Have to say I get so much joy from these tasks and count myself privileged to meet and work with some outstanding people. Today was Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor, North Wales. Stunning part of the world nestled between the sea and foothills of Snowdonia, busy little landing site and amazing people working at this hospital.
Having all stakeholders around the table, including Trust, lead clinicians, doctors, facilities, pilots and paramedics ensured I walked away with everything I needed to improve the site from both an aviation and patient perspective.

helpappeal.org.uk

Just wanted to wish everyone who reads our posts and visits the website a very peaceful, safe and most of all an awesome time with your friends and family. 

Really pleased to have be appointed as the aviation technical authority for the Western Sussex NHS Trust, providing support to the Trust aviation support services across the region, particularly the acceptance and operational capability development of the Brighton Hospital rooftop helipad. 

What a community inspired project this turned out to be, absolutely superb collaboration. Our input from the beginning, representing The CAA and CAAI in conducting the initial feasibility study at the proposed site and supporting the build was just a joy. From the very beginning, the most awesome part of this project was the people and the warmth of the community of Campbeltown. You can physically see the benefits of this new helipad. When it came to the opening, we were so humbled and proud to represents not only The CAA but the HELP / County Air Ambulance Trust. Within a month of opening, the helipad had facilitated 10 movements taking patients for onwards care to Glasgow. 

​As hospital admissions for Coronavirus patients continue to rise, the HELP Appeal team is aiming to boost the ‘Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives’ message through a series of WWII inspired posters, to help relieve the pressure on NHS staff and Intensive Care Units around the country.
 
Even though the charity continues to fund NHS hospital helipads across the country, thanks to your support; we also want to help hospitals in another way during the pandemic.
 
Through the creation of seven posters, the charity hopes to channel the indomitable spirit of the British people during WWII, the inspirational speeches of Winston Churchill and iconic wartime icons such as Rosie the Riveter, to help encourage people to wash their hands, cover their face and stay at home in the fight against Coronavirus.  Everyone needs to batten down the hatches for a bit longer to help protect the NHS and help save lives. 

​You can download the posters via the link here

Green Deck Operations is proud to be working alongside the Civil Aviation Authority International to carry out several helipad feasibility studies in support of HEMS and SAR operations in the highlands and islands of Scotland. Arran, Oban and Fort William will be the first remote locations to receive visits as soon as restrictions are lifted. We are already supporting the new Campbeltown project and looking forward to the opening in April.

After more than a decade of research and development, Conair’s answer to the future of aerial firefighting is the Q400AT. The purchase marks the most significant investment Conair has made to date towards developing a fleet of Next Generation aircraft designed to better fight wildfires for years to come.
Planes used to fight wildfires as airtankers are often older models and are flown into demanding environments, inevitably resulting in metal fatigue over time. In addition, aircraft designed to obsolete standards leads to increased risk of incidents, costly repairs, limited replacement parts, and ultimately time grounded from fighting fires. Conair’s strategic move towards a long-term vision includes replacing the company’s fleet of heavy legacy airtankers with the new Q400ATs.

“We evaluated 29 aircraft before selecting the Q400 for modification into an aerial firefighting tool. The unanimous opinion of our flight operations experts was that the Q400 exceeds all the Next Generation performance criteria within a maneuverable and stable platform,” said Jeff Berry, Director of Business Development at Conair. “The Q400AT is fast, fuel efficient, and tactically flexible, operating both initial attack, as well as sustained support actions. The Q400 is still in production and has strong Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) support from De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (De Havilland Canada), guaranteeing availability of parts and servicing for years.”
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Ideal platform for special mission operations
“We are delighted that Conair is acquiring another eleven Dash 8 aircraft to support the growth of the company’s specialized airtanker fleet,” added Philippe Poutissou, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at De Havilland Canada. “In addition to being the most advanced and efficient turboprops deployed in regional airline and air transport roles around the world, De Havilland Canada’s versatile Dash 8 Series aircraft continue to be an ideal platform for special mission operations such as aerial firefighting, search and rescue and medical evacuation and we congratulate Conair on the excellent work they are doing supporting diverse communities with their Dash 8 multi-role and airtanker aircraft.”

Deliveries will start this month
The Q400 aircraft were purchased from HEH Hamburger EmissionsHaus, through Skyworld Aviation. The eleven aircraft, originally Flybe commuter planes, are based in Europe and will be delivered to Conair starting this month.