Sunday Sun appeal to raise £1m for air ambulance

Nov 8 2009 Sunday Sun

Sights set on our very own helicopter

THIS is it, folks - this is the life-saving helicopter the Sunday Sun Air Angels campaign is bidding to buy.

The French-built Eurocopter Dauphin N2 is already widely used as an air ambulance in Scandinavia.

With a top speed of 150mph and plenty of room for providing patient care during flights, it’s what the charity would love to afford.

By buying it the Great North Air Ambulance estimates it could save up to £500,000 every year, money which could be redirected into more flights.

And because it’s already a serving air ambulance it means they can make a considerable saving on not having to re-fit the inside.

Brand new, the chopper costs in the region of £5m, but the GNAA are hoping for a discount by picking up an older model, built in the mid-90s.

The Eurocopter has the added benefit of familiarity for the staff, who already fly missions from their Cumbria-base with the same model.

Great North Air Ambulance operations manager Kevin Hodgson was impressed with what he saw when he went to view it in Norway.

“We were looking to see what was available when someone told us about this helicopter,” the dad-of-two, from Darlington said.

“We already knew it would be suitable because we use that type in Cumbria, and it’s already being used as an air ambulance, which is an added bonus.

“It’s fast, it’s very large inside, and it’s proven. It looked very nice when we were in Norway, but that doesn’t really mean anything. It all comes down to what the engineer thinks when he checks it. It’s not the age of aircraft that’s important, it’s how many hours flying they’ve done.

“It would just be fantastic if we could buy our own helicopter. Leasing is fine but it would mean so much for the region to have its own aircraft. We’re very excited about the prospect.”