Northampton-based Sloane Helicopters has expanded its retrieval capabilities and now offers both helicopter and fixed wing transfers 24-hours-a-day. The company is using the new Piaggio P180 Avanti and the Agusta 109E Power helicopter.

EBAN spoke to the operations director of Sloane Helicopters, Paul Forster, to find out more.

“We’re a UK distributor for Agusta helicopters and the Avanti P180 fixed wing aircraft,” he said. “Having sold an Avanti to EuroSkyLink, we jointly identified the opportunity to raise the level of service provided to the health authorities and private companies with regard to retrieval/ICU flights. We formed an alliance and

so far the interest in utilising the service has been tremendous.

“We can provide a one-hour call to airborne service and can accommodate neonatal/paediatric retrievals, ICU adult transfers or transplant flights from anywhere within the UK or Europe,” Forster continued. “Basically, whatever you want to do with an air ambulance we can supply it. Both aircraft are fully equipped with the very latest in medical technology, courtesy of our partners Dräger Medical.”

Forster said that they are currently working with people who do repatriation flights. “We’re working with a host of private medical companies who may have a requirement to repatriate patients from say Majorca or similar destinations,” he said, “in which case we would send the Avanti across. The advantage of the Avanti is that it runs at virtually the same speed as a jet, but it gives you a third of the operating costs.

“It has a stand-up cabin, hot and cold running water onboard and a proper toilet, amongst other onboard amenities.

“What we’re offering is a choice of either rotary or fixed wing retrievals. We have the capability of carrying one or two patients,” he explained. “In most cases it can be a door-to-door service if you utilise the helicopter. Alternatively the Avanti offers the ability to fly in and out of very small strips.

“It needs about a 1,000 metre strip, so we can fly into more local airfields than some of our competitors and therefore save our customers both time and in many cases money on each transfer.”

Sloane Helicopters can combine both aircraft on one operation as part of its retrieval service. “As an example we could fly somebody from the continent into a UK airfield, transfer them within two minutes into the Agusta and then take them to the doorstep of a hospital, if necessary,” said Forster. “We have

the ability to provide full medical teams that include flight nurses, paramedics, consultants and registrars to accompany the flight if required.”

Forster believes that a big advantage of the Avanti is that cabin pressure is not a problem, as the aircraft can reach altitudes of 41,000 feet. Therefore it is also able to fly above the majority of the bad weather.

“We’ve got the speed and it’s so comfortable up there, it’s a very smooth aircraft and ideal for this type of work” he said. “We can maintain sea-level pressure in the cabin up to 24,000 feet, so people who require flying back from holiday – who have suffered a barotrauma, for example – can be brought back in a very stable, comfortable and safe environment.”

The retrieval service was started in February with the Agusta 109. “We started to receive more interest in doing longer-distance retrievals and that’s where we decided that we should combine the service of the Agusta 109 and the Avanti,” explained Forster. “We’re considering putting a third aircraft into operation, but at the moment we are concentrating on the first two aircraft we are operating. The Agusta 109 provides the medical team with head-to-toe access to both patients and it is fully equipped with all the latest medical technology,” he added.

“We’ve had excellent feedback so far. I’ve already taken the Agusta around the country to various hospitals for people to see and they were all very impressed with the helicopter’s performance and smoothness in flight which is so vital when transferring a patient,” he added. “We’re going to do a similar tour with the Piaggio Avanti later in the year.”

The company’s Agusta 109, based at Coventry, is the Diana Princess of Wales air ambulance, which was launched on October 1. It now serves the people of Coventry, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, covering some 2,400 square miles.

“It’s a seven-day-a-week operation. During the day it’s a normal air ambulance and at night, we’re using it with the retrieval service around the UK,” said Forster.

We asked Forster whether the recent economic downturn had affected air ambulance operations. He replied: “It’s harder now to secure corporate funding, without a doubt. A few years ago there would be a lot more companies willing to invest money.

“Although some companies are still willing to get involved, the actual amount that they donate now has dramatically reduced,” he said. “Therefore, the team and the charity have to work a lot harder and really think outside the box to come up with new and innovative ways to try and raise the money.

“Most air ambulances will cost between £700,000 and £1 million per year to operate, depending on which aircraft you have,” he continued. “I think it’s very sad that neither the government nor the National Lottery are willing to become involved. The majority of people buying lottery tickets are UK citizens and you’d think they’d want to give something back.”

He added: “I think the time is long overdue for the government to recognise the service that these aircraft provide and it should provide at least some government funding towards the operation of the UK’s air ambulance fleet.”