New air ambulance completes first mission in Scotland

Scotland’s newest helicopter air ambulance, the Airbus H145 D3 operated by Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), responded to its first call in the northeast today following a month of pilot and paramedic training and familiarization flights.

SCAA Chief Executive David Craig said this first mission marked a new stage in pre-hospital emergency care delivery for the charity.

“Everyone at SCAA is immensely proud of delivering this new generation of helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) for the people of Scotland – the same people who have supported us year on year to allow us to sustain our lifesaving service.

“Our thoughts are, however, with the patient involved in today’s emergency callout and their family.

“SCAA’s mission is simple: to provide rapid, high-quality medical care in the air, to transport patients to hospitals in the most efficient way possible, and to ensure that no-one in Scotland should die because help can’t get there in time,” he said. “It is reassuring to see our new H145 D3 (G-NSCA) deliver the role it was specially customized to fulfill.”

The Aberdeen-based aircraft has been fitted out for SCAA’s operating model. It offers increased range, endurance, and capacity compared with the charity’s existing aircraft.

On its first mission, the helicopter took just over 15 minutes to reach the emergency, where paramedics worked alongside Scottish Ambulance Service colleagues before airlifting the patient to hospital care in Aberdeen. The same journey by road would have taken close to an hour.