provided by 2Excel. The replacement plane is the G-SCIR, and will act as our new primary aircraft. The G-SCIR is a Piper Navajo Panther (PA-31) and officially replaced ‘GUX’on Wednesday, 29 April, after it had taken its final flight for OSRL.
The Panther aircraft is a performance-enhanced conversion of the Navajo, offering improved take-off and climb performance, higher cruise speed, a quieter cabin, and increased stability.
The surveillance capability will remain the same, as the G-SCIR model uses the same proven surveillance suite, including the existing OFIL ROM 400 turret, sensors, and the Carte Nav mission system.
Over the years that our G-UKCS aircraft was in service, it was mobilised to our members 24 times, conducting 73 surveillance sorties and totalling 4,125 flying hours altogether. The total flight distance that this aircraft travelled whilst in service to OSRL was 250,631 nautical miles, which is the equivalent of traveling around the world ten times!
Our aviation services provide critical support for oil spill response operations worldwide, with a comprehensive approach that includes the provision of specialised surveillance aircraft, aerial dispersant application, satellite remote sensing, and surveillance capabilities.
