‘HEMS operating site’ means a site selected by the commander during a HEMS flight for helicopter hoist operations, landing and take-off. (Annexe 1 definitions - to the draft Commission Regulation
on ‘Air Operations - OPS’.
The grey area is going to be when does the CAA consider the site/ operation to have crossed from HEMS into SAR and therefore need to comply with CAP 999 and have a state AOC to be carrying out the operation.
Is the plan to increase the crew for winchop and winchman or hope the ambulance crews can load the casualty onto a winch?