Wiltshire Air Ambulance helicopter still out of action for maintenance
The Charity tells us they've brought forward some work they were going to do in the New Year during the helicopter's annual service
Last updated 21st Jul 2024
Wiltshire's Air Ambulance Charity is reminding people across the county that they are on-hand to help, despite their helicopter currently being out of action.
Last month, like with every year, the helicopter was taken out for its annual service - a bit like an MOT for your car... but quite a bit more detailed, to make sure it's air-worthy for the next 12 months.
Whilst checks are being carried out, the famous yellow and green helicopter is grounded - and this year, the team have decided to also bring some essential maintenance forward.
It was scheduled to be brought-in in the New Year - but instead, they're doing it all now, which'll actually reduce the amount of overall time it's out of action for.
The charity tells us they're still 'fully operational', though - thanks to the use of their car, and thanks to the mutual agreements with other air ambulances in the region.
A charity spokesperson said: “Our helicopter has been undergoing its annual service, which has resulted in maintenance being undertaken.
“In addition, the charity has proactively opted to bring forward some further maintenance - originally scheduled for Q1 in 2024 - to get everything completed quicker and reduce the amount of time the aircraft is offline for over a longer period.
“The aircraft is due back from mid-November and in the meantime our crew remain fully operational to respond to emergencies in our two critical care cars, as well as being supported by neighbouring air ambulances as part of our mutual aid arrangements.”
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