The U.K.'s North Devon Air Ambulance Trust has extended its flying week from five to seven days and is pressing ahead with plans to build a new base. Lyn Paver, outgoing ceo of DAAT says: "We are celebrating our move to a new headquarters at the same time as providing an extension of the service."

Eaglescott in north Devon has gifted DAAT a 125-year lease. Paver says: "We are now looking forwards and the next step is to build a new base.

As Eaglescott is licensed by the CAA, this gives many advantages to move forward."

The service's Bolkow Bo105 DBS, which was based at Belle Vue airfield, will now operate from Eaglescott but the EC135 will continue to be based at Exeter. Both are called out on eight missions a day on average. Paver says: "It costs £2.2 million each year to keep both helicopters flying. With two air ambulances 50 per cent of Devon can be reached within five minutes, and the remainder within 15 minutes."

The air ambulance service was first set up in 1992 after a successful appeal by Ann Thomas whose son Ceri died in 1986 after being knocked from his bicycle.

Eaglescott's owner Barry Pearson, who is also a commercial airline pilot, says: "Eaglescott airfield operates as a not for profit organisation and as a community amateur sports club and is pleased to offer the Devon Air Ambulance a permanent home. The airfield is in its 24th year of operation offering the only facility in the U.K. where one can learn to fly in such a wide variety of aircraft, gliders, motor-gliders, fixed-wing and flex-wing microlights, training in light aircraft for U.K., national and European private pilot licences."

Paver is leaving to take over a similar post with the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.