Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore
Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore, formerly Bond Air Services, is an operator of air ambulance helicopters in the UK. They also provide services to police, and offshore windfarms. Babcock operates a mixed fleet of light twin-engined helicopters custom designed to perform specific and specialised tasks. It operates from 22 bases around the UK and in Ireland. It has maintenance facilities in Staverton and Glasgow.
 | |
| Industry | Aviation |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Bond Aviation Group |
| Headquarters | Gloucestershire Airport, Staverton, Gloucestershire , England |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Rich Youngs, Managing Director David Plester, CEO |
| Parent | Babcock International |
| Website | babcockinternational.com |
Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore is headquartered at Gloucestershire Airport, Staverton, Gloucestershire, which is also home to their EC135 flight simulator.
Services
Babcock works in partnership with customers and aircraft manufacturers, providing bespoke design & completion services. This creates bespoke aircraft and accessories designed for specialised and mission-critical roles – from transporting infants to operating on live high-voltage wires.
In 2014, they were contracted by the National Police Air Service (NPAS) to upgrade seven EC135T2 helicopters with new camera and mission systems technologies.
In 2015, Babcock took delivery of a Eurocopter EC145, ordered the previous year for use with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. They have since taken delivery of another two H145's for the Scottish Ambulance Service. A fourth was scheduled to enter service on behalf of the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity in 2016. In 2018, they began operating the Airbus Helicopters H135 T3+.
Their training facility includes an EC135 training simulator (Level III FTD).
Customers
Babcock operates 32 helicopters, including 28 air ambulance helicopters from 22 bases around the UK and in Ireland. They provide helicopter services for ten air ambulance charities and the Scottish Ambulance Service. They operate a police support helicopter for Police Scotland and also provide helicopter support for the renewables industry.
Babcock provided night helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) with East Anglian Air Ambulance charity in 2013.
Prince William
In 2014, it was announced that Prince William, Duke of Cambridge would take on a full-time role as a pilot with Bond Air Services based at Cambridge Airport. Although a qualified military pilot able to operate as a Sea King captain, William needed a commercial pilot's licence and further training before starting operations for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. The Duke started operational flights on 13 July 2015 and continued until 2017. His salary was donated to charity.[1]
Incidents
On 29 November 2013, G-SPAO, an EC-135T-2 operated on behalf of Police Scotland, crashed through the roof of the Clutha Vaults pub in Glasgow, killing all three people on board and seven in the building.[2][3]
References
- Britain's Prince William to return to work as air ambulance pilot, ABC News Online, 8 August 2014
- "Helicopter crash in central Glasgow". STV. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- "Police Helicopter Crashes Into Glasgow Pub Roof". Sky News. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.