Scottish Charity Air Ambulance at Perth

[Floppy Link]

Just announced today, no idea of who will be providing the aircraft...

BBC Scotland News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-20498405)

[roundwego]

Can't see this being a big success. Why Perth (except it is an aerodrome)? A few hundred feet above sea level and subject to serious restrictions if cloud low.

Their web site indicates they will be using a Bolkow. I thought they were all timex.

They seem very optimistic about what it is going to cost them to run. I hope they are not being led up the garden path by an overly keen but inexperienced pilot.

Good luck to them.

[jayteeto]

The bolkows are just fine and dandy. It doesnt take the brains of a rocket scientist to guess the provider????

[CharlieOneSix]

Can't see this being a big success. Why Perth (except it is an aerodrome)? A few hundred feet above sea level and subject to serious restrictions if cloud low.

So how do YAA manage at LBA which is 681ft elevation - Perth is only 397ft. It's a delightful airfield from which to fly. How about having a glass half full rather than knocking it before it's got going.

I hope they are not being led up the garden path by an overly keen but inexperienced pilot.

From their website (I have no knowledge of this gentleman):

Alan Bell moved to Australia and spent the next 2 years flying as a commercial helicopter pilot. Working beside an Air Ambulance base on the Sunshine Coast gave Alan the impetus to introduce the Australian HEMS working model to Scotland.

Alan returned to the UK to take up the position of Commercial Director of a care provision company. He then coordinated the sale of the company to a multi-national American based organisation.

Having successfully completed the sale he became a helicopter flight instructor and set-up a flight training organisation. He remains a director and shareholder in the business and is their Chief Flying Instructor.

Alan is a Flight Examiner for the UK Civil Aviation Authority and holds commercial helicopter licenses in Europe, Australia, United States and Qatar. He currently flies twin engine helicopters for a national commercial helicopter company as a Line Pilot.

[roundwego]

So how do YAA manage at LBA which is 681ft elevation - Perth is only 397ft.

Some slight Differences - A couple of ILS's, Area Radar and a modern single pilot IFR A/C for starters

[misterbonkers]

Only one of the YAA aircraft is IFR.

Good luck to the operation! More pilots jobs ain't all that bad.

Oh - and Perth is well placed for covering the A9 - where some of the worst accidents on Scottish roads take place.

[jimf671]

This appears to be a 105 provided by a charity for deployment by the SAS Air Wiing and using an SAS Paramedic.

This seems to indicate a high level of integration with the exisiting state system and avoids many of the problems occuring in ... eh ... a nearby territory.

A 105 looks aged compared to a 135 but come 2014 there will be a major capability gap after the air wing get their new 145s. A9 - yes, seems like a plan. However, bad things happen most often in bad conditions.

[helihub]

From what I see the available/suitable 105s in the UK are... 2 with Bond, 1 with PAS/MAS and 1 with PDG. There's a third with Bond which I heard was sold

[riverrock83]

See BBC News - Bond to operate new Perth-based charity air ambulance (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-21183037)
Going to be operated by Bond at Perth.
Question - why use / buy a Bolkow 105? Are they not ancient? I see that the Scottish Ambulance Service (ie - the NHS funded ones) are replacing their EC135s with EC145T2 (Scottish Ambulance Service - Air Ambulance - Aircraft (http://www.scottishambulance.com/WhatWeDo/aircraft.aspx)). Could they not get the old EC135s which are already well proven, and the maintenance is already on site?

Perhaps a different question - does Scotland need a charity Air Ambulance when it already has 2 government funded ones along with SAR which could fulfil the same roles if required?

Another question - if Bond is operating, will the same crews just jump between all the Bond operated helicopters at Perth or will there need to be a dedicated team for this?

[jayteeto]

most likely one or two base pilots for day ops, with floaters or other Scottish pilots covering leave/sickness. already a well oiled operations system in place

[fisbangwollop]

BBC Scotland tonight showed BO105 GBUXS at Perth. Recently been in use by Northern Lighthouse Board operated by Bond prior to the Eurocopter. :cool:

[PANews]

As long as the CAA [EASA] will allow the use of the BO105 it will be the airframe of choice for up and coming [and therefore relatively poor] charity air ambulance operations.

As was found to the cost of a few operations [Thames Valley with the A109 and more recently Great West with a 135] getting the shiney new toy is very expensive and embarassing when your fundraising cannot support the airframe in the early days.

There are exceptions to the rule of course but most take up the super cheap offer from Bond and PAS with their written down 105s that cost the provider very little and ease the task of the fundraisers.

A year or so down the road and they will get a newer airframe and by then the 145T2 will be making the current Scottish 135s available as an option.

[cyclic]

G-BUXS - it will weighed down by all the different paint schemes! Good to see it put back to use.

[Floppy Link]

G-BUXS was up for the HEMS crewmember course. G-CDBS is the aircraft, in a natty new colour scheme. See
G-CDBS | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/b3alie/8736465602/in/photostream)

[fisbangwollop]

Best wishes fom all at "Scottish information" for your new operation....look forward to talking soon :cool:

[dont overfil]

Scottish Charity Air Ambulance goes live from Wed 22nd May.

D.O.