Inside Yorkshire Air Ambulance: From Richard Hammond to new helicopters, how the charity is still flying high and saving lives more than 20 years later

The charity is completely independent and relies heavily on the generosity of the public and organisations to keep the service active.

Through donations the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has helped saved more than 8,000 lives since launching more than 20 years ago.

On average, the dispatch time of the helicopters is around two to three minutes.

Across YAA’s two bases, the helicopters are able to access anywhere in Yorkshire within 20 minutes, flying at speeds of up to 160mph.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance was founded on October 25, 2000 and consisted of a small crew operating a leased Bolkow helicopter, G-PAS-G, from a Portakabin at Leeds Bradford Airport.

The charity’s longest-standing partner is the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS), who supported operations and worked in tandem with YAA from the start.

In 2004, the operation at Leeds Bradford Airport took a step forward when the crew finally moved from their Portakabin to new office space on the Multiflight site at the airport.

Throughout the years, the charity has helped thousands of people throughout the district including Top Gear presenter Richmond Hammond, who had been involved in a serious car crash at Elvington Airfield on September 20, 2006.

This led to the debut of television show, Helicopter Heroes, on BBC1, presented by Richard.

The series comprised of 10 initial episodes and followed the West Yorkshire team, but due to the success of the first series it was re-commissioned.

Two decades later and the charity has two H145 helicopters, G-YAAC and G-YOAA, which are based between two airbases - Nostell Air Support Unit near Wakefield in West Yorkshire and RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk in North Yorkshire.

Operations at YAA’s second base in Topcliffe began in January 2012 and, over a year later, on November 28, 2013, the charity moved into its new flagship airbase on the Nostell Estate in Wakefield, which was purposefully developed especially for operations.

While aquiring the new bases, YAA also acquired its own Air Operating Certificate, becoming one of the first air ambulances to achieve this in the UK.

Facilities at Topcliffe include office space, a hangar, a fuel bowser, space close to the runway for rapid dispatch, and dedicated crew accommodation on site.

Facilities at Nostell include an office space, a hangar, a fuel bowser, as well as a board room, an air desk and operations room and a state-of-the-art simulation training suite equipped with the latest technology, providing immersive training experiences for crew.

Throughout two decades, the charity has supported and saved thousands of patients including Barry Burns, a seasoned walker from North Yorkshire.

In 2021, Barry was walking the first stretch of the Dales Way with friends, when he collapsed seven miles in.

Barry’s friends noticed his pale complexion and decided to call an ambulance.

Due to the seriousness of his condition and the remote area where Barry collapsed, Yorkshire Air Ambulance dispatched its helicopter from RAF Topcliffe.

Cyclists passing by stopped to help the paramedics carry the stretcher uphill to the aircraft and Barry was flown to James Cook University Hospital for tests where it was revealed he had a rare condition called super ventricular tachycardia.

Barry said: “They were incredible and could have saved my life. I couldn’t have gotten out of the situation I was in without them, and I don’t know what would have happened.

"They are brilliant, I can’t praise them enough.”

Over the past week, the team announced they are currently updating their two current aircrafts with the revolutionised Airbus H145 D3 helicopter, distinctly recognised by its new, five-blade rotor.

The first of the two new aircrafts was unveiled on Wednesday (March 15) at its base at Nostell Priory, Wakefield.

In May 2021, YAA confirmed that the charity would be placing an order for two five-bladed Airbus H145 D3 model aircraft, an upgrade to the current H145 D2 helicopters, which came into service in 2016.

The new helicopter, G-YAAA and its five-blades, is the first of its kind in the UK and ensures a smoother system, which vastly benefits patients and paramedics.

Steve Waudby, director of aviation, and pilot, said: "The first thing you'll notice is the five blades which keeps the aircraft smoother.

"There is also a new anti-vibration system which allows us to fly with another half-an-hour’s worth of fuel so we can go further and remain airborne for much longer."

The aircraft also features a new stretcher which can be pulled out and put in single-handedly. This allows paramedics to be self-sufficent without needing to move patients from one stretcher to another once at the hospital.

Steve added: “The main changes are so much better for patients.

"We have a brand new stretcher with a roll on and off capability which means we can single-handedly load and unload patients as well as retain all the necessary medical equipment down the side of the stretcher, making it less strenuous for our medical team.”

The second of the new aircrafts, G-YORX, is set to arrive later in June.

The base is currently featured on Helicopter ER, a follow on from Hammond’s Helicopter Heroes.

The series follows the team of Yorkshire medics as they attend to patients in life or death situations.

Despite constant funding, and appearing in the show, maintaining the costs continues to be difficult.

It currently costs £19,000 a day to keep the two helicopters maintained and in the air.

And, as a charity that is wholly publicly funded, it is reliant on the generosity of local people.

To donate to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and help fund its vital work, visit its website or text YAA followed by the donation amount to 70085.