Hello
Steve Garvey, Air Operations Officer
Hello to you all, in a hugely exciting and historic year for Cornwall Air Ambulance. Your new second helicopter is now within touching distance of arriving with us – and thanks to the fantastic support from generous people like you, we are incredibly close to reaching the £2.85million HELi2 Appeal target.
Read more
The new aircraft has arrived in the UK and will be here at the airbase, and operational, by early summer. We now need to raise the final £197,000 – which is the remaining funds needed for the medical fit of your second helicopter.
The medical fit of the aircraft is, in effect, the installation element in the rear cabin which enables us to bring the ‘hospital’ to scene. This is the area in which our clinical team operate and encompasses all the components needed to turn your air ambulance into a fully kitted critical care resource. Without it, we cannot transport our specialist kit, carry out lifesaving interventions or convey patients to hospital.
With your help, we can raise the final funds needed to kit out your second helicopter, making it mission ready.
Excitement is building here amongst the crew, as we look forward to increasing our aircraft availability and attending more missions by air. You can read about how many missions we were tasked to last year on the page opposite. Owning an additional AW169 will make a huge difference to our operation, allowing us to bring our specialist clinicians and skills to scene as quickly as possible across our 19-hour-a-day, 365 day-a-year service. It will also mark a significant milestone for your charity as we look to the future provision of critical care.
On behalf of all the aircrew, thank you for your support, and we hope you’ll join us on this last push of the HELi2 mission.
MEET
G-CNLL
Meet G-CNLL – your second lifesaving helicopter. With your aircraft scheduled to be operational by early summer, here’s how G-CNLL came to life…
1. The build
Your second helicopter is an Italian Leonardo AW169 (an upgraded version of your existing helicopter, G-CRWL) and has been built at the aviation company’s production facility just outside of Milan. This is a lengthy process as each aircraft is made bespoke, taking over 18 months from the time of order to delivery. The process starts with building the airframe, wiring is then added (around 100 miles worth) to allow systems and critical components to be added and linked together. These include generators, hydraulic systems, engines and gearboxes. We have visited the factory three times to monitor the build and attended regular progress meetings online.
2. Test flights
Once the build was complete, the aircraft was ready for a series of test flights conducted by Leonardo Helicopters. Our Unit Chief Pilot, Adam Smith, went out to Italy just before Christmas to carry out an acceptance flight. This process allowed Cornwall Air Ambulance to check that all functions were working correctly and within the expected parameters. Any required modifications are identified at this stage, so any fine tuning can then be made along with the completed paint job of the charity’s brand colours and logo.
3. Acceptance
After the final adjustments were made, your second helicopter was ready to be handed over to the charity. This is called the ‘acceptance’ of the aircraft. In early February a team of representatives from Cornwall Air Ambulance travelled out to Italy to formally sign the paperwork – meaning we now legally own the aircraft.
4. Ferry flight
The final stage was the ferry flight to relocate your helicopter from Italy to the UK. Transporting a high-value asset from an EU country to a non-EU country is a complex process, as numerous licences and regulations must be met. Two of the harity’s pilots, Rich Dixon and Mike Jones, carried out the ferry flight and shared the flying hours. They developed a specific route to the UK, taking into consideration factors such as challenging winter weather conditions, congestion, airport charges, security, refuelling and overnight stops. The flight from Italy took several days to complete, with your second aircraft now in Gloucester and ready for the final stage – the medical fit.
Your second aircraft is going to hugely enhance the service we’re able to offer for years to come. Thanks to your support, we’ll have the capacity to save even more lives. This is a momentous moment for the people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly of which everyone should be hugely proud.
Tim Bunting, CEO
It’s time for the G-CNLL medical fit
Help us fund the final stage of the HELi2 Appeal
What is the medical fit?
The medical fit is the build in the rear cabin which enables us to bring the ‘hospital’ to your side. It includes the stretcher system, which provides almost 360-degree access to the patient, as well as all the frameworks and fixtures needed to contain our specialist lifesaving equipment. Essentially, it’s all the components needed to turn your air ambulance into a fully kitted out critical care resource.
What is considered?
The cabin of your aircraft arrives as a ‘blank canvas’. Every piece of equipment is then specifically positioned following careful design considerations to allow the clinical crew rapid access to kit. This ergonomic design allows the crew to quickly exit the aircraft upon landing at scene and monitor and treat the patient during flight. The cabin is tailored perfectly for the needs of your crew and patients. This is an evolution of other designs which was made in conjunction with valuable feedback from our clinicians, also allowing adaptability for future configurations so that individual elements of the medical fit can be easily adjusted.
This cabin stretcher provides almost 360 degree access to the patient and is integral to the medical fit out, your support today will help fund this vital unit.
A specialist translating seat allows the attending critical care paramedic to monitor the patient on route to hospital.
This unique bridge system with a specialist mounting frame allows the lifesaving Zoll X Series monitor and defibrillator to be mounted above the patient.
The key features
The first key part of the medical fit is the specialist cabin flooring. This has mounting rails and tracks embedded into it, allowing for internal frameworks to be slotted into place and the medical equipment to be fastened securely. The stretcher system is fitted slightly offcentre, its sliding and rotating platform makes loading and unloading a patient easier, as it can be angled and moved outside the aircraft door. Beneath the stretcher there is also a storage solution of oxygen cylinders, used for patient care in flight. Most importantly, stretcher positioning provides the clinicians with almost 360 degrees to the patient for carrying out critical interventions during flight. Above the stretcher is the bridge system with a specialist mounting frame that allows the Zoll X Series, a monitor and defibrillator, to be mounted above the patient. The cabin also contains three fold-down seats and one translating seat, which allows the attending critical care paramedic seat adjustment to monitor the patient on route to hospital. The fit also includes a digital communications system which allows the crew to speak to the HEMS desk and crews on scene whilst they’re in flight.
What’s new?
The medical fit of G-CNLL will have a few minor additions. These include a sharps bin mount under the head of the stretcher, an additional area for medical waste and an integrated shelf for preparing and administering medication during flight. The LUCAS machine, an automated CPR device, is also being relocated to behind the translating seat, again for ease of access.
The process
The medical fit, which takes around two months to complete is being carried out by Gama Aviation. All the fit and framework must undergo resilience testing, to make sure it can take the force generated in the unlikely event of a crash, and it must be certified by the Civil Aviation Authority. The medical fit is the final stage to bring your second helicopter to life, and once complete G-CNLL will be fully mission ready.
Want to find out more?
Why not subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can watch a suite of videos that take you up close to our frontline operations.
Time is ticking to make your second helicopter mission ready
It was a life-changing day, and you just don’t realise that things can change that quickly.
Grandmother Liz Orme was out on her motorbike when she was involved in a crash in Roche. On scene, Critical Care Paramedics Jeremy and Steve assessed Liz’s condition to find out whether she had suffered any traumatic head injuries.
They administered ketamine, which provides strong pain relief with sedative properties, so they could stabilise her arms and make sure she was safe to be conveyed to hospital. Liz suffered multiple broken bones as well as slight brain damage on her right-hand side. Following numerous surgeries, she has made a strong recovery.
“It was a life-changing day, I’d left the washing on the line and dishes in the sink, and you just don’t realise that things can change so quickly. I could have died that day but here I am, and I have had another two grandsons since the accident. The crew were absolutely fantastic, they must be really overstretched. They definitely need that second helicopter.”
Help save even more
lives with #HELi2
Join thousands of others as we celebrate the arrival of your new AW169 helicopter. This will be the first public opportunity for you to see your new aircraft.
Our popular Helifest event will be returning to Scorrier House, near Redruth, on Saturday 19 July 2025! Our one-day blue light festival promises an amazing day of music and fun to celebrate the hard work of our vital emergency services.
You can enjoy live music, fairground rides and great food from local traders, watch demonstrations, meet your local blue light services and let your children explore the emergency vehicles they use, as well as the chance to meet some of the Cornwall Air Ambulance aircrew.
Leave a gift in your Will - help save lives
Did you know that leaving just 1% of your estate to Cornwall Air Ambulance could help us continue saving lives across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly?
We understand that family comes first, but after providing for your loved ones, a gift in your Will, no matter the size, could make a life-changing difference. Your generosity will help keep your AW169 helicopters and critical care crew ready to respond when every second counts.
By leaving a legacy, you’ll be helping to keep more families together. Find out how you can support your lifesaving charity for generations to come.