Warwickshire Northamptonshire HEMS TV Show

[Cov HEMS]

Hello All

Following our every move this summer and filming over 200 missions ITV 1 is showing "SKY Doctors UK" (Their title not ours!!) at 08:00 pm on Tuesday the 21st of September.

Our unit has seen the preview and as TV shows goes its quite good!!

There were considerable problems clearing some jobs for Tv transmission. With the resulting ones fairly minor in HEMS terms.

Thought I would open the topic, as there is bound to be lots of Piss Taking !!!!

[LordGrumpy]

Piss Taking !!!!


There had better not be any of that; unless a sterile catheter is in situ.

On the serious side most thoughtful peeps would realise your value: the great unwashed would view it as entertainment.

[Governormalfunction]

Good luck, I hope it goes well,despite you nicking work from 'County'.
Can Parky drink yet????

[ec135driver]

Hey GovernorMF, and you accuse me of making trouble???

Had the gorgeous Suzanne Virdee in the back of my cab today, nice girl.

Message to VB, BD and JB call us old folks sometime!!!

[Hummingfrog]

Hi

Hope you boys got paid by the TV company. Don't forget they were making a program for commercial gain.

I took part in the "Rescue" series filmed at RAF Lossiemouth in the late 1980s and we even had to buy our own copy of the "book of the series" !!!:{

HF

[Governormalfunction]

Driver,
'Had'???? is that an accurate description of what went on?? How did the open day go? Sorry I couldn't make it! Regards to all & love to a leather clad Annie.

[rotorcraig]

Our local rag (http://www.northamptontoday.co.uk/viewarticle.aspx?ArticleID=854720&SectionID=317) explains that Cov HEMS recently 'had' the Cheeky Girls in the back of theirs ...

All in the interest of fundraising, of course :D

RC

[Governormalfunction]

Ouch, What a scary prospect that must have been!!! Well done whoever it was!!!

[SEL]

Hey Hummingbird

I remember 'Rescue', it was a top show but have never seen it since. So, were you in the book, I have a copy!

[Hummingfrog]

Hi SEL

Yes I was/am in the book but I cannot possibly tell you in which chapter;) as everybody would then know who I was!!! ( clue Rescue 138 on the most famous rescue of the series). Do you want the book autographed:D :D :D :D

HF

[airborne_artist]

You know when you are getting old when the pilots look even younger than policemen...

Good programme - and good to see professionals at work.

[Governormalfunction]

Just watched the programme on ITV. Looked good to me, difficult to show a days work in an hour though. I'll wager heartlands are chuffed with you, at last a use for the 'White elephant' on the roof.
Parky & Jane are looking good.........not so sure about Danny though!

[ec135driver]

Gotta get me one of those A109's, did I hear right, over 30 miles in 8 minutes!!! 225MPH, cool.

Seems like Parky spends more time in resus than you Gov! Me, I like to do a turn around iaw Company Ops Man, call me old fashioned.

Did I hear Brian's soft lilting irish brogue?

[Governormalfunction]

Hey Driver, life on the edge for you eh? Since when have you been a company man? Yep Brian was there, I wonder if he still snores for Belfast, usually around mid morning!
Are they not allowed into Selly then?

[Capn Notarious]

But did the accompanying sound track; some times have a piston engine and not twin turbines?

[helidriver]

Congrats guys on a series (so far) and service well done. My only crit (very minor) is the pants shot of the cab from underneath doing comedy/cartoon deps, that aside nice one,

regards, helidriver;)

[ec135driver]

Gov: As Avon said in an episode of Blake's Seven, "It's so tiring being this perfect"

I guess they wouldn't fly past Heartlands to go to Selly. They can't go to the Childrens tho - daft really as we can go there in bloody Bolkow!

Check your pm's

[2Sticks]

Excellent show chaps! Let's hope it gets good ratings and encourages more helicopter ops TV. Maybe they programme could do something towards fundraising to keep these services alive - maybe the TV jocks could be encouraged to post a web site with info about how to support your local HEMS operation? (Except that I assume they won't be able to amend the already recorded programmes!)

2Sticks

[Governormalfunction]

Driver,
Are you saying the ain't allowed into the kiddies hls?

Standard landing sites are for standard pilots......

Have checked PM's....nothing new there since 20:39

[ec135driver]

Gov

It seems that current users are allowed grandfather rights to continue using sites which do not comply with the latest EASA standards, but new operations cannot - it must make sense to someone?

[headsethair]

Interesting programme. That pixellated family gets everywhere these days. Noticed that "Pilot Neil" was wearing a flying suit with a hungry bum. Will this be explained in future episodes ?

[Thomas coupling]

EC135: grandfather rights are for helos that still can't fly a SSE profile into or out of the HLS. Afforded to 105's and 355's (some, depending on weight). Ferarri banana's should be easily capable of flying a safe performance profile :cool:

This annex 14 EASA thingy is already slipping past 2009+ because of the Germans. At this rate it'll never take hold???

Glad to see you Helimed boys are getting some decent media coverage. You even seemed quite professional too:yuk:

Is the pilot a 'sloane' ranger or a different contractor?

[Minor point (ex trapper disease - sorry), your CAT A clearance is nullified if you shoot an approach with the doors open:8 ].

Keep up the good work lads and lasses, great seeing a doc on board outside of London!

[Governormalfunction]

Driver,
So with that explanation in mind why take a 10 year old RTA victim to Heartlands, where a road move will be required and not direct to a specialist kiddies hospital?
Beats me I'm afraid......maybye Danny knows the answer!

[amanoffewwords]

Excellent program - for once without, seemingly, any add-on special effects/dramatisation etc.

Just one question: what is the function of the "stinger" that was mentioned during one of the landings?

Thanks,
amofw

[Eurobolkow]

Well done to all involved, good show apart from the fact that it did not mention the fact that every Air Ambulance in the England is charity funded. An opportunity missed in my view!

Stinger prevents TRB ground strike.

TC :As far as I know Pilot is a Sloane Ranger and if the 109 is a Ferrari banana does that make the 135 a Renault Allsort!!

[ec135driver]

TC. all I know is that they are not allowed into the Childrens hospital even tho they have much better perf than a 105 and that explains (Gov) why they took the child to Heartlands and he was then transferred by land to the Childrens.

[MightyGem]

amanoffewwords, the stinger is the stick thing hanging down under the tail rotor. It helps to prevent tail rotor strikes, as long as you don't bang it down too hard.

[Wunper]

I enjoyed the show very much but like Capt Notorious suspect some bonehead in the TV post editing Sound dept "enhanced" the true A109 sound with overdubbed Bell 47 mash type sound effects in some places. why can't they just leave it alone? or do they want the public to think all helicopters sound like that.

W

[Hedski]

Aaaagh! Too busy flying so I just missed it! :mad:
Anybody know if I can see a repeat some time soon or will it be a series like Trauma and not a once off? :cool:

[EESDL]

If the crew went easy on the rations, perhaps a Robbo could be used for the job!

Joking of course, great to see a team work comfortably and well together (sorry, couldn't spell 'synergy').

Let's hope the 'luvvies' in the production department don't spoil it for us.

Neil, leave those pies alone.........................All pilots are meant to be slim, athletic gods!!!!!!!! Doh!

[Tony Chambers]

enjoyed the show its great to see a valuable asset being advertised, its a shame not all counties get coverage. maybe tv bosses should do a show where each unit gets a slot each week.
1 thing tho i agree that the dramatic departures i.e. 360 turn was a bit too much.
Well done to all guys and gals involved, keep it up!!
:ok:

[rotorcraig]

Enjoyed the show. Was it a one off, or the first in a series?

RC

[amanoffewwords]

one-off prog from what I read.

Thanks for the answers on the stinger.

amofw

[Cov HEMS]

Thank you everybody for your generally supportive comments!!!!

ITV are looking at the viewing figures before they commision a series!!! I here they have sold it internationally so thing are looking good.

Yes we were supprised they did not mention that we are a charity organisation. I guess that the crew bleeting this fact, does not make great TV!!!!!!

Our charity fundraisers are however chuffed to bits, as together with the other media barrage they are doing locally its great PR.

The problem someone mentioned about the Childrens Hospital was a difference in opinion between CAA OPS Inspectors, this however is nearly sorted.

We did notice the wrong Helicopter sound track, I think its a Huey in the back ground.

Im actally in real life very athletic!!! But had to wear a FAT SUIT for the programm!!!!!!!!!!:yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :yuk:


Cheers

[psyclic]

Why the red uniforms for the paramedics? Do you want them to be seen as different (or better) than their land based green suited collegues?

(Or perhaps like the HEMS unit not far from you at E. Mids, it's to identify the paramedics who think they are better than the land crews they attend incidents with!)

[Whirlygig]

Don't worry Cov HEMS - it's a well known fact that the television camera puts 10 lbs on its subjects ! ;)

Great programme - I hope there are more.

Cheers

Whirlygig

[pilotwolf]

psyclic.. think its probably more likely it's a cheaper option than an elitest thing.

Also makes it easier to identify different disciplines of staff if they re dressed differently.

Personally - as a wearer - the green uniform looks awful! I ve been confused with dustmen/Homebase workers/mechanics/etc!

I say bring back the old mil type shirt/trousers/tie! Looks far smarter and more professional.

PW

[Cov HEMS]

Psyclic

The Orange suits are there not to massage anybody's ego. I think it’s a historical thing from London HEMS and helps to identify at a busy scene who is attached to the helicopter!
Some units around the country have decided to change their suits to green because it did wind land crews up, but we have not had that problem.
All our paramedics are from land ambulance stations anyway and only spend 1 week in 4 flying.
I think this problem other units have had is more based on peoples attitudes than the colour of their suits!!!

Interestingly motorway road sweepers and salvage truck drivers now wear orange coveralls, so now I am getting repeatedly asked to sweep up before I go !!!!!!!!

[exhemsdog]

Well done guys - good programme at last about the AA boys - how did you get permission for filming to happen when on Hems jobs - did you carry a camera man on all jobs, did he fly to hospitals with you etc - just interested as previously we were refused permission for just such events.
Regards
Steve F

[Governormalfunction]

Psyclic....

"Or perhaps like the HEMS unit not far from you at E. Mids, it's to identify the paramedics who think they are better than the land crews they attend incidents with!"

That is the very attitude that the HEMS Paramedics avoid like the plague. Are you by any chance failed aircrew?? All the paramedics do a brilliant job, regardless of their mode of tranport. You will find that most of the aircrew involved work on the road as a part of the rostering.

I suggest you wake up, sniff the coffee and get yourself a life!!!

[jumpseater]

Me and mrs js watched the programme, very interesting, missus commented that paramedics (whatever the colour of their suits/underpants and land/air operations) weren't paid enuff!. Watching the motorcyclist incident, I'm so glad every time I get on mine I put on body armour without thinking!!

Would like to see similar programmes maybe with a regional variation, if any telly execs read this. Perhaps if another programme is done then some off-shore or mountain SAR coverage would be of interest as well.

[psyclic]

Governormalfunction;

From rumours recently emanating out of the Ambulance training school and discussions at Ambulance HQ in the Midlands;

In the Midlands area, red suited HEMS crews attending incidents, are less likely to be accepted by the land crews on scene than green suited HEMS crews.

[bondu]

psyclic

I did 18 months with North West Air Ambulance and our paramedics also had orange suits. Pilots wore red suits, generally. We also had our 'job/status' on the back in large letters: PILOT; PARAMEDIC.
We had no problems whatsoever with 'land crews': remember, all the aircrew paramedics work on the ground as well, as road crews, fast response crews etc.
It is purely a matter of education: the helicopter is just another form of ambulance and the crews do just the same job.
And they do it extremely well!
The use of different coloured suits is, as Cov HEMS said, to help differentiate the different individuals at the scene of an incident. I well remember attending incidents where up to thirty 'emergency' personnel were present: police, firecrews, doctors, paramedics; not to mention eyewitnesses and those involved in the incident. Any way of identifying specific people in the crowd has to be a good thing.

I also agree with CovHEMS on the fact that the charity status should have been mentioned in the programme. Any and all publicity for these operations is very important for raising awareness and, perhaps more importantly, raising funds.

bondu