Cornwall Air Ambulance gets second life-saving helicopter

BBC News

25-02-2025

Cornwall Air Ambulance pilots have collected a helicopter from a production line in Italy – making it the first time the charity has two helicopters to provide critical care to people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.The move comes as the charity passed the £2m milestone of its £2.85m Heli2 Appeal target it launched in 2023, and has about £197,000 left to raise.The aircraft has now arrived in Gloucestershire from Milan, where teams of specialists are to give it a medical fit out, transforming it into a fully-functioning critical care resource.The work would take several months to complete and the helicopter was expected to be fully operational by the summer, bosses said.
'Vast range of equipment'
The charity attended 1,064 missions in 2024, including 327 medical emergencies.The new helicopter was to carry a lift raft system and flotation devices "maximising safety" when flying over water, unit chief pilot Adam Smith said.It had high weight limits, meaning it could carry more fuel, so the crew could go on back-to-back missions and carry "a vast range" of equipment, drugs and lifesaving tools, he said.It would also have the space and weight capacity to transport a parent as well if a child needed urgent medical care, and would fly at about 135 knots (155mph), Mr Smith said.Having a second aircraft equipped with a vision system, powerful searchlights and advanced mapping systems would also mean the service could fly at night when its other helicopter was being maintained, he said.
Air ambulance's chief executive Tim Bunting said the arrival of the second aircraft was a "landmark moment" which would "boost the resilience and capability of our service". "Ultimately, this will mean we'll be able to save even more lives for many years to come," he said.The charity is appealing for people to help it reach the rest of its fundraising target to help the aircraft take to the skies.