Devon Air Ambulance launches two new landing sites
Kingskerswell and North Bovey now have a pre-surveyed landing site for use in the hours of darkness
The Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) Community Landing Site network has launched two more sites: in Kingskerswell and North Bovey, which became operational this week.
DAA’s network of 196 surveyed floodlit landing sites has enabled its aircraft to land in many towns and villages across Devon, UK during the ‘hours of darkness’, allowing its critical care clinicians to reach patients quickly and safely when minutes really do matter.
After six years of developing this network of sites across the county, the project is moving into a new phase as the charity is now able to establish Community Landing Sites that do not need floodlighting to land.
Graham Coates, Landing Site Manager at DAA, said: “We have recently completed an extensive review of our night flying operations including pilot training, new advances in technology onboard our aircraft, and night vision goggle (NVG) use whilst in flight. In addition, we have also looked at how these advancements can help us to attend more patients, ensuring we can get to them as quickly and as safely as possible.
“With all these factors in mind, and in consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), we have been able to assess the feasibility of landing at Community Landing Sites without the use of lights, and I am pleased to announce that, going forward, floodlighting will not be required at our landing site locations.”
As a result, two local communities have been able to take advantage of this review and became operational this month without the need for the installation of a lighting column. Communities in Kingskerswell and North Bovey now have a pre-surveyed DAA landing site that may be utilized by the charity during the hours of darkness.
Coates concluded: “Kingskerswell and North Bovey are our first community landing sites without lighting columns, and I am looking forward to launching many more in communities across Devon, which will be of huge benefit to those who need our emergency critical care in the future.”