This year’s Azores ASAREX came with both good and bad but, all in all, it was a “really positive event” for members of 14 Wing Greenwood’s 413 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron.
Major Matt Sinasac, 413’s CC295 Kingfisher flight commander, was the annual search and rescue exercise’s detachment commander. Thirty-two personnel from across the wing participated, including one 413 maintenance crew and two Kingfisher crews, several observing CH149 Cormorant pilots and flight engineers, and a number of administrative supports; between July 4 and 11.
Portugal hosts the annual advanced search and rescue exercise for maritime SAR partners who regularly work the “top” of the Atlantic Ocean, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Mauritania and others; in active or observing roles. 413 Squadron sent two Kingfisher aircraft as active flying participants during July 4 to 10 exercise scenarios.
“There were a variety of different things, and we were only involved in some of them,” says Sinasac.
In the first scenario, a maritime and coastal extraction of a “stuck” climber from a cliff, 413 was tasked to locate the climber, drop a search-and-rescue technician and assist in the climber’s retrieval by a Portuguese Air Force SA330 Puma helicopter. Unfortunately, 413’s SAR-Tech broke their leg upon landing by parachute.
“The terrain is hilly and agrarian, and there are lots of rock fences in the tall grass. With wind, it was just an irregular landing,” Sinasac says.
A 413 ground party awaiting the descending SAR-Tech was immediately at hand, including a volunteer firefighter with emergency care training; and a group of Portuguese participants followed quickly.
“We were pretty happy with the response – off to the hospital, the host nation provided a liaison. There was a lot of care and attention from the host nation for our team.”
413 stepped out of the next ASAREX scenario, a planned boat rescue, and weather interrupted a parachute and flare exercise; but crews returned for a boat sequence, dropping a pump in a typical activity to an underway Portuguese 100-metre navy ship.
In his first ASAREX experience, and seeing the full training partnership and capabilities between international maritime responders, Sinasac says “that was pretty cool.”
And, 413 finished up with more of a demonstration than exercise element, using the Kingfisher in a combined international partners’ search for a person in the water, a SAR-Tech jump, then extraction by helicopter. Spanish observers, awaiting the arrival of their own CC295s for search and rescue work, were particularly keen to see 413 work the plane.
“There’s been plenty of interest in the Kingfisher, and there have been limitations and benefits to learn for us,” Sinasac says, “but we’re very satisfied with the exercise. It’s as much an exercise in flying as it is in relationship-building. People were glad to go, and people were glad to see us.”
