Bearintheair - I am merely using publically available information. The CAA G-INFO site records G-SUSX
here and I can see from that (1) it was new in Jan-00 and (2) it had done 2004 hours on the airframe at the end of Dec-03. 2004 divided by 4 years flying = 501 hours a year, so allowing for "delivery mileage", you're doing 500. Are you saying the CAA is telling fibs? Or do you do 230-300 hours a year in replacement aircraft when the Explorer is AOG? (eg the five weeks from 2nd Dec 03 to 6th Jan 04 that I noted in
this thread) Show me the maths, I'd be interested to see where 730 comes from.
Air ambulance - I appreciate this is a really sore point for you given that Kent Air Ambulance Trust is pushing very hard to start two new operations in Sussex and Surrey... and they already have one-page websites at
surreyairambulance.com and
sussexairambulance.com
to air their intentions, and certainly they are putting out press stories drumming up support in each area.
Tell me, does your joint operation of one helicopter between two different emergency services result in torn priorities? A single organisation (eg. police) can decide on relative merits of two situations if they have demands for the helicopter to be in two places at once, and decide which one to send it to. But Police v Ambulance must create conflicts? Surely it would be better to separate them?