Cost and Financing

Operational costs for the Cornwall Air Ambulance has now risen from on average £60,000 a month to £80,000 a month for the new EC135. This includes the lease of the aircraft, pilots, service engineers, spares, servicing and insurances, as well as a charge of some £350 per flying hour to cover fuel and other combustibles. The cost of the two paramedics is borne by the District Health Authority, by whom they are employed.

The Aircrew

At all times the Air Ambulance carries a crew of three, the pilot and two paramedics. To enable seven-day flying, the service presently uses three pilots who are shared with Bond Air Services' Trinity House operation which, like the Air Ambulance, is based at RAF St Mawgan. All the pilots are highly skilled and experienced, having flown many thousands of hours on helicopters.

The aircrew are selected from existing ambulance service personnel and specially trained for their work on the helicopter.

There is a pool of twenty aircrew who work on the Air Ambulance on a rotation basis. In the intervening periods between being on the helicopter the crew revert to their normal jobs on the road ambulances in the County.

Further back-up on the ground is provided by 3 Bond Air Services engineers.