The service covers the counties of Hampshire and Isle of Wight and responds where required to major trauma injuries and other incidents in need of a fast response/transfer to hospital. Since early 2016, it has operated an Airbus H135 helicopter, which is capable of night missions. This helicopter now allows the service to operate helicopter emergency medical service during both daylight and darkness hours from 7 am to 2 am, 365 days a year. In addition to the helicopter, a Critical Care Car is operational during the same hours, carrying both a doctor and paramedic - allowing the charity to double the number of patients it attends to. The CCC is a Volvo XC90, with a personalised numberplate, HA10 WAA, an acronym for the charity's name, which was donated anonymously. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance currently has a partnership with Thames Valley Air Ambulance, both of which cover the area that South Central Ambulance Service covers, allowing each service to cover 19 hours for 16 consecutive nights. This means Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire all have HEMS cover 19 hours a day. The air ambulance costs around £450,000 per month to operate efficiently and successfully, roughly £15,000 a day.
Helicopter and crew
The current helicopter is a twin-engined Airbus H135, a type often utilised as an air ambulance. It is usually airborne within four minutes and typically flies at, allowing it to reach most locations in Hampshire within fifteen minutes, though flights to the Isle of Wight may take longer. The H135 replaced its predecessor, a 33-year-old MBB Bo 105, in September 2010. The H135 can carry a crew of up to four, but typically carries two paramedics and one pilot. An additional doctor or family member of the patient may occupy the fourth seat. In October 2015, a new H135 replaced the previous one. It is powered by two Turbomeca Arrius 2BPLUS engines, has a range of and an endurance of roughly 4.5 hours. The helicopter is fitted with two Garmin GPS systems, moving map displays, two iPad minis, a power line detection system, night vision goggles and a Trakka Systems A800 high intensity searchlight. It is capable of night flying. The air ambulance is always crewed by a pilot, a doctor and critical care paramedic, and sometimes an additional paramedic.
