Thames Valley\'s air ambulance still flying

Tag : Grounding Kit

THE Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance has not been affectedby the recent grounding of a number of emergency servicehelicopters.
Police and air ambulance helicopters across the country have beengrounded amid safety fears after an incident in Buckinghamshire.
But John Kingham, general manager of Thames Valley and Chiltern AirAmbulance Trust, said the issues did not affect the two helicoptersserving this area.
The scare follows an incident when the London Air Ambulance wasforced to land at Denham Airfield.
The forces involved in the scare use McDonnell Douglas (MD) 902series helicopters.
Thames Valley Police also confirmed that the force helicopter wasstill operational.
Spokesman David Paull said the force used Eurocopters and so hadnot been affected.
The Wiltshire Police helicopter has, however, stopped flying whilemaintenance checks are carried out.
The helicopter, which is leased from Gloucestershire-based PoliceAviation Services, was already grounded at the time of the incidentwith the London Air Ambulance.
Graham Saunders, a member of Wiltshire police operations team,said: