Originally Posted by
DaveReidUK
But aren't the vast majority of air ambulance flights flown by helicopters?
Two differing areas of Air Ambulance flights. The Helis acting as a quick reaction response to ongoing accidents and incidents. Flight plans will not be filed for these as they're generally moving patients to nearby hospitals only, operating low level predominantly VFR and therefore don't have the need for STS. Then there's the fixed wing longer flights using STS/HOSP (predominantly exec type aircraft, Lerjets King Airs, Challengers, Hawkers) on their FPL to which there are plenty on a daily basis here in the UK, let alone the EU or further afield.
Medical repatriations are probably more common than you think particularly at this time of the year in normal circumstances. The vast majority of these flights in the UK will be organised by medical insurance companies and authorised by AUS/SaRG.
In the US alone there are hundreds of daily MEDEVAC, previously LIFEGUARD flights conducted by fixed wing aircraft. There are currently 32 non-heli MEDEVAC flights in the air in the US as I type.