Captain Mario Carretta awarded the Sir Barnes Wallis Medal

“This year’s ‘Sir Barnes Wallis Medal,’ which is awarded in recognition of an innovative and exceptional contribution to aviation, is awarded to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance pilot Captain Mario Carretta OBE. He was nominated for his exemplary airmanship, flying more than 1,000 missions since arriving at the unit. But Carretta’s unfaltering dedication to patients’ needs stands above many others in the role, whilst his professionalism and innovative ideas have benefited not only those across the two counties the air ambulance serves, but patients across the UK.

Chief among the citation’s highlights were Carretta’s efforts to support patients during the Covid-19 pandemic, including flying on patient transfer services throughout and testing personal protective equipment and cockpit isolation barriers that would allow patients to be flown safely to hospital. He continues to innovative, more recently with introducing Performance Based Navigation and Point in Space approaches in the industry, which would enable more patients to be reached by air.”