''Sif'', also known as ''TF-SIF'', is an Aerospatiale SA365N Dauphin 2 helicopter used by the

Icelandic Coast Guard The Icelandic Coast Guard (, or simply ) is the Icelandic defence service responsible for search and rescue, maritime safety and security surveillance, and law enforcement in the seas surrounding Iceland. The Coast Guard maintains the Iceland ...

from 1985 to 2007. It took part in several high profile rescue operations around

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

during its 22-year career and is credited to have been involved in the rescue of around 250 lives. It is named after

Sif In Norse mythology, Sif (Old Norse: ) is a golden-haired goddess associated with earth. Sif is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century ...

, the golden-haired

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

from

Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...

and is the third Coast Guard aircraft to bear the name. Since 2008, it has been on display at the

Icelandic Aviation Museum The Aviation Museum of Iceland ( is, Flugsafn Íslands ) covers the history of aviation in Iceland. It is housed at Akureyri Airport and was formally opened on 24 June 2000. History The museum was founded on 1 May 1999 and formally opened on 24 J ...

History

''Sif'' was ordered from

Aérospatiale Aérospatiale (), sometimes styled Aerospatiale, was a French state-owned aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale ( ...

in June 1984 as a replacement for TF-RÁN which November 1983 crash in

Jökulfirðir The ''Jökulfirðir'' (, "glacier fjords") form a system of five fjords in Westfjords, Iceland, situated north of Ísafjarðardjúp and south of the Hornstrandir peninsula. They are named for '' Drangajökull'', a glacier situated to the south ...

resulted in the deaths of four Coast Guard airmen. Due to delays in delivering the helicopter, another Dauphin was leased from Aérospatiale from 1984 to 1985 and went by the same name. The new ''Sif'' arrived in Iceland on 19 November 1985. It was the sole specialized rescue helicopter in Iceland until ''Líf'' arrived in June 1995. On 14 March 1987, nine crewmembers of the fishing vessel ''Barðinn GK'' were rescued aboard ''Sif'' after the ship stranded in the bay of Dritvík at

Snæfellsnes The Snæfellsnes () is a peninsula situated to the west of Borgarfjörður, in western Iceland. The Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland, can be found in the area. With its height of 1446 m, it is the highest ...

. On 12 February 1988, the crew of ''Sif'' rescued 11 crewmembers of the fishing vessel ''Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson III GK 11'' that stranded close to

Grindavík Grindavík () is a fishing town on the Southern Peninsula (Iceland), Southern Peninsula of Iceland not far from the tuya Þorbjörn (mountain), Þorbjörn. It is one of the few cities with a harbour on this coast. Most of the inhabitants work in ...

. On 14 June 1990, ''Sif'' rescued the two-man crew of a

Piper PA-34 Seneca The Piper PA-34 Seneca is a twin-engined light aircraft, produced in the United States by Piper Aircraft. It has been in non-continuous production since 1971. The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying. Development The Senec ...

that had to ditch the aircraft 29 miles west of

Keflavík Keflavík (pronounced , meaning ''Driftwood Bay'') is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. It is included in the municipality of Reykjanesbær whose population as of 2016 is 15,129. In 1995, Keflavik merged with nearby Njarðv ...

after running out of fuel. On 20 February 1991, ''Sif'' rescued 8 sailors from the fishing vessel ''Steindór GK'' after it stranded under the cliffs of ''Krísuvíkurberg''. In May 2001, the tail of ''Sif'' was severely damaged after the helicopter was caught in a severe wind conditions while flying over

. On 19 December 2006, ''Sif'' rescued 12 crewmembers of the cargo ship '' Wilson Muuga'' after it ran aground south of

Sandgerði Sandgerðisbær () is a former Icelandic municipality located in southwestern Iceland on the Southern Peninsula (Iceland), Southern Peninsula. In 2018 it merged with Garður to create the new municipality of Suðurnesjabær.rigid inflatable boat A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are ...

overturned in rough seas. Seven of the men where rescued by ''Líf'' while one died. On 16 July 2007, while on a training mission, ''Sif'' made an emergency landing in the sea between

Straumsvík Straumsvík (, "stream cove") is a harbour on the northern shore of the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparse ...

and

Hafnarfjörður Hafnarfjörður (), officially Hafnarfjarðarkaupstaður (), is a port town and municipality in Iceland, located about south of Reykjavík. The municipality consists of two non-contiguous areas in the Capital Region, on the southwest coast of t ...

and was damaged beyond repair. The four crew members were unhurt. Following the incident, the helicopter was donated to the

Notable captains

Benóný Ásgrímsson Benóný Ásgrímsson is an Icelandic aviator. He served with the Icelandic Coast Guard for 50 years, including 38 years as a helicopter pilot from 1978 to 2016 where he participated in several high-profile rescue operations. Coast guard career H ...

References

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External links

TF-SIF Aerospatiale SA.365N Dauphin 2 Fact Sheet
at Icelandic Aviation Museum Icelandic Coast Guard Helicopters Rescue aviation Individual aircraft

History

Notable captains

Further reading

References

External links