The UK’s Devon Air Ambulance Trust has introduced a second air ambulance to provide additional emergency air ambulance cover during the busy summer months. The aircraft, a Bolkow Bo105 DBS, is

based at Belle Vue Flying Club, near Great Torrington.

DAAT took delivery and began operating the aircraft in April and will make use of the helicopter until September. The second helicopter currently flies five days a week due to financial constraints, but Lyn

Paver, DAAT’s chief executive, said it would consider extending this to seven days at a later date if funding would make it feasible.

The Trust already operates an EC135 air ambulance, which went into service on August 5 last year.

Both helicopters are supplied and maintained by Bond Air Services, which also provides the pilots and crew. The EC135 and Bolkow helicopters are called out on eight missions a day on average, Paver said, predominantly to rural locations.

Westcountry Ambulance Service Trust deploys the aircraft and handles emergency calls, while non-profit organisation DAAT finances the service at an estimated annual cost of £1.7million. The second helicopter will cost the Trust an additional £300,000 to run during the summer period.

Income is raised through a variety of sources, including the charity’s own lottery, which provides about one quarter of the income. Special events, such as sponsored beard shaving, parachute jumps, business donations and a human table football tournament, also generate income.

Looking further into the future, the Trust said it would like to make the addition of a second helicopter a permanent arrangement, and upgrade to a second EC135.

Both helicopters provide an exemplary service, the Trust said, but the EC135 has a number of advantages, including a high cruise speed, more room for the crew to manouevre, low ambient noise and a skid under-carriage enabling the aircraft to land on a variety of ground conditions or slopes.