HELICOPERS have operated out of Portland for decades and, all being well, will now continue to do so.
I was so pleased to hear this week that HeliOps, a commercial helicopter company, had been named as the preferred bidder for the search and rescue (SAR) site.
Like so many of you, I was bitterly disappointed at the decision to close the base for SAR operations and I remain grateful to the many people who campaigned to keep it as one.
But, after a long fight, the Government remained emphatic, and our SAR aircraft will go next year.
Since Theresa May became Prime Minister, I did write again to the minister to see if he would reconsider.
Regrettably, he won’t.
However, the future of the base is now all but decided and I wish HeliOps well.
The chief executive is Steve Gladston, who was a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm and trained on Portland.
His company, which has a world-wide reach, will ensure that aviation skills and jobs remain on the island.
Most importantly, it will enable SAR aircraft to the west and east of us to refuel there, giving them precious more time over the search area.
I appreciate that this is a compromise from having our own aircraft, but it was the only pragmatic option, and it’s certainly better than nothing.
In addition, HeliOps trains SAR pilots and crew and, although not officially recognised as an SAR asset, a fully equipped aircraft and professional crew are there in the event of a large-scale disaster.
And, who knows, when the credible arguments that we put forward in favour of retaining our SAR aircraft become more and more evident in the years ahead, Portland will still be operational as a helicopter base.