Last September, we launched our 2ndHeli Appeal to raise £1 million towards the purchase and equipping of a second helicopter for the people of Dorset and Somerset. With thanks to careful stewardship of funds over the years, the charity committed £9.5 million towards the purchase of the aircraft, which is now officially en-route to the UK!

Arrival in the UK

At the beginning of January, our CEO, Charles Hackett, visited the Leonardo manufacturing site to inspect the new aircraft. It underwent test flights and is now flying to Gloucestershire Airport, where Gama Aviation will customise it for Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) missions.

The next phase

The largest element of this task will be the fitting of a medical interior into the rear cabin which will match the interior of G-DSAA (known fondly as ‘Peggy’), to make swapping between aircraft very simple.

Other elements of the HEMS customisation include installing:

• Emergency service radios 
• Nose-mounted TrakkaBeam searchlight, enabling night operations with the use night vision goggles

Once complete, the helicopter will have been transformed into a state-of-the-art intensive care unit, ready to deliver critical care to patients who need us. 

This vital addition to our fleet will enable us to reach more patients than ever before. If all goes to plan, the second helicopter will become operational in Summer 2026.