Irish operator Green Rebel Marine has taken delivery of its first Diamond DA42 MPP Aerial Survey aircraft.
Green Rebel Marine is leading efforts to establish Cork Harbour as a Green Energy Hub, beginning with a new partnership between Green Rebel Group, Cork Airport, the Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA) and Weston Aviation.
With the purchase of this aircraft, Green Rebel Group will be the only domestic Irish company offering digital aerial surveys for ecological assessments associated with marine renewable energy projects.
Green Rebel has partnered with AFTA, which will be the specialist operator (SPO) for the aircraft. The aircraft will be based at Weston Aviation’s hangar at Cork Airport. Its arrival has resulted in the creation of 15 direct jobs.
The DA42 MPP is equipped with a camera system from Phase One which is mounted in a gyro-stabilised mount from Somag. In addition, an AIS receiver records the GPS position of vessels or boats that are detected within the survey area.
Sarah Kandrot, Head of Aerial Surveys with Green Rebel Group said, “This aircraft will help us to compile information that will ensure offshore wind farms are built in the best locations to protect the ecology of the ocean.
“We are delighted that our aircraft has arrived in Cork, which means we can now begin conducting these important surveys.
“With this aircraft, large sections of the ocean can be surveyed over a shorter period of time than can be achieved with traditional boat-based surveys.
“Thanks to the ultra high-spec of our camera equipment, our aircraft will be flying at heights that will not cause any disturbance to birds or marine megafauna while at the same time allowing us to collect the highest-quality digital imagery.”
Mick Horgan, CEO of Green Rebel Group said: “I am hugely proud of the Green Rebel team and what they have achieved. We have put together an amazing team of data acquisition specialists and data scientists who are all experts in their respective fields.”