DSAA celebrates 25-year milestone anniversary
The UK’s Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) is celebrating 25 years of operations
Launching in 2000 with a Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) Bo 105 helicopter, and initially only operating five days a week, the service has since conducted over 29,000 missions.
A quarter of a century later, DSAA now flies missions 19 hours a day, every day of the year, using a Leonardo AW169 introduced in 2017.
The charity also now provides enhanced care services across both counties using a pair of outreach cars operating 12 hours a day.
“Firstly, I would like to say thank you to everyone who supports us,” said Charles Hackett, CEO of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. “This has only been possible because of consistent, regular commitment from our supporters. Without that support, we wouldn’t be where we are today and wouldn’t be able to do more tomorrow.”
Hackett added: “In 2016, we were tasked about 800 times. Last year, it was nearly 3,000. This continuous, step-by-step growth in care, in such a short period of time, has been nothing short of incredible.”
Cornwall Air Ambulance recently received a new AW169 helicopter from Leonardo Helicopters – the second of its type that the charity will own outright.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.