Yorkshire Air Ambulance unveils two new £15m helicopters

The two new Airbus H145 D3 helicopters cost £15m

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) has unveiled two new helicopters, bought with £15m of public donations.

The Airbus H145 D3 helicopters are the first of their kind in the UK.

Each helicopters has five rotor blades, meaning it can lift more weight and carry more fuel, as well as providing a smoother ride, YAA said.

They will be based in Wakefield and Thirsk with the two existing aircraft, which began operations in 2016, retired from service over the next 12 months.

Paramedic Sammy Wills thanked everybody who had donated to help buy the new air ambulances.

"The people of Yorkshire have done us proud," she said.

"It's incredibly smooth. We can fly at night, we use the Night Vision Googles.

"The patients on board won't even feel us coming in to land now it is that smooth."

The aircraft will be based at Wakefield and Thirsk

The new aircraft have a rear loading door allowing patients to be loaded directly in on wheeled stretchers.

It also has an encrypted data link allowing medics onboard to send information on the patient to doctors waiting at the hospital.

Pilot Colin Hawkesworth said the new helicopter "almost flies itself".

"If patients have broken bones and things like that and they are suffering it just makes it a lot more comfortable for them as well," he said.

The charity was set up in 2000 and added a second air ambulance in 2007.

It is entirely funded by public donations and YAA said it need to raise £19,000 a day to keep operating.