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In
Britain sick passengers were ferried by air from the Western Isles
of Scotland to the mainland in the early 1930's. The first such flight
to be recorded was 14th May 1933 when a fisherman suffering from a
perforated stomach, with consequent risk of peritonitis, was flown
from Islay to Glasgow's Western Infirmary on a DH Dragon owned by
Midland and Scottish Air Ferries. This service, sponsored by the Department
of Health for Scotland through local authorities, was gradually developed,
and continues to this day, operated by Loganair using fixed-wing aircraft
from bases at Glasgow, Kirkwall in Orkney and Lerwick in Shetland. |
Many countries now have air ambulance services and the advent of the
helicopter has added an extra dimension to the effectiveness of such
operations. In Switzerland, with the increasing interest in Winter
Sports during the early post World War 2 years, the use of air ambulances
evolved from the increasing difficulties experienced in mountain rescue
work. Initially, fixed-wing aircraft were used, landing medical teams
with equipment as close as possible to the injured parties so that
rapid first-aid treatment could be applied prior to evacuation. The
major disadvantage was the lack of suitable landing sites close to
where the incident had occurred in what was inevitably a mountainous
region. To overcome this it was even at one stage proposed to parachute
medical personnel with equipment and sledges in to the rescue area.
Although training was undertaken, there is, however, no documentary
evidence to suggest that this technique was ever put into practice.
As technology advanced helicopters, because of their greater
manoeuvrability and flexibility in being able to land practically
anywhere, became more widely used in all kinds of air-rescue
work. It was |
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in the war-torn battle zones of Korea during the early fifties that
the value of the helicopter for moving wounded troops quickly from
the combat area was first widely realised. Probably the most publicised
use of helicopters in the rescue role is the work undertaken by the
R.A.F Air-Sea Rescue Services. Although they are not a true air ambulance
service, they do, obviously, perform that function as part of their
general duties. |
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