Thames Valley Air Ambulance unveils new helicopter

Thames Valley Air Ambulance has unveiled a new helicopter as it brings its air operations in-house.

The Airbus H135 was bought from Devon Air Ambulance and will be based at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire.

The new aircraft - G-TVLY - replaces its leased H135, G-TVAL, and has been resprayed in the same colours.

It marks the final phase of the emergency service taking control of its flight operations, which had been subcontracted to Babcock International.

Thames Valley will be the sixth air ambulance to gain an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), giving it direct responsibility for its aircraft, legal requirements, safety and scheduling.

The AOC is expected to be issued by the Civil Aviation Authority in the coming weeks.

Chief operating officer and critical care paramedic Adam Panter said: "Having the Air Operator Certificate in-house allows us to make very quick and agile movements.

"An example of that could be that we are responsible for scheduling the pilots, and when that is subcontracted out to a bigger organisation, it's not always that Thames Valley Ambulance can be prioritised.

"But bringing that air operations in-house allows us to prioritise our operation."

Thames Valley Air Ambulance serves Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. It receives no government funding and relies entirely on donations.

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