Eurocopter deliver new helicopter to East Anglian Air Ambulance

The trustees of the East Anglian Air Ambulance have taken delivery of a new Eurocopter EC135 T2 helicopter, at the start of BGAD 2012.

Chairman of the board of trustees, Andrew Egerton-Smith spoke about the trust and the work it was doing with the NHS locally and was very pleased with the new helicopter and the extra work they will now be able to do.

Over the next few months, the EAAA will be working with Bond Helicopters to get the required certificates for the helicopter, to enable it to extend its operating capabilities. The EAAA plans to operate the helicopter when certified to 1 am in the morning but also plans to start operating the new helicopter earlier. Pilots and medics will all have to be trained to wear night-vision goggles (NVG) during late-night flights, this aids their ability to see when it is dark.

Recently, Bond Helicopters have been operating an earlier model of EC135 for the air ambulance service from Cambridge. The EAAA will take delivery of a second EC135 T2 helicopter by the end of 2013.

This will be the first night HEMS in the UK and the target is to be certified and operation ready by December 2012.