Flash0701.
You stated that:
"the BO105 which had clamshell doors at the back to slide the patient in and out. Correct me if im wrong but i seem to remeber that they HAD to shut down to install a patient in this way."
Wrong.
I was lucky enough to spend 18 months flying a BO105 for North West Air Ambulance and we often loaded the patient through the rear doors with rotors running. It depended entirely on the situation: landing site, patient injuries etc. The Police obviously didn't want to close the road/motorway down for longer than necessary; so we would land in the field alongside, close down and the paramedics will do their stuff. When the patient was stable and loaded onto the stretcher, I would start up. The Police would then stop the traffic and I would reposition onto the carriageway. The paramedics, with Police/fireman assistance, would then 'hot load' the patient, and we would be away. Minimum disruption to other traffic on the road/motorway.
An example of good co-operation between all the emergency services.
And yes, it was/still is extremely frustrating to have to rely on charity to fund the Air Ambulance services in England and Wales. I would not wish to see the funded given directly by the NHS, for the reasons stated elsewhere on this thread. However, why each area service couldn't be sponsored by 'big business' I don't know. Imagine the prestige/
PR value that BP or Shell etc would get if they funded an Air Ambulance? As for the public, in the NW we covered an area with a population of 6 million plus. If every man, woman and child had given just 10p each, that would have fuded our BO105 for a whole year! (Cost in 2000/2001 was £600,000 approximately).
bondu