Cornwall Air Ambulance announces main build of aircraft is now completed
The inside of Cornwall’s second air ambulance is currently being fitted with all of the medical equipment it needs before taking to the skies to help patients across the county.
Teams of specialists will turn the helicopter into a fully functioning critical care resource. The brand-new advanced AW169 was built at Leonardo Helicopters’ production facility in Milan.
Cornwall Air Ambulance recently announced that two of its pilots flew it to Gloucester for the next stage of its development.
It coincides with the news that the charity’s Heli2 Appeal has surpassed the £2million milestone of the £2.85million target, leaving just £197,000 to raise.
‘An incredibly complex process’
‘This has been an incredibly complex process involving every element of the aircraft from the build, to configurations, test flights, and the transfer back to the UK whilst making sure all aviation authority rules and regulations are met,’ says Paul Westaway, Consultant in Operations Projects at Cornwall Air Ambulance.
‘It has been a pleasure to work with Leonardo, to be able to provide the very best possible AW169 helicopter for the people we serve, and we are incredibly grateful to the team for their hard work on delivering the aircraft.’
‘This is a landmark moment for Cornwall Air Ambulance, as for the first time in the charity’s history we now own two state-of-the-art helicopters,’ says Tim Bunting, Chief Executive of Cornwall Air Ambulance.
‘This will boost the resilience and capability of our service, enabling the crew to attend more missions by air each year. Ultimately this will mean we’ll be able to save even more lives for many years to come.’
‘I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to the people of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, and beyond, who are helping us fund this second lifesaving helicopter.’
‘We’re so close now to raising the amount we need, and we hope you’re looking forward to seeing your new aircraft in the skies as much as we are when it becomes operational this summer.’
