AA - AIR AMBULANCE CONTRACT???????

[CDP]

ANYONE APPLIED YET? I HAVE THE SCOOP!!!!!!!

[sloppylink]

Hiya,

As an active pilot in this area of the business I'd be interested in knowing what the "Bobby Moore" is regarding the AA and NAA Scheme and any other goss. I've not heard too much other than that Sloane and Bond Air Services are the main players so far. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[CDP]

SLOANES HAVE 3 109 POWERS ON ORDER 1ST OF WHICH IS DUE IN MAY 99 FOR THE AA CONTRACT 24 HOUR CREWING WILL BE REQ 9 PILOTS WITH OPTIONS FOR 1 MORE M/C ALL K/O IN MAY INITIALLY MIN TWIN TIME 1000 HRE + IR ETCETC

[airmail]

24hr crewing? This cannot be a normal AA contract surely?

[maxvne]

Yes this is the normal way AA is going to be crewed from now on the maintain the new JAA standards and the A109 Power's meet CAT 1 performance.
Has anyone been taken on yet by the companies and what's the salary like?

[sloppylink]

I've heard that there were some 50 to 60 applicants and that that figure was sifted down to an initial interview list of possibles (not sure how many). Those interested successful candidates from the first interviews are being re-interviewed soon I believe. Rumour has it that the salary is something like 35K with no frills other than a pension scheme ?

[CDP]

Sloppylink is about on the button 3K per month contract will not be up and running till at least oct/nov

[ENG OUT]

Interviews have been taking place during this week.
Anybody been for one?

[PurplePitot]

EMS

NEW AIR AMBULANCES
The Basingstoke based Automobile Association [AA]
are firmly interested in supporting a national string
of air ambulances, perhaps not unlike the German ADAC,
Austrian OAMTC, Spanish RACC and other groups. The
project will be in co-operation with a City of London
based charity group calling themselves NAAAS [National
Association of Air Ambulance Services].
The sponsor is rumoured to be considering putting up
as much as £25 million [i.e. 80%] of the cost, a figure
that might be discounted were it not known that they have
a very long history of involvement in emergency services
aviation.

After operating aircraft in a small way before the war,
from 1954 to 1990 the AA flew a variety of fixed wing
aircraft, which incidentally greatly assisted in the
development of police aviation in the UK, and included
ambulance repatriation among their duties. They walked
away from aircraft use and on July 20, 1990 handed the
task over to commerce. Perhaps, after a few years
reflection, they have decided that this was an error.
PAN first exclusively announced the identity of the
sponsor in the January issue but has since acceded to
a request from NAAAS to keep further comment to a low
profile until the April 15 launch date in East London.
In late March Flight International published details
and negated this restraint. The Press Briefing, hosted
by the AA at London City Airport, is to be held on
the morning of the launch.

An Agusta A109E Power, wearing a yellow and green
colour scheme and the sponsor's markings was involved
in filming of a television advertisement in February.
In an effort to keep the filming secret the A109E
operated within the confines of the high security
Vauxhall Car [GM] test track, Millbrook, Bedfordshire,
on February 10/11 with an AS355 camera ship. It can
be assumed that the content of this commercial break
will further enhance the existing "Fourth Emergency
Service" theme.

Industry sources suggest that the final make up of this
Thames Valley based HEMS scheme will centre on
Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and will include
additional helicopters supplied by Bond. An operating
base at White Waltham has been suggested. [IPAR]
Last month it was learned that ambulance chiefs in
Lancashire are planning to set up an air ambulance
operation in the near future. If their aspirations
are realised this would be the North West's first
air ambulance service. Currently the Lancashire Police
ASU undertakes limited air ambulance sorties.
If the scheme goes ahead, the source states that
the helicopter would become part of a national network
of around nine located around the country. The
Lancashire Ambulance Service have stated that the
plan is still in its very early stages and they were
currently asking staff for feedback on whether they
would wish to become air paramedics.

The helicopter would be funded separately from the
National Health Service, possibly funded locally by
a North West charitable trust, but it increasingly
looks like this scheme may be included in the AA/NAAAS
scheme and based at Blackpool Airport. There are
currently about eight EMS operations in the country.
In addition to this information the proposed Lancashire
air ambulance has been linked with a number of other
newly proposed HEMS operations, including an additional
one in the Midlands. One source has suggested that
one of the Bo105 helicopters mentioned previously
in this column has had the marks G-NAAB reserved or
allocated and will be an airframe sited with an EMS
operation in Lancashire near to the M6 motorway. If
this is confirmed it firmly links up with the Thames
Valley operation which includes NAAAS. The suspicion
must be raised that NAAAS and its sponsor are effectively
taking over at least part of the existing Bond HEMS
network. The seemingly aimless movements of a number
of Bo105 airframes recorded in recent issues of PAN
were part of a pattern.

This is taken from the PAN page

[sloppylink]

Further gossip goes something like this:

The AA through the NAAA will fund start up (new)air ambulances to the tune of 100% in year 1, 75% in year 2 and finally 50% in year 3. (When the AA can pull out as the main sponsor as it is only a 3 year contract). For this the AA get the aircraft painted in their colours and have some access to it's use (unknown) for PR events etc. For existing Air Ambulances, the NAAA will give £100,000 in the first year then £150,000 in the second and finally £200,000 in the third and final year. This should bring both into some semblance of line as the funding will be about the same for existing and those started up under this scheme. Bond have a big hand in all of this needless to say. They have won the respray contract for the Norhtumbria Air Ambulance despite the fact that PAS maintain it I believe. Some existing Air Ambulances are still in negotiations with the NAAA to ensure the small print does not disadvantage them in the short term or the long term.

[CDP]

Things hotting up on the piloting front,the Chief pilot for the AA contract has already been chosen ???? No clues

[sonic142]

I am presently an RAF SAR pilot and I am interested in flying for Air Ambulances in the future. But I want to know what jobs they actually do.

Do they use NVG?
What sort of minma do they operate to?
How much training is there to keep skills current and relevant?

Will SAR experience be taken into account upon application or do they tend to employ self improvers?

[EFATO]

Hi Sonic. I left RAF SAR 10yrs ago now fly N Sea. AA is not like SAR, they still have to fly iaw civilian rules so NVG hasn't arrived yet. Ex mil with low level overland exp much sort after but pay is poor, £30-35Kish, compared to N Sea Captain and RAF. SAR is best helio job so if you like moving about stay with it. If it is ever privatised I'll be 1st in the queue!!

[neverinbalance]

To amplify further Sonic142's questions weather minimums are in the order of 300' & 1 k. Training would be in the region of 1 hr 20 mins every 6 months for base & line checks. Majority of Air Ambulance outfits are day vmc only. NVG has arrived in civvy street - they are being used by the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary helicopter.

[AllyPally]

Anybody heard the rumour that Bond has sold its interest in Air Ambulance? To whom?

[RupertKent]

I was over at Blackpool Airport last week and noticed what looked like a Bo105 type helicopter sat on the apron there with the AA logo emblazoned on the side and Air Ambulance written alongside...

[ENG OUT]

ALLYPALLY
STEVEN BOND IS BUYING BAS

[Rotorbike]

What are the work hours going to be for the contract????? Holiday time etc.