The organisation, which is currently awaiting a new plane after its Lions’ Pride aircraft came down in stormy weather in November, was called and put on standby 28 times and flew 22 searches last year.
The aircraft took part in nine missions in 2010, 11 in 2011 and 19 in 2012.
and Derek Short, the chairman of trustees for the group, said that the increasing use of the organisation demonstrated the ‘urgent need for the lifeboats’ eyes in the sky to be returned to service without undue delay’.
