Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance believes that no one in Scotland should die because help can’t get there in time.
That ambition has taken our air ambulance helicopters to every corner of the country – and beyond – flying as quickly as possible to the aid of those most seriously ill or injured.
As fuel costs rise, your support continues to sustain our service and ensure that paramedic and doctor-led teams deliver life-saving care as quickly as possible, wherever and whenever we’re needed.
In the wake of unrest in the Middle East, the risk of disruption to our service due to fuel issues remains low. But, like every other aircraft operator, SCAA is experiencing a significant increase in aviation fuel costs.
SCAA has already proven that it can fly help and hope to all four corners of the country, having flown missions to - and airlifted patients from – locations as widespread as Shetland and The Borders, and Stornoway and Eyemouth. Even south into England.
And, thanks to the generosity of people like you, SCAA can ensure the safe and sustainable delivery of our life-saving service.
The introduction of our new H145 helicopter last autumn provides our crews with an average of 160 minutes flying between refuels. This has allowed us to reach patients in remote communities even faster and airlift them to specialist hospital care without having to delay through refuelling on route.
SCAA’s Aberdeen-based senior pilot Captain Pete Winn explained that even a flight to Shetland can be carried out on one tank, with refuelling options at Lerwick, Kirkwall or Wick if required on the return journey.
“Weather can play a big part in our flying,” he said. “Strong headwinds can half our speed and double our flight time and the vagaries of Scotland’s landscape and its many weather pockets may force us to adopt detours as we fly round, over or under difficult conditions. All this impacts on our fuel consumption.”
SCAA has the assets to cover the whole of Scotland – 30,000 square miles and around 100 islands. Thanks to your continued support, we also have the funding to get us there.
SCAA’s capabilities mean there is no place we shouldn’t be able to reach and get paramedic and critical care teams to a patient.
Start of shift planning ensures that our aircraft are set to go immediately in response to an emergency. Capacity, fuel and range are all known, and plans can be adapted as required when patient needs and receiving hospital are determined.
A less time critical air ambulance mission allows the pilot and crew to carefully plan flying time, route, diversion options, fuel capacity and any necessary refuelling stops before take-off.
“We have refuelling options across Scotland,” explained Pete. “Airports at Lerwick, Kirkwall, Wick, Inverness, Stornoway, RAF Lossiemouth, Dundee and sites at Glasgow and Edinburgh are all options for us, as well as fuel bowsers at sites like Oban and Plockton and barrel fuel at Tiree.
“These refuelling sites allow us to continue operating away from our home bases of Perth and Aberdeen, often going straight from delivering one patient to hospital to attending a subsequent emergency elsewhere.”
Our ability to deliver life-saving care to the patient at scene and airlift them rapidly to definitive hospital care also allows road ambulances to remain in their district and be available for other calls in that area.
SCAA’s crews have carried out a maximum of 12 emergency responses in one 12-hour shift, fuelled by your donations, as they deployed both aircraft and Rapid Response Vehicles to emergencies across Scotland. Pilots and paramedics have now responded to over 7,500 call outs, saving and improving the lives of thousands of people in every corner of the country.
This summer, your donations will support our crews through their busiest time of year, ensuring we can fill our tanks ready for each and every emergency.
