G-HEMS

[cptjim]

I was just browsing through the June issue of PAN and noticed an article regarding the posibility of G-HEMS/6009 returning to service, this time with the Great North Air Ambulance service. I may be mistaken but the way I read it G-HEMS/6009 is going to go to the RLH first ? :confused:

If this is the case, what has happened to G-EHMS? I can no longer see it for sale on Michael Wheatley's website, has it finally been sold?

I appreciate any information anyone can provide. :ok:

[FloaterNorthWest]

cptjim,

Believe they are still using G-EHMS and will be for sometime as there is no funding for a replacement.

FNW

[PANews]

Apologies if I wrote it confusingly.

Just to clarify, there is an existing medical cooperation connection between London and Great North.

That is only a background comment to the news that Great North have arranged a lease on a newer airframe that happens to be the old G-HEMS.

As far as I am aware the rush to ditch EHMS has now subsided and it is no longer on the market. I would like to think it is because the spares situation is getting better but I really do not know.

[cptjim]

Thanks for clarifying, I look forward to seeing the dauphin back in the air over the UK when I get back from the US.

Regards

[Mir999]

I thought G-HEMS went off to sunny islands where it was proving very reliable as a tourist charter??

[PANews]

Yes, but as this thread is taken out of context as it were the rest of the story is Bazan, an operator in the sunny bits, took it and has now tired of it ....

[2bart]

I thought they wished for a EC 145

[PANews]

Yes thats right but the money was not there and the value of EHMS was very depressed.

They did have some minor issues with the handling of the Explorer onto their postage stamp rooftop pad and of course the spares situation but in the end the pressure was taken off the issue by the sheer inability to finance the desire. Overall, downtime aside, EHMS works as it is supposed to its just that they decided they wanted out mainly because of the downtime issues.

A lot of the pressure was induced by the late Chief Pilot Alistair McGill and as you probably know he moved on...

[Mir999]

And then a low loader operator stuffed G-HEMS into a bridge and took off the tail....... :ugh:

[cptjim]

Mir999,

Can you elaberate on your post abit more please?

[sandy helmet]

Bajan Helicopters, out of Barbados, operated 6009, (G-HEMS) between 2002 and 2005 for the British/Montserrat Governments as an airline and multi-role ship on the volcano. With the coming online of the airport in Montserrat the contract came to an end and it was shipped off to Aberdeen. Unfortunately last I heard was right - the driver of the lowloader it was on miscalculated height of a bridge under which it was passing and tore the tail off at the attachment points.

[cptjim]

That's gotta hurt.....for the heli and for the low loader driver! :\

Do you know if it was written off?

[G-WHOT]

I understand the 6009 airframe is an insurance wright off. Lets hope they donate it a museum like Duxford and restore it to the Daily Express colour scheme it started life as in it's HEMS role. It is an important piece of history note to end up on the scap heap!!

[PANews]

The chances of the airframe being important enough for preservation are slim. It seems the value of the metal usually outweighs the heartstrings.

Think back to all the known firsts that have slipped away into the sands of time. Ambulance aside... police aircraft...

Fixed wing aside [there are some preserved] there have been a number of Hughes 269s that were police firsts in one way or another, now gone to scrap, there are yet some Enstrom F28s that might still fit, the Bell 222 fleet to Portugal, the first police 355 BOOV leaving soon.... but still there is a chance that one of the early Bolkows might represent the ambulance line eventually.

[mickjoebill]

I understand the 6009 airframe is an insurance wright off. Lets hope they donate it a museum like Duxford and restore it to the Daily Express colour scheme it started life as in it's HEMS role. It is an important piece of history note to end up on the scap heap!!

Great idea.
There are one or two exellent documentaries;) and plenty of still pictures that both reflect its roll and mark significant moments in Londons history that would compliment the static display.


What is the airframe worth?

Mickjoebill

[cptjim]

It's been a sad year with the loss of Alistair and now 6009 (G-HEMS).

I miss the high pitched whine of the Dauphin over the city.

R.I.P. :(

[PANews]

I know it was sometime before June 2, but when and where was the damage to 6009? I assume it is suggested that it was being low loaded from Aberdeen to Inverness [PDG] prior to being equipped for service with Great North?

1730hrs 28/6 A rock solid source now tells me 6009 lives on.

[Sensible Garage]

anyone with the date this took place?

G-HEMS Sa356N being badly damaged in a road accident, when the truck driver got the "low bridge" calculations a bit wrong. One source is quoting it written off, but for the likely impact speed (and the fact it was moving in a straight line, rather than in 3D) I doubt it, frankly. The more-likely-correct report is "tail and boom separated from fuselage after tail too high and hit
bridge" It appears the accident was on or before June 2nd. While this road accident did occur, the damage is repairable and it is already in Inverness being worked on.

[Twisted Rigging]

Story I heard is that it was a freshly imported 365 (not G-HEMS) just off ship in south England, en-route to Inverness.

Eurocopter having to fabricate new tail section! :ok:

[HeliEng]

This has been covered in a different thread I think, a little while ago.

Perhaps someone could provide a link?

[quichemech]

The machine was formally G-Hems but has been in Antiga for a few years, as said the accident was a while ago now;)

[Teefor Gage]

Try this link to the original story relating to G-HEMS (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=228412&highlight=G-HEMS)

[crunchingnumbers]

The tail fin damage has effectively been repaired already and G-HEMS is now undergoing inspections etc. This aircraft will probably be back in service within 6 weeks.

Of course it might have been a bit sooner had the lorry driver paid a bit more attention to where he was going or what he was towing :\ - then again perhaps that's why he's a lorry driver.

[cptjim]

http://www.policeaviationnews.com/Acrobat/PANewsJuly06.pdf

Full story on page 12.

Glad this ol' bird is going to be back in the air, I still miss seeing her over london!!

[Newforest]

Eurocopter having to fabricate new tail section! :ok:

New addition to pilot's notes, 'Check your 6!'

[Sensible Garage]

is the date of the not so low loader accident known by someone?

[TiPwEiGhT]

Can anybody provide photos of the refurbishment, would be great to see.

TiP:ouch:

[PDGHelicopters]

We noticed that there was a discussion about G-HEMS a little while back, so I thought I'd post the most up to date news.

G-HEMS is now at PDG Helicopters and is undergoing a rebuild. It is not quite finished yet, but there is an image on the following page

http://www.pdg-helicopters.co.uk/base.htm

As you can see it is now in the livery of The Great North Air Ambulance.

Kind regards

PDG Helicopters

[CRAZYBROADSWORD]

OMG Cabair Heli's have a knackered old 355 in the same colours.................................

[Droopy]

So is it still bound for Cumbria? And have they got a base with fuel sorted yet?

[cptjim]

Thanks so much for posting the pic, I have fond memories of G-HEMS and it's great to see her restored to such great condition.

Kind regards

Jim :ok:

[8P-AUL]

Great Machine! Here's a shot when we used to fly it in Montserrat.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f279/paularcher/fon_shot4.jpg

[Darren999]

Spent a while with the London Fire briagde, saw G-HEMS often. I really think that's what inspired me to start to fly choppers. Always wanted to return to the UK to fly HEMS,or for thr Police, but always held back by the exams. I'm not that cleaver to study all that now. Real shame.... maybe one day...:confused:

[cptjim]

Just found another pic of G-HEMS on the PDG website. :ok:

http://www.etribes.com/sites/etribes.com/files/images/G-HEMS1.jpg

Picture copyright of PDG Helicopters.

[cptjim]

Just seen that the original link no longer shows G-HEMS in the workshop, so here is the picture for those that didn't get to see it.

http://www.etribes.com/sites/etribes.com/files/images/G-HEMS.jpg

Once again, picture Copyright of PDG Helicopters. :ok:

[thecontroller]

is that the flightworks/heliair hangar?

[as355f1]

Looks lovely, but still amazing how the great north air ambulance had to close the blyth unit due to lack of funds:suspect: , and can't re open it due to lack of funds, but can manage to replace the bolkow with G-HEMS :rolleyes:

[Lioncopter]

The Hanger Is PDG's in Inverness i think, and i know they have been flight testing it a fair amount recently so must be nearly done if not already. I have heard it coming and going as i have been flying about Inverness, and she looks even better than in the pics.
:O

[Barshifter]

G-HEMS is being featured in City Hospital Special on BBC 1, 10.00am each morning this week,following the work of The Great North Air Ambulance Team.

Regards

Barshifter

[bolkow]

This has been covered in a different thread I think, a little while ago.

Perhaps someone could provide a link?
Why not try (G-INFO aircraft databse) its a great source of what is current and the status of same on the UK register?

[bolkow]

This has been covered in a different thread I think, a little while ago.

Perhaps someone could provide a link?Well both G-ehms, and G-Hems are still on the current UK register, In have checked.

[Barshifter]

G-EHMS
http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f84/Barshifter/th_G-EHMS001.jpg

[cptjim]

I know it's an old thread but seemed like the best place for the video. :ok:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NyakhGTMW8&feature=related

Skip to 28 seconds in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmvs5Di3d70&feature=related

Skip to 2 mins 25

[r44raven]

I fuel stopped at Carlisle on my way to Jockistan on Thursday August 30th after lunch and G-HEMS was parked on the H in it's PDG colours. Interesting shade of green.......

[west lakes]

Recent thread but has a nice piccy
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=290039

I regularly see her in action as I live on the normal approach path for one of the local hospitals. Few directly overhead my house middle of last week.

certainly has a distinctive sound and quite a rotor "snarl/roar" at speed

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Ah, RobK, there's nothing like constructive informed criticism of an aircraft. And that was nothing like constructive informed criticism of an aircraft... Still, welcome to PPRuNe - it's good to see new contributors.

[Sulley]

Thud and Blunder :D

[whoateallthepies]

RK
From your knowledgeable comment I presume you've flown both types as I have? Funny, I would rather have the MD902 for air ambulance work any day. You obviously know something I don't?
http://i.1asphost.com/whoateallthepies/pie.jpg

[Skidkid]

RobKemp

There is nothing wrong with the MD902, it makes a great air ambulance.

It did, in the past, gain a bad reputation for unserviceability but that was due to poor backup by the manufacturer which has now, more or less, been put right.

[Coconutty]

The 902 makes a fantastic Air Ambulance - even when converted from a previous Police Only role :ok:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d129/coconut11/G-KSSH.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d129/coconut11/Coconutty.jpg

[cptjim]

I see that G-HEMS has just left service with Great North Air Ambulance and I was wondering if anyone knows where she is going next.

Thanks

Jim :ok:

[Rabina]

Staying with PDG for the moment. Multiflight won the Northern Air Ambulance contract earlier this year and commenced operations this fall.

[Secretsooty]

I have it on good authority from a PDG inside source that G-HEMS is being lovingly prepared for a full repaint into their current corporate colour scheme. :ok:

[misterbonkers]

Yellow.....

[Secretsooty]

nah, Burgundy!

[Secretsooty]

........... and has now been re-registered G-PDGK !

[misterbonkers]

and is still in lots of bits!!!

[Epiphany]

As it looked Once Upon a Time.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee87/peter24collins/IMG_0052.jpg

[Brilliant Stuff]

Love the curtains.

[kennethr]

6009 was a protype aircraft, wiring diagrams never matched the machine , autopilot was a peice of crap, a liitle man from Peterhead , myself and a man from SFIM spent weeks re-wiring it with a break out box and dodgy wiring diagrams for best part of 2 weeks in Antigua, but eventually got it working, it left the UK with same autopilot snag several years before under a concession from the seller (intermittent fault), that aside it performed well in the Sun for several years before making its way home to that unfortunate incident with the bridge

Glad to hear she is still flying, if you ever get a chance to recce the log books , its like a who's who of current and past uk engineers and operators, I used to spend hours looking for signatures and names I recognised

Good luck to her and lets hope she has a few years left in her yet!!

Ken Mac :ok:

[Epiphany]

Ken,

While it flew with HEMS in London 6009 (G-HEMS) was always squeaky clean and you could eat your dinner off the floor (not that you would want to with all the unmentionable fluids I saw spilled over it mind). I last saw it looking much as it did in the photo above.

So on landing at the PDG hangar in Inverness one day in 2006 I was very interested to hear from the refueller that G-HEMS was back from holidays in Antigua and was in that very hangar. I walked in to say hello to my old friend who I had not seen for many years.

Well what a shock. The poor thing looked as if it hadn't had a clean since Biggin Hill 1990 - or a can of spray paint either. God knows what the Montserrat passengers thought and I can't understand how anyone could let it get in such a state.

PDG have a different mentality fortunately and any machine of theirs that I have flown has always been spotless so 6006 is in good hands again now.

[Epiphany]

Just remembered that I took a photo of G-HEMS that day at Inverness. Doesn't look too bad from this distance but you can't see the sand, chewing gum, fag ends and used condoms littering the cabin (of course that might have been the PDG engineers) :)


http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee87/peter24collins/138-3887_IMG-1.jpg

[kennethr]

Thanks for the PIC, brings back many memories, I was gone before she left the Caribbean, but she had a hard life there, flying in volcano ash is not an environment that is kind to any aircraft, and maintaining any aircraft in the caribbean is very hard work, but the guys in Antigue did their best, it lay around in the open hangar for a few months without a C of A before being shipped back to UK so I amsure it wasnt too pretty by the time it got to Inverness

But as you say , PDG and the crew up there do a good job and glad she is back to her finest, a good few years in her yet. PDG did a good survey of several machines and new the potential of 6009, a good choice I hope..

look forward to seeing her in action once again

Ken

[daveygow]

Pictures by davidandyvonne - Photobucket (http://s906.photobucket.com/albums/ac270/davidandyvonne/)

Some pics from the good old days in Antigua ! note how good the machine looks , even fit for a princess !

[kennethr]

Great pics Davey !!!

[[email protected]]

I'm glad everyone enjoyed it. There were stressful times and not so stressful times, with certainly a few stories along the way.

Firstly, I would share the sentiments above. Thanks to Ken and Davey for taking care of 6009. Also thanks to all the pilots that flew her professionally and made sure that she returned each day to the caring hands of engineering, as well as Lawrie who kept things in order.

It was no easy task taking care of a machine in a far away country where resources can sometimes be scarce (and not necessarily because we don't wish to put them in place). Supporting an aircraft in a harsh environment with demanding schedules can be tough at the best of times. Not for the faint of heart.

Epithany - when she turned up at PDG she had been at sea, and in sea ports for a couple of months prior to which she had sat for a while. Regardless of preparation, no aircraft is going to be 'line-presentable' after a period like that. I think had you actually seen her in service day to day, you may well have been pleasantly surprised given the tasking. As for the state of the cabin, i think someone else may have to answer for that one unless there were goings on of which i am not fully aware - i'm sure there were a few :)



I was personally happy to see her go to a good home and I hope that she continues to serve well.

regards to all
George Morris

[kennethr]

Epiphany

I have avoided PPRUNE for the last few years because it is full of small minded, resentfull people whose opinion is nothing more than vindictivness,small mindness and jelousy but due to resent postings and a calls from friends I was forced to read your posting.

The entire crew at Antigua took great ummbrage to your post and you would do well to apologise to them all, it serves this industry no good at all to cast negative comments when you know nothing of the circumstances, as the ex Ch Eng you have insulted my reputation and that of the staff who served the company loyaly, not to mention the owner and operator Bajan Helicopters.


Please have the decency to read the explanations for what you saw and then have the decency to rescind yor comments and apologise accordingly

Ken

[Marc123]

Cool pics! Having spent most of my university holidays in this machine, I'm equally glad to see it still has a home flying somewhere

[cptjim]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uECiCTVeqjk&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tk6pdEsnXo&NR=1

Jim :ok:

[cptjim]

http://www.pdghelicopters.com/assets/_files/master_background/may_11/pdg__1306409206_PDGK.jpg
In the hangar

http://www.pdghelicopters.com/assets/_files/master_background/may_11/pdg__1306769398_GPDGK-GR.jpg
Ground runs

http://www.pdghelicopters.com/assets/_files/master_background/jun_11/pdg__1308321232_PDGK.jpg
First flight as G-PDGK :)

A Fantastic effort by all of those involved at PDG!! :D

All photos courtesy of PDG Helicopters

Jim :ok:

[cptjim]

‪Virgin London Air Ambulance‬‏ - YouTube

RIP Alistair McGill

[daveygow]

Hi Folks !

She's looking fantastic ! well done to everyone at PDG!

Best regards

Davey Gow ( ex Antigua Montserrat Air Support Unit )

[kennethr]

I agree with Davey, well done to all at PDG , the bridge strike was a bad start, but a lot off effort and hard work has the old bird up in the air and looking great.

Congrats to all (Loved the Pics and Vids)

Ken Mac ( ex Bajan Helis Ch Eng)