List of aircraft of the Icelandic Coast Guard

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The following is a list of aircraft of the Icelandic Coast Guard, past and present. The Icelandic Coast Guard has operated 22 aircraft since the inception of its air wing, as well as having leased commercial aircraft on occasion for short-term missions, with their history being widely covered in the Icelandic media through the years.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Airplane history

Sif (IV) is the latest maritime surveillance plane in the ICG service
Syn (I) was the longest serving aircraft in ICG history, having served for 33 years.
Name[a] IDL[b] Type From To
Rán (I) TF-RAN
Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina
1955 1966
Built in 1945 and bought by the
U.S. Navy in September 1954 after it had been damaged close to Þórshöfn in Langanes earlier in the year. Bought by the ICG on 10 December 1955 and named after Rán, the goddess and a personification of the sea. In regular use until 1963 and was the first Icelandic aircraft to be equipped with a radar.[8] Damaged beyond repair after flipping over during a major storm while parked and sold for scrap in 1966.[9][10][11]
Sif (I) TF-SIF Douglas C-54 Skymaster 1962 1971
Bought used from a Portuguese airline in 1962 to replace Rán (I) and named after Sif, the golden-haired goddess associated with earth and the wife of Þór, the god of thunder.[12][13]
Sýr (I) TF-SYR
Fokker F27 Friendship 200
1972 1980
Bought used from
Flugleiðir in December 1980.[14]
Syn (I) TF-SYN
Fokker F27 Friendship 200
1976 2009
Syn was bought new in 1976 and used until 2009 for search and maritime surveillance.
Icelandic Aviation Museum.[15]
Sif (IV)
TF-SIF
Bombardier DHC-8-Q314
2009 Present
Ordered in May 2007 and arrived in July 2009.[16][17][18] Used for maritime surveillance and replaced Syn (I).[19] Due to budget cuts following the 2008 Icelandic financial collapse, Sif was frequently leased to Frontex to fly border control missions.[20][21]

Helicopter history

Sif (III)
is credited to have been involved in the rescue of around 250 lives.
During a six-day period in 1997, Líf rescued 39 sailors in three separate incidents.
Syn (II) in the briefly used orange paint scheme.
Name[a] IDL[b] Type From To
Eir (I) TF-EIR
Bell 47J
1965 1971
Was bought in 1965 and jointly owned by the ICG and the National Life-saving Association of Iceland,[22] which provided half of the funds needed.[23] Named after the Norse mythology goddess Eir.[8] Crashed in October 1971.[24][25]
Gná (I) TF-GNA
Sikorsky S-62
1972 1975
The first specialized
Gná.[8] Crashed in Skálafell in 1975 after a shaft in the tail propeller broke.[28]
Huginn TF-HUG
Bell 47G
1973 1980
Bought used from the
Óðinn's ravens. Suffered from frequent breakdowns.[29] Damaged after a hard landing on ICGV Ægir in 1975. Out of service by 1978 and sold around 1980.[30][31]
Muninn TF-MUN
Bell 47G
1973 1980
Bought used from the
Óðinn's ravens. Suffered from frequent breakdowns.[29] Out of service by 1978 and sold around 1980.[30][31]
Gróa (I) TF-GRO Hughes 500C Defender 1976 1980
Named after the
mess hall.[1][34]
Rán
(II)
TF-RAN
Sikorsky S-76 Spirit 1980 1983
Arrived new in 1980 and was the second Coast Guard aircraft to bear the name Rán. Crashed in Jökulfirðir in November 1983, killing its four man crew,[35] in what remains the deadliest accident in the ICG history and nearly caused the shutdown of its helicopter program.[4][1]
Gróa (II) TF-GRO Hughes 500C Defender 1981 1986
Arrived in October 1981. Bought as a replacement for Gróa (I).[36] In August 1985, its engine was damaged after a drunken man broke in to the hangar where it was stored and tried to start it.[37] Sold in 1986 to finance a replacement helicopter.[38]
Sif (II) TF-SIF
Aérospatiale SA 365N Dauphin II
1984 1985
Leased from Aérospatiale while waiting for the arrival of
Sif (III) and operated from October 1984 to July 1985.[39][40]
Sif
(III)
TF-SIF
Aérospatiale SA 365N Dauphin II
1985 2007
Arrived new in 1985 and was involved in several high profile rescue missions during its 22-year career. In 1987, it rescued the crew of Barðinn GK after it ran aground in the cliffs in the western part of
Icelandic Aviation Museum.[5]
Gróa (III) TF-GRO
Eurocopter AS 350B Ecureuil
1986 1999
Bought in January 1986[38] and arrived in April the same year.[43]
Líf TF-LIF
Aérospatiale AS-332L1 Super Puma
1995 2020
Named after Líf from Norse mythology. Used for maritime surveillance and search and rescue operations.[44] Is the longest serving helicopter in the history of the ICG and gained national fame when it rescued 39 sailors in three separate incidents during a six-day period in March 1997.[45] Decommissioned ind 2020, put in storage and scheduled for sale.[46][47] Donated to the Icelandic Aviation Museum in 2024 and put on display.[48][49]
Steinríkur LN-OBX
Aérospatiale AS-332C Super Puma
2006 2008
Leased in January 2006 and named Steinríkur after the Icelandic name of the character Obelix from the French comic book series Asterix.[50] Leased again from 2007 to 2008.[51][52]
Eir (II) TF-EIR
Aérospatiale SA 365N Dauphin II
2007 2010
Leased in January 2007 from
Sif (III).[53] Suffered from frequent breakdowns and was returned in 2010.[54]
Gná (II) TF-GNA
Aérospatiale AS-332L1 Super Puma
2007 2019
Leased from 2007 until early 2019.
Öræfi.[57] In October 2013, Gná rescued 11 sailors from the burning cargo ship Fernanda.[58][59] In November 2018, TF-GNA rescued 15 sailors from the stranded cargo ship Fjordvik in Helguvík.[60]
Syn (II) TF-SYN
Aérospatiale AS-332L1 Super Puma
2012 2019
First leased for 12-months and arrived in February 2012.[61] Replaced in 2019 by Gróa (IV).[62] Was the only helicopter to adopt the briefly considered orange color scheme.[63][64]
Eir (III) TF-EIR Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma 2019 Present
On long-term lease from Knut Axel Ugland Holding of Norway. Arrived in March 2019 and replaced Gná (II).[65][66][67] In May 2020, TF-EIR made an emergency landing in Sandskeið following a failure in the gearbox.[68][69] In March 2021, the helicopter rescued a BBC film crew after their boat started taking on water in the vicinity of Hlöðuvík in Hornstrandir.[70][71]
Gróa (IV) TF-GRO Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma 2019 Present
Arrived in July 2019 on long-term lease from Knut Axel Ugland Holding of Norway and replaced Syn.[72][62][67] During the November 2020 Coast Guards mechanics strike crisis, Gróa was the only operational rescue helicopter in the country.[73][74]
Gná
(III)
TF-GNA Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma 2021 Present
On long-term lease from Knut Axel Ugland Holding of Norway. Arrived in May 2021.
fourth season of True Detective.[77]

Notes

  1. ^ a b All ICG aircraft bear names that originate from Norse mythology. According to the ICG, its aircraft should be referenced by either their given name or their identification letters (IDL) when covered in the media.[7]
  2. ^ a b The identification letters (IDL) are always five and serve as both the international identification of the aircraft and telecommunication call sign. All identification letters start with TF, which is Iceland's electronic communications call sign, which was assigned to it approx. 100 years ago.[7]

References

  1. ^
    Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  2. ^
  3. ^
  4. ^ a b "Um einkennisstafi og nöfn á loftförum Landhelgisgæslunnar (LHG)" (PDF). lhg.is (in Icelandic). Icelandic Coast Guard. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Landhelgisgæslan á flugi" (in Icelandic). Icelandic Coast Guard. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  6. Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  7. ^ "Flugleiðir kaupa Gæslu-Fokkerinn TF-SYR á 675 millj. kr". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 10 December 1980. p. 32. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  8. Icelandic Aviation Museum
    . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Smíði gæsluvélarinnar gengið ævintýralega vel". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 3 April 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  10. Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  11. ^ "TF-SIF komin til landsins". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 1 July 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  12. Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  13. ^ a b "Þessar þyrlur hafa reynzt afleitlega". Tíminn (in Icelandic). 15 February 1977. p. 20. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  14. ^
    Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  15. ^ a b "Tvær af þremur þyrlum ónýtar". Vísir (in Icelandic). 16 August 1978. p. 24. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  16. Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  17. Landhelgisgæsla Íslands
    (in Icelandic). 8 November 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  18. ^ "Ný þyrla komin til Landhelgisgæzlunnar". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 16 October 1981. p. 2.
  19. ^ "Skemmdir unnar á þyrlu Gæzlunnar". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 27 August 1985. p. 52. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Kaupir nýja þyrlu af gerðinni Ecureuil". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 11 January 1986. p. 4. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  21. Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  22. ^ "Gátum ekkert annað gert en beðið". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 14 March 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  23. ^ "Íkorni í gæsluflotann". Tíminn (in Icelandic). 5 April 1986. p. 20. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  24. ^ "Fjölmenni fagnaði LÍF". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 24 June 1995. p. 4. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Frækileg björgun á reginhafi". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 29 September 2016. p. 34. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  26. ^ Elín Margrét Böðvarsdóttir (5 May 2020). "Þyrlukaupum frestað og TF-LÍF verður seld". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  27. ^ "TF-LIF verður brátt sett á sölu". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  28. ^ Lillý Valgerður Pétursdóttir (14 March 2024). "Ekið með björgunarþyrlu til Akureyrar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  29. ^ Erla María Davíðsdóttir (14 March 2024). "Þakklátir að hún fái hvíld á Flugsafninu á Akureyri". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Þyrlan Steinríkur aftur leigð til Landhelgisgæslunnar". Icelandic Coast Guard (in Icelandic). 10 September 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  31. ^ "Ný þyrla í stað TF-Sifjar". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 8 September 2007. p. 6. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  32. ^ "Steinríki skilað til Noregs". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 12 April 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  33. ^ "Ný þyrla eykur öryggi á landi og sjó". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 25 January 2007. p. 2. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  34. Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  35. ^ "Tuttugu manns um borð þegar mest lét". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 3 November 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  36. ^ Hólmfríður Gísladóttir (3 February 2012). "Gert við leiguþyrluna í Færeyjum". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 15. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  37. ^ a b "TF-GRÓ komin til landsins". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 6 July 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  38. Tímarit.is. Open access icon
  39. ^ "TF-SYN kom til landsins í nýjum lit". Icelandic Coast Guard (in Icelandic). 21 March 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  40. ^ "Loftför - TF-EIR" (in Icelandic). Icelandic Coast Guard. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  41. ^ Erla María Markúsdóttir (16 March 2019). "TF-EIR komin til landsins". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  42. ^ a b Jóhann K. Jóhannsson (11 December 2018). "TF-EIR og TF-GRO koma í þjónustu Landhelgisgæslunnar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  43. ^ "Þyrla varði nóttinni á Sandskeiði eftir bilun". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 18 May 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2022. Closed access icon
  44. ^ "TF-EIR aftur í þjónustu í dag eða á morgun eftir bilun í gírkassa". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 19 May 2020. p. 19. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  45. ^ Ingunn Lára Kristjánsdóttir (16 March 2021). "Myndband: Landhelgisgæslan bjargar tökuliði BBC við Hornstrandir". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  46. ^ Eiður Þór Árnason (16 March 2021). "Tökumenn BBC um borð í vélarvana bát á Hornströndum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  47. ^ "Loftför - TF-GRO" (in Icelandic). Icelandic Coast Guard. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  48. ^ Garðar Örn Úlfarsson (25 November 2020). "Björgunarþyrluleysi er nú sagt óumflýjanlegt". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). p. 6. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  49. ^ "Eina útkallshæfa þyrlan ekkert kölluð út um helgina". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 9 November 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  50. ^ "TF-GNA kemur í þjónustu Landhelgisgæslunnar um áramót". Icelandic Coast Guard (in Icelandic). 3 July 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  51. ^ Atli Ísleifsson (5 May 2021). "TF-GNA komin til landsins". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  52. ^ Bjarki Sigurðsson (12 April 2023). "Fyrsta sýnishorn True Detective". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 January 2024.