Magpas and Thames Valley prep for night HEMS operations
Two English helicopter air ambulance charities, Thames Valley Air Ambulance (TVAA) and Magpas HeliMedix, are preparing to offer HEMS after dark using night-vision capable aircraft.
Image: The new Thames Valley Air Ambulance H135 (TVAA)
Two English helicopter air ambulance charities, Thames Valley Air Ambulance (TVAA) and Magpas HeliMedix, are preparing to offer HEMS after dark using night-vision capable aircraft.
TVAA, which flies across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, officially launched its new H135 helicopter on 12 October, the first in the UK to fly in a HEMS role. The machine was delivered to operator Bond Air Services in August, and has been fitted with an Aerolite medical interior. It replaces an EC135 T2 that began service with TVAA in 2008.
Mark McGeown, CEO of TVAA, noted the new aircraft’s improved performance, increased payload and better fuel economy over the previous model. The NVIS capability, he said, will help the charity’s doctor-led crews ‘to take the major step into night HEMS operations’.
Sir Tim Jenner, TVAA chairman, said: “The new helicopter, with its night flying capabilities, will allow us to extend our hours of coverage and enable our medical crews to respond to more emergency call outs, saving more lives.”
Meanwhile, Magpas Helimedix, which covers the east of England from a base in Cambridgeshire, has announced that from 26 October it will extend its hours from 07:00 hrs to 19:00 hrs, seven days a week, meaning it will fly after sunset for around six months of the year. The service will be delivered using an NVIS-equipped MD Explorer operated by Specialist Aviation Services.
Magpas CEO Daryl Brown noted that a significant number of trauma cases happen in the hours of darkness; the service will offer 24/7 coverage thanks to ground vehicles being employed when the helicopter is not on duty.