Moate native to captain coast guard helicopter at 'fly in' fundraiser this weekend

Moate native Aaron Hyland will captain the Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 116, at a 'fly in' event this Saturday which will raise funds for the Society of St Vincent De Paul.

The 'fly in' is being organised by the Ormand Flying Club in Birr as part of its open day which is taking place from 10am to 3pm on Saturday.

Rescue 116 is being captained by Aaron, who last year won an Oireachtas National Bravery Award for his role in rescuing seven fishermen from a sinking trawler in 12 metre swells off the South coast of Cork.

Aaron is a pilot with CHC, who operate the Helicopter Search and Rescue contract for the Irish Coast Guard, providing day and night services out of four bases (Dublin, Waterford, Shannon, Sligo).

These services include day and night aeromedical support to the island communities, as well as inter-hospital transfers and helicopter emergency medical support to the HSE.

The Irish Coast Guard helicopters also assist An Garda Síochána with inland search operations including collaboration with Mountain Rescue Teams in assisting people who experience difficulty on isolated terrain.

Saturday's event in Birr will provide a great opportunity for to see the Sikorsky S92, one of the five CHC Helicopters which fly all year round 24/7 in all conditions to save lives and support the other national emergency services.

The array of aircraft 'flying in' this year is expected to be a record for the Birr Fly In. For a little taste of what the Fly In is like, see this video from Noel Connolly, one of the pilots who attended last year:

For a great family day out, and to support St Vincent De Paul, the public are invited to come to the Ormond Flying Club's Fly In at Birr Airfield this Saturday, April 2.