Nobody has mentioned the ADAC model in Germany (or ANWB in the Netherlands) under which HEMS is provided as a function of car/life insurance as a small levy on the policy.


The problem for the UK is the tax, EU levies, policy increase due to fraud and everything else that's loaded into already an already expensive policy.


I don't have any issues with a centre of excellence for HEMS as such; my ask would be that it acts in support of standardisation across the sector and supports common rules, operating procedures and methodology.

The brutal reality is that it's not the experts, and not even just those deliberately going there, that die in remote and mountainous terrain (or at sea). It's not the air ambulance that'll bag the bits of body from an air crash so the family will have something to bury.

Yes, body recovery (or bits thereof) is a task normally reserved for SAR, MRT or RNLI - often with all the same risks involved as with a live casualty.

Around 200', I think. Jayteeto told me. I'm surprised he hasn't popped in here yet.

Perhaps operator specific, but there is no requirement across the board to come off NVG at any stage in the approach, and you can use them to the ground.

The only time that you might be required to come off-goggles is at a hospital where you're not exempt from the requirement to fly PC1. But then it's a lit pad so no need.

I can understand different AOCs for different operators having slightly different limits but what are the CAA/EASA regs about NVD approaches to the ground?

Dave, some things you get involved in and some you don't.
Has anyone considered that a centre of excellence can sell courses and make a profit? They can also allow crews to train for scenarios more realistically.

There are two ways to approach the above comments.

First: our conditions are crap and yours are lovely. You shouldn't have good conditions. (Army mentality)

Second: our conditions are crap and yours are lovely. Well done, we need to bring ours up to your standard. (Airforce)

And having seen both side of the coin extensively, there are situations when one approach is better than the other but its never always the same one that is better.