Gama Aviation and UK aeromedical charity Yorkshire Air Ambulance have signed a relief supply contract to support the Yorkshire Air Ambulance's HEMS and air ambulance operations.

The use of G-GMAH marks Gama Aviation's first foray south of the Scottish border into the charity air ambulance sector since its HEMS operations for the Scottish Ambulance Service went live on 1 June 2020. Using its near three decades of experience in air ambulance operations and recent successful transition of three major air ambulance contracts with no loss of operational availability, Gama Aviation is seeking to disrupt the largely static choice of operators that currently serve the market. These contracts were for the Scottish Ambulance Service in June 2020 and a fixed wing contract for the governments of Guernsey and Jersey in July 2020.

Special mission MD Scott McVicar comments: “Our involvement in the HEMS and air ambulance market, using both rotary and fixed wing assets, is integral to our business, and I'm delighted that we are able to support the valuable work that Yorkshire Air Ambulance delivers. We look forward to continuing to work with air ambulance charities across the country to understand how we can assist with their short- and medium-term operational needs.”

Head of flight ops Andy Lister adds: “When we purchased the three Airbus H145 aircraft we had already built a detailed understanding of their likely downtime and maintenance needs and how this would affect operational availability. Over the last eight months of operation, including the winter, we've achieved our availability targets and, because of the reliability of the H145 platform, we have confidence in our ability to offer G-GMAH as a relief aircraft to Yorkshire Air Ambulance when its own aircraft are undergoing annual services.”

The distinctive aircraft is well known on social media platforms due to its grey livery, which has drawn comparison with the 1980s hit TV show Airwolf. While its exterior may not reflect the traditional red and yellow liveries of the sector, the interior is fully equipped for HEMS operations using an Aerolite interior.

Steve Waudby, director of aviation at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which operates two H145s, concludes: “It is vital to the YAA that our service delivery is uninterrupted whist each of our helicopters undergoes its annual services each year. Being able to operate G-GMAH during these periods allows us to continue to operate two aircraft across the Yorkshire region, and we are pleased to be working with Gama Aviation to provide us with this relief helicopter.”