Kent Air Ambulance
Encyclopedia
The Kent Air Ambulance is an organisation providing emergency medical services
through the provision of a helicopter
air ambulance
covering the county of Kent
in the South East of England, United Kingdom. The helicopter is funded by the Kent Air Ambulance Trust (under the operating name of the Kent Air Ambulance Fund), which is a registered charity
, raising money from public and private donations in excess of £4m every year between Kent, Sussex
and Surrey
.
near Maidstone
.
It operates one McDonnell-Douglas MD-902 Explorer helicopter (registration
G-KAAT) from its headquarters in Marden. This location, combined with a its high cruise speed, quoted by Macdonnell Douglas as in excess of 150 mph, enables the crew to reach almost all of the county within 15 minutes of takeoff (the exception being the farther reaches of Thanet
which may take up to 20 minutes to reach).
In March 2008 it was announced that the trust would be collaborating with Sussex Police
to provide a night time rescue service utilising the Sussex police helicopter, Hotel 900, which is equipped to fly at night. Prior to this, the service was restricted to daylight operation only.
The £1.6m that it costs to run each year is funded entirely by voluntary donations and fund-raising, such as the sale of its own lottery tickets as it receives no government, National Lottery
or NHS
funding. The service has flown over 12,000 missions since its inception.
The trust suffered a tragedy in July 1998 when the air ambulance (at the time a Eurocopter AS355 Twin Squirrel
, registration G-MASK) crashed in good weather after colliding with power cables near Burham
whilst returning to Rochester Airport following an aborted call to attend a road accident. All three crew - the pilot, Graham Budden, and two paramedics, Tony Richardson and Mark Darby - were killed on impact.
Initial investigation established no cause for the crash, due to the fireball produced on impact. Controversy ensued when the pilot's employers, Police Aviation Services, denied liability. On 19 February 2004, following a civil case brought by the pilot's widow to the High Court in Manchester, it ruled that the crash was caused by mechanical failure not, as had been suggested, flying low for fun, and ordered compensation to be paid.
A memorial to the crew is located at the Bluebell Hill picnic site, close to the scene of the crash.
-based actress Penelope Keith
that began in 2005, the trust started operating a second helicopter from a new base at Dunsfold Aerodrome
in Surrey serving the Surrey and Sussex areas. This new service operates as the Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance
.
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
through the provision of a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
covering the county of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in the South East of England, United Kingdom. The helicopter is funded by the Kent Air Ambulance Trust (under the operating name of the Kent Air Ambulance Fund), which is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, raising money from public and private donations in excess of £4m every year between Kent, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
Overview and History
The service is operated by the Kent Air Ambulance Trust, a registered charity established in 1989. The trust was founded by Kate Chivers (in whose honour the current helicopter is named), and was originally called the South East Thames Air Ambulance. Initially operated on a part-time basis, the air ambulance became a seven-day service in January 2000 and shortly afterwards moved from its original Rochester Airport base to its current base at MardenMarden, Kent
Marden is a village about 13 km south of Maidstone and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the flood plain of the River Beult near Maidstone. It is on the B2079 road linking the A229 Maidstone with the A21 at Flimwell. It has its own railway...
near Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
.
It operates one McDonnell-Douglas MD-902 Explorer helicopter (registration
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
G-KAAT) from its headquarters in Marden. This location, combined with a its high cruise speed, quoted by Macdonnell Douglas as in excess of 150 mph, enables the crew to reach almost all of the county within 15 minutes of takeoff (the exception being the farther reaches of Thanet
Thanet
Thanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
which may take up to 20 minutes to reach).
In March 2008 it was announced that the trust would be collaborating with Sussex Police
Sussex Police
Sussex Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing East Sussex, West Sussex and City of Brighton and Hove in southern England. Its head office is in Lewes, Lewes District, East Sussex.-History:...
to provide a night time rescue service utilising the Sussex police helicopter, Hotel 900, which is equipped to fly at night. Prior to this, the service was restricted to daylight operation only.
The £1.6m that it costs to run each year is funded entirely by voluntary donations and fund-raising, such as the sale of its own lottery tickets as it receives no government, National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
or NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
funding. The service has flown over 12,000 missions since its inception.
1998 Air Ambulance Crash
Eurocopter AS355
The Eurocopter AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine light helicopter originally manufactured by Aérospatiale...
, registration G-MASK) crashed in good weather after colliding with power cables near Burham
Burham
Burham is a village and civil parish in the Tonbridge and Malling district ofKent, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,251. The village is near the Medway towns.The history of Burham can be traced to Roman times...
whilst returning to Rochester Airport following an aborted call to attend a road accident. All three crew - the pilot, Graham Budden, and two paramedics, Tony Richardson and Mark Darby - were killed on impact.
Initial investigation established no cause for the crash, due to the fireball produced on impact. Controversy ensued when the pilot's employers, Police Aviation Services, denied liability. On 19 February 2004, following a civil case brought by the pilot's widow to the High Court in Manchester, it ruled that the crash was caused by mechanical failure not, as had been suggested, flying low for fun, and ordered compensation to be paid.
A memorial to the crew is located at the Bluebell Hill picnic site, close to the scene of the crash.
Expansion
In June 2007, following a local fund-raising campaign spearheaded by SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
-based actress Penelope Keith
Penelope Keith
Penelope Anne Constance Keith, CBE, DL is an English actress.Having started her television career in the 1950s, Penelope Keith became a household name in the United Kingdom in the 1970s when she played Margo Leadbetter in the sitcom The Good Life...
that began in 2005, the trust started operating a second helicopter from a new base at Dunsfold Aerodrome
Dunsfold Aerodrome
Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, England, near the village of Cranleigh, was built by the Canadian Army and civilian contractors as a Class A Bomber Airfield for Army Co-operation Command...
in Surrey serving the Surrey and Sussex areas. This new service operates as the Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance
Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance
The Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance is an organisation providing emergency medical services through the provision of a helicopter air ambulance covering the two counties of Surrey and Sussex in the South East of England, United Kingdom...
.
See also
- Air Ambulances in the United KingdomAir Ambulances in the United KingdomThere are a number of air ambulance services in the United Kingdom using either helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. Thirty helicopters, all operated by commercial companies and funded by charitable organisations, cover England and Wales...
- South East Coast Ambulance ServiceSouth East Coast Ambulance ServiceThe South East Coast Ambulance Service is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent , Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex . It also covers a part of north-eastern Hampshire around Aldershot...