History and Facts Interesting Facts 1.The H145’s largest dimension from front blade tip to tail end is 13.68m – that’s the same length as a RNLI Shannon Class all-weather lifeboat. 2. The H145 is powered by 2 x Safran Arriel 2E turbo shaft jet engines. Each are rated for a maximum continuous power of 828 SHP (Shaft Horsepower) – that’s similar to having the power of two Formula 1 cars. 3. Our fuel consumption i 300 litres per hour – 300 litres is enough to travel 2600 miles in an average saloon car, or from Caernarfon to Antalya in Turkey. Although the helicopter can hold up to 900 litres, operationally we normally fuel to about 750 litres, enough to fly the length of Wales and back. 4. The maximum take off weight of the H145 is 3700kg – this is the same as three Ford Fiestas or one Massey Ferguson MF 2640 Tractor. 5. The maximum operating altitude of the H145 is 20,000ft, this is the same as six and a half times the height of Pen Y Fan. However, to operate at this height would require onboard oxygen, so we operate at 10,000 ft. 6. The tail rotor of the H145 is an enclosed tail rotor known as a Fenestron, a design now owned by Airbus helicopters. The word Fenestron is derived from the Latin word fenestra – which means window, very similar to the Welsh word for window “ffenestr”. 7. The hydraulic systems that work the flight controls operate at pressures in excess of 100bar – that is 45 times the pressure of a car tyre. 8. Operationally the H145 flies around 120 kts (nautical miles per hour) or 138 statute miles per hour; twice the legal motorway speed limit. It would take just over an hour to travel from the most northerly point in Wales on Anglesey to the most southerly point in Wales near Cardiff. 9. The rotor blades revolve at over 380 RPM – or six times per second, they have to withstand tensile forces of 20 tonnes and each one is hand made from carbon fibre and fibreglass weighting in at only 40 kg each and are stringently tested and balanced to minimise vibration. 10. The rotor blades attach to the rotor hub, which is manufactured from a single piece of forged titanium – each casing costs over £27,000 and are made to tolerances of 0.001 of a millimetre. 11. The medical fit including all kit bags, equipment, oxygen, monitors and stretcher weight over 100kg. 12. The tail rotor blades have variable angular spaced blades, so you’ll see different sized gaps between the blades. This helps reduce the noise signature of the helicopter and minimises noise nuisance to persons on the ground. 13. The H145 incorporates an advanced autopilot system to reduce pilot workload. The autopilot is integrated with a number ofaircraft envelope protections to prevent the overstressing of the airframe and low height protections amongst other features. 14. Wales Air Ambulance attends over 3,500 missions per year. 15. It take around three years to become a commercial pilot and about seven years to become a HEMS pilot. 16. Our aircraft configuration enables 6 people to fly inside the helicopter. 17. The Charity needs to raise £11.2 million each year to continue saving lives across Wales. 18. Pilots are not medics contrary to many people’s belief. 19. Our fleet of Rapid Response Vehicles are equipped with the same state-of-the-art equipment as the helicopters 20. The medical crews across Wales dispatched by a team at the EMRTS Critical Care Hub, based at the Welsh Ambulance Service Clinical Contact Centre in Cwmbran. 24 hours a day, there is a Critical Care Dispatcher and a Critical Care Practitioner monitoringevery 999 call, identifying which patients require critical care interventions. 21. In the day, we operate a single pilot model, requiring only one pilot to be on shift. At night, we operate dual pilot, so a captain and co-pilot will be on shift. 22. The pilots flying at night use night vision goggles, enabling them to see. (We could elaborate on this further). 23. At the start of every shift, the pilots will complete an engine wash. This pushes fluid through the engines to clean them. 24. Whilst the equipment on board is the same as what you would see in an intensive care unit, the helicopter must have a first aid kit on board to legally be able to fly. Manage Cookie Preferences