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First UK Air Ambulance launches in Cornwall
The first air ambulance in the UK, a Bolkow 105 built in 1985, is launched in Cornwall, a paramedic and technician medical crew and single pilot configuration. The concept of an Air Ambulance in the UK was developed from an idea by ex-naval helicopter pilot, Geoff Newman. Newman completed the first 400 missions, flying a five day week. the helicopter was supplied by Bond Helicopters free of charge for the first three months. The first patient air-lifted was a student with a severe spinal injury. -
London HEMS flies first mission
HEMS London charity formed following collaboration between the conservative government of Margaret Thatcher , the Daily Express and the Royal London Hospital. -
South East Thames Air Ambulance
Kent Air Ambulance Trust established, originally operating as the South East Thames Air Ambulance. As chairman of South East Thames Regional Health Authority, Sir Peter Baldwin signed an historic agreement with McAlpine Helicopters chairman Kenneth McAlpine on November 6, 1989 -
First mission for South East Thames
The first mission of the South East Thames Air Ambulance (later to become the Kent Air Ambulance), a Twin Squirrel (G-SETA). Sixteen year old Michelle Leather, who lives near Tenterden, was flown to the William Harvey hospital, Ashford and was receiving treatment within seven minutes of being released by the HEMS team. -
Police and Medical cooperation
A unique joint venture between the Wiltshire Police and the Great Western Air Ambulance Service begins. An MD 902, responding to Police and Medical emergencies begins operations. 66% is funded by Wiltshire Police and the other 33% is funded by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal -
First Airlift for Devon Air Ambulance
Doreen Baker was the first patient to be lifted on the first day of operations for the Devon Air Ambulance. Taking a stroll whilst on holiday at Becky falls, she fell and twisted her ankle. Doreen said: “I am so grateful to everyone involved; ambulance crew, helicopter crew, doctors and nurses. Through all my pain,it was quite excititing. I had to stay in hospital for a week, but to be the fifirst patitient to be airliftfted was an honour. Thank you everyone on the.” -
Devon gets an air ambulance
Devon Air Ambulance flies into operation. Formed by Ann Thomas in memory of her son, 18-year-old Ceri Thomas, who was fatally injured in a road traffic collision in 1986. At hospital, his mother learned that the quicker a patient receives hospital treatment, the greater that patient's chances of survival. At the official launch, Ann recalls ‘The emotion was over-whelming. I, along with many others along the way had achieved what we had set out to do. Ceri’s life had not been in vain.’ -
Lincolnshire Air Ambulance launch
A group of consultants at the Pilgrim Hospital proposed a helicopter service to ferry seriously ill patients to specialist units at other hospitals avoiding the transit times associated with Lincolnshire's road system. The Lincolnshire Air Ambulance was formed at RAF Waddington in April 1994. Due to the proximity of RAF Waddington to Nottinghamshire, it was soon extended to Nottinghamshire in 1995. The service originally operated a yellow Bolkow 105, G-PASC -
7-day flying for Devon Air Ambulance
After 5 years of operations, the Devon Air Ambulance extended the number of flying days fom 5 to 7, providing week-long medical cover to the people of their county. -
Essex gets an air ambulance
Essex Air Ambulance launched, a red Bolkow 105 crewed by two paramedics or a paramedic and an emergency medical technician and a single pilot. -
Tragedy for the Kent Air Ambulance
The Kent Air Ambulance (at the time a Eurocopter AS355 Twin Squirrel, registration G-MASK) crashed after colliding with power cables near Burham whilst returning to Rochester Airport following an aborted call to attend a road accident. All three crew - the pilot, Graham Budden, and two paramedics, Tony Richardson and Mark Darby - were killed on impact. -
New aircraft for Lincs and Notts
G-LNAA, an MD 902 explorer enters service as the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance, replacing the original yellow Bolkow 105 used since 1994. -
New aircraft for Kent
A new helicopter, an MD 902, G-KAAT, launches as the Kent Air Ambulance -
Air ambulance for Dorset and Somerset
A Bolkow 105 comes into operation as the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance -
AA sponsors an air ambulance for Yorkshire
A yellow Bolkow 105, sponsored by the AA, begins operations as the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, based at Leeds Bradford International. The first year was entirely sponsored by the AA. -
East Anglian Air Ambulance launch
East Anglian Air Ambulance Trust, and begins operations with one aircraft, ‘Anglia One’ based at Norwich airport. The Trust had been formed one year previously to begin fundraising to provide an air ambulance to cover Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. The aircraft, a BK117, is crewed by two paramedics and a single pilot -
New aircraft for Essex
Essex Air Ambulance replaces Bolkow 105 with EC135, an aircraft more suited to modern HEMS work -
Katie
North West Air Ambulance gets a brand new aircraft thanks to the late Katie Caine. G-NWAA, an EC135 named ‘Katie’, entered service.
NWAA said: "We are eternally indebted to Katie. We are proud that our new Air Ambulance will always be known as Katie in her memory." Sandra Tomlinson explained: "Katie would have thought this was all wonderful. Katie was 95 when she died. She went on Concorde when she was in her 80s and had a real love of flying so to see this would make her so proud." -
New aircraft for Yorkshire
The original Yorkshire Air Ambulance is replaced with G—SASH, a yellow MD 902 -
Yorkshire in the news
Yorkshire Air Ambulance is involved in a high profile case. Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond is involved in a high speed crash and is airlifted to the Leeds General Infirmary. Following this operation a high profile charity appeal was launched, contributions to the appeal were in excess of £185,000 -
Dorset and Somerset Royal visit
EC135 unveiled by HRH the Princess Royal as the new Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance -
Second aircraft for East Anglia
East Anglian Air Ambulance Trust brings second helicopter into operation. Initially based at RAF Wyton, ‘Anglia Two’ covered Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, leaving ‘Anglia One’ free to cover Norfolk and Suffolk. The aircraft, a BK117, is crewed by a doctor-paramedic team, provided by an established pre-hospital care charity, MAGPAS. -
EHAAT formed
Essex Air Ambulance charity becomes the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust and begins fundraising for a new helicopter to serve as the Hertfordshire Air Ambulance -
8000th mission for Dorset and Somerset
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance flies 8,000th mission. The milestone call-out was to take an 18-month-old burns victim from Shaftesbury to Salisbury District Hospital, which has a specialist burns unit -
Sussex gets it's own air ambulance
Following a local fund-raising campaign spearheaded by Surrey-based actress Penelope Keith that began in 2005, the Kent Air Ambulance Trust started operating a second helicopter from a new base at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey serving the Surrey and Sussex areas. This new service operates as the Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance and is an MD902, a sister aircraft to G-KAAT. -
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Launch
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance begins operations. A 30 year old Bolkow 105 is secured for use, with fundraising ongoing for a newer aircraft -
Hamster helps Yorkshire
Yorkshire Air Ambulance, helped by donations following the high profile rescue of TV presenter Richard Hammond, launches a second aircraft. G-CEMS is a yellow MD 902 based at Sheffield City Airport. -
10,000th mission for LNAA
Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire air ambulance carries out its 10,000th mission. The helicopter was called to Grantham to help a rider who had been thrown off his horse. He suffered spinal injuries and was flown to the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham for treatment. -
HBOB
New EU regulations relating to the operating requirements for Air Ambulances due to come into force in 2009 meaning the 1979 Bolkow 105 would be unsuitable for use. An EC135, G-HBOB (named for the counties it serves – Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire) enters service. -
An air ambulance for Hertfordshire and doctors on board
Essex Air Ambulance moves to a doctor-paramedic model providing advanced clinical skills at the roadside. Thanks to a year of intense fundraising, Herts Air Ambulance is launched as a sister aircraft to the Essex Air Ambulance -
Jackie's old helicopter to the rescue!
AA funding for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance was withdrawn and a 1979 Bolkow 105 replaces the Augusta 109. This aircraft, G-TVAM, was first owned by former US First Lady, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis. -
North West gets an air ambulance
The North West Air Ambulance begins operations from Blackpool Airport using a yellow Bolkow 105, G-NAAA -
AA sponsorship for a new air ambulance
Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust launches a yellow Augusta 109 aircraft, sponsored by the AA (one of 6 air ambulances supported by the AA at this time) based at White Waltham airfield near Maidenhead -
New helicopter for Essex
Essex Air Ambulance replaces EC135 with MD902, moving into sync with the sister aircraft serving as the Herts Air Ambulance -
Custom build for Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire
Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance launches a new custom-built MD 902, G-LNCT, to replace the 10 year old aircraft previously used by the charity -
Doctors on board East Anglian Air Ambulance
East Anglian Air Ambulance moves to a doctor-paramedic model, providing a commitment to provide a doctor on board both Anglia One and Anglia Two seven days a week. Anglia Two relocated from RAF Wyton to Cambridge Airport. Crew no longer provided by MAGPAS -
Uncertain times for East Anglian Air Ambulance
The immediate future of the East Anglian Air Ambulance seems uncertain as the aircraft provider, Sterling Helicopters, is suddenly grounded and goes into administration. Fortunately, the offline time is short as Bond Air Services step in to provide two temporary Bolkow 105 helicopters to serve the people of East Anglia as Anglia One and Anglia Two -
Future secured for East Anglian Air Ambulance
East Anglia Air Ambulance announce a deal with Bond Air Services to provide two custom build, brand new helicopters, an EC145 (which will be the first air ambulance of this aircraft type in the UK) and an EC135. The two new aircraft will become Anglia One and Anglia Two in 2014 and will offer the ambitious possibility of night HEMS operations. In the meantime two EC135s replace the temporary red Bolkow 105 helicopters serving the counties -
Landmark mission for Herts
Hertfordshire's Air Ambulance flies its 900th mission. On13th of December when they were called to the QE2 Bridge in Thurrock. Due to difficult weather conditions it was a challenging landing for Chiel Pilot David Kerr-Shappard in 40 mph winds, putting his extensive skills and experience to the test. -
20th Birthday for Devon Air Ambulance
2012 sees the 20th birthday of Devon Air Ambulance
