Upton's racing legend Nigel Mansell delivers new £7million helicopter to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity - The Malvern Observer

Upton's racing legend Nigel Mansell delivers new £7million helicopter to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity

Malvern Editorial 21st Feb, 2018   0

UPTON’S Formula One legend Nigel Mansell said he wanted to raise awareness of the ‘incredible work’ of the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity when he officially unveiled its new £7million state-of-the-art helicopter.

Mr Mansell, who won the Formula One World Championship in 1992 and is an ambassador for the MAAC, stressed the importance of securing the long-term future of the service.

“We only ever appreciate the real value of the air ambulance when we maybe unfortunate to either be in a road traffic accident or indeed to witness one.

“The speed of the air ambulances are critical in these circumstances.




“The ‘Golden Hour’, as it’s so often referred too, is so critical in helping to save lives.

“The speed of the air ambulances, the skill of the pilots and the critical care on board with paramedics and doctors is second to none.”


Mr Mansell and former rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall flew to RAF Cosford on Monday for the event and the new helicopter will go into operational service later this month.

The purchase of the new air ambulance would not have been possible without the generous donations from the public as the charity receives no Government or National Lottery funding.

The helicopter will undertake an average of up to three missions every day and will provide a great number of benefits to patient care across the Midlands.

It can travel greater distances without the need for refuelling and enables the aircrew to respond even faster due to increased speed capability.

The larger interior also means additional aircrew can be flown to major incidents and further medical equipment can be carried on board to treat more complex emergencies.

Jason Levy, fund-raising and marketing director for the MAAC, added: “Excellent pre-hospital patient care is at the heart of everything we do.

“To support our mission, build resilience, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of the charity, we made the strategic decision to invest a proportion of donations into a larger, upgraded model.

“The new airframe will enable us to reduce our operating costs and complements our plans to further improve pre-hospital care in the region.”

Each year the MAAC has to raise in excess of £7million to keep its three helicopters airborne 365 days per year.

Since its inception in 1991, it has airlifted and helped save more than 48,000 lives.

The charity covers a population in excess of six million people across the counties of Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and the West Midlands.

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