New air ambulances will fly at night

Fundraisers for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance have had their dedication rewarded after the charity unveiled plans to buy a new helicopter that can fly at night.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Feb 2016, 11:00 BST

The service is taking delivery of a state-of-the-art Airbus H145 chopper later this year, and has now ordered another to replace the second of its current MD902 Explorers.

The charity’s chairman Peter Sunderland and vice-chairman Bruce Burns recently visited the Airbus factory in Munich to seal the deal for the second helicopter after generous donations enabled them to bring forward their plans to replace the entire fleet.

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“Our long-term plan had always been to eventually replace G-CEMS as well as G-SASH. However, due to diligent cost control, budgeting and the generosity of the people of Yorkshire we have been able to bring forward these replacement plans,” said Mr Sunderland.

The £5.7million chopper will join the first Airbus in service in Yorkshire in the spring of 2017.

The new machines will also be able to fly during darkness, allowing medics to operate for longer hours. On-board doctors will benefit from a larger cabin space.

Related topics:Yorkshire Air AmbulanceAirbusYorkshire