A glimpse into the reality of HELICOPTER MAINTENANCE

Devon Air Ambulance has two Airbus Helicopters: G-DAAN EC135, usually based at our Eaglescott airbase in North Devon, and the slightly larger aircraft G-DAAS H145, usually based at Exeter Airport.

Maintenance includes day-to-day routine tasks which typically take place outside of operational hours (so some very early starts!), then there is the scheduled major maintenance where the aircraft go to Oxford Airbus for several weeks.

Jeff Glover is our Licensed Engineer who works at both airbases. Alongside Jeff, Airbus provides 24-hour cover with a locally based engineer.

As well as aircraft maintenance, Jeff looks after items inside the aircraft such as seats and the stretcher, which rely on cables to allow them to slide in and out of the aircraft for loading patients and are used several times on almost every mission.

Engine start switches, landing light bulbs and rotor brake pads often need replacement as they get the most use over frequent short flights and landings, so we keep plenty of spares in stock.

Continuing Airworthiness Manager (CAM), Michael Snowden, monitors the flying hours and schedules maintenance in with Airbus Maintenance Facility in Oxford.

Each aircraft has approximately 1,000 inspection tasks and components to track individually. These tasks are loaded onto a computerised tracking system and monitored daily. When the aircraft goes in for major maintenance, the list of tasks is reviewed to make sure we capture all inspections and component changes, which means some tasks are performed early to maximise the time the aircraft is available for tasking.

Our two aircraft do have slightly different maintenance requirements, but any defects that fall outside of the major inspection downtime are fixed as soon as possible. 

G-DAAN EC135

Major Maintenance

Every 12 months. Two weeks complete inspection and fix any defects. Requires a team of five engineers.

G-DAAS H145

Every 8-9 months or 400 flight hours. Takes three weeks to complete and fix any defects. Team of five engineers.

Biggest Inspection Facts

Performed every three years (or 1,000 hours). Takes four weeks to complete and fix any defects. Requires five engineers

Performed every 800 hrs (approx. 16-18 mths). Takes six weeks to complete and fix with five engineers.

Continuing Airworthiness Manager (CAM), Michael Snowden, monitors the flying hours and schedules maintenance in with Airbus Maintenance Facility in Oxford.

Parts normally come from Germany. The recently replaced engine came from Canada

The most expensive part is the Main Gearbox. This is sent away for an overhaul (strip, inspect & replace parts) every 3,600 flight hours (every six years). This takes 6-9 months to complete, so it’s usually replaced costing £735k or exchanged £500k.

Jeff Glover is our Licensed Engineer who works at both airbases. Alongside Jeff, Airbus provides 24-hour cover with a locally based engineer.

Monday 8 May was all about lending a hand to make a change. With thousands of charities and community organisations coming together as part of a unique initiative to commemorate the King’s Coronation. The Big Help Out was a chance for everyone to experience volunteering in their local area.

With strong roots in the community of Devon, we are always keen to welcome new volunteers. So, in tribute to the King’s public service, we took the opportunity to make The Big Help Out a week-long event with each of our 19 shops hosting an open day for the public on Monday 8 May and providing our staff the opportunity to help in our shops right up until Saturday 13 May.

On the Monday we chose to highlight the positive impact volunteering has on the local community and encouraged people of Devon to come along to their local shop, to meet and chat with staff, crew and current volunteers, to find out more about our service and how a donation of their time could help to save a life.

Our shops were bustling, and it was great to see so many new faces and potential volunteers. Many tried their hand at sorting and steaming stock to gain an insight into the role of a shop volunteer, whilst others enjoyed talking with current volunteers who were keen to share their experience of volunteering. Volunteer Linda said, ‘The effort put into supporting volunteers is excellent, as well as the staff support in their lovely shops.’

Our 650 volunteers, each with their own unique skills and experiences, are invaluable to us. They donate their time to undertake many varied tasks, from supporting their local shop and helping at our Exeter head office, to collecting boxes, attending events and giving talks to local businesses and groups.

As well as volunteers from outside the charity, an important part of our culture is for our staff to volunteer in a role other than their usual one, which helps to build strong working relationships and allows staff and volunteers alike to truly understand the hard work and part they play in keeping our service responding. To show how much we appreciate our volunteers and understand how important volunteering is for our service, we asked all staff to offer some time to support The Big Help Out by attending one of our shops for a morning, afternoon or full day, to help with a Big Sort, a Big Steam or a Big Clean. about what volunteering entails and what opportunities might be of interest. We understand that people live busy lives, so volunteering is fully flexible and fits around a volunteer’s other commitments. So, whatever your interest, skills, and availability, there will be something to suit you.

Not only are our volunteers an integral part of our success, they are vital to ensuring we stay rooted in the community we serve, and in turn, volunteering with Devon Air Ambulance is a great way for our volunteers to give back to the local community.

Of course, volunteering isn’t just about what our volunteers give to us and their community, it’s also about what they get from donating their time. Volunteering can contribute to a person’s happiness, it’s a great way to keep the body and mind active, it boosts mental health, confidence, and self-esteem by helping individuals to learn new skills which in turn increases employability prospects, as well as providing an opportunity to be part of the community and meet new friends.

Volunteer Trevor said, ‘I found in DAA a volunteering role which offered me an ‘occasional’ rather than regular (weekly, etc.) chance to do something I thought I’d be half decent at: talking and delivering what is a powerful message about the service. I thoroughly enjoy doing so; the variety of groups to whom I speak, the challenges of different venues and assessing just how best to try to deliver the presentation to those in front of me.’

Volunteer Manager, Cara Jones, adds, ‘We had a brilliant week during The Big Help Out, it was great to see so many people from the local community popping into our shops to find out about how they can support us. We have such a fantastic family of volunteers, we enjoy taking the time to get to know them and building lasting relationships, and we always look forward to welcoming more. We really value the hard work our volunteers put in, and of course we ensure that we look after them and support their wellbeing.’

Volunteers make a meaningful difference, and we truly understand their importance. We work hard to build strong relationships with them all and ensure they know how much we appreciate them. Next month we will be celebrating National Volunteer Week to recognise and highlight the hard work of our volunteers.

Volunteer Tony added, ‘I started volunteering after retirement as there was an opportunity to give something back, which I hadn’t had time to do when in full time employment. Additionally, this was an excellent local charity that enabled me to maintain my people contact that I had enjoyed during my career in the hospitality industry.’

We are always keen to encourage everyone to find out more

If you’d be interested in lending a hand, but didn’t get chance to pop along to your local Devon Air Ambulance shop during The Big Help Out, then come along during National Volunteer Week, 1-7 June, to meet our staff and volunteers, and find out how your time can make a real difference. We look forward to welcoming you. 