Wiltshire Air Ambulance makes history with its new helicopter

AN exciting chapter in the history of Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) took place on Friday 24th October when the charity’s new helicopter flew into the county. 

The fly-in and landing was greeted by Mrs. Sarah Rose Troughton, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire, officially welcomed the new helicopter, a Bell 429. Among the 500 plus guests present were long-standing supporters of WAA from the across the community and business sectors, event sponsors,  WAA volunteers, Friends of WAA, Trustees and representatives from Bell Helicopter and Heli Charter, who will operate the new helicopter.

The event also included a moving presentation involving more than a dozen patients who have been saved by WAA who were reunited with WAA crew members. Wiltshire Air Ambulance is making aviation history as the Bell 429 is the first to operate as an air ambulance in the UK. The Bell 429 was built in Mirabel, Canada, and is one of the most advanced light twin helicopters ever developed.

It has a top speed of 156 knots (180mph) and has been fitted out with the most recent Aerolite equipment to meet the highest helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) specification. The colour scheme of the new air ambulance is yellow and the distinctive Wiltshire green. On the belly of the helicopter is a distinctive ‘W’ representing Wiltshire.

From January 2015 WAA will operate its own helicopter as its 24 year partnership with Wiltshire Police for the joint helicopter comes to an end in December 2014, when the force joins the National Police Air Service.

Operating its own helicopter means the charity will need to raise £2.5 million a year to keep the helicopter flying.

Mrs Troughton said the new helicopter was a “new and exciting chapter” in the history of the charity.

The new helicopter will be leased from Heli Charter, Bell’s UK agent, based in Manston, Kent. Under the 10-year contract there is the option for a replacement helicopter to be provided after five years.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s Chair, Mandy Clarke, thanked supporters, volunteers and staff and said,  “We are delighted to receive our new helicopter and begin a 10 year partnership with Heli Charter, who are providing the aircraft and the pilots.

“Our patients will benefit as the Bell 429 is fast so we can get patients to hospitals very quickly. We hope that the new colours and the distinctive ‘W’ will enable people to recognise us more easily when we fly and they can be proud to know that we are flying to save lives.”

The crew on the air ambulance will be a pilot and two paramedics. A doctor will fly with a paramedic on occasions.  Paramedics will continue to be provided by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT). All of the paramedics have Critical Care Skills and have all worked on Wiltshire Air Ambulance previously.

Training for the pilots and paramedics will begin this month and the air ambulance is due to start operating on 1st January 2015. The air ambulance will fly up to 19 hours a day. Initially it will operate in the daytime with night flying commencing in Spring 2015. This is to allow the pilots to accumulate experience with the aircraft and operating area while at the same time training for night flying.

The air ambulance will operate from a hangar at Wiltshire Police Headquarters, Devizes, until the charity has found a suitable site to build a permanent home and visitor centre. A shortlist of potential sites are being actively considered and it is hoped that a new base could be operational in two to three years.